Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Australia

Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Australia
Name	Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Australia
Formation	1993
Headquarters	Canberra
Leader title	President

Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Australia is a peak national body representing researchers and practitioners across the humanities and social sciences in Australia. It convenes annual gatherings, produces policy submissions, and fosters interdisciplinary networks among universities, museums, libraries and cultural institutions. The Federation engages with federal ministries, research councils and philanthropic foundations to advocate for research funding and public humanities initiatives.

History

The Federation was founded in the early 1990s amid debates involving Australian Research Council, Commonwealth of Australia, National Library of Australia, State Library of New South Wales, and leading universities such as University of Sydney, Australian National University, University of Melbourne and Monash University. Early conferences drew speakers from Humanities Research Centre, National Museum of Australia, Trove partners, and policy bodies like Department of Education (Australia) and Department of Communications (Australia). Major milestones include coordination with cultural institutions such as Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum Victoria, and collaborations with learned societies including Australian Academy of the Humanities, Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and disciplinary associations like Australasian Study of Religions Association and Australian Historical Association. The Federation’s history intersects with national reviews such as the Bradley Review and funding cycles of the ARC Centres of Excellence.

Structure and Governance

Governance follows a board model with representation drawn from universities including Griffith University, University of Queensland, University of Adelaide, University of Western Australia and research institutes like CSIRO-linked humanities initiatives. Office-bearers have included academics associated with institutes such as Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Lowy Institute fellows, and chairs from learned bodies including Australian Academy of the Humanities. Committees liaise with bodies such as Australian Research Council, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), National Endowment for the Arts-equivalent stakeholders, and state cultural agencies like Arts NSW and Creative Victoria. The Federation maintains policies aligning with statutory frameworks such as the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and participates in governance dialogues with tertiary regulators including TEQSA.

Activities and Programs

The Federation organises an annual congress that attracts delegates from institutions like University of Tasmania, La Trobe University, Deakin University, Charles Darwin University and cultural partners such as Powerhouse Museum, State Library of Victoria and National Gallery of Australia. Programs include symposia on topics featured by research centres such as Digital Humanities Observatory, projects with Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and training workshops in collaboration with museums like Queensland Museum. Fellowship schemes have run alongside grants from philanthropic organisations including Myer Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation and collaborations with research infrastructures such as ANU Press and National Archives of Australia. Public-facing initiatives have been mounted with partners like ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), SBS (Special Broadcasting Service), and festival partners including Melbourne Writers Festival.

Advocacy and Public Policy

The Federation produces submissions to parliamentary inquiries including committees in the Parliament of Australia and consults with agencies like Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia). Policy priorities have addressed funding rounds administered by the Australian Research Council, citation and assessment frameworks influenced by international bodies such as OECD and partnerships with national bodies like Australian Bureau of Statistics for cultural data. The Federation has engaged in campaigns alongside organisations such as National Trust of Australia, Creative Partnerships Australia, and university consortia representing Group of Eight (Australian universities) and regional networks like Regional Universities Network. It has responded to reviews from entities such as Productivity Commission (Australia) and participated in national dialogues framed by events like Australia 2020 Summit.

Publications and Communications

The Federation issues conference proceedings, policy briefs, and op-eds disseminated via outlets including The Conversation (website), The Australian, The Guardian (Australia), and academic presses like Melbourne University Publishing and Sydney University Press. It maintains newsletters and social media engagement alongside collaborations with journals published by societies such as Journal of Australian Studies, Australian Historical Studies, Oceania (journal), and discipline-specific publishers like Routledge and Oxford University Press. Communications have highlighted research undertaken at centres including ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions and museums including Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences.

Membership and Affiliations

Membership spans individual scholars, institutional members from universities such as Curtin University, Murdoch University, University of Newcastle (Australia), and partner societies including Australasian Association for Contemporary European Studies, Australian Linguistic Society, Australian Political Studies Association and Australian Sociological Association. International affiliations and collaborative links have been cultivated with organisations like Modern Language Association, American Historical Association, British Academy, and regional partners such as Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research and Council for Cultural Affairs (Taiwan). The Federation also networks with funding bodies including National Endowment for the Humanities and philanthropic entities like BHP Foundation.

Category:Australian learned societies