Statistical Society of Australia upcoming events

SSA ACT Branch - 2026 Foreman Lecture (28 Jul 2026)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:45:00 GMT

The Australian Capital Territory Branch of the Statistical Society will be holding 2026 Foreman Lecture presented by Lyndon Ang, ABS & RSFAS ANU on 28th of July in person and online via Teams. For those attending in person, there will be the opportunity to meet for dinner afterwards in Canberra City.

Date: Tuesday 28th July 2026

Time: 5:45pm - 7:00 pm (AEST)

Venue: Knibbs Theatre, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 45 Benjamin Way, Belconnen

Online via Microsoft Teams: : https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/48673152971631?p=oanF8YHxakOcq3J7LN

Meeting ID: 486 731 529 716 31

Password: eh2TD2oR

Title: Data Integration With Non-Probability Samples - Addressing Measurement Error in Auxiliary Information

Non-probability samples are a potential source of rich information for producing official statistics. However, these datasets often suffer from quality issues, in particular selection bias. The data from a non-probability sample may be combined with auxiliary information from the population or from a reference probability sample to address this bias. The auxiliary information in these other sources is generally considered to be measured without error, however this may not always be the case.

The presentation will begin by providing a broad overview of approaches for combining non-probability data with a probability sample to address selection bias in the non-probability data. It will then delve into the case when the probability sample includes auxiliary data with some measurement error. It will present a semiparametric approach to estimate the participation probabilities of units in the non-probability sample while accounting for this measurement error. Results from some simulation studies using synthetic and real-world data will be provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach to mitigate selection bias and account for measurement error.

Presenter:

Lyndon Ang, ABS & RSFAS ANU [with co-authors Assoc. Prof. Robert Clark, Dr. Bronwyn Loong, Dr. Anders Holmberg]

Lyndon first joined the ABS as a methodology cadet in 2001. Since then, his roles have included provision of methodology support for the Bureau's household and business collections and research into confidentiality methods. He currently works in the Methodology Futures section, with a focus on the development of new and improved methods to support the production of efficient statistics. From 2007 to 2010, Lyndon had the opportunity to spend three years on secondment with Statistics New Zealand. More recently, over the last four and a half years Lyndon has been a Sir Roland Wilson Foundation PhD scholar in the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics at the Australian National University. His research has explored the development of methods for combining new and emerging data sources with traditional probability samples to produce statistics.

Dinner: After the talk we will be holding a dinner at 7.15pm at Bella Vista Restaurant, 84 Emu Bank, Belconnen ACT

If you plan to attend the dinner, please RSVP by 5:00 pm on Monday 27 July by entering your details in the SSA ACT Branch dinner attendance sheet, or by contacting Warren Muller at wjmstats@outlook.com or 0407 916 868. Please treat your RSVP as a firm commitment rather than an expression of interest.

If you need to withdraw after the deadline, please remove your name from the attendance sheet and notify Warren by phone or text on 0407 916 868.

NOTE: SSA ACT branch are offering discounts to SSA early career and student members who attend dinner! For this meeting, dinners will be a fixed charge of $15 for student members and $25 for early career members.

SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 4: Unlock your Mentoring Potential (30 Jul 2026)

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Join us for the SSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series, which in 2026 will be co-delivered with the NZSA Mentor Programme. This online professional development series is invaluable to statisticians who are looking to improve and enhance their skills in communication, time and project management.

Webinar 4:

Unlock your Mentoring Potential

Presenter: Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

Date and Time: Thursday 30 July 2026, 12:00pm (AEST)

Abstract

Mentoring can be a gamechanger for many individuals, with participants from both the SSA and NZSA Mentoring Programs sharing the benefits they’ve experienced. Every mentoring relationship is unique, with experiences varying widely. This session will explore some of the key differences between mentoring relationships with a focus on formality, longevity and preparation including tips on how to customise your mentoring relationship to make mentoring work for you.

Presenter's Bio - Lisa Thomasen

Lisa Thomasen has been a consultant statistician in industry for the past decade and is currently lead research statistician at Fonterra in New Zealand. Her work includes modelling milk powder functionality, analysing cheesecake performance, and investigating consumer preferences of yoghurts. Lisa co-ordinates the New Zealand Statistical Association (NZSA) mentoring program and was the 2024 recipient of the NZSA Campbell Award for her advocacy for students, early-career, and professional statisticians alongside her mentoring and community-building initiatives in this space.

