Queensland’s climate change strategy invests in new technology

The Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, has launched Queensland's $414 million climate change strategy ClimateSmart 2050 which sets out plans to lower the greenhouse gas across the state.

The strategy includes

• a $300 million Queensland Climate Change Fund to develop new technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. The fund will be financed from the sale of government-owned wind farm assets (mainly located interstate) and the remaining gas assets of the Enertrade business;
• a $900 million investment in demonstrating clean coal technologies, based on $300 million from the Queensland Future Growth Fund and $600 million over 10 years from the state's coal industry;
• $50 million for a Renewable Energy Fund to promote research and development in to renewable energy, with the aim of reaching a renewable and low emissions energy target of 10 percent by 2020. The fund will be accessed through a competitive bidding process and assessed by an expert panel;
• $10 million will be invested on identifying future geosequestration sites to allow the safe storage of carbon dioxide emissions over the long-term.

The strategy is at www.thepremier.qld.gov.au/climatechange

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WA invests $50m in climate change research

The West Australian Premier, Alan Carpenter, has announced a $50 million five-year research program to investigate the impact of climate change.

The new West Australian Marine Science Institution, to be chaired by Dr Bernard Bowen, will bring together scientists from around the country to study the effects of a changing climate on the coast, particularly north of Perth at Ningaloo Reef and Shark Bay.

The State Government will contribute $21 million to the project. The other $30 million will come from organisations such as the CSIRO, the Burerau of Meteorology and universities.

WAMSI is comprised of:

• Australian Institute of Marine Science;
• Bureau of Meteorology;
• CSIRO;
• Curtin University of Technology;
• Edith Cowan University;
• The Government of Western Australia (through the Departments of Environment and Conservation, Fisheries, Industry & Resources and the Western Australian Museum);
• Murdoch University;
• University of Western Australia; and
• Western Australian Global Ocean Observing Systems Inc.

Industry foundation collaborators include BHP Billiton Petroleum and Woodside Energy Ltd.

Dr Bowen said the institute would provide the information and knowledge required to make the right social, economic and environmental decisions for the future of WA’s marine environment.

“We will look at how WA’s marine ecosystems work and the effect climate change has on the Indian Ocean and Leeuwin Current,” Dr Bowen said.

“The institute will also research aspects of the State’s fisheries and ensure they remain ecologically sustainable while managing the ecosystems in which they operate.”

Further information on WAMSI is available at http://www.wamsi.org.au/

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South Australian climate change strategy proposes research priorities

The South Australian government has released its climate change strategy for 2007 – 2020, Tackling Climate Change, setting out three avenues for action: reducing climate change, adapting to climate change, and innovating in markets, technologies, institutions and lifestyle.

The strategy sets out priorities for government in science and research including:

• assessing the state’s regional and sectoral vulnerabilities starting with areas of known or expected vulnerability and
building on national work on climate change adaptation;

• participating in the implementation of the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, including developing national tools to assist decision makers and researchers;
• continuing to support the Climate Change Chair at the University of Adelaide, established by the government in early 2007, and developing its research capability in adaptation to climate change in natural and productive ecosystems;
• considering further research on extreme event projections; and
• form partnerships with universities, CSIRO, Australian Centre for Ancient DNA and Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics to examine climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Premier Mike Rann also released former Adelaide Thinker in Residence, Professor Stephen Schneider's report, Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities which outlines a range of initiatives that could help South Australia adopt a successful climate change response.

Among the report’s recommendations were that the Chair of Climate Change at Adelaide University, the three major South Australian research universities and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) could form a strategic partnership on climate change research, to identify vulnerabilities, adaptation strategies and opportunities for industry and the community.

Professor Schneider was the Thinker in Residence in 2006, and is the Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies, Professor of Biological Sciences, Professor by Courtesy of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-director of the Centre for Environment Science and Policy in the Freeman-Spogli Institute, and a Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, California.

