Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, upon notice, on 22 June 2011:

In regard to research and development (R&D) and its conversion to outcomes:

(1) What is the total Federal Government spend on investment in Australian R&D in each financial year.

(2) What proportion of this funding is subject to milestone achievements based on its application to industry or practical use such as in health or environment, that is, how much is translated into tangible outcomes.

(3) What funding is available for translation or commercialisation of this research to help service existing small business in Australia.

(4) What quality assurance measures are conducted by AusIndustry to ensure its programs are administered in the same way across all states.

(5) Do states have the same areas of priorities or are priorities determined on a state by state basis.

(6) Does AusIndustry conduct any customer surveys of those who interact with its grant programs; if so, where are the results of those surveys published.

(7) What statistics does AusIndustry gather to measure the outcomes of its programs.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

(1) The full details of total Federal government investment in R&D are reflected in the Science, Research and Innovation Budget tables. Data for the 10 years up to and including 2011-12 are below and are available on the DIISR website.

The totals in millions of current dollars for each year are:

(2) All assistance for R&D provided through competitive granting programs is based on the merits of the R&D compared with other applications and is tied to milestone achievement. Technical success in any R&D project is not always guaranteed because of the risk inherent in undertaking R&D. However, the merit criteria used for determining the awarding of assistance in competitive granting R&D programs includes an assessment of the applicant's ability to successfully undertake the project and assessment of the commercial prospects for the project outcome. Assistance for R&D provided by way of a legislated entitlement program (principally the R&D Tax Concession) is determined by whether the proposed activity is R&D and whether the claimed expenditure is R&D in nature. A successful commercial outcome is not a mandated requirement of this assistance recognising, again, the inherent risk in undertaking R&D and recognising the value and role that R&D activity plays in economic growth.

(3) Commercialisation Australia assists Australia's researchers, entrepreneurs and innovative firms to convert their promising intellectual property into successful commercial ventures. The program has funding of $278 million over the five years to June 2014 and $82 million a year thereafter.

(4) Some AusIndustry programs are delivered across AusIndustry state offices while others are delivered solely by one state office. All programs have a Program Manager and a program management team. All programs have delivery processes, procedures, and guidance material. Program managers are responsible for ensuring that each state office involved in the delivery of their program is trained in the use of the program's guidelines and processes and adheres to those guidelines and processes. A matrix of reporting complements this activity. From time to time, external or internal audits are undertaken to confirm delivery processes and in particular the consistency of delivery arrangements across states.

(5) The priorities are determined by the Program Manager with overall responsibility for the delivery of a program against the background of the Department's overarching priorities. Individual state offices of AusIndustry do not determine their own priorities.

(6) AusIndustry does conduct surveys of customer satisfaction with program delivery. Head-line customer satisfaction results are published each year in the Department's Annual Report.

(7) AusIndustry does not conduct surveys in regard to the conversion of R&D into outcomes.