News Alerts

Report on public sector innovation released

The Federal Government has released a reported, Empowering Change: Fostering Innovation in the Australian Public Service, aimed at improving innovation in the public sector and increasing cooperation with industry, the public and researchers.

The report, prepared by the Australian Public Service Management Advisory Committee, looks at the 'state of play' for innovation in Australia and identifies barriers that public servants face when innovating. It looks at sources of innovation and those who can help design, implement and deliver it. It outlines what agencies, team, and individuals can do to foster innovation.

Twelve recommendations are put forward around the themes of strategy and culture; leadership; systemic/structural issues; resourcing and managing innovation in the Australian Public Service; and recognition, sharing and learning.

The project was overseen by a Steering Committee comprising representatives of the Department of Innovation, the Australian Public Service Commission, the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink, CSIRO, the Department of Finance and Deregulation, the Department of Health and Ageing, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Empowering Change: Fostering Innovation in the Australian Public Service is available at www.innovation.gov.au/psi.

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Funding for fibres research and innovation centre

The Australian Government will invest $37 million to develop a $102 million Australian Future Fibres Research and Innovation Centre (AFFRIC) at Deakin University.

The project will employ 220-270 additional researchersand involve the co-location of 86 CSIRO researchers.

The new centre will bring together Australian expertise in fibre science and materials technologies, and will have four research foci: Carbon Fibre Manufacture and Materials Technology; Nano-Fibre Discovery - Characterization and Application; Green Natural Fibres; and Smart and Functional Fibrous Materials.

The Centre is also receiving funding support from Deakin University, CSIRO and the Victorian Centre for Advanced Material Manufacturing. It will have collaborative arrangements with regional and industry development organisations such as the City of Greater Geelong and the Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Association (TTNA).

Construction scheduled to commence in December 2010 and be completed by September 2012.

The Australian Government’s investment is part of Round 3 of the Education Investment Fund (EIF) which is investing $4 billion in Australia’s tertiary education and research infrastructure.

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South Australia to get new water research institute

A new $50 million water research institute will be established in South Australia to help secure and manage the State’s water supply.

The Goyder Institute for Water Research will be funded with $25 million over five years provided by the SA Government, matched in kind by CSIRO, the University of South Australia, the University of Adelaide and Flinders University.

The Institute will provide independent scientific advice on South Australia’s water system, and develop an integrated approach to water management.

The proposal for the institute was discussed at a conference in Adelaide in November 2008, where the Chief Scientist, Dr Ian Chessell, outlined the objectives and how the Institute might operate as a centre of the diverse expertise needed to solve the range of water management problems in South Australia, and as a way of bringing scientists and policy makers together .

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Queensland wins new biotech venture fund

The Queensland Government is to be a partner in a new venture capital fund involving global biopharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company, and other strategic US partners. The fund, expected to be as much as USD$250 million, will invest in the expansion and development of the Queensland and Australian biotechnology industry.

The Queensland Government is investing $25 million in the venture capital fund. Lilly will contribute up to 20 percent of the total funding, while other strategic investors will also participate.

Announcing the fund, the Premier Anna Bligh said it was a major step in her government’s plan to make Queensland's biotechnology industry worth $20 billion and employ 16,000 people by 2025.

This fund will have its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane, and will invest throughout Queensland, Australia and SE Asia.

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Queensland reseachers win Smithsonian fellowships

Four Queensland researchers have been awarded fellowships under the 2009/2010 Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship Program.

The Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowships are open to those working in any area of mutual interest with the Smithsonian Institution, including biology, biodiversity, conservation, climate change, astrophysics, anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, Indigenous and cross-cultural studies, folk culture, science and technology, museum management, art, design and crafts.