The strategy and Professor Schneider’s report can be downloaded at http://www.climatechange.sa.gov.au/

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Tasmania releases biotech strategy

The Tasmanian Government has launched the state’s Biotechnology Strategy, with a target of trebling turnover from the sector in Tasmania by 2015. Funding of $300,000 will be announced in Thursday’s state budget to implement the strategy.

The strategy identifies major opportunities for Tasmania in Biotechnology in three areas:

• agriculture, forestry and environmental biotechnology – Tasmania is well-placed in this area to produce high-value crops, forest products and environmental and mining remediation;
• aquaculture, marine, Antarctic and Southern Ocean biotechnology – Tasmania’s clean, temperate marine environment and proximity to the Southern Ocean is a key advantage that has led to the establishment of aquaculture and marine-related industries and important Antarctic and Southern Ocean institutes; and
• population genetics for human health biotechnology – The Menzies Research Institute is renowned for its research on Tasmania’s relatively ‘closed’ population of Anglo Saxon immigrants, enabling unique studies on disease research and prevention.

The Premier, Paul Lennon, said the $300,000 to start implementing the strategy would be used for:

• appointing a State Biotechnology Program Manager to oversee the strategy’s implementation;
• placing marketing graduates from the University of Tasmania in local biotechnology companies to improve the companies’ marketing skills;
• holding workshops to develop the negotiating skills of biotechnology companies to help them secure contracts;
• funding for trade missions so Tasmanian biotechnology companies can promote and sell their products internationally; and
• creating a formal Biotechnology Network in Tasmania to share ideas and encourage business collaboration and commercialisation of products.

Mr Lennon also announced a review of the state’s moratorium on genetically modified organisms which expires late in 2009.
A Joint Select Parliamentary Committee will consider, among other things:

• market sensitivities to Genetically Modified produce;
• contamination of non-Genetically Modified seeds and grains with Genetically Modified material;
• use of stockfeed that is Genetically Modified or derived from Genetically Modified Organisms; and
• new developments in gene technology.

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Victoria to develop maths and science education strategy

The Victorian Government is developing a maths and science education strategy to guide its election commitment of $76 million over four years for maths and science education.

As a first stage, a roundtable discussion about the teaching of maths and science was held recently, chaired by Victorian Governor, Professor David de Kretser.

The gathering, which brought together experts from business, academia and industry, examined the teaching of maths and science in schools and how it could best be tailored to industry and research.

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Centre for Health Innovation launched

Victoria’s new Centre for Health Innovation has been launched as Australia’s first purpose-built facility for testing and evaluating new healthcare products and services within a near clinical environment.

The $10 million centre, based at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, is a joint venture between Bayside Health, La Trobe University, Monash University and the Baker Heart Research Institute. It comprises an operating theatre, procedure room, test laboratories and observation suites.

Research partners are already working with a number of research and industry partners including Intel, Stryker, Cisco Systems, Medtronic, CSIRO, Anatomics, Merlon Communication Systems, hTrak, Microsoft, Medicraft/Hill-Rom and Motorola.

The Victorian Government provided $4.95 million for the facility under its Science, Technology and Innovation Infrastructure Grants program.

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CSIRO Plant Industry to collaborate with NZ’s AgResearch

CSIRO Plant Industry has signed a collaborative agreement with New Zealand’s largest Crown Research Institute, AgResearch.

The Heads of Agreement document signed in Canberra last month states the organisations’ intention to collaborate on research and development workshops, technician exchange programmes, seminar programmes, conferences and research and development projects.

Eventually it may also involve the commercialisation of the outcomes of collaborative research and development projects

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CSIRO to upgrade Battery Point facility

CSIRO is to invest $2 million to upgrade and expand its research facilities at Battery Point, Hobart which provide the main base for CSIRO’s research in temperate marine science and Southern Ocean climate science.

The site also houses the Tasmanian Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Centre which was established in late 2006 by the Australian Government (through the Intelligent Island Program which is administered by the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development) and CSIRO.