Webinars:

Webinar 1: Thursday 23 April 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
Webinar 2: Thursday 7 May 2026 11:00am (AEST). Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan
Webinar 3: Thursday 18 June 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide
Webinar 4: Thursday 30 July 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Unlock your Mentoring Potential - Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

Fees:

Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00
SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (13 Aug 2026)

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (10 Sep 2026)

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (8 Oct 2026)

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (12 Nov 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 03:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

ADSN Pre-Conference Workshop: Modern Data Linkage Methods and Implementation Using Splink (25 Nov 2026)

Tue, 24 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Pre-Conference Workshop

Linked data assets, such as Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA), are a rich source of information, allowing the analysis of interconnected systems such as healthcare, government services, education, and taxation. But the creation of these assets is not always straightforward, as often there is not a deterministic way of identifying individuals across datasets, such as with a unique identifier. Probabilistic data linkage methods can help resolve this problem by comparing fields common across datasets and give an estimate of how likely two records belong to the same individual.

Join us for a separate one-day pre-conference workshop on probabilistic linking using the Python package Splink, presented by Aymon Wuolanne and Daniel Fearnley from the Data Linking Methodology section in the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The workshop will cover the theory underpinning probabilistic linking, as well as how to perform a basic Splink linkage. It will also explore advanced techniques for customising Splink for specific use cases. No prior background in probabilistic linking theory is required, although a basic understanding of Python is recommended.

The workshop will be held day before the Australian Data Science Network Conference and is open to everyone, not just conference delegates.

Please note that workshop registration is separate from conference registration.

Date: Wednesday 25 November 2026

Times (AEDT): 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Schedule will be released closer to the date)

Venue: ABS House, Belconnen, ACT

Format: In person

Key Learnings:

Participants will come away with an understanding of the fundamental methods underlying probabilistic linkage and how to perform linkages using Splink.

Presenter Bio:

Daniel Fearnley

Daniel Fearnley joined the ABS in 2011, and has spent the last 3 years in Data Linking Methodology where he has led the team responsible for assessing the feasibility of the probabilistic linkage tool Splink, and the transition to using Splink as the default linking tool for all ABS person-level linkages. His team won the 2026 APS Data Award in Data System and Innovation for their work on Splink. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys cooking and running (because he likes cooking) and earlier this year he and his wife watched every game of the FIFA World Cup.

Aymon Wuolanne

Aymon Wuolanne joined the ABS as a graduate in 2022 and is currently a methodologist in Data Linking Methodology. In 2025 he won the Ken Foreman Award for his work on building the Person Linkage Spine using Splink, and was a member of the team that won the 2026 APS Data Award in Data System and Innovation for their work on Splink. Outside of work, Aymon enjoys walking, reading, video games and running much slower than Daniel.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds: Cancellations made more than two weeks before the event are eligible for a refund, minus: Stripe processing fee: 1.75% + $0.30 per transaction and SSA administration fee: $20. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made within two weeks of the event.

Transfer of Registration: Registrations can be transferred to another person within the same organisation at any time. Please notify changes via email: events@statsoc.org.au

For more information, please contact Ben Harrap : benjamin.harrap@anu.edu.au

ADSN Conference 2026 (26 Nov 2026)

Wed, 25 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Join us in the nation’s capital for the annual Australian Data Science Network Conference. This year’s theme is From Data to Decisions, which focuses on impactful data science that informs decisions, changes minds, and shapes policy.

Conference registration covers both days of the conference and includes registration for the social event in the evening of the first day.

Visit the conference website for more details: Australian Data Science Network Conference 2026 – ADSN2026

Cancellation Policy

Refunds: Cancellations made more than two weeks before the event are eligible for a refund, minus: Stripe processing fee: 1.75% + $0.30 per transaction and SSA administration fee: $20. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made within two weeks of the event.

Transfer of Registration: Registrations can be transferred to another person within the same organisation at any time. Please notify changes via email: events@statsoc.org.au

ADSN Conference 2026 (27 Nov 2026)

Thu, 26 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Conference registration covers both days of the conference and includes registration for the social event in the evening of the first day.

Visit the conference website for more details: Australian Data Science Network Conference 2026 – ADSN2026

Cancellation Policy

Transfer of Registration: Registrations can be transferred to another person within the same organisation at any time. Please notify changes via email: events@statsoc.org.au