Science Journalists Association of Australia

What Science Journalists Association of Australia does

The Science Journalists Association of Australia (SJAA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in November 2019 in Sydney, NSW, and registered under ABN 31 800 455 405. It supports practicing and aspiring science journalists in Australia through a portfolio of member services: the flagship SJAA Grants Program (offering up to $2,000 per grant for reporting projects, travel, and professional development, plus $2,500 Australian Skeptics Evidence-Based Reporting Grants in 2026), events and webinars, mentoring, a curated member resources library, and the newsletter "Header To Come." The association runs the inaugural Best Science Journalist Award at the ITJournalism awards (The Lizzies), co-brought with MediaConnect and Influencing in 2025, and partners with Griffith Review to provide members discounted access to the quarterly literary magazine.

The organisation operates a community-led go-to-market model. Its revenue derives from recurring annual membership fees from individual science journalists and donations/grants from a small set of institutional "Champions of Science Journalism" — currently Swinburne University, the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (ANU CPAS), STEM Matters, and (from 2026) Australian Skeptics — with additional support from the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. Direct membership enrollment is processed through the website (sjaa.org.au/become-a-member); services are delivered via digital channels, online and in-person events, and the grants program. The association is governed by an elected committee, has approximately five employees (with broader committee and volunteer involvement), and is led by President Jackson Ryan, who succeeded founding President Bianca Nogrady in September 2023.

Strategically, SJAA has scaled its program footprint modestly but consistently since founding: cumulative grants and funding exceed $50,000, the 2025 pilot Journalist in Residence program with the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience awarded more than $30,000 to two Australian science journalists, and the 2026 grants pool totals $13,000 with a new evidence-based reporting category. Product surface remains oriented around advocacy, peer recognition, and small-dollar direct funding rather than technology or content production, and the organisation operates entirely within Australia with no disclosed technology platform beyond its public website.

Name

Science Journalists Association of Australia

Legal name

Science Journalists Association of Australia

Website

https://sjaa.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Science Journalists Association of Australia is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 2019 that supports practicing and aspiring science journalists in Australia through grants, events, mentoring, awards, and institutional partnerships with universities and science organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Science Journalism

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

Keywords

• Science journalism association
• Journalism grants program
• Professional journalism membership
• Media advocacy organization
• Journalism professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from practicing and aspiring science journalists in Australia.
2. Donations and grants from Champions of Science Journalism: Financial support from institutional partners including universities and science organizations that fund the grants program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Science Journalists Association of Australia is a membership-based nonprofit professional association that supports practicing and aspiring science journalists in Australia through grants, events, mentoring, curated resources, and advocacy. It administers a grants program (up to $2,000 per grant for science reporting, travel, and professional development), the annual Best Science Journalist award, the Champions of Science Journalism sponsorship program, and member resources including a newsletter and event recordings.