The ICT centre has appointed 30 new researchers and a 10-person PhD scholorship program with the University of Tasmania. CEO of the Centre, Dr Stephen Giugni, said its objective was to work with Tasmanian industry and the CSIRO-led National Research Flagship programs to boost Tasmania’s ICT capability and capacity in areas such as sensor networks, data management and robotics research.

The site supports ocean observation programs including the Remote Sensing Facility, the Marine National Facility Research Vessel Southern Surveyor, various at-sea observation systems, and the electronic tagging of marine species.

Staff numbers at CSIRO Hobart are expected to reach more than 400 in the coming year. The first phase of the refurbishment is expected to be completed by October 2007.

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Expressions of Interest: ATSE Missions and Workshops

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering is pleased to offer Australian researchers, from both the public and private sector, an opportunity to submit expressions of interest for international Missions, Workshops and Delegations during the calendar year 2008-2009.

ATSE will not fund the following activities:
- Conference sponsorship 
- Attendance or participation in conferences
- Collaborative research projects 
-  Postdoctoral or Fellowship exchanges

Closing date of EOI Proposal – Tuesday 31 July 2007 by 5.00 pm EST.

EOI forms and selection criteria are detailed on the ATSE website: http://www.atse.org.au

This project is proudly supported by the International Science Linkages – Science Academies Programme, established under the Australian Government’s Innovation Statement, Backing Australia’s Ability.

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Position Vacant: Technology Commercialisation Manager

- Intellectual property licensing 
- Lead commercialisation projects 
- Entrepreneurial environment

Offspring Ventures brings the next generation of technologies to life by creating new start-up companies, licensing intellectual property and providing technology commercialisation services. Operating from its South Yarra office in Melbourne, Offspring Ventures is wholly owned by the listed company ipernica ltd. Our current clients are leading research institutes in the Asia-Pacific region, including the CSIRO, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), major universities and corporate research laboratories.

Your responsibilities will include: 
-  Evaluating the commercial potential of intellectual property from various research institutions, particularly in the material science, engineering and/or ICT sectors 
-  Developing professional commercialisation plans for selected technologies 
-  Leading the implementation of international commercialisation projects, particularly IP licensing programs 
-  Providing commercialisation services such as opportunity assessments, market analysis and business plans

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate outstanding written and verbal communication skills, strong negotiation skills and the ability to lead business development activities for our clients. You will have ‘hands-on’ experience with the commercialisation of early-stage technologies, in the material sciences, engineering and/or ICT sectors. Ideally you will have experience in the licensing of technologies in a corporate environment.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join an exciting and entrepreneurial company and directly participate in the development of breakthrough technologies developed by the region’s leading research organizations.

A competitive salary package will be offered to the appropriate candidate.

To apply in strict confidence, email your resume to: anabela.correia@offspringventures.com  or mail your resume to: Anabela Correia, Manager, Ventures and Licensing, Offspring Ventures Pty Ltd, Suite 11A, Level 3/299 Toorak Rd South Yarra Vic 3141 Melbourne

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Call for proposals 2008 Round: French Australian Science and Technology (FAST) Programme

 

Overview
The Australian Government in conjunction with the Government of the Republic of France has established the French-Australian S&T (FAST) Programme. The Programme is jointly managed by the Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) and its French counterparts, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR) and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE).

The objective of FAST is to promote and support scientific and technological cooperation between Australian and French researchers in both public and private sectors.

Support Available
FAST will provide financial assistance, on a competitive basis, for small collaborative research projects (including project specific follow-up meetings) between Australian and French researchers. Activities that are eligible for funding support are only international travel and living expenses. Accordingly, funding does not extend to insurances, salaries and equipment expenses.

Under the FAST programme, Australia will contribute up to $A250,000 per round and France up to 150,000 € per round. Individual applications may request funding for up to 2 years.

Under the 2008 FAST programme round, applications will be considered for research collaboration in the areas of materials, and information and communication technologies.