The recipients this year are:

• Professor David Lambert, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at Griffith University who will work with the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics to further his studies in ancient DNA and develop new research tools and methodologies. This will assist researchers recover lost biological and cultural information contained within Indigenous artefacts such as feather cloaks.
• Elizabeth Burgess, a PhD candidate in marine biology at the University of Queensland who will work with the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park to establish and validate methods for analysing reproductive and stress hormones in dugongs, enabling the development of population models for the species - critical to the conservation of dugongs in the wild.
• Melina Mallos, Curriculum and Education Programs Officer at the Queensland Art Gallery who will work with the Smithsonian's Early Enrichment Center to further her skills and knowledge in early childhood education programs to enhance the already successful programs at the Queensland Art Gallery and share with teachers and other cultural institutions state-wide.
• Karen O'Brien, Manager of Indigenous Relations in the Queensland Department of Public Works who will work with the Smithsonian's Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs to learn more about the Institution's significant experience in undertaking large-scale, culturally sensitive capital works projects and its success in recruiting Indigenous staff - knowledge which will inform the Department's Reconciliation Management Plans.

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WA budget contributes to high performance computing centre

The Western Australian state budget has allocated $3.616million for Western Australia’s Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (iVEC).

The funding will contribute to the operational requirements of iVEC’s Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre for SKA Science.

Last year the Federal Government announced funding of $80million over four years to establish the Pawsey Centre, which will house a supercomputer that will significantly boost Australia and New Zealand’s chances of securing the $2.5 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

The Centre will also help process and manage the large amounts of data from the Australian SKA Pathfinder radio telescope which CSIRO is currently building and will support high-end research in other disciplines, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, geoinformatics, engineering and atomic physics.

The State Government’s funding will go towards the operational costs of the centre, including employment of staff to manage and deliver the services from the facility.

iVEC is headquartered at the Australian Resources Research Centre in Bentley and is an unincorporated joint venture between CSIRO, Curtin University of Technology, The University of Western Australia, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University.

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WA Government funds grains innovation

The Western Australian Government has allocated $30 million over three years towards the construction of a grains innovation centre at Murdoch University.

The Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre (AEGIC) will be part of the $186 million program to relocate the WA Department of Agriculture and Food to the Murdoch University campus. The AEGIC will comprise four major research, development and enterprise pillars: export quality grain; crop protection and biosecurity; crop productivity under climatic and soil constraints and industry productivity and value chain innovation.

Supported by the co-location of about 180 Department of Agriculture and Food staff, the centre will tackle current industry problems and issues and undertake longer-term, strategic analyses to ensure the continued productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of the industry.

The centre will be Western Australia’s flagship contribution to the National Grains RD&E Framework.

The government is also providing $9.05million over four years to support new project, ‘New Crops for New Climate Environments’, to evaluate and adopt the world’s best genetic technology into WA farming systems. This funding will include $3 million towards the construction of new facilities at Merredin and Katanning. The project will focus on the evaluation of genetically modified traits with the potential to improve productivity, resilience and quality of WA crops facing increased climate variability and more discerning markets. Two climate simulator facilities will be established at Merredin and Katanning to evaluate future GM crops in a controlled environment.

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Announcements

Key Strategies for Market Survival

Harnessing your business’s ability to respond effectively to crisis, and maximising innovation opportunities is a key strategy for market survival.

Identifying and making the most of opportunities, while minimising threats, is a crucial challenge during tough economic times. Innovation is critical to business viability throughout a crisis and beyond.

Facing the crisis

There are various corporate responses to crises:

Protectionism

Some businesses aim to maintain core technologies and intellectual property (IP) along with core customers. There is little room for raw ideas or new directions.

✦The benefits: A profound understanding of a business’s core technologies and customers’ core concerns is critical to success in a crisis.

A review of existing IP can prove insightful.

✦The risks: Generally, crises favour disruption. Incumbent businesses that lock down may survive in the short-term, but will likely see trouble long-term.

Reductionism

Some businesses actively simplify their products, offering only basic services and technologies.

✦The benefits: Simplifying can free resources for innovating in key areas. Further, simplification can itself result in innovation. The resulting basic technologies may be valuable IP.

✦The risks: Over-simplification can mean a reduction in creativity. Simplification without preparing for opportunities will not lead to long-term viability.