Product overview

The Science Journalists Association of Australia is a professional membership association, not a software product company. Its offering consists of services supporting Australian science journalism: the core SJAA Grants Program (offering up to $2,000 per grant for independent reporting, travel, and professional development), the annual Best Science Journalist Award presented at the ITJournalism awards, the Champions of Science Journalism sponsorship program, Member Resources including event recordings and a newsletter, and the Griffith Review partnership providing discounted magazine access. These services are provided to members and the broader science journalism community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SJAA Grants Program A grants program offering funding up to $2,000 per grant (and $2,500 for Australian Skeptics grants) for Australian science journalists to realize science reporting projects in text, audio, video or visual mediums, undertake travel for reporting projects, or pursue professional development opportunities.
• Best Science Journalist Award An annual award recognizing the journalist who has best communicated on scientific topics related to research, developments, commercialisation, and issues affecting the scientific industry and scientists in Australia, presented at the ITJournalism awards (The Lizzies).
• SJAA Events and Webinars Online and in-person events, panel discussions, and webinars on topics relevant to science journalism including FOI requesting, conflicts of interest, and professional development.
• Member Resources and Newsletter Resources for science journalists including event recordings, the SJAA newsletter (Header To Come), and curated resources covering science journalism topics, sources, courses, and publications.
• Champions of Science Journalism Program A sponsorship program enabling institutions, businesses and research organisations to financially contribute to the SJAA mission through donations that facilitate editorially independent reporting, travel and professional development opportunities. Current Champions include Swinburne University, ANU CPAS, STEM Matters, and Australian Skeptics.
• Griffith Review Partnership Subscription A partnership providing SJAA members with discounted access to digital and print editions of the Griffith Review quarterly magazine, which features award-winning science essays and non-fiction writing.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian SkepticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026New Champion of Science Journalism supporter for 2026. Provides funding for evidence-based reporting grants worth $2,500 each, focused on projects that highlight evidence-based decision-making and counter misleading claims regarding science and medicine.
• MediaConnectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Co-brought the Best Science Journalist award to the ITJournalism awards (The Lizzies). Run Australia's tech journalism awards.
• InfluencingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Co-brought the Best Science Journalist award to the ITJournalism awards. Supporting science journalism in Australia.
• Swinburne UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2025Champion of Science Journalism supporter. Enables SJAA to deliver new funding opportunities for members including student and early-career journalism grants, independent reporting grants, and travel/professional development grants.
• Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Pilot Journalist in Residence program launched in 2025. Awarded more than $30,000 to two Australian science journalists for residency program.
• Griffith ReviewcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2024First partnership of its kind for SJAA. Provides SJAA members discounted access to digital and print editions of Griffith Review quarterly magazine. Griffith Review publishes award-winning science essays and non-fiction.
• Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampion of Science Journalism supporter. Part of Champions program providing financial contributions to facilitate editorially independent reporting, travel and professional development opportunities.
• STEM MatterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampion of Science Journalism supporter. Provides funding for science journalism grants and training programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Science Writers: The leading US professional association for science writers, providing grants, awards, networking, and professional development to its members. NASW is the most direct international analogue to SJAA in terms of mission, member services, and operational model.
• Australian Science Communicators: Australia's national network for science communicators, including science journalists. ASC provides professional development, networking, and advocacy for science communication professionals in Australia, with overlapping membership and mission with SJAA.
• Council for the Advancement of Science Writing: A US-based nonprofit supporting science writing through fellowships, awards, and training programs. CASW operates as a grantmaking and professional development body for science writers, sharing the community-led mission model that SJAA embodies.

Others

• The Conversation Australia: An independent, not-for-profit news organization featuring academic-authored science journalism. The Conversation AU operates in the same science journalism ecosystem as SJAA members, providing a major outlet for science writing and commentary.

Regional players

• Royal Society Te Apārangi: New Zealand's national science academy, which supports science communication and provides grants for science journalism initiatives. Operates in the regional science ecosystem that supports science journalists, similar to how SJAA's Champions program works in Australia.
• Science Media Centre (New Zealand): An independent New Zealand organization that helps science journalists find sources and accurate information when science is in the news. Operates in the same trans-Tasman science journalism support space as SJAA, but focused on New Zealand media.

Broad incumbents

• World Federation of Science Journalists: The global umbrella organization for science journalism associations worldwide. WFSJ provides training, networking, and grants programs that complement national associations like SJAA, operating at significantly larger scale across multiple countries.
• Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance: Australia's main journalist union and industry body representing media professionals across print, broadcast, digital, and creative arts. MEAA's journalism section addresses industry concerns that overlap with SJAA's mission of supporting Australian journalists.
• European Union of Science Journalists' Associations: A federation of European national science journalism associations providing grants, training, and networking to science journalists across Europe. Like SJAA, it operates at the intersection of journalism and science advocacy, but at a regional level.
• Australian Press Council: Australia's self-regulatory body for the print and online news media, setting standards and handling complaints about journalistic ethics. While focused on standards rather than grants, the Press Council operates as an industry-support body for Australian journalism adjacent to SJAA's mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-journalists-association-of-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Science Journalists Association of Australia