Cooperative Research Centres got a big tick in a recent performance review (CMM January 23) – great timing for their lobby’s budget bid

Cooperative Research Australia calls on the government to “grow” the programme, by “restoring” annual investment to the level of 2008 (around $240m) and “where there is a critical and urgent need … deliver economic growth and enhance sovereign capability,” through “ad-hoc special purpose rounds.”

And it argues the CRC model should extend to other agencies, pointing to existing examples – the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, the Trailblazer programme in universities and the two CRCs funded by the Department of Defence.

CRA’s bid also invokes the tax reform plan that will not die, the celebrated Three Fs review of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (CMM July 7 2016 and umpteen subsequent stories)  – repeating its proposal for a 20 per cent collaboration premium, to foster industry-research collaboration.

“The potential benefit of collaborative research and translation driving innovation in the Australian economy cannot be understated,” CRA argues.