Opportunism

Some businesses see opportunities for innovation and immediately grasp them. This is particularly true of new businesses.

✦The benefits: These businesses are prepared to exploit opportunities. With a solid market and a small l, focused IP protection plan, they can flourish.

✦The risks: Businesses without a known core technology or a stable customer base must fight to survive. This means keeping costs and charges low.

Strategic innovation succeed quickly

Businesses can’t always support technologies requiring years of pre-market lead time. To decrease lead time, businesses should allocate additional resources to critical developments. An IP review may reveal existing technologies that can be utilised to quickly create innovative businesses.

Fail cheaply

When businesses innovate they will sometimes fail. It’s important to keep costs of failure low. For example, a business can utilize internal resources for focus groups or trials.

Innovate reductively

Innovation does not necessarily result in new products – it can equally result in cost cutting and procedures that save time and resources. Such developments may be valuable IP.

Innovating through crisis

Harnessing a range of responses to crisis can help build businesses. A business that adapts their innovation programs to crisis will have a good chance of flourishing.

Want to know more? Griffith Hack Patent and Trade Mark attorneys and IP lawyers are always pleased to provide direct support with the secure protection for your IP. Griffith Hack’s aim is to partner you through the provision of clear, commercially relevant and cost effective IP advice to help you achieve your commercial goals. For more information, visit the Griffith Hack website: www.griffithhack.com.au

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Conferences & Events

Local Government Facilities Management Conference

• Wednesday 22nd - Thursday 23rd September, 2010
• Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney
• Visit www.halledit.com.au/lgfm

The national Local Government Facilities Management Conference will feature detailed case studies of leading-edge design, management and maintenance practices for local government buildings, recreational and community facilities, and open space areas.

This important event will also provide attendees with the latest information and advice about critical facilities management issues for councils, including funding, compliance, contracting and environmental sustainability.

At a time when councils are under increasing financial pressure to build and maintain facilities that meet local community demand, this conference will provide attendees with information and innovative ideas that they can readily apply within their own local government administrations.

This event will also provide excellent networking opportunities for local government managers to meet with their peers from councils across Australia and discuss common facilities management issues.

CALL FOR PAPERS:

If you would like to provide a presentation at the conference, please send a 200 word abstract plus any relevant documentation to the Conference Director, Ben Hutchison, at benh@halledit.com.au or call (03) 8534 5025. Please submit the paper by June 15, 2010.

For further information visit the conference website www.halledit.com.au/lgfm

Delegate attendance enquiries can be directed to: Denise McQueen, Hallmark Conferences + Events, Phone: (03) 8534 5021, Email: denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

For information about Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities contact: Ben Hutchison, Conference Convenor, Phone: (03) 8534 5025, Email: benh@halledit.com.au

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Science Writing Workshops

Writing Clear Science is offering writing workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide throughout 2010. Writing Clear Science operates from the fundamental premise that writing produced by scientific professionals should be accurate, clear and succinct.

Our writing workshops:

• Teach the skills that are essential to effectively design and write high quality research reports, technical and industry reports, peer-reviewed papers and theses.
• Are relevant to individuals from all science backgrounds and with different levels of academic achievement.
• Involve a flexible rotation of lectures, writing exercises and discussion sessions.

Science professionals benefit from our writing workshops by:

• Refreshing their writing skills (punctuation, sentence and paragraph structure).
• Dramatically improving their ability to write clearly and succinctly.
• Improving their editing and critical evaluation skills.
• Developing a clear understanding on how to rapidly structure their reports and papers.

Open Workshops

We offer Open Workshops where staff can enrol individually.

• Day 1: The Nuts & Bolts of Writing
• Day 2: Writing Reports & Papers (optional)
• Day 3: Writing Your Thesis (optional)

Open Workshop Calendar

• Sydney: 8th - 10th June; 10th - 12th November 2010
• Melbourne: 15th - 17th June; 8th – 10th December 2010
• Canberra: 7th - 9th July 2010
• Brisbane: 13th - 15th July; 17th - 19th November 2010
• Adelaide: 3rd - 5th August 2010.

