Commonwealth commits to climate change adaptation research

CSIRO is to establish a new Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship with funding of $43.6 million over four years.

The funding was announced by the Prime Minister after the recent meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

The new Flagship, to be developed in collaboration with partners such as the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Greenhouse Office, will complement and add to the atmospheric, climate and environmental research carried out by CSIRO.

One of the main areas of work for the Climate Adaptation Flagship will be the development, with the Bureau of Meteorology, of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) which will integrate climate and water knowledge.

The new Australian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation will commission scientific work, including from the new Adaptation Flagship, to develop tangible responses to climate change. Examples of the types of activities that could be funded include:

• identification of how to protect coastal infrastructure from likely changes in storm surge using well designed sea walls and flood barriers;
• work towards the design of a heat wave warning system and proposing ways to modify facilities to cater for those most at risk (the elderly);
• helping to plan for expanding the use of feedlots by farmers to reduce the exposure of their valuable stock to variation in pasture availability and heat stress; and
• identifying areas in national parks that will provide the best areas for recolonisation of plants and animals that have been displaced by climatic changes from their natural locations.

Mr Howard also committed $126 million to build and run a new Australian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation, which will provide governments, industry and the community with information to assess risks and develop adaptation strategies. According to the COAG National Climate Change Adaptation Framework. the main role of the Centre will be to "strategically focus research efforts in areas of common benefit, link existing research organisations and coordinate multidisciplinary and cross sectoral investigations".

The COAG Framework set out the objectives of the Centre as:

• delivering the information to support climate change adaptation decision-making at the national, regional and local levels through coordination, integration, synthesis and communication of research;
• coordinating Australia’s adaptation research resources to more effectively support climate change decision-making, including by brokering research partnerships and providing a vehicle to commission new research;
• building the capacity of the Australian research community to generate information relevant to decision-makers;
• establishing an interface between researchers and decision-makers; and
• promoting coordinated programmes of work on impacts and adaptation across Australia, working in collaboration with stakeholders and other researchers in national, regional and sectoral contexts.

More information is here

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ALP launches innovation policy plan

The Australian Labor Party has released its policy plan and ten-point plan for innovation in Australia.

The policy paper, entitled New Directions for Innovation, Competitiveness and Productivity argues that Australia can improve its economic performance and secure its future prosperity by training a more creative workforce and facilitating more innovation in the Australian economy. It states that innovation is crucial in building a fairer and more sustainable economy, including through its in role addressing social and environmental challenges.

Key initiatives under the policy include:

• establish ten Enterprise Connect innovation centres around Australia to connect business people with ideas people, with an investment of up to $200 million over four years;
• restore the Chief Scientist to a full-time position, in recognition of the fundamental contribution science makes to the nation’s wellbeing;
• establish Industry Innovation Councils for key sectors to support the Enterprise Connect network by building partnerships among all participants in the supply chain and developing long-term strategic approaches to improving productivity. Labor would invest up to $200 million to establish ten Enterprise Connect innovation centres around Australia; and
• bring responsibility for innovation, industry, science and research within the one Department.

Under its 10-point policy framework, a Labor government will aim to:

• Build a culture of innovation and new ideas by strengthening investment in creativity and knowledge generation.
• Focus incentives for business R&D to promote global competitiveness, delivering the best outcomes for exports and economic growth.
• Accelerate the uptake of new technology, so Australian firms can access the best ideas from around Australia and the rest of the world.
• Make Australia’s innovation system truly international, by supporting partnerships, collaboration and foreign investment in Australian R&D.
• Use government procurement to support innovative Australian firms.
• Strengthen publicly funded innovation and research infrastructure and develop multiple pathways for industry to access the knowledge and expertise in universities and research agencies.
• Strengthen the skill base for innovation, including in maths, science and engineering, and professional training for firms to manage innovation.
• Develop and implement a set of national innovation priorities, with a broader focus than the current national research priorities.
• Strengthen the governance of the national innovation system to support higher expectations of government agencies and business.
• Review the bewildering array of government innovation and industry assistance programs to reduce duplication and improve effectiveness.

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RQF Assessment Panel Chairs appointed

Assessment Panel Chairs for the Research Quality Framework (RQF), who will guide the work of the panels in their judgements on the quality and impact of research, have been announced.

