CSIRO-the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - is one of the largest and most diverse 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 MISSION To serve Australia by being the world's most effective multidisciplinary research organisation. I CSIRO Annual Report 1993-94 Australian • C S I RO AUSTRALIA Published by CSIRO Design and artwork by City Graphics, Canberra Printed in Australia by Pirie Printers, Canberra ISSN 1030-4215 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-sixth annual report of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. We commend the Organisation's achievements to you. A-'~' Adrienne E Clarke John W Stocker (Chairman of the Board) I (Chief Executive) October 1994 CONTENTS 1993-94 at a glance _______ _ _ ___________ _ Vll Foreword Vlll Corporate Overview Mission and goals _________ _____________ 1 Charter, functions and powers 3 Structure, management and staff 4 The Board 5 Organisation chart 6 Senior staff and addresses 8 Research Research priorities _______ __________ _____ 12 Distribution of research effort 12 Highlights 13 Cooperative Research Centres 44 Awards 47 T echnology Transfer and Commercialisation Highlights _____________________ _ 48 Corporate business 49 Interests in companies 50 International 51 Funding 53 Corporate Development Planning and evaluation _______ _ _ ___________ 56 Finance 57 Internal audit 58 Information technology 59 Property 60 Human Resources Development 62 Communication Public relations _ _ _ ____________________ 69 Information services 70 Education programs 71 Contributions to public policy 72 Appendixes 1. Statutory reporting requirements ____________ _ _ _ 74 2. Index of compliance 74 3. Functions and powers 75 4. Freedom of Information 77 5. Trust Funds 78 6. Research programs 79 7. Advisory Committees 84 8. Publications 86 9. The care and use of animals in CSIRO 87 Finance 88 Index 115 Contacts 122 • • 1993-94 AT A GLANCE > a:: w • Research highlights included: 1992-93 1993- 94 o> - the production of genetically Total revenue $679.5m $697.7m transformed wheat Appropriation funding $454.3m $456.1m - the discovery of the External revenue $225.2m $241:6m component in fish oils that External revenue as confers protection against % of total revenue 33.1% 34.6% heart disease Total expenditure $685.3m $695.0m Provisional patent • The number of Multi-Divisional Programs drawing upon applications 223 237 expertise from across CSIR Staff numbers 7406 7402 0 increased to 30 from the 24 reported last year • A Director of Corporate Business • The CSIRO Enterprise was appointed to strengthen Agreement was certified in CSIRO's capacities in business December 1993 development, contract negotiation and international • The CSIRO Information Network handled more than marketing /-- 38,000 enquiries on science and • A Commercial P;;ctice Manual technology topics was produced, setting out policy and corporate best practice • Membership of the Double Helix guidelines for all aspects of Science Club reached 23,000. CSIRO's commercial activity • Among commercialisation highlights: - CSIRO, ICI Australia and the Australian Wool Research and Promotion Organisation have reached agreement to commercia lise two new processes that will reduce adverse impacts on the environment while reducing the costs of wool processing - CSIRO has won contracts to supply its award-winning optical technology to the US and Chinese Mints • c ~ FOREWORD o ~ By Professor CSIRO has made significant w been a valuable input to thinking ~ Adrienne Clarke AO, progress this year towards o about CSIRO's future and its role in integrating its work into long term LL. the 21st century. Chairman of CSIR 0 economic, environmental and social The Federal Government and strategies for Australia. decisions to elevate Science to Dr John Stocker, Over the past two years the Cabinet level under the stewardship Organisation has successfully met of Senator the Hon Peter Cook and Chief Executive the external funding target set by to integrate science and technology ofCSIRO Government and has mechanisms in with industry policy are both place to maintain that level. We are welcome signals of recognition of now focusing on new, longer-term the vital national role of science. challenges - to identify the science Measures in the Industry Statement, we should do and the delivery such as the increase in baseline mechanisms we need to help keep funding for science agencies, the Australia among the advanced removal of the efficiency dividend nations of the Asia Pacific Region from research programs and the and the world. range of incentives for business to The CSIRO Board defined the invest in R&D, also provide challenge we face: how does CSIRO recognition of the critical role of deliver technology to ensure science and technology in our Australia is a technologically economy and in managing our competent nation in a highly environment and natural resources. competitive world; how ca,n CSIRO CSIRO took significant steps help to embed science and during the year to meet the technology in Australia's sectoral challenge of ensuring that our strategies? commercial skills match our To lay the groundwork for long scientific excellence. Mr Peter term strategies, some of our leading Bradfield, a businessman with broad scientists are preparing scenarios experience in Australia and that capture the prospective internationally, was appointed advances in different fields over the Director of a new CSIRO Corporate next 25 years and describe some of Business Department, which the opportunities and challenges encompasses legal, international, they present to Australia. The goal is planning, intellectual property to highlight issues and choices rather management and public affairs than make accurate predictions. activities. The Department provides These scenarios will be presented at a focus in CSIRO to support the September 1994 Congress of the Divisions in commercial matters and Australian and New Zealand to help develop staff skills in Association for the Advancement of dealings with businesses - small, Science (ANZAAS). medium and large. These changes We also obtained opinions from will provide Australian industry a group of our younger staff at a with improved access to the benefits one-day Chief Executive's workshop and opportunities arising from during the year. Their views on CSIR 0 research. issues such as management A major achievement by the structures and corporate culture has Organisation was production of a • c a: o ~ w Commercial Practice Manual for a: New Chiefs were recruited from CSIRO staff. This contains CSIRO o the private sector for the Divisions policy and guidelines on corporate u. of Building, Construction & best practice for all aspects of Engineering and Food Science & CSIRO commercial activities. Technology. These appointments, Application of the practices along with the increased emphasis in prescribed in the manual has performance assessments of Chiefs improved the Organisation's and other senior managers on performance in business dealings, management of industry particularly in contract matters. interactions, demonstrate CSIRO's An enhanced CSIRO capability commitment to working more to work with small-to-medium effectively with Australian business. enterprises (SMEs) has been CSIRO's efforts to attract greater achieved. There has been a 20 per funding from both public and cent growth in 1993-94 in the private sources will depend on concrete evidence that we deliver what we promise. To this end, we are well advanced on producing a set of performance indicators to show our success in achieving all our goals and objectives. CSIRO is discussing with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Department ofIndustry, Science and Technology Above: number of contracts CSIRO has the development of a common set of Professor Adrienne Clarke with such companies. Funding indicators for reporting purposes. Above right: through the Industry Statement will One focus of these deliberations Dr John Stocker enable CSIRO to further improve is on financial indicators­ the level of service delivery to SMEs. however, we believe that CSIRO's Government measures and ability to meet the 30 per cent CSIRO initiatives have improved the external earnings target is outlook for greater private sector inadequate as a sole indicator of involvement in R&D. The performance. We are also seeking Cooperative Research Centres indicators that will enable us to Program, with its substantial report on CSIRO performance in a industry involvement, has range of different areas. strengthened CSIRO's many This Annual Report details some existing industry links and provided of the superb scientific achievements opportunities for new CSIRO has made during 1993-94. collaborations. CSIRO is now a These include the production of participant in 43 CRCs and is a genetically transformed wheat, keen bidder in the-final round of findings on Asian taste preferences CRCs to be announced at the and the winning of a US patent for end of 1994. gene shears technology; an • c a:: o ~