Australian beneficiaries:
Support to and all grants for successful Australian applicants will be provided by DEST to the coordinating Australian organisation. A suitably audited financial report will be required to acquit DEST funding.

French beneficiaries:
Support to French beneficiaries is provided by the French Government in France. Scientific and financial reports will be required at the end of each of the 2 years to acquit French funding.

How to Apply
Applications must be for funding for collaboration between Australian and French partners. Each partner must submit an application to their respective Government (DEST for the Australian applicants, EGIDE for the French). The 2008 call-for-proposals round is now open and will close on Monday 16 July 2007.

Australian applicants should refer to the FAST guidelines, available at https://sciencegrants.dest.gov.au/ISL/,  before commencing their application.

French applicants should refer to the EGIDE website:
http://www.egide.asso.fr/fr/programmes/pai/appels/fast.jhtml
 
Information about the FAST programme is also available on the Embassy of France website:
http://www.ambafrance-au.org/article.php3?id_article=1851
 
Information
If you require more information please direct all specific questions by email to:
Australia – Mr Jason Wood, email: isl@dest.gov.au  
France – Miss Armelle Blanchard email: science@ambafrance-au.org  

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Expressions of Interest for RIRDC Advisory Committees

Rural innovation relies on expert advice

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is in the knowledge business - we invest in research and development to create the knowledge needed for more profitable, sustainable and resilient rural industries and communities. Our special role is to maximise the knowledge outcomes from our R&D investments for new rural industries, specific established rural industries and national rural issues.

RIRDC focuses its R&D investments on applied innovation.

RIRDC's R&D advisory committees are producers and experts who advise us on R&D needs and priorities to guide our investments. They also assess project proposals and advise on their quality and impact.

The expertise of individual committee members is critical to this role.

RIRDC invites suitable candidates to submit an Expression of Interest to the Corporation to be considered for a register of prospective committee members.

The membership of these committees is refreshed on a regular basis, and candidates on the register established from these expressions of interest will be invited to join committees as appropriate vacancies arise.

Expertise sought:
- commodity production, processing and marketing; 
- natural resource management and conservation;
- science and technology transfer;
- economics and social sciences;
- administration of research and development;
- finance and business development;
- education, training and advisory services.

For details on the range of sectoral interests in RIRDC's R&D portfolio, visit www.rirdc.gov.au  

Further information
To apply visit the RIRDC website www.rirdc.gov.au  

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InnoFuture 2007

From blank sheet to breakthrough idea to market
How to turn R&D Into Innovation.
… the ultimate innovation conference!
AUGUST 28-29, MELBOURNE, PARK HYATT

Ability to compete in the global economy is an imperative for survival. The only way forward is to learn how to innovate faster, cheaper, on demand.

InnoFuture 2007, brings together the greatest masters of innovation to share the insights, experience and practical ‘how to’ tools and emerging models used by the world’s most innovative companies to develop and implement groundbreaking products, services and cultures.

Learn from the best: Tom Kelley, founder of IDEO one of the world’s top 20 most innovative companies; Frans Johansson, creator of The Medici Effect for thinking outside the boundaries, Amnon Levav, founder of Systematic Inventive Thinking, an Israeli company taking the world by storm with a new wave breakthrough innovation techniques.

Learn how to take idea to market in 90 days. How to tap into the emerging business models for sustainable competitiveness. What are the business eco-systems that create whole new industries and export opportunities for Australian R&D? How to turn your R&D efforts into money spinning opportunities? InnoFuture 2007 has the answers.

Break away from the mould of your narrow industry. Learn to find new ideas at intersections of cultures, industries, sciences and art. Take away tools to systematically innovate and start implementing innovation immediately after InnoFuture 2007. Corporate thinkers and those responsible for breaking new frontiers are invited.

Bookings and enquiries: www.innofuture.com.au.  Contact: +61 3 9596 4333 Steve Poole or Margaret Manson on +61 3 407 661 130.

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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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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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