Peacock to head Academy of Science

CSIRO Plant Industry chief Dr Jim Peacock has been elected to head the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) after 27 years in the academy.

He replaces Prof Brian Anderson who completes his four-year term at the conclusion of the Academy's Science at the Shine Dome conference on Friday May 3.

Peacock said he is honoured to have been elected president of the AAS.

"For next four years I will be working hard to promote the role of science in contributing to Australia's prosperity," he said.

His initial focus, he said, would be on the higher education review and the setting of national research priorities. "These are vital issues that will impact on Australia's scientific, economic and social future," he said.

As a former Professor at the University of California in San Diego, and also at Stanford University, Peacock has strong links in the United States, and since 1990 he has been the Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.

CSIRO chief executive Dr Geoff Garrett said that Peacock's work was recognised around the world, and that he headed one of the world's leading bodies in plant molecular biology.

Peacock has a long track record of ensuring that basic research is taken to its final end-point in terms of applications in agriculture and other industries, according to a CSIRO statement.

Peacock has a long list of merits including: the Prime Minister's Prize for Science in 2000, Fellow of the Royal Society, AAS and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In the past, he has served on the Australian Research Grants Committee, the Prime Minister's Science Engineering and Innovation Council, ASTEC, and the Recombinant DNA Committee (ASCORD).

His commitment to science education was reflected in his previous role as chairman of the AAS's School Biology Committee, which oversaw the production of biology text books.