New funding for science and innovation in Federal Budget

The 2006-07 Federal Budget has allocated funding of $6.5 billion for science and innovation, with new funding targetted at CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS, and initiatives under the recent Industry Statement and potential investment in research infrastructure in universities under the new Higher Education Endowment Fund.

Government Research Agencies
The government research agencies, CSIRO, ANSTO and AIMS have been allocated new funding totalling $310.5 million

CSIRO

CSIRO’s allocation of $2.8 billion over four years is an increase of 19.5% compared with the last four-year period.

CSIRO will receive $244.5 million for new measures over the next four years, including $174 million to support an expansion of the Flagships program. Three new Flagships will be created:

• the Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship ($43.6 million over four years);

• the Niche Manufacturing Flagship ($36.2 million) which will help the Australian manufacturing industry to become more competitive in global supply chains, develop globally competitive medical products, identify next generation fabricated devices, capture value from new materials, help stimulate smart manufacturing enterprises, and consider the health, safety and environmental issues of nanotechnology research; and

• the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagships ($34.6 million over four years) which will focus on the development of advanced exploration systems, drilling and development of future mining systems, processing technologies for resources, and development of solutions for sustainable processing.

The Energy Transformed National Research Flagship will receive $59.6million to expand its research into alternative transport fuels such as converting coal to liquids, gas to liquids, solar gas to liquids, creating bio-fuels and generating high-density natural gas for storage.

Other CSIRO initiatives to receive new funding this year are:

• $51.7 million to support construction of Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP);
• $16.8 million for the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), managed by CSIRO, to improve diagnostic testing of new and emerging diseases; and
• $2 million to develop a CSIRO Wellbeing Plan for Children that will provide advice for parents to promote healthy eating and physical activity in children.

New Funding for ANSTO
The Budget provides ANSTO with $61 million for new measures as follows:

• $22 million to support operation of the new Open Pool Australian Light-water (OPAL) reactor;
• $35 million for automation of ANSTO Radiopharmaceuticals and Industrials (ARI) production processes; and
• $4 million in low-level radioactive waste compaction equipment.

Australian Institute of Marine Science
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) will receive an additional $5 million to support research into marine ecosystems in northwest Australia which will underpin the environmental protection and sustainable use of marine resources in this prospective oil and gas precinct.

Higher Education funding

The budget’s $5 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund will include $556.9 million over four years for the Increasing University Funding measure which will be designed to simplify university funding structures and provide additional funding for key disciplines particularly in areas of skills need.

A further $208.6 million over four years will be allocated to create the new Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund to assist universities to diversify, specialise and provide learning and teaching enhancement projects that focus on local skills needs. Priority will be given to regional and smaller metropolitan universities which can demonstrate the greatest need for structural reform;

Other areas of new funding are:

• an increase in funding of $8 million over four years for Australia’s four Learned Academies - the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
• $50 million in support of the Australian Synchrotron, in addition to $14 million provided through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy towards the cost of constructing the beamlines.

In the industry portfolio, the Commercial Ready program will be continued with ongoing funding of $200 million per year.

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Industry statement

The Federal Government has released a 10-year $1.4 billion Industry Statement entitled Global Integration.

A key initiative of the statement is an extenstion of eligibility for the 175% Premium R&D Tax Concession with funding of over $500 million. The beneficial ownership test for the 175% tax concession will be changed to allow claims for R&D undertaken in Australia when the IP is owned offshore.

Other initiatives supported under the statement include:

• The new $254.1 million Global Opportunities program which will help Australian firms win work in global supply chains and major projects;
• Continued support through Austrade to pursue export opportunities arising from the Aust-US FTA;
• The $351.8 million Australian Industry Productivity Centres which will help firms review their business performance and capitalise on new market opportunities;
• The new $90.3 million Commercial Ready Plus Program, an extension of the Commercial Ready program which will encourage additional research and development in small firms. Commercial Ready Plus will provide dollar-for-dollar support of up to $250,000 to fund R&D, proof of concept and early stage commercialisation;
• $20.1 million over five years to encourage technology transfer through the new Intermediary Access Program ;
• $21.5 million over four years for the development of a National Nanotechnology Strategy. This will involve establishment of a nano-particle measuring capability at the National Measurement Institute; development of regulations and standards; and provision of advice to the community on nanotechnology;
• $36.2 million over four years to develop niche manufacturing industries based on nanotechnology;
• $89.2 million over ten years to develop and maintain an online registration system for both the Australian Business Number (ABN) and state and territory business names;
• $14.3 million over two years to extend the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business Programme for another year; and
• $54.2 million over four years to support R&D in the food processing industry.

