The Cooperative Research Centres Programme has opened its books for the 19th Selection Round, with Stage 1 applications accepted until 12 July. CRCs are major collaborative research ventures of up to 10 years duration, requiring matching funding for the Australian Commonwealth grant.

From remote pest identification, through to modulating cancer gene signals, the 2017 Awards for Excellence in Innovation were presented in Canberra last week at an awards ceremony in the Great Hall in Australian Parliament House.

A new report by the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) says Australia’s energy efficiency policy and regulation is not keeping up with market realities and best practices in other OECD countries, and has called for a comprehensive review to help Australia transition rapidly to the economically attractive low-carbon built environment of the future.

The CRC Association submits that the total resources to the CRC Programme should be lifted to $200 million in the 2017-2018 Budget (from the current $160 million) and maintained in real terms over the forward estimates. The total cost over the next three years is $108 million. This would partially restore the CRC Programme budget and enable the programme to continue to deliver for Australia.