Vic: PM launches ambitious science research program
By Jewel Topsfield
MELBOURNE, April 14 AAP - An ambitious $400 million science research program, withaims such as extending the lives of Australians by 10 years, was launched by Prime MinisterJohn Howard in Melbourne today.
The National Research Flagships, to be jointly funded by CSIRO, government and industries,will research areas such as preventative health care, light metals, water, food, oceansand energy over the next five to seven years.
Research goals include extending the lives of Australians by 10 years, through earlydiagnosis and prevention, and doubling the economic value of light metals, such as titanium,to $10 billion over 10 years.
Mr Howard said he looked forward to the day when Australia's science stars would beas well known and lauded as the nation's sports stars.
"CSIRO has a very important role to play in that," Mr Howard told the launch at BHPBilliton's Melbourne headquarters.
"Australians have an extraordinary capacity to adapt and innovate - I believe we dothat beyond most other highly educated nations."
Mr Howard praised the CSIRO for closely aligning its research goals with the nationalresearch priorities, unveiled by the federal government last year.
The CSIRO will contribute half to two thirds of the $400 million funding for the research goals.
But the CSIRO Staff Association warned the research program could fail if CSIRO didnot get additional funding in the upcoming budget.
"Federal governments, over the last ten years, have cut CSIRO funding in real termsby $100 million," said association president Michael Borgas.
"In this context, even if the flagships are adequately funded, we are likely to seea lot of important CSIRO research terminated to pay for them."
But CSIRO chief executive Geoff Garrett said that by working with industry partnerssuch as BHP Billiton and the Australian Magnesium Corporation the research goals couldbe realised.
"These are big, hairy, audacious goals," Dr Garrett said.
"It is only by working together across many partnerships and building a team Australiaapproach that we are going to achieve the objectives."
Other research goals include converting fossil fuels to hydrogen to help position Australiaas a world leader in clean, cost-efficient energy and discovering new petroleum, and mineralsin the sea.
AAP jt/dk/ph/de
KEYWORD: SCIENCE HOWARD
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