Australian Science Media Centre

What Australian Science Media Centre does

Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation founded in 2005 and headquartered in Adelaide. It operates as a free intermediary service that connects journalists with vetted scientific experts, with the stated mission of ensuring Australians have access to evidence-based science information amid a contested information environment. The organisation runs Scimex.org — a breaking science news portal covering Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific that is co-developed with the Science Media Centre of New Zealand — alongside Expert Reactions, a Find-an-Expert database of 7,006 scientists, online media briefings, the Off Embargo podcast, the ScienceMediaSavvy.org training portal, and the Science Deadline and Scimex Insider newsletters. Its expert database is ~40% female and includes nearly 400 experts who speak languages other than English.

The organisation is funded primarily through tiered organisational partnerships (Foundation, Gold, Affiliate) drawn from 70+ supporters across universities, media companies (ABC, News Corp, Nine), government bodies (Government of South Australia, NSW Government, CSIRO), and corporate partners (AIA Australia, Springer Nature, CSL). An individual-donation program called Friends of Evidence supplements institutional income, with the December 2024 DGR1 endorsement now making donations of $2+ tax-deductible. Distinction between AusSMC and commercial competitors is enforced by a Statement of Independence and a 10% cap on any single sponsor's contribution. Specialised programs include the Indigenous Media Mentoring Program (IMMP, with NITV-SBS), the Collaborative Journalism Project, Superstars of STEM media training, the Social Media Pilot, and the biennial Science Misinformation Symposium.

Operationally, AusSMC serves approximately 2,350-2,500 registered journalists with 3,000+ science stories per year and 33,000+ news items distributed in the past year, with Expert Reactions featuring in over 30,000 news stories annually across major outlets. It is governed by a Board chaired by Peter Yates AM and is one of seven international Science Media Centres (alongside UK, NZ, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, Spain) that share Expert Reactions across the global SMC network. The organisation is not commercially traded and is registered as Australian Science Media Centre Inc. in South Australia.

Name

Australian Science Media Centre

Legal name

Australian Science Media Centre Inc.

Website

https://smc.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) is an independent Adelaide-based non-profit founded in 2005 that runs Scimex.org, a breaking science news portal for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. It connects 2,500+ registered journalists with a 7,000-expert database, distributing Expert Reactions used in over 30,000 news stories annually under a sponsorship model capped at 10% per supporter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Media Services

NAICS

Publishing Industries (513), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical Affairs Scientific Communications (MSL Support/Scientific Response) (HLAGALAF), Educational/Science/History Cable Networks (MPABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Science media intermediary
• Expert reactions service
• Science journalism training
• Embargoed research news
• Media briefing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Organisational Support / Sponsorship: The AusSMC receives financial support from a broad range of organisations including universities, media companies, government bodies, and corporations. Over 70 organisations provide financial support annually across tiers: Foundation, Gold, and Affiliate. Individual contributions are capped at 10% of total operating costs to preserve independence.
2. Individual Donations — Friends of Evidence: Individuals can donate via the Friends of Evidence initiative. Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible in Australia (DGR1 status, effective December 2024). Tiered giving: Friend (up to $2,000/year), Advocate ($2,000–$20,000/year), Champion (above $20,000/year), and Friend for Life (one-off $100,000+).
3. Training Services: Foundation and Gold partners receive tailored media training as a supporter benefit. Affiliates receive one combined training session per year. Tailored training sessions are offered to non-supporters and for additional sessions, with contact via the AusSMC website or registration form.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Australian Science Media Centre operates Scimex.org, an embargoed breaking science news portal that connects working journalists with a database of 7,000+ vetted science experts, delivers Expert Reactions to media outlets, and hosts online media briefings. The centre also provides media training for scientists and journalists, runs science communication programs including the Indigenous Media Mentoring Program, and distributes science news content via email newsletters and podcasts.

Product overview

The Australian Science Media Centre operates a suite of interconnected products centered on its flagship science news portal Scimex. The core offering includes Scimex (breaking science news portal for Australia, NZ and the Pacific), Expert Reactions (expert quote service), Find an Expert database, and Media Briefings. Supporting products include the Off Embargo podcast, Scimex Insider daily alerts, and Science Deadline weekly newsletter. The organization also runs specialized programs including the Indigenous Media Mentoring Program (IMMP), Collaborative Journalism Project, Superstars of STEM, Friends of Evidence initiative, and Science Misinformation Symposium. Training services are offered through ScienceMediaSavvy.org, media training workshops for scientists, and newsroom training for journalists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scimex: The breaking science news portal for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, delivering evidence-backed news. It features expert reactions, multimedia content, and research stories.
• Off Embargo

