Benefits for the CRC’s Partners

The CRC program is the most popular research program with industry. CRCs are led by industry and provide a unique mechanism to bring together industry and outstanding researchers into a long-term, collaborative program (up to 10 years) that leverages significant Commonwealth funding, to address problems of national significance. The CRC model, which has been in operation for 32 years, drives the creation of technology-based solutions to industry’s specific problems and facilitates the translation of those solutions into public and private benefit via the uptake and participation of industry and the community alike. Specifically, the SMART CRC will provide benefits to partners including:

  • A single point of access to Australia’s most significant hub for regenerative medicine, and through that to the largest and best research capability, both in terms of people and infrastructure

  • The collective experience, capability and capacity to significantly accelerate innovation.

  • Linkages and networks to the entire regenerative medicine ecosystem, including overseas markets and partners

  • Funding certainty for ten years

  • An independent forum for partners to come together to identify and address the major challenges in a coordinated and integrated way.

  • The need for effective technology transfer is recognised and supported

  • Influence over the direction of workforce development to support this emerging sector and an opportunity to recruit highly skilled graduates

  • Access to a vast array of speciality infrastructure and facilities through the collaborative arrangements across the ecosystem

  • An opportunity to participate directly in commercialisation proceeds

  • Recovery of up to 40% of qualifying industry partner cash contributions via the Federal Government’s R&D tax rebate scheme

 

How the SMART CRC will leverage partner contributions

Partners gain significant benefits from being part of the SMART CRC consortium. Most significantly, due to the Commonwealth Funding (that typically matches the cash contributions of the partners), the cost (to the CRC partners) to conduct the R&D is significantly reduced.

In addition to the cash contributions participants usually also commit in-kind contributions (e.g. dedicating staff to an agreed level or providing access to speciality facilities and equipment). These contributions (recognised financially under the terms of the CRC) further grow the capability and capacity the CRC partners have to achieve the significant collaborative goals that industry sets for the CRC.

 
 

About the CRC Program

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program is the largest competitive research funding program in Australia. The CRC Program, which is funded by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. The program aims to:

Improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries, especially where Australia has a competitive strength, and in line with government priorities.

Foster high quality research to solve industry-identified problems through industry-led and outcome focused collaborative research partnerships between industry entities and research organisations.

Encourage and facilitate small and medium enterprise (SME) participation in collaborative research.

Since its inception in 1990, the CRC program has committed $4.6 billion in funding to support the establishment of over 221 CRC grants.