Cost: $300 per day (G.S.T Incl.) minus 10% for early bird and group discounts.

In-House Writing Workshops

Writing Clear Sciencealso offers In-House Writing Workshops that can be held in your department, institution or facility. These workshops are designed for staff and students from science-based industries, consultancies, State and Federal Government science-based departments and research institutions. We can offer a 1-3 day workshop that is tailored to your needs.

For further information, including course details, please refer to our website www.writingclearscience.com.au or contact Dr Marina Hurley: 0416-097-979; fax +61-3-9421-3472; info@writingclearscience.com.au

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Local Government Sustainable Development Conference 2010

August 24 - 25th 2010, Dockside Convention Centre, Sydney

~ PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ~

The Local Government Sustainable Development Conference 2010 is the leading sustainable development conference for local government, with CEOs, Mayors, Councillors and senior managers from local councils around Australia attending each year.

The national Conference will showcase leading edge examples of outstanding environmental initiatives by Australian local governments, including the winners of the Australian Sustainable Cities Award and the International Liveable Cities Awards as well as international best practice case studies.

Topics will include:

• Climate change and energy efficiency
• Integrating sustainability into economic imperatives
• Future directions for asset management
• Practical approaches to water management
• Sustainable planning and urban design
• Waste management and resource recovery
• Land remediation
• Community engagement in environmental initiatives
• Green purchasing and procurement

Invited speakers include:

• Chris Davis, Commissioner, National Water Commission
• Cr Paul Bell, President, Local Government Association of Queensland
• Professor Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute
• Professor Gary Jones, Chief Executive, eWater CRC
• Kelly Pearce, Assistant Secretary, Waste Policy Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage
• Rod Welford, CEO, Australian Council of Recyclers
• Dave West, Founder, Boomerang Alliance
• Pete Williams, CEO, Deloitte Digital
• Ian Blair, Director, Quadraco Asia-Pacific
• Martin Brennan, Deputy CEO, ICLEI Oceania
• Tom Roper, President, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council
• Wayne Wescott, Chair, Local Government Task Group, Green Building Council of Australia
• Dr Ralf Haese, Project Leader, Coastal Research and Management, Geoscience Australia
• Sean Rooney, Sustainability Program Manager, Sinclair Knight Merz
• Marcus Spiller, Director, SGS Economics and Planning
• Dan Atkins, Managing Director, Shaper Group
• Cr Angelo Tsirekas, Mayor, City of Canada Bay
• Shayne Silcox, Chief Executive Officer, City of Melville
• Bob Gaussen, Managing Director, Review Today Pty Ltd
• Percy Allan, Research Director, Review Today Pty Ltd
• Michele Leembruggen, 1200 Buildings Program Coordinator, City of Melbourne
• Colin Pitman, Director, City Projects, City of Salisbury
• Charles Turner, Manager Asset Management, Bayside City Council
• Greg Hunt, Executive Officer, South East Councils Climate Change Alliance

REGISTRATIONS

Register now by going to http://www.halledit.com.au/lgsd2010 or contact Denise McQueen on 03 8534 5021 or denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

SPONSORSHIP/EXHIBITION

For sponsorship and exhibition enquiries, contact Brian Rault on 03 8534 5014 or email brian.rault@halledit.com.au

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SUPPORTING PARTNER

NETWORKING DRINKS SPONSOR

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Research Funding

$50K Offered to Pioneering Ecosystem Scientists

Ecosystem scientists working on some of Australia’s most complex terrestrial research projects are invited to apply for up to $50,000 in funding from a body dedicated to supporting their work.

The Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) is offering around three teams up to $50,000 each to fund Working Groups of researchers and managers currently undertaking influential research in areas such as data management and analysis, biodiversity, land resources or water studies. This is the first such funding round.

