] C S I RO AUSTRALIA J Annual Report '8I RO . 1994-95 CSIRO-the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation­ is one of the largest and most diverse r scientific research institutions in the ~ world. It has a staff of more than 7000, working in laboratories and field stations throughout Australia. CSIRO is an independent statutory authority constituted and operating under the provisions of the Science and Industry Research Act 1949. CSIRO's vision To be a world class research organisation vital to Australia's future. C 5 I RO AUSTRALIA Annual Report 1994-95 Photographers Alex Hyatt pviii, AdrianJones p18, Frank Filippi p19, Barrier Daily Truth p24, Exploration and Mining p2S, Mark Fergus p31&S6, Geoff Lane p3S, Stewart Duff p39, Oceanography p43, Tropical Animal Production p44, Sue McInnes p48, Kevin Way pSO, Louise Chilton pS6&S7, Chris Taylor pS8, John Green pS8, Franz Scheurer p76, Tibor Hegedis p8S,John Houldsworth p89. Published by CSIRO, PO Box 22S, Dickson ACT 2602 Editing, design and artwork by Green Words, Canberra Printed in Australia by National Capital Printing ISSN 1030-421S Senator the Hon Peter Cook Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 We have pleasure in submitting to you, for presentation to Parliament, the forty-seventh annual report of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. We commend the Organisation's achievements to you. Adrienne E Clarke, AO RoyM Green (Chairman of the Board) (Chief Executive) October 1995 Contents 1994-95 at a glance vi Foreword vii Corporate overview 1 Vision and values Charter, functions and powers 3 Structure, management and staff 4 The Board 5 Senior staff and addresses 7 Organisational chart 8 Research 13 Research highlights 13 CSIRO and the Cooperative Research Centres Program 52 Awards 56 Technology transfer 59 Selected highlights 59 Intellectual property 59 Interests in companies 60 Legal issues 61 CSIRO international scientific liaison 61 Small-to-medium sized enterprises 62 Corporate Business Department 63 Funding 65 Corporate developtnent 69 Planning and evaluation 69 Finance 72 Risk assessment and audit 73 Information technology services 74 Property 75 Annual Report 1994-95 HUIIlan resources developIllent 77 Review of CSIRO's human resources function 77 Classification and performance management 78 Employment relations 78 Human resource development programs 83 Occupational health and safety 84 COIl1Il1unication 85 Major communication activities 85 Public information services 87 Scientific information services 88 Education programs 89 Contribution to public policy 91 Appendixes 93 1. Statutory reporting requirements 93 2. Index of compliance with reporting guidelines for statutory authorities issued in 1982 93 3. Functions and powers of CSIRO 94 4. Mission and goals 1994-95 96 5. Freedom of Information 98 6. Trust funds 100 7. Research programs 1994-95 101 8. Institute/sector advisory committees 106 9. Publications 109 Financial stateIllents 111 Index 145 Contacts 153 Contents 1994-95 at a glance Chief Executive DrJohn Stocker Among commercialisation highlights: completed his term in March 1995. - a new drug delivery technology is being developed Several external inquiries took place that may have significant impacts on CSIRO - the RACOD water quality meter is operations. Among these were the to be manufactured Industry Commission Inquiry into R&D - factories are to be built in China to and the Senate Inquiry into CSIRO's make insect-killing nematodes. Rural Research. Research highlights included: A new General Manager of Risk identification of the mystery horse Assessment and Audit was appointed to VIrus enhance management control processes - genetic technology to stop browning in CSIRO. in horticultural products An internal trial of various performance - a new shrinkproofing process for indicators took place in preparation for wool. formal reporting in the 1995- 96 financial year by all science agencies. 1993- 94 1994- 95 Total revenue $697.7tn $681.9tn Appropriation funding $456.1tn $461.6tn External revenue $241.6tn $220.3tn External revenue as % of total revenue 34.6% 32.3% Total expenditure $695tn $680tn Nutnber of Australian provisional patent applications 237 158 Staff nUIl1.bers 7402 7380 Annual Report 1994-95 Foreword This year CSIRO has been giving much The scenarios that sparked most interest attention to its plans to playa significant described the new types of food we could be role in the Australia of the twenty-first eating and the new forms of communi­ century. We have been debating new cations technology we would be using. science, new operations, new visions, new Other scenarios depicted remote-controlled, structure, new behaviours. environmentally-safe mining technologies, better