2026: A Landmark Year for Australian Science
Multiple Australian scientists have been elected to prestigious fellowships in leading national and international scientific organizations in 2026, including the Royal Society in the United Kingdom and the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia.
Election to the Royal Society (UK)
Three Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science were among 94 scientists globally elected to the Royal Society in 2026. The Royal Society, founded in the 1660s, is the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
The Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Society share a historical connection; in the early 1950s, Australia-based Fellows of the Royal Society helped establish the Academy to support scientific excellence in Australia.
The Newly Elected Fellows
- Professor Bostjan Kobe (University of Queensland): Elected for contributions to structural biology.
- Professor Alex McBratney AM (University of Sydney): Elected for contributions to soil science, environmental earth science, and precision agriculture.
- Professor Malcolm Sambridge (Australian National University): Elected for contributions to understanding Earth's internal processes through new mathematical approaches for analyzing geophysical data.
Election to the Royal Society of Victoria
On 20 May 2026, the Royal Society of Victoria announced its 2026 Fellows, the organization's highest honor. The newly elected cohort of 21 individuals represents a diverse range of scientific and societal leadership.
The 2026 Fellows include:
- Professor Elisabetta Barberio
- Dr Drew Berry
- Dr Amanda Caples
- The Honourable Linda Dessau AC CVO
- Professor Alan Duffy
- Professor Tim Entwisle
- Dr Alan Finkel AC FAA FTSE FIEAust FAHMS
- Professor Bronwyn Fox AO FRACI FTSE
- Professor Douglas Hilton AO FAA FTSE FAHMS
- Professor David Karoly FAA
- Professor Sharon Lewin AO FAA FRACP FAHMS
- Professor David Lindenmayer AO FAA
- Associate Professor Jennifer Martin
- Professor Patrick McGorry AO
- Professor Moira O'Bryan
- Professor José María Polo
- Professor Frances Separovic AO FAA
- David Shelmerdine AO
- Dr Gillian Sparkes AM
- Peter Yates AM FTSE
- The late Professor Emma Johnston AO FAA FTSE FRSN (posthumous)
Rob Gell AM, President of the Royal Society of Victoria, stated that the Fellowship recognizes individuals whose work shapes the future of science and society.