The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program was established
to bring together researchers and research users.
The program emphasises collaboration and multidisciplinary teams
to maximise the benefits of research. It also has a strong
education component with a focus on producing graduates with skills
relevant to industry needs.
Since the commencement of the CRC Program, all stakeholders have
committed $11.1 billion (cash and in-kind) to CRCs*. This
includes*:
- $2.7 billion from the CRC Program
- $2.9 billion from universities
- $2.1 billion from industry
- $1.3 billion from States
- $1.2 billion from CSIRO
- $0.8 billion from other sources.
Some figures about the CRC Pogram:
Gross Domestic Product and Total Consumption are two critical
indicators of the economic welfare of the Australian community
rather than being measures of the private returns to CRC
participants. These measures are used to show that for each dollar
invested in the CRC Program (rather than left with taxpayers) in
the period 1991–2005 (modelled over 1991–2010 to show
continuing impact)*:
- Australian Gross Domestic Product is cumulatively $1.16 higher
than it would otherwise have been.
- Total Australian Consumption is $1.24 higher than it would
otherwise have been (Private Consumption is $0.10 higher and Public
Consumption is $1.14 higher).
- Total Investment is $0.19 higher than it would otherwise have
been.
In raw figures, this equates to*:
- GDP is cumulatively $2697 million higher than it would
otherwise have been
- Total Consumption is $2876.7million higher than it would
otherwise have been (Private consumption is $225 million higher and
Public Consumption is $2651 million higher)
- Investment is $436 million higher than it would otherwise have
been.
CRCs are involved, to differing extents, at all levels of the
education and training system and foster ‘hands-on’
learning. Postgraduate training is a key component of the CRC
Program. Each year the CRC Program**:
- supports some 2000 researchers
- educates more than 1000 PhD students (over 1600 full-time
equivalent PhD students in 2005–06)
- has had over 150 PhD students graduating annually since 1991
(216 students graduated in 2005–06) and this number is set to
increase.
For more information, refer to:
* Insight Economics. 2006. Economic Impact Study of the CRC
Programme. Report prepared for the Australian Government
Department of Education, Science and Training by Insight Economics,
Melbourne. Available from
http://www.crca.asn.au/sites/default/files/CRC_Economic_Impact_Study_Final_121006.pdf
**Cooperative Research Centres Association. The Impact of
Cooperative Research Centres on the Australian Education
System, Fact Sheet. Available from
http://www.crca.asn.au/sites/default/files/CRCA_Educn_Factsheet.pdf