farming practices for sustainable Australia is entering an exciting future: agriculture, the use of our oceans as a rich science is on the move in this country. resource and adaption to a changed climate. Business expenditure on R&D is up and the Government's Cooperative Research The feedback we have had on the exercise is Centres Program is flourishing (CSIRO is helping to shape our plans for research in now involved in 52 out of 61 of these these areas. Our scenarios are now being Centres). Both the Government and the used as part of other forecasting exercises nation's peak business organisation, the being carried out by the Australian Science Business Council of Australia, have and Technology Council. confirmed the central role of innovation in creating a competitive Australia, with In March 1995 we saw the end of the term scientific R&D being a key component of of Chief Executive Dr John Stocker, who led that innovation. Recent surveys show that CSIRO with flair and enthusiasm for the the Australian public is much more aware of last five years. The Board is most grateful for science than is the public in most other his dynamic leadership of the Organisation countries in the developed world. during times of significant change. The staff remember with appreciation his great Our major contribution to the national interest in and support for all aspects of our debate about Australia's future was at the research. We are all very pleased that he has September 1994 Annual Congress of the moved to an area of industry where his Australian and New Zealand Association for experience and contacts with science will the Advancement of Science (ANZAAS). enhance Australia's industrial R&D efforts. Our scientists presented 11 scenarios to portray what could be happening in their Following Dr Stocker's departure, Dr Roy areas of expertise in the year 2020. These Green, Director of the Institute of Natural scenarios were intended to highlight options, Resources and Environment, was appointed possibilities and choices and to stimulate as Acting Chief Executive, pending the thought and discussion about the future appointment of a permanent Chief Australians want and the role they want Executive. science and technology to play in shaping the future. Foreword Afystery horse virus used on the cover qf Science orbilivirus We also had changes in our key advisers. Three members of the Board have completed their terms. During the year we farewelled Sir Gustav Nossal, Dr Tony Gregson and Mr Ralph Ward­ Ambler and welcomed Mr Kevin Davern (Joint National Secretary, Finance Sector Union of structure was still facilitating the most Australia), Mr Sandy Hollway (Secretary, effective interaction with our stakeholders Department of Industry, Technology and and the delivery of quality research results to Commerce) and Dr Beth Woods (Director, industry, the Government and the Rural Extension Centre, University of community Queensland) to the Board. We are very grateful for the valuable contributions of Sir The reconsideration of our goals and Gustav, Dr Gregson and Mr Ward-Ambler structure has involved vigorous debate to CSIRO over many years and look amongst all staff, both through formal forward to their continuing interest, submissions and through lively debate using enthusiasm and contact with CSIRO. our in-house e-mail. Since this exercise began, several activities external to CSIRO In October 1994, a broadly based have also provided input to our thinking. Evaluation Committee established by the These include the Industry Commission Board began an examination of CSIRO's Report into R&D and the Senate Inquiry overall approach to doing business and its into CSIRO's Rural Research. management structure. Some seven years after CSIRO's last restructuring, following During the evaluation process we are the McKinsey study, we considered it continuing to implement positive change appropriate to examine whether this whenever practical, either on the basis of the Annual Report 1994-95 findings of the evaluation or as part of our All three events illustrated how teams of ongoing management ambitions to achieve scientists can swing into action and help best practice. For example, we have solve unexpected problems that threaten the reviewed and refocused our human nation's community or economic health. resources functions, devolving more responsibility to Institutes and Divisions. As part of our ongoing commitment in We have been testing research performance support of the rural sector, we have indicators suitable for reporting. We have increased our focus on northern Australia by revised our major travel contracts and have launching our Tropical Agri-Exports introduced a trial expenses-based Program, in which we are devoting