They are:

• Biological Sciences - Professor Peter Langridge, CEO of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, University of Adelaide.
• Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences - Professor Erich Weigold, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), La Trobe University.
• Engineering and Technology - Professor Max Lu, Chair of Nanotechnology in Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland.
• Mathematical and Information Sciences and Technology - Professor Ian Petersen, University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy
• Agriculture, Veterinary, Food and Environmental Sciences Emeritus Professor David R. Lindsay AO FTSE (Retired, formerly with the University of Western Australia)
• Clinical Sciences and Clinical Physiology - Professor Brandon Wainwright, Director of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) at the University of Queensland.
• Public Health and Health Services - Professor Terry Nolan, head of the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
• Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurological, Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences - Professor Paul Burnett , Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Graduate Training) at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.
• Social Sciences and Politics - Professor Graeme Hugo, Professor of the Discipline of Geography and Environmental Studies and Director of the National Centre for Social Applications of Geographical Information Systems at the University of Adelaide.
• Economics, Commerce and Management - Professor Ian Palmer , Associate Dean (Research) and a Professor of Management. He has a PhD from Monash University
• Law, Education and Professional Practices - Professor Hilary Charlesworth, Professor and Director of the Centre for International Governance and Justice, based in the Regulatory Institutions Network, Australian National University.
• Humanities - Professor Iain McCalman, Federation Fellow jointly at the Humanities Research Centre and the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, Australian National University.
• Creative Arts, Design and Built Environment - Professor Sue Rowley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) of the University of Technology Sydney.
More information is at here

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Funding for grains research

The Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) has been awarded additional Commonwealth funding of $21 million over five years. The funding comes from the Australian Research Council ($11 million) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation ($10 million).

The Centre was established in 2002 as a research-based company with an initial five-year cash investment of $27 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) and the South Australian Government. It is working to improve the resistance of wheat and barley to stresses such as drought, salinity, high or low temperatures and mineral deficiencies or toxicities.

The ACPFG's headquarters are at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus with research nodes at the University of Melbourne, Department of Primary Industries at Latrobe University and the University of Queensland.

More information is at http://www.acpfg.com.au/

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Science Director appointed to Australian Synchrotron

Professor Robert Lamb, formerly Head of the School of Chemistry at the University of NSW, has been appointed the first Science Director of the Australian Synchrotron.

With the facility due to open in July, experimental work is already underway. Five of the nine beamlines are now installed and the remaining four beamlines are due to be completed by the end of next year. The five beamlines in place and their major applications are:

• Protein crystallography: uses include drug design;
• Powder diffraction: minerals research, helping improve ore processing;
• X-ray absorption spectroscopy: developing advanced materials such as new alloys or semiconductors;
• Soft x-ray science: industrial coatings, such as self-cleaning windows.
• The infrared beamline: IVF technology and new techniques for forensics.

More information is at http://www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au/

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Victoria funds brown coal research

The Victorian Government has announced $9.5 million in funding for brown coal research projects in the Latrobe Valley in the state's south-east.

The grants are:

• $2.06 million to the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC ) for a project to test pre-combustion carbon dioxide capture technologies in power generation. The grant is part of a $4.1 million project aimed at significantly reducing the cost of current pre-combustion CO2 capture technologies and to look at other techniques that are likely to prove cheaper in the long term. The research will involve CO2CRC, HRL Developments, Process Group, Innovative Carbon Technologies and the Universities of Monash and Melbourne;

• $2.5 million to Loy Yang Power and CO2CRC in a $5.6m project to research technology options in the post-combustion capture of CO2 from both Loy Yang A and Hazelwood power stations. Post combustion capture is potentially the most practical and lower cost option for existing and future brown coal power stations. The research will be undertaken by Loy Yang Power, CO2CRC, CSIRO, International Power’s Hazelwood Power Station, Process Group, Innovative Carbon Technologies and Melbourne and Monash Universities.

• $1.3 million to Monash University for a $2.6 million project with its partners to look at oxy-fuel combustion which has the potential for brown coal fired power stations to reach near zero emissions and also capture emissions for underground storage. This project combines the State’s best expertise to enhance our leading position in the area of brown coal science and technology. The research will also involve International Power Hazelwood and Loy Yang B, Loy Yang Power, TRUenergy and HRL Pty Ltd and has the additional potential benefit of converting the water in brown coal into a quality suitable for use in power generation.

Victorian Energy Minister Peter Batchelor said the research projects would establish the Latrobe Valley as the world leader in clean coal technology.

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Funding for WA clinical trials facility

The Western Australian government is providing funding support of $9.95million to the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) to establish the state's first clinical trials facility at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital site in Nedlands.

