RiAus (Royal Institution of Australia) spreading science message from old Adelaide stock exchange building

The former Adelaide Stock Exchange building becames the Science Echange, now home to the RiAus and the Australia Science Media Centre

The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), in the former Adelaide Stock Exchange (now Science Exchange) building, is spreading science information with offshoots such as the Australian Science Media Centre and Australia’s first dedicated science television channel.

The opening of the RiAus headquarters in the stock exchange building in 2009 started with the Bragg Initiative, named after Nobel Prize winners William Bragg and his son Lawrence, who were directors of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (RiGB) after they moved from Adelaide, encouraged South Australian links with the RiGB.

The Royal Institution is a national scientific not-for-profit organisation to “bring science to people and people to science”.  The RIAus concept was proposed by professor Susan Greenfield, an RiGB director, while thinker in residence for the South Australian government (2004-05).

Operating from the stock exchange building, Australian Science Media Centre is an independent, not-for-profit service giving journalists direct access to evidence-based science and expertise. More than 1,000 journalists now receive its alerts and close to 4,000 scientists have joined its database.

In 2014, the RiAus launched Australia’s first dedicated science channel, with the help of Adelaide-based digital media solutions company Hostworks. The channel delivers science-based content available via desktops, tablets and smartphones through RiAus TV.

Adelaide University, Flinders University, University of South Australia, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and industry organisations including the Defence, Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) are partners in RiAusTV.

RiAus is working with key partners including CSIRO, Questacon and Science Gallery International to present Sci•C•Ed  at the University of South Australia’s new Health Innovation building on North Terrace.

This purpose-built studio aims to “showcase research and innovation activities, opening minds, informing debate, challenging convention, inspiring local and global ideas and bringing people together around science.”