The Science and Technology Policy Branch comprises four sections Research Agencies, Radioactive Waste Management, and Office of the Chief Scientist
Research Agencies Section provides policy advice on the Government’s science agencies:
The section provides support to the Minister for Education, Science and Training in relation to the Minister’s portfolio responsibilities for the agencies. This includes supporting the negotiations between CSIRO, ANSTO, AIMS and the Department of Finance and Administration on Triennium Funding Agreements. Other activities include amendments to research agency legislation in response to Government policy development and advice in relation to science and technology issues.
Radioactive Waste Management is responsible for providing advice on radioactive waste management policy and for implementing the Government's radioactive waste management strategy. The Section has responsibility for siting and construction of the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Waste Facility to be established for radioactive waste produced by Australian government agencies.
The section is also responsible for matters arising from the British nuclear test programme in Australia, including clean-up of the Maralinga (SA) test sites and their return to Aboriginal traditional owners.
The section maintains the Radioactive Waste Management in Australia web site.
The Office of the Chief Scientist provides policy and administrative support to the Chief Scientist. It also provides secretariat support to the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council and its working groups.
The Office supports Australia’s Chief Scientist in his engagement with the research and industry communities, learned societies, and other portfolios and governments, which enables his comprehensive and timely advice to Government on a wide range of scientific and technological issues of importance to Australia.
International Science Branch has four sections: Asia Pacific and Africa Section; India and Americas Section; International Strategy and Europe Section and Programme Management and Global Projects Section.
The Asia Pacific and Africa Section manages Australia's bilateral science and technology (S&T) relations with key partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East.
The relationship with China is assisted through the Australia-China Special Fund for S&T Cooperation, a $4 million per annum programme jointly funded and managed by Australia and China to support of mutually beneficial research collaboration.
The India and Americas Section manages Australia's bilateral science and technology relations with India and key partner countries in North and South America. The Section is responsible for delivering the $20 million Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, which facilitates increased science and technology linkages by supporting leading edge collaborative research between Australian and Indian researchers.
In North America, the Section's main focus is on developing a framework for building the relationship since the signing of the US-Australia Science and Technology Agreement in 2006. The Section is also exploring options for building bilateral relationships with several South American countries, particularly Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile.
The International Strategy and Europe Section provides policy advice on the strategic aspects of international science and technology collaboration, and manages multilateral and bilateral science and technology relations with European Union (EU) countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. It has a wider interest in science and technology collaboration with other European, non-EU Countries. It also supports the portfolio's involvement in the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy.
The Programme Management and Global Projects Section manages delivery of International Science Linkages, a programme which assists Australian researchers to increase their participation in international leading-edge scientific research, and supports Australia’s engagement with the APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group and the OECD Global Science Forum. It also develops policy and provides advice on major international collaborative S&T projects such as the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.
The branch comprises four sections Cooperative Research Centres Contract Management Section, CRC Communications and Performance Section, Collaborative Policy and Coordination Section, and Science Awareness Section.
The CRC Contract Management Section is responsible for managing contracts with CRCs, including CRC reviews and performance monitoring, and negotiating contracts with successful applicants in selection rounds.
The CRC Communications and Performance Section has three main responsibilities: implementing the Communications Strategy for the CRC Programme; CRC policy, including reviewing the selection round guidelines and the Programme's performance; and maintaining and improving the CRC secure website.
The Collaborative Policy and Coordination Section provides secretariat support to the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Committee and its Appraisal Panel, manages selection round processes, undertakes Branch coordination activities (including the responsibility within DEST for biotechnology and nanotechnology issues) and collaborative research policy. It also provides support for the Coordination Committee on Science and Technology (CCST) and manages issues relating to the wind-up of the Major National Research Facilities (MNRF) Programme.
Science Awareness delivers policy advice on issues relating to science awareness, and manages DEST’s programmes within the 5-year $35 million National Innovation Awareness Strategy (NIAS). The DEST component of NIAS is known as the Science Connections Programme (SCOPE). SCOPE includes Australian Government support for:
SCOPE financially contributes to a number of organisations promoting an interest in science among younger people, including the Australian Science Teachers Association, CSIRO Education and the Australian Science Olympiads. The Section provides briefings for the Minister's attendances at science-related events and functions, and prepares correspondence on a wide range of topics.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Taskforce was established to manage the Australian Government’s involvement in the SKA project, a next-generation radio telescope currently under development by the international community for possible construction beginning around 2013. The SKA would be one of the largest scientific collaborations ever undertaken in the field of astronomy. The Australian Government is working with the West Australian government to position Australia to be a potential host for this approximately $2 billion project. The work of the Taskforce includes policy work related to the development and construction, by CSIRO, of the Australian SKA Pathfinder, a new world-class radio telescope which was funded in the 2007-08 Budget.
The Coordination Unit provides advice in matters relating to the portfolio’s wider interests in a range of whole-of-government policy development processes.
Science Grants and Awards Help Desk
Email: sgismanager@dest.gov.au
Phone: +61 2 6240 7770
Fax: +61 2 6123 7547