The AusSTS network was established in 2018 in Melbourne, Australia and has since grown to include members from across the Australian continent and Aotearoa New Zealand. The aim of the network is to serve as an intellectual and collegial home for STS researchers in the region.
2025
AusSTS becomes an incorporated entity with an Executive Committee and formal elections
2023
The first formal AusSTS Annual Conference is held on the theme of ‘Contributing to and with STS’, hosted at UNSW
2021
AusSTS is awarded the STS Infrastructure Prize by the Society for the Social Studies of Science in recognition of its key role in supporting STS scholarship
2020
The network expands to include regional nodes in Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, and Wellington
2019
The network hosts theinaugural AusSTS Workshoppostgraduate event at Deakin University, a multi-day workshop for ECR and HDR students
2018
AusSTS was founded and launched as a network for early career scholars, supported by the Deakin Science and Society Network
In 2025, AusSTS established a new process for annual elections of roles on the Executive. This involves first seeking nominations and then running elections for these roles prior to the Annual General Meeting at the AusSTS conference.
Role descriptions and eligibility criteria are available here.
Note that the eligibility criteria for several roles include individuals having previously served on the AusSTS Executive and being resident in Australia. This is because AusSTS is incorporated in Australia.
Nominations close: 8:00pm AEST, 1 August 2026.
The election ballot for 2026 will be finalised and circulated to members for voting ahead of the election on 1 September 2026 with election results announced at theAnnual General Meeting at AusSTS 2026.
Any questions about the nomination and election process can be directed to AusSTS Secretary Timothy Neale: timneale@gmail.com
Conference convenors: Christopher O’Neill and Carina Truyts
Conference organising team: Emma Kowal, Glen Berman, Joel Stern, Mardi Reardon-Smith, Sophie Adams, Thao Phan, Timothy Neale, Tristan Duncan
Conference convenors: Dan Santos and Jessie Liu
Conference organising team: Glen Berman, Anna Cain, Matthew Campbell, Christer de Silva, Tate Morgan, Leonie Norrington, Rebecca Paxton, Louisa Shen, Hugo Temby, Sam Williams, The Fenner Circle
Conference convenors: Mia Harrison
Conference organising team: Kari Lancaster, Matthew Kearnes, Ella Butler, Roberta Pala, Sophie Adams
Multi-sited workshop
Sydney: Roberta Pala, Mia Harrison, Sophie Adams, Matthew Kearnes, Kari Lancaster.
Melbourne: Tim Neale, Thao Phan, Carina Truyts, Tyler King, Lauren Kelly, Kieran Hegarty, Emma Kowal
Darwin: Michaela Spencer, Jennifer Macdonald, Kirsty Howey, Kelly Lee Hickey, Jennifer Deger, Leonie Norrington, Matt Barlow, Yasunori Hayashi
Wellington: Courtney Addison, Max Soar, Dinithi Bowatte
Multi-sited workshop
Sydney: Kari Lancaster, Sophie Adams, Mia Harrison, Matthew Kearnes
Melbourne: Thao Phan, Emma Kowal, Timothy Neale
Darwin: Matt Barlow, Cathy Bow, Kelly Lee Hickey, Kirsty Howey, Jen Macdonald, Michaela Spencer
Wellington: Courtney Addison, Max Soar, Dinithi Bowatte
Online workshop
Workshop convenor: Thao Phan
Organising committee:
Emma Kowal, Kari Lancaster, Timothy Neale, Courtney Addison, Declan Kuch, Owen McNamara, Michaela Spencer, Jennifer Macdonald, Kirsty Howey
Online workshop
Workshop convenor: Thao Phan
Organising committee:
Timothy Neale, Gemma Smart, Kari Lancaster, Michaela Spencer,
Jacina Leong
Co-founders: Thao Phan, Barbara Bok, Timothy Neale and Emma Kowal