More information is at www.industry.gov.au

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Overhaul of NHMRC

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) will complete a restructure of its organisation during 2007-08, according to this year’s budget statement. The restructure is intended “to enhance its responsiveness and improve its internal scientific, health care and research-literate capacity.”

Other initiatives specified in the statement include integrating research, advisory, regulatory and ethics functions to bring more holistic perspectives to health issues, and engaging the NHMRC Principal Committees in bringing forward issues of national importance.

The NHMRC will commission an independent international review of its research funding processes in to benchmark them against international best practice. The review ill take into account stakeholder perspectives in Australia and NHMRC will seek proposals from potential expert reviewers on an appropriate methodology. This review is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.

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New Science and Innovation Council for WA

Membership of the new Western Australian Science and Innovation Council has been announced by the Premier and Science and Innovation Minister, Alan Carpenter.

Mr Carpenter said the council, to be chaired by Western Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley, would play a major role in positioning science and innovation as one of the key drivers of the State’s economy. It will be the Government’s key advisory body on the strategic direction of science initiatives for the State.

Members of the Premier’s Science and Innovation Council include:

• Professor Lyn Beazley, Chief Scientist
• Professor Ian Constable, Lions Eye Institute
• Professor Alan Robson, Vice Chancellor at The University of Western Australia
• Dr Debby Cousins, Australian Biosecurity CRC for Emerging Infectious Disease
• Dr Pam Garnett, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
• Professor Beverley Ronalds, CSIRO Petroleum
• Professor Peter Newman, Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy
• Professor Richard Pashley, ARC Professorial Fellow at Murdoch University
• Mr Mark Woffenden, Parker CRC for Integrated Hydrometallurgy Solutions
• Dr Roy Green, chair of the WA Government Taskforce for Greenhouse Energy
• Professor Julian Gale, Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Applied Chemistry, Curtin University of Technology
• Dr Bernard Bowen, chairman of the Western Australian Marine Science Institution.

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New Chief of CSIRO Livestock Industries

Professor Alan Bell, formerly head of Animal Science at Cornell University in the United States, has been appointed as the new Chief of CSIRO Livestock Industries.

Professor Alan Bell, who took up his Brisbane-based position this month, replaces CSIRO Livestock Industries’ foundation Chief, Shaun Coffey, who moved to New Zealand last year to head-up the government-owned technology company, Industrial Research Limited.

Raised on a dairy and beef property in South Gippsland, Victoria, Professor Bell completed his first degree in Rural Science at the University of New England at Armidale, NSW. He obtained a PhD from the University of Glasgow and returned to Australia to lecture in animal nutrition and physiology at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Professor Bell has spent the past 21 years at Cornell University.

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New CEO for ATSE

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has appointed Dr Trevor Evans as Chief Executive Officer, commencing 1 July 2007.

Dr Evans was until recently Chief Executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), where he had a 30-year career leading growth and development of IChemE in Britain and internationally.

With a PhD in chemical engineering from University College London, Dr Evans is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Scientist, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

He has served as Deputy Chairman, Engineering Council (UK); Board Member, Science Council; Chairman, G15 Group of Chartered Institution Chief Executives; Director, IChemE Ltd, Chemistry Ltd and Crystal Faraday Partnership; Member of Court, Imperial College, London; Member, Board of Management, European Process Safety Centre; Member, Executive Board and Head of the UK General Secretariat of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering; Member, Steering Committee ‘Action for Engineering Programme’, UK Department of Trade and Industry; and Member, International Advisory Board, Uhlmann’s Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology.

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Call for Proposals: Capability and Technology Demostrator Program

The Department of Defence is seeking industry proposals for participation in the  Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) Program. The CTD Program assists in the improvement or support of priority Defence capability by providing Australian industry with an opportunity to demonstrate their technology, thereby informing Defence of the potential performance and technical risk associated with its implementation. Proposals should address a particular Defence capability priority and are required to demonstrate their capability potential within three years.

Some current areas of interest which applicants might wish to consider include, but are not limited to:
• Sensors/weapons applicable to urban operations
• Non-lethal weapons
• Networking of sensors, information and decision support systems
• Modelling and simulation to support acquisition, operations and planning, or network communications training
• Protection and survivability of military platforms
• Innovative weapons
• Robotics in the land environment
• Automated asset tracking
• Supersonic aerial targets
• Applications to support operational decision making
• Innovations in deployable communications
• Battlefield energy generation and storage
• Combat identification and friendly force tracking
• Counter-mine technologies
• Military platform signature management
• Navigation/communications for robotic land, sea and air vehicles
• Modular systems for multi-role military platforms

Applicants are encouraged to discuss their CTD proposals with the Capability Development Executive within Defence, and with the relevant research division of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). The CTD Program Office can assist prospective applicants with relevant Defence contacts and completing proposals. Proposals offering standard product lines will not normally be successful under the CTD program, unless applied in a novel manner to improve Defence capability. Proposals must originate from within Australian industry or involve substantial Australian industry participation. Project funding is expected to commence in July 2008, although some shortlisted companies may be funded for detailed proposal development or specific activities at an earlier date (conditions apply).