The 24-bed facility will allow local and international biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and the WA public to take part in early phase clinical research. It is expected to open next year.

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Intelligent Island MAPP funding announced

Eight Tasmanian companies have been awarded grants totaling more than $5.6 million from the first round of funding under the Intelligent Island Market Access and Partnership Program (MAPP).

The successful companies, selected from 89 applicants, are:

• AS Consulting - K2B (Knowledge to Business), a industry development program that will provide structured marketing training and funded work placements for twelve graduates within Tasmanian ICT companies.
• JadeLiquid Software Pty Ltd - development of Java software built on the company's WebRenderer technology
• OnPix - Point, shoot, print’ project will involve collaboration with Sony to develop a new software product called OnPix Remote Kiosk Manager. This product will be installed in Sony’s photo kiosks globally.
• KPM Pty Ltd - KPM provides a direct equity portfolio modelling tool that will be further developed and commercialised for the Australian financial services market.
• The Learning Edge International - The Learning Content Management System enables educators to create and deliver tailored online learning material and engage interactively with students. The grant will support expansion into North America and the United Kingdom
• Roar Educate - commercialisation of tools-based e-learning products nationally and in the United Kingdom.
• Packaged Solutions (Getbusi) - a web access management package that allows schools, businesses and government departments to control and monitor the web access of students and employees.
• Irrisys - a partnership between Irrigation Tasmania and PCT Remote Sensing that has developed programmable control devices that allow users to remotely control storage, application and measurement of water for irrigation purposes. The MAPP funding will help commercialise the two Irrisys flagship products, Remote Start and PumpGuard, in national and international markets.

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REE Asia 2007 Conference - Travel Scholarships

Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) hosts four annual conferences for entrepreneurship educators. These conferences are called Roundtables on Entrepreneurship Education (REE). They are designed to stimulate communication and collaboration between business, science, and engineering faculty who teach high-technology entrepreneurship in universities around the world.

REE ASIA 2007

June 20 – 22, 2007

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST South Korea)

Macquarie Institute for Innovation encourages all academics in the field of Entrepreneurship and Innovation to attend the REE ASIA 2007 conference at  KAIST, Seoul, South Korea

Registration opens April 1, 2007

http://ree.stanford.edu/
 
For early career academics in the field of entrepreneurship Macquarie Institute for Innovation is awarding

TWO TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS to attend the REE Asia 2007 conference in Seoul, South Korea

For a copy of the Scholarship and more information visit:
http://www.mii.mq.edu.au/announcement/reeasia2007.htm  

The REE Asia 2008 will be held at Macquarie Institute for Innovation
Macquarie University, Sydney

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2007 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science - Closing 27th of April

Closing Date: Friday 27 April 2007, 5.00 pm AEST

We are seeking nominations for any of the following five (5) prestigious science and science teaching annual awards:

- Prime Minister's Prize for Science 
-  Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year 
-  Malcolm Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year 
-  Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools 
-  Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools

Information about the Prizes and the online nomination process is available on website here.

Contact Information: Science Prizes Secretariat, Department of Education, Science and Training, Tel: (02) 6240 5066, Fax (02) 6123 6168, email: pmprize@dest.gov.au  

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CRX07 - LAST CHANCE TO SAVE $110 - BOOK NOW

By registering for CRX07 before 30 April 2007, you will save $110.00 on your registration fee. Tell your fellow clinical research colleagues today to ensure they also save.

Don’t miss the chance to be involved in excellence at this special rate.

Early Bird Registration $440
Normal Registration $550

Register NOW: www.crx07.com  

When: 17, 18, 19 August 2007

Where: School of Enterprise, The University of Melbourne, Hawthorn- Melbourne

• Build your clinical research expertise
• Work with outstanding local and international speakers
• Network with key influential decision makers
• Contribute to developments in national and international excellence

CRX07 will bring together leading medical, clinical and allied health professionals, including internationally recognised speakers, in a program that will inspire participants to achieve even greater national and international recognition for Australia’s excellence in clinical research.

For more information or to register go to: http://www.crx07.com/Registration.htm  

Contact CRX07 Conference Secretariat on (+61 3) 9682 0500 or email: info@crx07.com    

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Effective Collaborative Research Skills

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN RESEARCH?

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the upcoming 1 day course Effective Collaborative Research Skills.

Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who undertakes research. This includes researchers, research project managers, research project administrators, new business and commercialisation managers, working for publicly or privately funded CRC’s, CCRE’s, research institutes, universities, hospitals, new technology start-ups and spin-out companies, biotech companies and technology incubators.

