Revisiting research management for innovation.

Currently, the Australian government is boosting research and development to advance innovation: seven national priorities have been identified to focus the process. Overall the Super Science Initiative provides a $1.1 billion capital boost for critical areas of scientific endeavour, including space science and astronomy, climate change, marine and life sciences, biotechnology and nanotechnology. This is a significant investment into cutting-edge research infrastructure. Hosting Australia’s only research reactor and a suite of accelerators, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, ANSTO, has been allocated funding for infrastructure as part of this initiative. ANSTO is a government research agency that is recognised as an international centre of excellence in nuclear science and technology for the benefit of Australia. As a large-scale facility with user programmes, ANSTO has established partnerships on national and international level, but the new initiatives provided by the government give impetus to revisit our current research structure and output in research with respect to managing our partnerships, attracting new talent and defining our output criteria. This paper will discuss the experience gained reviewing our system and how to face the challenges of fostering competitiveness on the one hand, but aiming for collaboration on strategic issues on the other hand in order to ensure that research outcomes are translated into new and improved products.Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association; Association of Commonwealth Universitie