Uplifting AuScope’s research translation capability
Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley says research translation is about ‘passing the [research] baton on.’ Help us do that better? Image: patongko01 via Adobe Stock
Australia is increasingly turning its attention to research translation to address pressing economic, social and environmental challenges. As emerging national riorities, policies, funding opportunities and frameworks drive us at AuScope, we ask ourselves and our users in academia, government, industry and community:
How can AuScope make a step-change in its research translation capability, today and tomorrow, to help users in academia, government, industry and community better address Australian Government priorities? Join us in this important conversation.
What is research translation?
No universal definition of research translation exists, but the Australian Government (Department of Education), the Australian Council of Learned Academies and KPMG have formulated similar explanations in recent years. Additionally, the Australian Research Council has defined constituent terms like ‘end-user’ and CSIRO has developed a framework for research impact (which is the real-world change beyond academia’. Given these insights, we currently understand that:
Research translation is about bridging the gap between knowledge gained through research, and its application in policy and practice. It involves everyone in the research (academia) and innovation (beyond academia) ecosystem working together to create the foundations for research impact in areas of national priority.
As Chief Scientist Cathy Foley says, the national research (including research infrastructure) community must hand the research ‘baton’ over to industry, government and community.
This understanding includes the following important elements:
Research: includes fundamental and applied research. It also includes research infrastructure that enables it such as AuScope technology, tools and talent (team).
End-user: individual or group from industry, government (excluding research agencies like CSIRO, Geoscience Australia or The Bureau) or community (either place- or interest-based).
User: a individual or group from academia or government (including CSIRO, GA or The Bureau).
Practice: can include commercialisation of innovative digital and physical products and services.
Research impact: ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society and environment, beyond contributions to academic knowledge’ (CSIRO)
User: an individual researcher or a research group from academia or a government research agency.
Research translation is a precursor to research impact. If research outputs do not translate, they will not achieve research impact.
Illustration showing a simplified research translation pathway. Image: AuScope via Miro
AuScope understands that strong relationships, partnerships and open communication can sit at the heart of successful research translation. This ethos is central to AuScope’s collaborative work deep across the Australian science and research innovation ecosystem. It continues as we deliver the AuScope 10-Year Strategy 2020 - 2030 and actively seek more inclusive and equitable practices (i.e. adopting CARE Principles and Our Knowledge, Our Way guidelines) to support diverse and underserved end-users.
What are some examples?
AuScope has been enabling research translation, particularly for industry end-users, by design, since its inception in 2007. Here are a selection of recent AuScope enabled research translation for end-users:
An example beyond AuScope, is the plastics recycling startup and BCorp applicant Samsara Eco, who plan to re-manufacture new plastics from plastics waste, infinite times over new in partnership with ANU, Woolworths Group and others. The partnership was catalysed by ANU media promotion of its research in 2020. An inspiring example of promoting research using marketing and communications.
Why is it important now?
Research translation has never been more important for Australia. Australia is committed to achieving an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. We maintain a UN Sustainable Development Goals commitment, but are well behind at half time.
While Australia’s research and innovation community work to strengthen collaborations, the Australian Government works to ensure STEMM supercharges innovation through key policy development:
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First, Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley is currently working to revitalise Australia’s science policy framework: the 2015 National Science and Research Priorities and 2017 National Science Statement. As explained in the recently released Australia’s draft National Science and Research Priorities, the 2015 priorities and 2017 statement were developed before events like the global pandemic, accelerating climate change impacts and rapidly emerging new technologies.
This document explains that Australians consistently identified four key priorities that cut across traditional discipline and sector boundaries: (1) Ensuring a net zero future and protecting Australia’s biodiversity; (2) Supporting healthy and thriving communities; (3) Enabling a productive and innovative economy; and (4) Building a stronger, more resilient nation.
This policy development occurs within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
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Third, the 2021 National Research Infrastructure Roadmap (Roadmap), which guides strategic investment into AuScope and its 26 peer organisations. Roadmap themes and challenges include (1) resources technology and critical minerals processing; (2) food and beverage; (3) medical products; (4) recycling and clean energy; (5) defence; (6) space; (7) environment and climate; and (8) frontier technologies and modern manufacturing.