What will I get out of this course?
In a climate where excellence in research is promoted, effective collaboration has become essential in order to achieve world class research outcomes. Individuals, teams and organisations need well developed collaboration skills to successfully leverage their resources and expertise to achieve excellence in a highly competitive global research environment. This one day workshop will give you the skills to:
• Assess the benefits, costs and risks of collaboration
• Know why and when collaboration is needed
• Understand which collaboration approaches work best with different types of stakeholders
• Use the 3 principles of successful research collaboration to improve the efficiency of collaborative decision making
• Diagnose whether your potential collaborative partner meets the requirements of the 5 commitments of strong collaborative research partnerships
• Move from transactional single issue negotiations to collaborative relationship building approaches that have mutual benefits
• Neutralise the hard-ball tactics that have the potential to destroy collaborative research partnerships
• Identify strategies that will enhance the collaborative maturity of your organisation

Numbers are limited, so be quick!

Cost: $595 + GST
When: Wednesday, 20th June, 2007
Where: Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053

NEED TO KNOW MORE?
Click here for more information.

Express your interest in this course or related courses by contacting;
Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email commercialisation@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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Working Effectively with Research Project Teams

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN RESEARCH?

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the upcoming 1 day course Working Effectively with Research Project Teams.

Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who undertakes research. This includes researchers, research project managers, research project administrators, new business and commercialisation managers, working for publicly or privately funded CRC’s, CCRE’s, research institutes, universities, hospitals, new technology start-ups and spin-out companies, biotech companies and technology incubators.

What will I get out of this course?
The best research often emerges out of the creative interaction of talented team members. This interaction at times can be stressful and sometimes unproductive. This one-day workshop has been designed to introduce participants to a range of tools and techniques to help them understand:
• The strengths and weaknesses of different work preferences and styles
• How to work to their own work-style strengths and those of others
• How to develop effective communication strategies for research projects
• How to deal with creative tension and manage conflict
• How to develop high performance teams of knowledge workers
• How to manage dysfunctional work climates and team members

Numbers are limited, so be quick!

Cost: $595 + GST
When: Tuesday, 19th June, 2007
Where: Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053

NEED TO KNOW MORE?
Click here for more information.

Express your interest in this course or related courses by contacting;
Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email commercialisation@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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Defining Research Projects and Deliverables

ARE YOU INVOLVED IN RESEARCH?

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the upcoming 1 day course Defining Research Projects and Deliverables.

Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who undertakes research. This includes researchers, research project managers, research project administrators, new business and commercialisation managers, working for publicly or privately funded CRC’s, CCRE’s, research institutes, universities, hospitals, new technology start-ups and spin-out companies, biotech companies and technology incubators.

What will I get out of this course?
Traditional project management approaches often don’t work for many research projects. By their nature, research projects involve novel tasks with uncertain resource requirements. This one-day workshop has been designed to introduce participants to a range of tools and techniques to help them understand:
• The differences between research project management and traditional project management
• How project management relates to other disciplines
• The unique body of project management knowledge, project maturity and project gate models
• Project scope and how to determine what is in and out of scope
• Common approaches to developing work breakdown structures
• Key issues in defining research project scheduling
• How to manage resources and develop a responsibility matrix
• How to manage research project scheduling and project tradeoffs

Numbers are limited, so be quick!

Cost: $595 + GST
When: Monday, 18th June, 2007
Where: Graduate House, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053


NEED TO KNOW MORE?
Click here for more information.

Express your interest in this course or related courses by contacting;
Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email commercialisation@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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Macquarie Institute for Innovation Executive Education Program 2007

Macquarie Institute for Innovation (MII) is launching their Executive Education Program for 2007. Nine programs will be offered in 2007 which will address current thinking and issues relating to entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and the management of innovation, in an action orientated learning environment.
Registration (http://www.mii.mq.edu.au/executiveprogram/) is open for

Program 1: Managed Innovation and the Quest for Growth will be delivered on 9th & 10th May from 9am to 5 pm at MGSM-CBD Campus, Sydney. See website here.

Program 2: Strategic Management of Intellectual Property will be delivered on 5th & 6th June from 9am to 5 pm at MGSM-CBD Campus, Sydney. See website here.
 
Entrepreneurship and Innovation are increasingly recognised as key drivers of economic growth. This is especially true for technologically based, knowledge-intensive organisations.

Executives in the MII executive education program will be challenged to grow as transformational leaders, to shape powerful ideas into decisive action plans, and to think and manage differently in a changing business world, strengthening the innovative thinking and direction of both the individual and the organisation.

