The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) was established in 1971, replacing its parent body the Social Science Research Council of Australia, itself founded in 1942: seehttp://www.assa.edu.au/about/ .

It is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the various social sciences. Its objectives are:

• to promote excellence in and encourage the advancement of the social sciences in Australia
• to act as a coordinating group for the promotion of research and teaching in the social sciences
• to foster excellence in research and encourage the publication of studies in the social sciences
• to encourage and assist in the formation of other national associations or institutions for the promotion of the social sciences
• to promote international scholarly cooperation and to act as an Australian national member of international organisations concerned with the social sciences
• to consult and advise
• to comment where appropriate on national needs and priorities from the perspective of the social sciences
• to collaborate with other national bodies for the purposes of research and the production of knowledge.