15 Strategic Research Priorities

The Australian Government has released 15 Strategic Research Priorities as part of a process to establish a long-term vision for Australian research.

The SRPs were developed by the Australian Research Committee (ARCom) as part of the process of implementing the National Research Investment Plan. The National Research Investment Plan aims to drive investment in areas of importance to Australia to maintain its place in the global research landscape.

In December 2012, the Chief Scientist presented five societal challenges to the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) as the first step in the process. The challenges were endorsed by PMSEIC and adopted as the overarching structure for the development of the SRPs.

These challenges are:

• Living in a changing environment
• Promoting population health and wellbeing
• Managing our food and water assets
• Securing Australia’s place in a changing world
• Lifting productivity and economic growth.

Departments and agencies that fund research will be given an outline of the implementation process for the SRPs and will be required to report annually to ARCom.

Existing capacity and capability in the research system will be considered for each of the SRPs, taking into account the fundamental elements described in the National Research Investment Plan: publicly funded research, workforce, infrastructure, collaboration and business research.

The SRPs will cover the period from 2013-14 through to 2015-16 and will be reviewed triennially as part of the development of the next National Research Investment Plan.

The period 2013-14 will be a transition year to allow departments and agencies to develop procedures that align with the new SRPs.

The National Research Priorities have been discontinued and any associated reporting requirements will be phased out by 30 June 2014.