Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne, has released new Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme guidelines.
The guidelines implement recommendations from the recent review of the CRC Programme and are designed to strengthen ties between industry and research organisations.
Mr Pyne said new CRCs selected for funding under the revised Guidelines would be industry-led and work closely with the Industry Growth Centres.
“Improving collaboration between researchers and industry to increase commercialisation and investment and cultivate a more innovative and entrepreneurial economy is a key pillar of the National Innovation and Science Agenda,” said Mr Pyne.
“We’ve placed industry at the front and centre of the CRC Programme so we can build on our strengths in high quality research to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.”
Mr Pyne said the programme would be structured in two streams: traditional CRCs supporting medium to long-term industry-led research; and, CRC Projects (CRC-Ps) for shorter term activity with a focus on involving SMEs.
“Funding will be prioritised to those CRCs and CRC-Ps that are aligned with the five Industry Growth Centres and the nine Science and Research Priorities,” said the Minister.
“However, the programme will be flexible enough to address emerging priority areas and consider proposals from other industry sectors.”
Mr Pyne said the guidelines would streamline programme administration and evaluation, and emphasise industry expertise, management capabilities and research commercialisation skills within each CRC.
“These reforms will see CRCs take centre stage in Australia’s innovation economy by focusing on solving industry problems, developing and commercialising new products and services, driving emerging technologies and exploiting global supply chains and new markets,” he said.
“In turn this will create jobs, increase revenue and boost productivity across the Australian economy.”
Funding rounds for both CRCs and CRC-Ps will open in February 2016 with further detail available soon.
Information on the new guidelines is available from the following website.