NCRIS 2015-16 funding allocations announced
14 May 2015
Media release Minister for Education and Training, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced funding allocations to 27 critical facilities under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), funded for a further two years in the Federal Budget.
The Australian Government will allocate $150 million in 2015-16 to NCRIS facilities, the first half of the Government’s $300 million commitment, including $150 million for 2016-17.
“NCRIS delivers world class research facilities, providing access to precision instruments, world class data and analytical capacity as well as high quality technical and support staff, so that Australian researchers can solve complex problems both here in Australia and around the globe,” Minister Pyne said.
The NCRIS facilities support a wide range of nationally significant research outcomes, including:
- better understanding of health outcomes by sharing information from patients,
- breakthroughs in cancer testing leading to more personalised treatment,
- deepening our understanding of the oceans, our fisheries, weather and climate,
- breakthroughs in quantum computing,
- improved crop productivity, and
- more detailed environmental monitoring for planning and remediation.
“A stronger research sector is vital to a prosperous future for Australia, and this renewed backing reflects how committed the Government is to supporting their essential work.”
This will provide much needed growth in funding for NCRIS projects, which have been coping with the uncertainty created by the previous government’s failure to provide the ongoing funding for this scheme.
“This new injection of funding will also boost our ability to participate in international research initiatives like the Square Kilometre Array,” Minister Pyne said.
The extension of funding will allow NCRIS to continue while the Australian Government considers a sustainable long term funding strategy after the review of research infrastructure, chaired by Mr Philip Marcus Clark AM, which will report in mid-2015.
The 2015-16 NCRIS guidelines can be found at www.education.gov.au/ncris.
The 2015-16 allocations by project are below:
2015-16 project allocations[1]
|
Project |
2015/16 $ |
|
Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) |
1,452,000 |
|
Astronomy Australia (AAL) |
8,644,000 |
|
Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) |
4,603,000 |
|
Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility (AMMRF) |
3,561,000 |
|
Australian National Data Service (ANDS) |
9,196,000 |
|
Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) |
12,192,000 |
|
ANSTO Nuclear Science Facilities |
6,463,000 |
|
Australian Phenomics Network (APN) |
4,367,000 |
|
Australian Plant Phenomics Network (APPF) |
3,678,000 |
|
Australian Plasma Fusion Research Facility (APFRF) |
728,000 |
|
Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) |
2,079,000 |
|
AuScope |
7,284,000 |
|
Biofuels |
321,000 |
|
Bioplatforms Australia (BPA) |
13,812,000 |
|
EMBL Australia |
4,000,000 |
|
Groundwater (GIROS) |
429,000 |
|
Heavy Ion Accelerators (HIA) |
1,558,000 |
|
Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) |
13,963,000 |
|
National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) |
5,383,000 |
|
National Deuteration Facility (NDF) |
597,000 |
|
National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) |
4,942,000 |
|
National Imaging Facility (NIF) |
2,929,000 |
|
Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre |
5,668,00 |
|
Population Health Research Network (PHRN) |
4,269,000 |
|
Research Data Storage Infrastructure (RDSI) |
5,196,000 |
|
Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) |
5,925,000 |
|
Translating Health Discovery into Clinical Applications (THD) |
3,642,000 |
|
TOTAL NCRIS 27 Projects |
136,881,000 |
|
Contingency/Agility fund[2] |
13,119,000 |
|
TOTAL |
150,000,000 |
[1] Pending finalisation of business plans with lead agent.
[2] The maintenance of a contingency/agility fund is to allow for any necessary, urgent or high priority allocations during 2015-16.