Rudd Government Returns "Public Good" as a Criterion for Cooperative Research Centre Studies. (November 29, 2008)

The federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, released new guidelines for Australia's Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program while launching the 11^th selection round.

In a media release Senator Carr said that in response to the recommendations of the review chaired by Professor Mary O'Kane, recently installed as New South Wales first chief scientist, "The re-instatement of public good as an assessment criterion and the inclusion of the humanities, arts and social sciences will broaden the base of the program. The revised objectives mean that CRCs will deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits".

 Senator Carr said that in 2008, the Australian Government will have provided more than $182 million to CRCs, and he made a point of adding: "I also expect that good applications from 2006, deemed uncompetitive at that time because of their focus on public good, will be resubmitted."

One such example, the CRC for Australian Weed Management; under the previous government its funding was not renewed.