Peacock to head Fed research advisory panel

CSIRO Plant Industry chief Dr Jim Peacock has been selected to head the Federal government's advisory panel on national research priorities.

The 12-member committee is charged with the job of going through the written submissions the government has received about its national research priorities, and coming up with a short-list of the priorities for the government's consideration, according to Science Minister Peter McGauran.

Apart from Peacock, the committee includes Chief Scientist Dr Robin Batterham, WEHI director Prof Suzanne Cory, FASTS president Prof Chris Fell, and Centre for Coral Reef Biodiversity director Prof Terry Hughes.

Other members are Institution of Engineers chief executive John Boshier, Alphawest strategic business manager Sharon Brown, ANU deputy vice-chancellor of education Prof Malcolm Gillies, Australian Academy of Social Sciences president Prof Leon Mann, ARC National Key Centre for Geochemical Evolution director Prof Sue O'Reilly, Siemens managing director Helmut Pekarek, and Atomic Fabrication Facility director Assoc Prof Michelle Simmons.

It will also include an international member, who is yet to be named.

McGauran said he was pleased that the government would have the assistance of a committee that was "broadly representative" of the research community.