The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) is part of the

Department of Industry, Science and Resources The Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) is an Government of Australia, Australian government Government department, department from 1 July 2022. Formerly known as Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER), t ...

. Its primary responsibilities are to enable growth and productivity for globally competitive industries. To help realise this vision, the Department has four key objectives: supporting science and commercialisation, growing business investment and improving business capability, streamlining regulation and building a high performance organisation.

Chief Scientist

The Chief Scientist is responsible for

advising Advice (noun) or advise (verb) may refer to: * Advice (opinion), an opinion or recommendation offered as a guide to action, conduct * Advice (constitutional law) a frequently binding instruction issued to a constitutional office-holder * Advice (p ...

the

Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federalism, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster system, Westminster-sty ...

on scientific and technological issues. The Chief Scientist chairs the Research Quality Framework ''Development Advisory Group'', the ''National Research Priorities Standing Committee'' and is a member of other key Government committees: * Coordination Committee on Science and Technology * Prime Minister's Science Prizes Committee *

Cooperative Research Centres Committee Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) are an Australian Federal Government program and are key bodies for Australian science, scientific research. The Cooperative Research Centres Programme was established in 1990 to enhance Australia's industri ...

* Publicly Funded Research Agencies Committee * Commonwealth, State and Territory Advisory Council on Innovation *

National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Committee

Chief Scientists

* 1989–1992:

Ralph Slatyer Ralph Owen Slatyer (16 April 1929 – 26 July 2012) was an Australian ecologist, and the first Chief Scientist of Australia from 1989 to 1992. He was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1929, and was educated at Perth Modern School and Wesley ...

* 1992–1996 :

Michael Pitman Michael George Pitman OBE (7 February 1933 – 30 March 2000) was an English-born Australian biologist, who was Chief Scientist of Australia from 1992 to 1996. Biography Early life Pitman was born in 1933, at the family home in Bristol, Engl ...

* 1996–1999: John Stocker, part-time * 1999–2005 : Robin Batterham, part-time * 2006–2008:

Jim Peacock William James Peacock, (born 14 December 1937) is an Australian molecular biologist who was Chief Scientist of Australia (2006–2008), President of the Australian Academy of Science (2002–2006) and Chief of CSIRO Plant Industry (1978–200 ...

, part-time * 2008–2011: Penny Sackett, full-time * 2011–2016:

Ian Chubb Ian William Chubb (born 17 October 1943) is an Australian neuroscientist and academic, who was the Chief Scientist of Australia from 23 May 2011 to 22 January 2016. Career Chubb has a Masters in Science, a DPhil from the University of Oxford, ...

* 2016–2020:

Alan Finkel Alan Simon Finkel (born 17 January 1953) is an Australian neuroscientist, inventor, researcher, entrepreneur, educator, policy advisor, and philanthropist. He was Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2016 to 2020. Prior to his appointment, his c ...

*2021–present:

Cathy Foley Catherine Patricia Foley (born 10 November 1957) is an Australian physicist. She is the Chief Scientist of Australia (since January 2021), before which she had been the chief scientist for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Or ...

National Science and Technology Council

The National Science and Technology Council is responsible for providing advice to the Prime Minister and other Ministers on important science and technology issues facing Australia. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, announced the new Council on 28 November 2018 The Council is Chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology as Deputy Chair. Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, is the Executive Officer.

History of Australian science councils

Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council The Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council (ASTEC) was an Australian government agency. ASTEC was established in April 1977 as the Australian Science and Technology Council to advise the Australian government on matters relating to ...

(1977–1997) * Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (1997–2013) * Commonwealth Science Council (2014–2018) * National Science and Technology Advisory Council (2018–present) ()

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chief Scientist Australia Commonwealth Government agencies of Australia Scientific organisations based in Australia