Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) are an Australian Federal Government program involved in Australian scientific research. The CRC programme is administered by the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources, which provides funding for projects through a series of funding rounds.
The CRC came about from several internal discussions in Government and particularly from a Round Table that took place at the start of 1991 that included the Hon Bob Hawke, Hon Paul Keating. Since the commencement of the CRC Program in 1991, there have been a number of selection rounds. Selection rounds were conducted in March 1991, December 1991, December 1992, December 1994, and then at regular two-year intervals: 1996 through 2006. The very first selected CRC division was the CRC for “Waste Management and Pollution Control”, based on campus of University of New South Wales (UNSW). The very first appointment under the CRC was by Assoc. Prof. Raymond J Frost (previously Director for BHP Civil Engineering and Technology). Following the review of the Programme in 2008, the 11th and 12th selection rounds were both held in 2009. [1]
Reviews of the CRC program are regularly undertaken. In 2012, an independent impact study found that from 1991 to 2017 CRCs generated a net economic benefit of $7.5 billion. This equates to an annual contribution of $278 million, or around 0.03 percentage points to GDP. [2]
Round 15 occurred in February 2024, providing $51 million in grants for 21 projects. [3]
The Cooperative Research Centre Association (CRCA) was established on 1 December 1994 to promote the CRC program while also acting as a conduit for information sharing and learning between CRCs. [4] It was renamed Cooperative Research Australia in 2021 and is active in representing CRCs, post-CRC entities, universities and research organisations as well as businesses involved in R&D.
The Cooperative Research Centres program is intended to enhance Australia's industrial, commercial and economic growth through development of cooperative public-private research centres that achieve high levels of outcomes in adoption and commercialisation.[ citation needed ]
The CRC program is administered by the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources. [5]
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As of January 2024 [update] , programs include: [6]
The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Space Environment Management was administered by the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC). Based on Mount Stromlo, SERC operated from 2014 to 2021 and conducted research into practical global efforts for space debris management, mitigation and removal. SERC Participants included EOS Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, Optus Satellite, Australian National University, RMIT University and NICT (Japan).[ citation needed ]
The Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre was an Australian-based organisation which conducted research into the social, environmental, and economic impact of bushfires. [15] [16] Although the CRC has completed operations, a legacy of a decade of research content is still online and accessible. [17] Funded originally by a grant from the Australian government's Cooperative Research Centre in 2003, the Bushfire CRC was funded to 2014 to address key issues raised by recent major fires. The Bushfire CRC was made up of all the fire and land management agencies in Australia and New Zealand, CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, the Attorney General's Department and several other fire related organisations. A small executive office was maintained in East Melbourne. The organisation participated in the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA). [18] The work of Bushfire research was carried forward within the expanded research portfolio of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, from 2013 to 2021, and now with Natural Hazards Research Australia (NHRA). The NHRA was funded for 10 years by the Australian Government on 1 July 2021 as a collaborative research organisation, to address the major challenges arising from natural hazards, including bushfires, floods, cyclones, heatwaves, storms and other hazards. The aim is to deliver usable research and knowledge that creates safer and more resilient communities [19] .
The Cooperative Research Centre for Sensor Signal and Information Processing (or CSSIP) was an organisation established under the Cooperative Research Centres program. [20] It operated from 1992 to 2006, performing research, development, and education within several Information and Communications Technology areas: [21] CSSIP's education arm was assigned to NICTA in mid-2005. [22] [23]
The CRC for Spatial Information (CRCSI) was a research organisation funded by Australia's Cooperative Research Centre Programme (CRC) and by participant contributions. [24] The CRCSI was founded in 2003 with the successful re-bid announced in August 2009. [25] The programme ended in June 2018. [26] The CRCSI conducted research and development projects that involved collaboration between government, corporate, and academic resources. The CRCSI ensured Australia and New Zealand remained relevant in a spatially-connected world. The CRCSI was responsible for innovative research; the application and commercialisation of spatial information technologies by building collaborative partnerships. [27] [28] A study commissioned by the CRCSI and ANZLIC in 2008 found that the spatial information industry contributed between $6.4 and $12.6 billion to Australia's GDP in 2006-2007 alone. [29] CRCSI has offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Wellington in New Zealand. [27] The CRCSI research delved into key industry sectors, including: agriculture, natural resources and climate change; defence; built environment; and health through the delivery of spatial information across positioning, rapid spatial analytics and spatial infrastructures. [30]
The Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area operated from 1997 to 2006. [31]
The Cooperative Research Centre for Distributed Systems Technology and the Cooperative Research Centre for Enterprise Distributed Systems were two successive CRC programs operated by the Distributed Systems Technology Centre. Its website was archived following its closure in June 2006. [32]
The Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures Limited (CRC-ACS) operated from 1996 to 2015. In 2008 a wholly owned subsidiary, Advanced Composite Structures Australia (ACS-A), was created to manage its rapidly growing commercial activities. When CRC-ACS concluded its mission, the ownership was passed to the then directors and employees of ACS-A who were charged with leading the company into a fully commercial future. [33]
The Australian Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (Seafood CRC) received funding from the Commonwealth Government in the tenth round of CRC funding and was established in 2007 and operated until 2014. The CRC's areas of research expertise include benchmarking, product innovation, genetics, consumption drivers and barriers, processing, supply chain management technologies, technical market access, health claims and nutritional composition. [34] The Seafood CRC resulted in the establishment of the world’s first year-round aquaculture of Yellowtail Kingfish; highly prized for sushi and sashimi. The CRC research had a direct impact on achieving increased fish survival through more effective hatchery management, new information on fish growth and health, superior genetic management and cost-effective dietary formulations. [35]
A number of websites of the past CRCs are archived in perpetuity on the National Library of Australia's Trove online library database aggregator.[ citation needed ]
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Gary Roy Nairn was an Australian politician.