Products and services

• Scimex
• Expert Reactions
• Find-an-Expert Database
• Online Media Briefings
• ScienceMediaSavvy.org
• Off Embargo Podcast
• Scimex Insider Daily Email
• Science Deadline Weekly Newsletter
• Indigenous Media Mentoring Program (IMMP)
• Media Training Workshops for Scientists
• Newsroom Training for Journalists

Quantifiable outcome

• Expert Reactions and media briefings used in over 30,000 news stories across major news outlets each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Science Media Centre of New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the development and operation of Scimex.org. The Australian Science Media Centre and the Science Media Centre of New Zealand co-developed the Scimex platform, making it the premier breaking science news portal for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
• NITV-SBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Indigenous Television and Special Broadcasting Service are media partners for the Indigenous Media Mentoring Program (IMMP), providing hands-on media experience at the Sydney studios of NITV/SBS for Indigenous scientists selected through a competitive process.
• Inspiring South AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided a Science Engagement Grant that enabled the production of the Off Embargo podcast, the official podcast of the AusSMC.
• International Science Council — Regional Focal Point for Asia and the PacificminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided support enabling the AusSMC to expand its work into the Pacific, including developing science stories, workshops, and resources relevant to Pacific Island scholars and journalists on Scimex.
• Science and Technology AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAusSMC is a major partner in the Superstars of STEM program run by Science and Technology Australia, delivering the media skills component of the program through workshops across Australia in collaboration with media companies.
• Australian Academy of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAusSMC is a proud project partner of the STEM Women database developed by the Australian Academy of Science, supporting diversity of expert voices in the media.
• SMC Global Network (UK SMC, NZ SMC, German SMC, Spanish SMC, South Korean SMC, Taiwan SMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAusSMC is one of seven international independent Science Media Centres (UK, Australia, NZ, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, Spain). These centres are independent of each other but collaborate extensively on issues of global importance. Expert Reactions are shared through the global network. More information at smcglobal.org.
• Inspiring Australia — Science and the Media Expert Working GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLyndal Byford has advised the Australian government as a member of Inspiring Australia's Science and the Media Expert Working Group, influencing national science communication policy.
• ABC AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation partner and major supporter of the AusSMC. ABC is also represented on the Board via Deputy Chair Robyn Williams AO, Presenter of the ABC Science Show.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wissenschaftspressekonferenz (German Science Media Centre): The German Science Media Centre (WPK) is one of the seven members of the global SMC network alongside AusSMC. It connects German journalists with scientists using the same Expert Reactions and media briefing model, making it a direct international peer with shared methodology.
• SMC Spain (Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología): SMC Spain is a member of the global Science Media Centre network and operates the same model of providing expert reactions and media briefings to journalists in Spain. They share content through the global SMC network alongside AusSMC.
• Science Media Centre New Zealand: SMC NZ is AusSMC's co-development partner for Scimex.org and operates the same science-media intermediary model. They share infrastructure and coverage across Australia, NZ, and the Pacific, making them the closest operational peer and effectively a sister organization.
• EurekAlert! (AAAS): EurekAlert! is a similar embargo-based science news distribution service run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It serves registered journalists with embargoed research news from journals and institutions, directly comparable to Scimex's core platform function for the Australia/NZ/Pacific region.
• Newswise: Newswise is a research news distribution service that connects journalists with university and research institution press releases. It serves a similar embargo-based intermediary function to Scimex for the US market, making it a comparable peer in the science-media intermediary space.
• AlphaGalileo: AlphaGalileo is a European-based research news service for journalists that distributes embargoed research and connects journalists with scientific experts. It serves a similar function to Scimex for the European research media market, making it a comparable intermediary service peer.
• Science Media Centre (UK): The UK Science Media Centre, founded in 2002, is the model on which AusSMC was directly based. It operates the same model of connecting journalists with vetted scientists, providing Expert Reactions, and running media briefings on breaking science. They share content through the global SMC network and collaborate on issues of mutual scientific concern.

Emerging players

• The Conversation Australia: The Conversation is a nonprofit media outlet that publishes analysis written by academics and experts for a general audience. It overlaps with AusSMC's mission of connecting academic experts with public audiences, though its model is direct article publication rather than intermediary expert matching for journalists.
• Scite (The Scite Report): Scite is a newer platform that helps researchers and journalists assess scientific claims through citation context analysis. It overlaps with AusSMC's misinformation-combatting mission and is an emerging player in the science-media intermediary technology stack that AusSMC may increasingly interact with.

Others

• Springer Nature: Springer Nature is a Foundation partner of AusSMC (with a board seat) and is one of the world's largest scientific publishers. While not a direct peer, its Nature portfolio produces science journalism (Nature Briefing, Nature News) and shares the mission of disseminating scientific information, making it an ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aussmc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLA-XKDHql_RY
• Facebookfacebook.com/AusSMC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-science-media-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/aussmc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Science Media Centre