A not bad budget for the cooperative research centre programme
It’s set for $970m across the forward estimates which observers say is ok.
It could have been way worse. Discussions around the development of the government’s research accelerator plan last year did not include regular ringing references to the CRCS – the work of which is about as applied as research gets. And the accelerator itself is big on funding university-based researchers and connecting them to business development experts, working for a board reporting to the education minister (CMM February 3).
This is a-ways away from the stand-alone, left to get on with it CRC approach and there were fears the research accelerator would eat the CRC programme’s budget lunch.
It hasn’t – which should please the CRC community no end – Cooperative Research Australia’s 30th anniversary dinner was on last tonight.