The Distributed Systems Technology Centre (DSTC) was a leading research organization in the field of information technology in Australia. It conducted applied research focusing on a number of application domains, such as government, defence and health care. It was a centre of excellence in distributed systems technologies and had an international reputation as one of the most effective and influential IT research organisations in Australia.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is an association for information and communications technology professionals with 40,000+ members Australia-wide. According to its Constitution, its objectives are "to advance professional excellence in information technology" and "to promote the development of Australian information and communications technology resources".
The Poultry Co-operative Research Center, or Poultry CRC, is a joint venture established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centre Programme.
The National Council for Fire & Emergency Services, is the peak body responsible for representing fire, emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region. It was formed in 1993 and has 34 full members and 13 affiliate members.
The RMIT School of Mathematical and Geospatial Science was an Australian tertiary education school located within the College of Science Engineering and Health of RMIT University. Since September 2016 the former school has become part of the new RMIT School of Science. Both Mathematical Sciences and Geospatial Science have transitioned into two of the seven distinct disciplines that make up the RMIT School of Science. The last Head of School was Professor John Hearne.
The Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (ARCAA) was a research centre of the Queensland University of Technology. ARCAA conducted research into all aspects of aviation automation, with a particular research focus on autonomous technologies which support the more efficient and safer utilisation of airspace, and the development of autonomous aircraft and on-board sensor systems for a wide range of commercial applications.
The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne is the oldest engineering and information technology faculty in Australia. It was established in 1861, 8 years after the establishment of the University of Melbourne, and was made a Faculty in 1889. It teaches a substantial number of undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as being a significant centre for engineering research, employing many leaders in their fields. In 2011 the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology celebrated its sesquicentenary and the School developed a large range of events and activities to mark the occasion.
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is a statutory corporation that manages research and development investment by the Australian Government and the Australian fishing and aquaculture commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors.
The Institute for Mineral & Energy Resources (IMER) is the point of contact at the University of Adelaide for strategic research interests related to mineral and energy resources. It was founded in 2009 and launched h Australian Minister for Mineral Resource Development, Paul Holloway on 5 October 2010. The institute attracted over $18.5 million in research funding and corporate sponsorship in its first year. The IMER facilitates collaborative research between the higher education sector and industry and can take the shape of project collaboration to meet a company's specific needs, consultancy utilising academic researchers and PhD students, organisational collaboration to leverage government funding and long-term partnerships offering mutual benefits.
Craig Lapsley is a former senior public servant in Australia who provided active service to the Victorian Country Fire Authority, the New South Wales Fire Brigades, the Victoria State Emergency Service, and Emergency Management Victoria. Lapsley served as the inaugural Emergency Management Commissioner of Emergency Management Victoria between July 2014 until August 2018, with overall responsibility for coordination before, during and after major emergencies including management of consequences of an emergency.
The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, commonly abbreviated to Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, was a research institute that from 2013 to 2021 drew together all of Australia and New Zealand's fire and emergency service authorities, land management agencies, as well as non-government organisations and leading experts across a range of scientific fields to explore the causes, consequences and mitigation of natural disasters.
Rob Lewis is a South Australian marine scientist and retired senior civil servant. He discovered the first known upwelling system in southern Australia and was professionally involved in fisheries and aquaculture management for 38 years. He was head of South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) from 1992 to 2010.
The Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) is a research centre focussing on lowering barriers for Australian industry to access, engage, adopt and propagate automated composite manufacturing innovations. Led by the University of New South Wales, AMAC was established in 2017 by a consortium of Australian and international universities and Industries. AMAC operated across two other university nodes located both locally and internationally. The primary objective is to develop and implement automated manufacturing techniques for advanced composite materials through automation and innovative technologies.
The bushfires were predicted to be "fairly bleak" in parts of Australia, particularly in the east, by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) chief executive, Richard Thornton, in September 2018. Large bushfires had already burned through southern New South Wales during winter. The outlook for spring was of a higher likelihood of fires with a twice the normal chance of an El Nino for summer. Many parts of eastern Australia including Queensland, New South Wales and Gippsland, in Victoria, were already in drought. Above normal fire was also predicted for large parts of Southern Australia and Eastern Australia by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. The forecast noted that Queensland had recorded the ninth driest and fourth hottest period on record from April to November. New South Wales recorded the fourth hottest period and eighth driest on record, while Victoria experiences the 13th driest and seventh hottest period on record. Authorities in New South Wales brought forward the start of the bushfire season for much of the state from October 2018 to the beginning of August 2018.
The College of Sciences and Engineering is a college of the University of Tasmania that incorporates the School of Natural Sciences, School of Technology, Environments and Design, the Australian Maritime College, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. The college incorporates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at the University.
ANZLIC, or The Spatial Information Council, is the peak intergovernmental organisation providing leadership in the collection, management and use of spatial information in Australia and New Zealand. It supports the establishment of a Spatial Data Infrastructure in the region and has published geospatial metadata standards. ANZLIC started in 1986 as the Australian Land Information Council (ALIC) and it became the Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) in 1991. ANZLIC, now refers to itself as the Spatial Information Council.
Graciela Metternicht is a Belgian researcher on environmental geography.
Katherine Lesley Woodthorpe is an Australian chair and company director, president and fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has also been chair of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Bushfire and Natural Hazards, chair of Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC, as well as Chair of National Climate Science Advisory Committee.