For further information please visit www.mii.mq.edu.au or email Edmund D’Cruz (Director of Executive Education at MII) Edmund.dcruz@mq.edu.au  

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Are you a health care professional working with INFECTIOUS DISEASES?

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne, is pleased to announce that we will be holding a 4 day short course on Infectious Diseases on May 14, 15, 17, 18 2007.

NUMBERS ARE LIMITED, so be quick!

Despite medical advances that have produced hundreds of drugs that are safe and effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, infectious diseases are still a major cause of death, disability and social and economic upheaval for millions around the world. This course focuses on clinical research to address diseases that are responsible for more that 90% of deaths from infectious diseases around the world every year.

Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Immunisation and Infectious Diseases)

The 25 points specialist certificate is a Masters level award and is achieved by completion of the two four day subjects, Clinical Immunisation Research and Infectious Diseases, with associated assessment. It provides full credit into the Masters program in Clinical Research.

NEED TO KNOW MORE? CHECK OUT INFORMATION AT:

http://www.soe.unimelb.edu.au/iid

Cost: $2,000 + GST

When: May 14, 15, 17, 18

Where: The University of Melbourne
Graduate House, Parkville. 3010

Express your interest in this course and related courses by contacting:
Brad Atkins on (03) 9810 3185 or email b.atkins@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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In this week’s issue of New Scientist - HOW TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES

Our lives are full of choices – what to wear, what to eat, who to partner with, what job to take and how to raise children. We jealously guard our right to choose yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help us make better choices? The mental processes behind decision-making are a hot topic of investigation and thankfully, scientists are discovering things that may help us choose more wisely. Pages 35-43

Subscribe for just $220 per year + receive a FREE New Scientist Bag.

The prices (in Australian dollars) are as follows:
2 year subscription: Aus $398 + New Scientist Bag
1 year subscription: Aus $220 + New Scientist Bag
6 month: Aus $130

Subscribe to New Scientist for what’s new in science, what’s new in technology and what’s new each week.

Click here to subscribe.

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"Profile" publication released

The CRC for Integrated Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM) is pleased to announce the latest release of its print newsletter "Profile". This publication is released twice a year and profiles the latest advances in research, development and professional skills training in the field of engineering asset management.

Subscription to "Profile" is complimentary.

To receive your free copy, email enquiries@cieam.com or call 07 3138 1471.

For more information about CIEAM see website here.

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Spruson&Ferguson: patent and trade mark attorneys

With over 115 years experience, Spruson&Ferguson is a leading intellectual property firm in Australia which provides a fully integrated service for the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of your intellectual property.

Spruson&Ferguson is one of the largest intellectual property firms in Australia, with a team of over 220. Our 60 plus patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers work in specialised practice areas; Chemical/Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electrical/Information & Communications Technologies (ICT) and Trade Marks, together with Spruson&Ferguson Lawyers which provides intellectual property commercialisation, enforcement and dispute resolution services.

Spruson&Ferguson’s patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers have extensive intellectual property and industry experience in science and engineering including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, phototonics, transport, telecommunications, mining, publishing, consumer products, ceramics, chemistry and mechanical/medical technologies.

The depth of our industry experience is an attribute that many of our clients hold in high regard. Spruson&Ferguson is a recognised as a market leader with multinationals and many of Australia’s foremost research institutions entrusting to us to protect and assisting with the maximisation of returns on their intellectual property assets.

Our comprehensive range of services includes patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, IP audits, due diligence, dispute resolution and litigation and intellectual property commercialisation services including licensing, joint ventures and research and development collaborations.

For more information about our comprehensive range of intellectual property services, please contact one of the following relationship principals:

Chemical: Dr John McCann BSc (Hons) PhD FIPTA
Life Sciences: Dr Andrew Blattman BScAgr (Hons) PhD GDipIP FIPTA
Electrical: Robert Miller BE BLegS FIPTA
ICT: Scott Berggren BSEE MSEE LLB FIPTA
Mechanical: Greg Turner BE FIPTA
Trade Marks: Annette Freeman BA LLB (ANU) LLM (UTS)
IP Commercialisation: Rob McInnes BSc (Hons) LLB (Syd)
IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Simon Williams BA LLB (Syd) LLM (Lond)
Managing Principal: David Griffith BE (Hons) FIPTA

Telephone: (02) 9207 0777
Fax: (02) 9261 5486
Email mail@sprusons.com.au
Website here 

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