What To Do With the $250 Million CSIRO Obtained Through Its WiFi Patent. (June 15, 2010)

In 1926, concurrent with the transformation of CSIR into CSIRO, the government of the day set up the Science and Industry Endowment Fund. It has been a very minor player in research funding for many years with for example the fund initially providing full studentships for around ten science students at any one time, plus fifteen or twenty grants of £50 each year to other scholars for things like travel and equipment. But in October last year the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr announced a rejuvenation of the fund with the injection of the $250 million obtained through CSIRO successfully defending its WiFi patent.

Together with that announcement, Senator Carr also announced the following initial grants:

 
First, the fund will contribute around $2 million to the joint endowment of a chair in wireless communications and associated appointments between Macquarie University and CSIRO over a period of seven years. This will directly support the development of Australia’s world-leading wireless capabilities.

Second, the fund will allocate $7.5 million over the next two or three years to establish wireless LAN scholarships and fellowships in ICT, mathematics, engineering and other scientific disciplines. This will include:

• up to seventy undergraduate scholarships and honours graduate fellowships,

• and up to thirty postgraduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships.

Third, up to $10 million will go to expanding research into wireless broadband at the CSIRO ICT Centre.

The Science and Industry Endowment Act, 1926 provides that the Trustee of the fund is CSIRO’s Chief Executive, currently Dr Megan Clark, and the trustee is supported by an advisory council, currently chaired by Professor Alan Robson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Western Australia.

The council advises on research priorities. Broadly the fund will support scientific research that satisfies the following criteria:

• Projects must be for activities in the fields of natural or applied science for the extension of knowledge, including the practical application of such knowledge;

• Projects must be for national benefit and must assist Australian industry, further the interests of the Australian community or contribute to the achievement of Australian national objectives;

• Projects must align with the Fund’s Strategic Objectives; and

• Projects may include research for special purpose areas. See the Fund Investment Priorities for full details

The Trustee and the Advisory Council will identify priority questions and challenges for investment and, may solicit applications from institutions to address these. They will not entertain unsolicited applications for funding. However, suggestions for priority questions and challenges for investment by the fund are welcome by completing the fund's suggestions form.