NCRIS Committee

The NCRIS Advisory Committee oversees the detailed implementation of NCRIS.

It is chaired by Dr Michael Sargent AM.  Dr Sargent also chaired the Government’s e-Research Consultation Committee and the National Research Infrastructure Taskforce.  He has wide experience in industry and the research system, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Transfield Energy Group and ACTEW Corporation and, currently, as a Director of National ICT Australia. Dr Sargent also represents the States and Territories on the NCRIS Committee, and chairs a State and Territories officials’ reference group.

Other members of the NCRIS Committee are:

Professor Jim Peacock, Chief Scientist of Australia

Professor David Beanland, former Chair of the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing and former Vice-Chancellor of RMIT

Dr Roger Lough, Chief Defence Scientist and CEO of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Dr Phil McFadden, Chief Scientist of Geoscience Australia

Professor Margaret Sheil, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council

Professor Warwick Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council

Ex-officio member, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (to be identified).

The NCRIS Committee advises the Government on:

• national research infrastructure strategy and priorities, including:
  
• priority areas of research for major infrastructure investment within the scope of the NCRIS funding programme;
• infrastructure requirements for the national research and innovation system outside the scope of the NCRIS funding program, including the development of ‘landmark’ facilities and support for basic and institutional level infrastructure.
  
  
• coordination of infrastructure funding decisions with research funding agencies, across government and across levels of government;
  
  
• NCRIS funding allocation processes, including the development of program guidelines, and the implementation of NCRIS funded projects;
  
  
• progress in implementing NCRIS, including any barriers to effective implementation; and
  
  
• review of NCRIS funded projects and NCRIS in general.