The new cohort lifts the academy's total number of fellows to 534 scientists.

And along with accepting the rare and esteemed honour, each was given 10 minutes to speak about their research contribution to science and how they began in the field.

Former Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb took the opportunity as one of the 21 to reflect on curiosity - how it sparked his passion for science and was a key to ensuring Australia's future would be bright.

"Curiosity underpins it," he said. "The what ifs, the why, the how...all of those things are really important.

"If you are not doing that you are sitting back and saying 'It is good enough right now'. I can't imagine that we should be willing to persuade anybody that Australia is as good as it is ever going to be."

Growing up on a farm, Professor Chubb was intrigued by nature from a young age and said his first teacher, at his single-teacher school, was the most influential educator in his life.

Becoming chief scientist in 2011 he said "the role of science was under attack from a variety of quarters" and he remains dedicated to championing stronger engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Progress was real but slow in the battle to boost Australia's record-low enrolments in STEM.

"I would like to see science in schools so compellingly well-taught that everybody wants to do it," he said. "I think it's critically important that science has a strong advocate and one that doesn't flinch."

Supporting teachers and enthusing students by demonstrating the tangible impact of science were both vital, however so was quashing the misconception science learning led only to specific roles.

"Australia has got uniquely bogged down in the view if you studied this and don't work in it somehow the system has failed," he said.

Scientific foundations of following a method, correcting and integrating previous knowledge and evidence-based decision making were all highly valuable transferable skills for wider employment.

Newly inducted fellow Professor Evans Lagudah's research focuses on disease resistance in plants.

He credits roaming through a maze of crops where his father worked at the West African Cocoa Research Institute in Ghana with sparking his interest in science.

"Unlike human beings that can run away when they are under attack, plant defences are all confined within their own genetic makeup," he said.

By finding the genes involved in the plant defence for wheat his research team then look for similar gene fingerprints in other crops of interest.

He is dedicated to unlocking genetic understanding so crops can withstand attack from multiple diseases.

But rather than using genetic modification, his team are focused on "gene prospecting" to find similar gene profiles that occur naturally in maize, rice, sorghum and other crops.

Seeing his field and laboratory work create change for growers and improve global food security was very fulfilling.

"A crop like wheat provides 20 per cent of the global calorific intake, so you being to think about the impact of what you do in your science impacting on livelihoods," he said.

"To capture the imagination of a number of young people coming up we need to remind them that one of the biggest drivers is the idea you can put your mind to making a difference."

VIDEO: Watch Professor Chubb and Professor Lagudah explain their work.