Importantly, the Roadmap identifies ‘bridging innovation gaps with translation NRI’ and ‘research translation infrastructure to drive increased industry investment’ as key system-wide enhancements and step-changes to support these challenges, respectively.
This policy development occurs within the Department of Education.
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Second, is the NRF, a $15B investment to help diversify and transform Australia’s industry and economy. Priority funding areas include: (1) Renewables and low emissions technologies; (2) Medical science; (3) Transport; (4) Value-add in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors; (5) Value-add in resources; (6) Defence capability; and (7) Enabling capabilities.
This policy development occurs within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
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Firstly, Jobs and Skills Australia’s Skills Priority List when filtered for keyword ‘science’ shows ‘Earth Science Technician’ as the topmost area of national skills shortage across all states. Allied areas of ‘Natural and Physical Science Professionals, ‘Science Technicians’ and ‘Surveying or Spatial Science Technician’ fall within the top five of search results under the same keyword search.
Secondly, the Australian Government (through the Department of Education) is investing $1.6 billion to accelerate reform in the higher education sector for the translation and commercialisation of university research through a new stage-gated funding program, Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA).
The Critical Technologies Statement outlines how the Australian Government is supporting critical technologies. Critical technologies are technologies that can impact Australia’s national interest, including our economic prosperity, national security and social cohesion. The Department of Industry, Science and Resources are responsible for development of this Statement.
As this illustration highlights, geoscience (Earth science) underpins diverse and exciting applications that will usher in Australia’s sustainable and resilient future — economic, social and environmental. AuScope is keen to work with researchers, industry, governments and communities to help paint this picture for Australia. UK Geological Society
What is AuScope doing about it?
AuScope’s Director of Strategic Engagement Jo Condon is guiding a year-long engagement process with the AuScope team, users, potential users, end-users and potential end-users in understanding how AuScope strategically supports, and could better support, research translation, today (with our current capability and capacity) and tomorrow (with an enhanced future capability and capacity). This project has been designed with close alignment to the Victorian Government’s Human-Centred Design Playbook (V1.4) (Playbook) and IAP2 Engagement frameworks. It runs across 2023 until mid-2024 and involves five key project stages:
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Kick-off meetings to determine the desired outcomes and success metrics with the AuScope Board and Projects teams. Including selecting reputable frameworks to guide a diverse and inclusive process.
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A period of learning using human-centred research to understand the behaviours and desires of AuScope’s community of infrastructure builders, users, potential users, end-users and potential end-users. First, this work involves looking outwards from AuScope across the Australian research innovation ecosystem to understand what RI translation knowledge exists, and what challenges are experienced in Australia. This work, involving one-on-one interviews and group discussions, is now complete. Second, this work involves looking inwards through workshops and small group discussions to discover AuScope’s current RI translation capability, and (current and future) opportunities and priorities. This work will draw on perspectives from the AuScope team, users and end-users.
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Analysing all of the research outcomes and reflecting on the discoveries to craft a detailed problem statement for the AuScope Board of Directors’ consideration, to shape the design of the next phase.
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Gathering with the AuScope team, research users and end-users — both current and potential — to rapidly prototype multiple ideas and concepts in response to identified research translation opportunities that can be quickly field-tested.
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Articulating the most promising concepts in draft strategy form. Socialising this draft strategy with all participants before finalising with the AuScope Board of Directors and then issuing to the AuScope team. Finally, using insights from the strategy to inform AuScope’s Research Infrastructure Investment Plan submission to the Department of Education when called to in 2024.
How can I get involved?
Jo, on behalf of the AuScope Board of Directors and HQ team, invites your participation in this project over the coming nine months in numerous ways, including through consultation, workshops and surveys.
We invite contributions from everyone. This includes our AuScope infrastructure team, our infrastructure collaborators, our research users, and our end-users in industry, government and community. If you see yourself as a potential collaborator, user or end-user of AuScope research infrastructure, please join us!
PAGE OVERVIEW
Research translation has never been more important for Australia. AuScope invites you to help AuScope make a step-change in it’s research translation capacity. Join us in conversation across 2023 - 2024.
This project is being led by Jo Condon, Director of Strategic Engagement at AuScope. Please get in touch with Jo anytime.
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Authored by Jo Condon; edited by Rebecca Farrington and Tim Rawling; published on Friday 6 October 2023.
Last updated by Jo Condon on
Tuesday 29 April 2024.