In June 2012 the Australian Government announced Securing Australia’s Future, a $10 million investment in a series of strategic research programs delivered to the Australian Chief Scientist and the Commonwealth Science Council (previous to October 2014, the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, PMSEIC).
Establishing proper policy foundations, combined with public support and effective leadership, will better place Australia on a trajectory for national well-being. While change is challenging, the benefits of systematic reform and investment in our future to build Australia’s comparative advantage will mean higher living standards, increased equity and greater sustainability.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
A vibrant capacity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is pivotal to increasing our nation’s productivity. Building on recent research commissioned by Australia’s Chief Scientist to identify STEM skills shortages, this project will critically examine existing solutions to the STEM skills shortage in comparable countries and to ascertain which, if any, of those solutions could be usefully applied to the formation and maintenance of a STEM skills workforce and propose a set of options for increasing Australia’s productivity and international competitiveness.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Recommendations (PDF)
The depth of Australia’s linguistic and inter-cultural competence will be a determining factor in the future success of developments in innovation, science and technology, research capacity, international mobility, trade relations and economic competitiveness. In the medium to longer term, the Asia Pacific region will be a principal focus, presenting major challenges and opportunities economically, socially and culturally, for our national security interests.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Coordinated by ACOLA, Australia’s four Learned Academies worked together to deliver research-based evidence to support policy development in areas of importance to Australia’s future.
Through the identification of opportunities for applying knowledge and skills in science and research across a range of industries and sectors including private and public enterprises, this project will examine ways to enhance innovation, creativity and productivity in the Australian workforce and business practices that will drive Australia’s prosperity.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Adaptability and innovation are central to a healthy and prosperous future. New technologies (their creation and their uptake) are critical in enabling Australia’s innovative capacity and productive potential. This project will examine the risks and opportunities of a broad range of new and emerging technologies, and evaluate their transformative implications for Australia’s society, democracy, environment, security and trade.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Energy needs will require us to keep turning to opportunities for alternative sources such as shale oil gas and coal seam gas. As technology and geological knowledge continue to advance, and the consequent economics of extracting unconventional natural gas become more feasible, Australia could be in a position to produce unconventional gas. This demands a comprehensive look at the scientific, social, cultural, technological, environmental and economic issues surrounding the reality of alternative energy sources such as unconventional gas.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Securing Australia’s Future was a response to global and national changes and the opportunities and challenges of an economy in transition. Productivity and economic growth will result from: an increased understanding in how to best stimulate and support creativity, innovation and adaptability; an education system that values the pursuit of knowledge across all domains, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and an increased willingness to support change through effective risk management.
Agriculture is an important part of the Australian economy and an area of significant comparative advantage. Agriculture can post major successes in developing and adopting innovations and new technologies particularly in dry land cropping, pasture-based production systems and biosecurity arrangements that protect against pest and disease incursions.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Australia is one of the most urbanised nations in the world, with almost two thirds of the population concentrated in five metropolitan areas. Projected urban expansion, and the residential expectations of many Australians, are raising acute questions relating to the planning and provision of social, economic and physical infrastructure, with mobility and accessibility at the centre.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
There is an identified urgent need for Australia to improve the application of outputs from its investment in publicly funded research. Utilising country comparisons, this project will analyse international best practice approaches to encouraging and facilitating research translation, commercialisation and collaboration.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
Securing Australia’s Future was a response to global and national changes and the opportunities and challenges of an economy in transition. Productivity and economic growth will result from: an increased understanding in how to best stimulate and support creativity, innovation and adaptability; an education system that values the pursuit of knowledge across all domains, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and an increased willingness to support change through effective risk management.
It is widely accepted that Australia needs an innovative, flexible and creative workforce with the capabilities to enable the country to maximize its opportunities. While technical and scientific capabilities are recognised as critical, there is a growing awareness that innovation also requires people who understand business, systems, culture and the way society uses and adopts new ideas.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
As a dynamic economy in a rapidly developing region, Australia seeks to utilise all available resources to manage regional opportunities and risks for growth and stability. Australia’s international business relations are strengthened by the diasporas, of which Asian Australians are an important part.
Overview | Media Release
Full Report | Extract (PDF)
As a conclusion to the overall Securing Australia’s Future program, ACOLA conducted a review to collate findings from each of the twelve SAF projects and combined these into a summary report. It also sought to create a book which examined the body of research conducted through the SAF program and drew out common themes that had emerged through each of the individual projects.
SAF Program Overview
Summary Report (PDF)
In May 2015, the Minister for Education and Training commissioned ACOLA to undertake a review of Australia’s research training system. Utilising SAF funds, ACOLA Council reviewed this process outside the PSC review process (SAF13).
As a conclusion to the overall Securing Australia’s Future program, ACOLA conducted a review to collate findings from each of the twelve SAF projects and combine these into a summary report (SAF12)
On Wednesday 20 May 2015 the Minister for Education and Training announced that the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) had been commissioned to undertake a review of Australia’s research training system, to ensure that it meets the country’s research needs in the 21st-century.
The book was launched on Wednesday 28 June 2017 at the Shine Dome in Canberra and was followed by a panel session with Dr Alan Finkel, Prof Ian Chubb, Prof Peter McPhee and Dr Christina Parolin.
Overview | Media Release
Buy book at CSIRO (external site)