Lauren Davis
Inside the innovation agenda December 7 last year was a massive day for the Turnbull government, with the Prime Minister announcing his $1.1 billion agenda to promote research, development and innovation. But just what was covered by the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), and how did Australia’s scientists react?
P
rime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
• $30 million for a Cyber Security Growth Centre
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), with
introduced the agenda by highlighting the need
• $15 million over four years towards a $200m
$520 million set aside for the Australian
to address Australia’s falling rankings in terms
CSIRO Innovation Fund
Synchrotron, for the next 10 years
of commercialisation and collaboration, appetite
• $10 million over four years towards a $250
• The creation of an Innovation and Science
for risk and participation in high school science,
million Biomedical Translation Fund to
Committee of federal cabinet, to be chaired
maths and computing. This was followed by the
develop and commercialise promising
by the Prime Minister
announcement of over 20 initiatives to boost our
outcomes from Australia’s research
The Australian Research Council (ARC) will
innovation, with highlights including: • $106 million in tax incentives for investors looking to support early-stage entrepreneurs • $75 million to the CSIRO’s data research arm, Data61 • $36 million over five years for a Global Innovation Strategy to improve Australia’s international innovation and science collaboration
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• $13 million to support gender equity initiatives,
assist in measures to boost the commercial returns of
including the Australian Academy of Science
publicly funded research, such as the introduction of
SAGE program
an impact and engagement assessment of Australian
• $48 million to inspire all Australians on the wonders and uses of STEM in society
university research. These measures have been welcomed by the council’s CEO, Professor Aidan
• $51 million to better equip students to embrace the digital age
Byrne, who said the assessment will “run alongside Australia’s internationally renowned system for
• $1.5 billion locked in for research infrastructure under the National Collaborative Research
measuring research quality — Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)”.
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