Dr Jim Peacock (Chair) is the Chief Scientist of the Commonwealth of Australia and a CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO Plant Industry and is President of the Australian Academy of Science. He was Chief of CSIRO Plant Industry 1978-2003. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1994 and is a Fellow of The Royal Society of London, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, a Foreign Associate of the US Academy of Sciences, Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, and a Foundation Member Academia Bibliotheca Alexandrinae. Dr Peacock is a Member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) and the National Innovation Council and has served on the Australian Research Grants Committee, ASTEC and the Recombinant DNA Committee (ASCORD). In 2000, Dr Peacock was joint recipient of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.
Professor Henrique d’Assumpcao AO is Emeritus Professor at the University of South Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Institute of Electrical Engineers (UK), Honorary Fellow, Institution of Engineers (Aust) and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (US). He is currently Chief Scientific Adviser to the Australian Customs Service and serves on the Government's Cooperative Research Centres Committee. Professor d’Assumpcao was previously CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Sensor Signal and Information Processing, Director of Collaborative Research Development of University of SA and Director of the Signal Processing Research Institute. He was the Australian Chief Defence Scientist and CEO of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation from 1987-90.
Professor Sue Rowley was appointed as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research) at Sydney’s University of Technology, in 2004. Professor Rowley has an international reputation in the design and creative arts and humanities, and was Head of Art History and Theory at the University of NSW from 1995-2000. She is a leader in building research strategies and partnerships. As the Australian Research Council's Executive Director for Humanities and Creative Arts (2001-2004) she developed policy and co-funding initiatives with the Australia Council and CSIRO. She has had extensive experience at the Australian Research Council managing cross-disciplinary research in science and technology, as well as the humanities and social sciences. She is a member of the inaugural Board of the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Mr Terry Enright is Chair-of-Chairs of the rural Research and Development Corporations and Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). He served on WA’s former State Barley Research Committee and was a member of WA Farmers Grains Council. He was previously a member and then Chairman of the GRDC's Western Regional Panel. Mr Enright farms pulses, cereals, canola and sheep and beef in the south coast region of WA. He was a member of the Albany Port Authority and Chairman of the Authority for 10 years from 1993 to 2003. In the past year he has been a member of the Steering Committee for the Integrated Agriculture Research Institute for the WA State Government.
Associate Professor Bob Beeton is employed by the University of Queensland. From 1998 to 2002 he was foundation Head of the School of Natural and Rural Systems Management. He has held numerous other appointments. Currently he is Chair of the Australian State of Environment Advisory Committee, Chair of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, Participating Observer on the Australian National Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Council and Participating Observer on the Australian National Land and Water Audit Advisory Council. Research interests are environmental problem solving, and sustainability issues associated with both natural and rural systems and rural and regional communities. He received the 1994 University of Queensland Excellence in Teaching Award, the 2000 University of Queensland Affirmative Action Commendation, and in 2000 was elected a Fellow of the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand. A curriculum vitae is available at: http://www.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Staff/CVs/rbeeton.pdf (170 KB)
Professor Suzanne Cory AC is the Director of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Joint Head (with Professor Jerry Adams) of the Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division at the Institute, and Professor of Medical Biology at the University of Melbourne. Professor Cory’s research has had a major impact on the understanding of immunology and the development of cancer. She has been at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute since 1971, and helped to introduce gene cloning technology in Australia. Since 1981, she has researched the nature of the genetic accidents that cause cancer. Her current focus is on how cells decide whether to live or die, and this work has opened an entirely new way of thinking about cancer development, which aims to lead to the development of more effective therapeutics for cancer and degenerative diseases.
Professor Brian Anderson AO is the Chief Scientist of National ICT Australia (appointed May 2003) and Distinguished Professor in the Research School of Information Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University. He is a board member of Cochlear Limited and is a former President of the Australian Academy of Sciences and the International Federation of Automatic Control. Professor Anderson is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering. He has served on PMSEIC and predecessor bodies, and contributed to the process giving rise to the Backing Australia's Ability package.
Professor Edwina Cornish is Professor of Biotechnology and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide. Prior to this Professor Cornish played a key role in establishing one of Australia’s first biotechnology companies, Florigene Limited. The company developed and commercialised some of the world’s first genetically modified plants.