Expert Working Group to set Australia's research priorities

The Turnbull government has appointed the Expert Working Group that will help set the direction of Australia’s research infrastructure and priorities over the coming decade. According to Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham, the group is set to “develop a roadmap to maintaining and expanding Australia’s world-class research capability”.

“The Expert Working Group will consult widely with researchers, businesses and other stakeholders to develop a national 10-year plan to underpin research and innovation at a national level and to identify future national research infrastructure priorities and areas for ongoing investment,” said Birmingham.

The Expert Working Group members are:

• Dr Alan Finkel AO, Australia’s Chief Scientist (Chairman)
• Professor Edwina Cornish, Provost and Senior Vice-President, Monash University
• Dr Andrew Cuthbertson, Chief Scientific Office and R&D Director, CSL
• Professor Sandra Harding, Vice Chancellor and President, James Cook University
• Ms Rosie Hicks, Chief Executive Officer, Australian National Fabrication Facility
• Professor Suzanne Miller, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Queensland Museum Network
• Dr Adi Paterson, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
• Professor Andy Pitman, Director, ARC Centre for Excellence for Climate System Science

The appointment of the working group follows the Turnbull government’s allocation of $150 million a year to the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy for the next 10 years. Birmingham said the strategy supports national research infrastructure that provides services to over 35,000 researchers, both domestically and internationally, through 27 projects and facilities delivered at 222 institutions.

“Looking ahead, future National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy funding and investments will be guided by the 2016 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap that will be developed by the Expert Working Group under the guidance of Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO,” Birmingham said.

The group is expected to complete the roadmap in late 2016.