Send submissions by e-mail in Microsoft ® Word 2003 format, to ctd@defence.gov.au or by mail to the CTD Program Office, R1-6-A061, Russell Offices, Department of Defence, Canberra ACT 2600, by close of business, 20 July 2007.

For general information and proposal formats see the CTD website at http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/collaboration/3743/

For further information contact Mr Andrew Arnold, Director CTD Program Office (02 6265 7927), or Dr Kathleen Smith (02 6265 7975), or email ctd@defence.gov.au.

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Clincial Research Excellence 2007

The Clinical Research Excellence 2007 Program Overview in now available on the website, providing you with an understanding of what to expect from each dynamic session on offer, and importantly, what you will gain by attending.

The CRX07 trade exhibition, business partnering event, and pre and post conference workshops will complement the plenary and breakout sessions, ensuring participants will leave the conference with valuable tools, knowledge and contacts to expand their ability to undertake good clinical research.

EARLY BIRD OFFER Closes 18th May, 2007

Book TODAY and save $110.00 on your registration. It is simple to do as forms will be accepted by post, fax or online, and only takes a few minutes. DON’T MISS OUT!


How to Register

Visit: http://www.crx07.com/Registration  

For a copy of the Registration Brochure to be mailed to you, please email info@crx07.com your full name and postal details.

When: CRX07 17, 18, 19 August 2007

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

For more information go to: http://www.crx07.com  

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

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NEW dates for Writing Clear Science Workshops (SA, NT, NSW, QLD, VIC)

www.writingclearscience.com.au

Writing Clear Science teaches writing and research skills to science students and science professionals. 

Writing Clear Science workshops are designed for most science disciplines and include short lectures, followed by interactive discussions and group exercises.

Writing Clear Science workshops will help you overcome your writing obstacles, improve your writing productivity and enhance your research skills. We teach the skills necessary to produce high quality science projects, reports, articles and theses.

Three-day workshops are now open for bookings in SA, NT, NSW, QLD, VIC. Enrolments are available for Day 1 only; Day 1-2 only, or for Day 1-3.

Day 1: The Nuts & Bolts of Writing
Day 2: Writing Reports, Articles & Manuscripts
Day 3: Writing Your Thesis

In addition to the standard topics, we also offer in-house, 1-3 day tailored workshops. Recent in-house workshops have covered Writing in plain English, Writing an Oral Presentation, Publishing Your Science & Preparing a Poster Presentation.

Workshop Dates & Locations

Adelaide: Wednesday 6th - Friday 8th June Venue: The Seminar Room 1.27, Plant Genomics Centre, Hartley Grove, Urrbrae, Building 22, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus
Darwin: Wednesday 4th – Friday 6th July Venue: Room 42, Building 23, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina Campus, Ellengowen Drive.
Sydney: Wednesday 25th – Friday 27th July Venue: UNILINC Meeting Room, Level 9, 210 Clarence St, Sydney
Brisbane: Wednesday 22nd – Friday 24th August Venue: Auditorium 2, DPI&F Conference Centre, Ground Floor
Primary Industries Building, 80 Ann Street, Brisbane
Melbourne: Monday 10th – Wednesday 12th September; Venue: Richmond Library Meeting Room (upstairs), 415 Church Street (cnr. Church St. & Swan St.), Richmond.

Course Outlines
Day 1: The Nuts & Bolts of Writing
• Lectures: Your Audience & Your Purpose; Accurate Science Writing; Sentence and Paragraph Structure.
• Writing Exercises: Summarising Skills; Writing in Plain English; Title, Sentence and Paragraph Construction.
Day 2: Writing Reports & Manuscripts
• Lectures: Writing Techniques; Clear Structure for Excellent Writing; Writing Style & Word Choice; Different Report Styles.
• Writing Exercises: Assessment of Writing Examples, Report Construction and Continuity; Improvement of Writing Style.
Day 3: Writing Your Thesis
• Lectures: Designing & Writing Your Thesis; Researching Your Topic; Thesis Structure.
• Writing Review & Group Discussions: Research Design Overview; Thesis Construction and Continuity of Chapters; Assessment of Writing Examples.

For further information or to download course outlines, venue details & registration forms, go to www.writingclearscience.com.au.  Email info@writingclearscience.com.au. Phone 0416-097979

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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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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.

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

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