ACEAS is supported by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and fosters the development of teams of scientists and resource managers to address critical natural resource management issues that require a new understanding of ecosystem dynamics.

ACEAS Program Manager, A. Prof. Alison Specht said, “We encourage researchers and managers who require dedicated and supported time together to help solve a major current terrestrial ecosystem issue to prepare a submission to apply.”

Applications must be collaborative and interdisciplinary and promote the benefits of ACEAS and the overall ‘science-to-management’ model of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN).

Each group of up to 20 people can receive a maximum of $50,000 funding per Working Group which covers all travel and accommodation for participants.

ACEAS will accept funding applications twice yearly. The next round will be announced in November 2010. Six to seven Working Groups will be funded each year.

The ACEAS program manager can offer advice to interested applicants via email aceas.tern@uq.edu.au.

Applications are to be submitted online by 21 June at www.aceas.org.au.

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Positions Vacant

Professorial Research Fellow in Heritage & Culture

The University

Zayed University, a premier university in the United Arab Emirates, is an innovative institution based on an international model of higher education. Over 700 faculty and staff serving 4,750 students across two main campuses - as well as satellite locations - in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the University prepares graduates to become leaders in government, business, civil society, and family life. The University expects its graduates to be fully bilingual in English and Arabic, proficient in the use of computing technology, and strong in quantitative and research skills. The language of business and instruction at the University is English.

Zayed University is fully accredited in the U.A.E. as well as by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the U.S.A.

The United Arab Emirates is a progressive country known for its high standard of living and its safe and family-friendly environment.

The Opportunity

Zayed University is one of the UAE’s three federal Universities and it aspires to be the leading University in the Region. With a spectacular new Campus opening in 2011 it is ideally placed to study the emergence of Abu Dhabi as a global cultural destination.

The University already has undergraduate and graduate programs in Emirati Society and Cultural Heritage Management. It now seeks to establish itself as a major center for Heritage research. The appointment of a Professorial Research Fellow, will trigger this development.

The successful applicant will convene the Zayed University Heritage Research Cluster and will work with colleagues in Zayed University and its partner institutions to explore the rapidly evolving cultural scene in the UAE. As new museums are being planned, built and opened, there is an interest in visitor expectations and experiences, in forms of artistic patronage, in the appeal of different art forms to a multi-cultural population and in the promotion of Emirati identity through art, cultural events and museums. Imaginative and well-designed research is required in these and related areas.

The post is for 3 years (2 may be considered) with a salary on the professorial scale and a generous benefits package, including housing.

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Post Doctoral Fellow, Cardiac Development, Stem Cells and Systems Biology

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI), established in 1994, is recognised as an international centre of excellence in biomedical research with a focus on heart disease and cardiovascular biology. Applications are invited for experienced and highly motivated individuals to work as Postdoctoral Fellows in the laboratory of Professor Richard Harvey in the Developmental Biology Division at VCCRI

You will join an international team of scientists studying the molecular and genetic basis of cardiovascular development, disease and stem cells in mice and humans.

Projects include those investigating the basic mechanisms of cardiovascular lineage specification and patterning, relationships between these processes and congenital heart disease in animal models and humans, and molecular explorations of adult heart stem cells and regeneration.

A strong background in molecular and cellular biology is essential. Some available projects will take a Systems Biology approach and those interested in the interface between bioinformatics and laboratory science are encouraged to apply.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Salary packaging and superannuation options also apply. This is a full-time appointment for up to three years with an annual review and the possibility of renewal subject to funding.

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ResearchJobs

ResearchJobs is an email and website based service that lists advertisements for vacant research-related positions, scholarships, and fellowships, within the research and development, scientific and academic industries.

It is distributed straight to the desk top of over 11,000 researchers and management professionals within universities, CSIRO, research agencies and institutes, government departments and the private sector.

It is free to receive, with only a small cost to advertise.

For further information about advertising a position, contact Blake Duggin on 03 8534 5012 or blake.duggin@halledit.com.au

To subscribe or to view current positions go to www.researchjobs.net.au

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