Possible linkages and focus of a new Cooperative Research
Centre
With bridging funding secured until the end of 2009 it is now
possible for stakeholders to turn their attention to the possible
linkages and focus that would be most appropriate for a new
Cooperative Research Centre. This is best resolved by a workshop,
or series of workshops, and our thanks to all those who have
registered their interest in participating in these.
Useful meetings have already taken place with the Office of
Northern Australia and also with a broad cross-section of
representatives of the Northern Territory Government. We hope that
similar meetings can be arranged in both Western Australia and
Queensland.
At present there are no guidelines for the application process
in the next funding round. These will only be released once the
Innovation Review has been completed later this year. However, we
already have the initial draft of the review of the Cooperative
Research Centres Program, prepared by Prof. Mary O’Kane,
which will form a part of the Innovation Review.; It makes a number
of recommendations which will, if adopted, impact on the CRC
program. These include suggestions that there should be:
- Annual funding rounds for the next five years
- A renewed emphasis on public good
- Variable life-spans of CRCs, typically four to seven years but
up to a maximum of ten.
- Maximum funding of $45M over the life of the Centre
- A clearly articulated major challenge that benefits the end
user. The solution to the challenge should be innovative and
of high impact and capable of being deployed rapidly
- Priority support for new collaborations in areas with little
history of collaborative activity, or a low research and
development base, particularly service industries and those sectors
populated to small to medium enterprises.
- Encouragement of CRC applications in the Humanities and Social
Sciences
Perhaps more controversially, the review also contains
suggestions that:
- End-user applicants should provide more than half the cash
contribution towards the CRC
- In-kind contributions should not be rated as highly as cash
contributions
- Universities should be encouraged but not specifically required
to make cash or in-kind commitments to a CRC bid
- Early termination of poorly performing CRCs should be an
option. There should be an expectation that at least one-quarter
would lose funding at each review round. Reviews would take place
every three years.
This review is still at the draft stage, so the final version
may be modified slightly following comment from interested parties.
For those who are interested in reading more the full text can be
found at:
www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview/Documents/CRCReviewReport.pdf
If you have any comments on the above, or would like to be
involved in a workshop, please contact Dr David Garnett, CEO,
TS-CRC david.garnett@cdu.edu.au
