Backing Australia's Ability

Backing Australia's Ability was a five year innovation plan launched in January 2001 by Prime Minister John Howard.cite book | title = Backing Australia's Ability: An Innovation Action Plan for the Future | author = Commonwealth of Australia | month = January | year = 2001 | id = ISBN 0-642-72133-5, ISR 2000/223 | url = http://backingaus.innovation.gov.au/docs/statement/strategy_doc2001.htm ] [cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s240764.htm | title = Innovation Plan | work = ABC Radio National broadcast | date = 2001-02-03 | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ]

Previous policy

* "Investing for Growth", December 1997 [http://www.pm.gov.au/news/speeches/1997/industry.htm] (ISBN 0-642-28095-9) increased support for business innovation by providing $1.26 billion over the four years from 1998-99, including additional funding for R&D grants, venture capital and technology diffusion.
* "Knowledge and Innovation", December 1999 [http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/whitepaper/default.asp] announced a new policy and funding framework for higher education research and research training.

Science and Innovation Committee

The Science and Innovation Committee (SIC), originally known as the Ministerial Committee to Oversight Implementation of Backing Australia's Ability (MCOIBAA), is a sub-committee of Cabinet established as part of the initiative to oversee the implementation of Backing Australia's Ability. [cite web | url = http://www.pm.gov.au/news/speeches/2001/speech665.htm | title = Transcript of the Prime Minister The Hon. John Howard MP, Federation address and launch of the 'Backing Australia's Ability', Australian Technology Park Centre, Sydney | date = 2001-01-29 | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ] [cite web | url = http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/16/25718007.pdf | title = Public-Private Partnerships for Research and Innovation: An evaluation off the Australian Experience | work = OECD | accessdate = 2007-02-07 |format=PDF] It is composed of [cite web | url = http://backingaus.innovation.gov.au/2001/statement/index.htm#3 | title = Science and Innovation Committee | accessdate = 2007-02-07 ] :
* Prime Minister of Australia, chairman
* Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Ian Macfarlane
* Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Richard Alston followed by Helen Coonan since July 2004
* Minister for Education, Science and Training, Brendan Nelson followed by Julie Bishop since January 2006
* Minister for Finance and Administration, Nick Minchin

An Innovation Action Plan for the Future

The initiative set aside AUD 2.9 billion over five years 2001-02 to 2005-06, overseen by a "Science and Innovation Ministerial Council", chaired by the Prime Minister and advised by the Chief Scientist. [cite web | url = http://backingaus.innovation.gov.au/default2001.htm | title = Backing Australia's Ability - An Innovation Action Plan for the Future 2001 | work = Press Release, Australian Government | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ]

The objectives were:
* an additional $736 million for Australian Research Council competitive grants, doubling funding by 2005-06
* an additional $583 million for research infrastructure
* an additional $176 million for world class centres of excellence in Information and Communications Technology and biotechnology
* providing $155 million to support investments in major national research facilities
* $535 million over five years for the "R&D Start Program"
* reforming the R&D tax concession
** a premium rate of 175 per cent for additional R&D activity
** a tax rebate for small companies
* an additional $227 million for the Cooperative Research Centres Program, and encouraging greater access by small and medium enterprises
* an additional $151 million to universities, to create 2000 additional university places each year, with priority given to ICT, mathematics and science – to be backed by adjustments to existing immigration arrangements to attract more migrants with ICT skills
* $130 million to foster scientific, mathematical and technological skills and innovation in government schools in those States where the Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment (EBA) is triggered.
* $246 million for a new Systemic Infrastructure Initiative, to upgrade the basic infrastructure of universities, such as scientific and research equipment, libraries and laboratory facilities

Building our Future through Science and Innovation

On May 4, 2004 the Prime Minister announced a second plan. cite web | url = http://www.pm.gov.au/news/media_Releases/media_Release849.html | title = Backing Australia's Ability, Building our future through science and innovation | work = Press Release, Australian Government | date = 2004-05-04 | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ]

The objectives were [cite news | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635259519.html | title = Science gets $5.3b new spending | date = 2004-05-06 | work = The Age | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ] [cite news | url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635282688.html | title = Flak for PM's innovation policy | work = The Age | author = Jason Koutsoukis | date = 2004-05-07 | accessdate = 2007-02-02 ] :
* $1 billion for a new "Commercial Ready" progamme
* $542 million for a new "National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy"
* an additional $305 million for CSIRO "National Research Flagships"
* an additional $200 million for National Health and Medical Research Council to assist independent medical research institutions
* an additional $100 million or the "Commercialising Emerging Technologies" (COMET) programme
* $38.8 million for a new "Maths, Science and Innovation Teaching" initiative that will involve research bodies and undergraduates in primary and secondary school classes
* $7.2 million to co-ordinate and focus research in support of Australia's counter-terrorism needs

References

ee also

* Measuring Australia's Progress

External links

* [http://backingaus.innovation.gov.au/ Backing Australia's Ability website]
** [http://pandora.nla.gov.au/tep/32884 Archive] on Pandora Archive
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20010822165653/http://www.innovation.gov.au/iap/Policy_Launch/ Backing Australia's Ability Policy Launch]
* [http://www.backingaustraliasfuture.gov.au/ Backing Australia's Future]