Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program Fact Sheet 

Key Points

• The CRC Program supports end-user driven research partnerships to address clearly articulated, major challenges that require medium to long-term collaborative efforts.
• The CRC Program contributes directly to improving skills and expanding research capacity, increasing innovation in business, government and the community sector and boosting collaboration – within Australia and between Australia and other countries. Public good (social and environmental benefits) is a key objective of the CRC Program.
• Funding under the CRC Program will support CRCs for varying periods up to 10 years. In exceptional circumstances CRCs may be able to apply for further funding - up to a maximum of 15 years in total - after which time the CRC would be required to exit the Program.
• The CRC Program encourages participation from all industry and community sectors and all research disciplines, including the humanities, arts and social sciences.
• Selection rounds are held annually and information sessions are conducted before each round. Details of these sessions are advertised in the national press and on the CRC Program website.
• The outcomes of Selection Round 12 of the CRC Program were announced on 16 December 2009. Seven CRCs were successful in gaining funding of $130 million in total.
• Thirty compliant applications were received in the 13th CRC program selection round, which closed on 2 July 2010. The CRC Committee will review applications against the selection criteria and make its funding recommendation to the Minister by late November 2010.
• The first CRCs were established in 1991. To date the Commonwealth has committed more than $3.3 billion over the life of the program with over $10.8 billion committed in cash and in-kind by CRC participants.

Facts and Figures

• The funding allocation for the CRC Program is $172.7 million in 2010-11. Forty-two active CRCs operate across four industry sectors (based on ANZSIC categories):
• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (11 CRCs, 26%),
• Manufacturing (5 CRCs, 12%),
• Mining (4 CRCs, 10%), and
• Services (22 CRCs, 52%).

Comparative funding data awarded by round

CRC Program Performance data