FEED: FEAST Extension, Enhancement and Demonstration project
project: FEAST Extension, Enhancement and Demonstration project
acronym: FEED
starting date: 1 April 2008
duration: 36 months
Background and objectives
The Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology cooperation (FEAST) is an established high-profile unit dedicated to facilitating effective research cooperation between Europe and Australia. FEAST is hosted by The Australian National University on behalf of the entire Australian research and innovation community. The unit plays an active role in facilitating European-Australian research and innovation cooperation via a two-pronged approach:
- informing the evolution of public policies and funding arrangements that impact upon international research and innovation cooperation, and;
- formulating effective strategies toward international research and innovation cooperation at the institutional level (in universities, research agencies, businesses and non-government organisations) and advising on tactics at the individual group or team level.
The overall objectives of FEAST’s activities are to:
- maximise the likelihood that opportunities for attractive and feasible research cooperation exploiting Australian capability of use to Europe are exploited effectively, and;
- maximise the likelihood that Australian researchers can exploit attractive and feasible cooperation opportunities with the far larger European research, development and demonstration effort.
Since its launch in 2001, FEAST has defined and promoted a model for international research cooperation facilitation units that have been rolled out on a wider scale by the European Union. As FEAST continues to evolve, it will continue to inform the evolution of this wider network of international research facilitation bodies.
The current project marks a significant new phase in this developmental process. It aims to define and demonstrate new, more strategic and policy-related approaches to fostering a truly international research and innovation system. A more integrated global research and innovation effort is critical to addressing major global challenges through enhanced economies of scale and scope together with reduced duplication in research efforts. This particular project is pioneering the application of a suite of methods and technical tools designed to lead to more effective decision-making. This includes carrying out analyses using quantitative indicators of research and innovation performance in order to map collaborative activity and to inform the policy community of the benefits arising from support for international research collaboration.
Overall strategy
The underpinning rationale for the project is that research and innovation cooperation between Europe and Australia will be enhanced by providing evidence-based answers to the following questions:
- Why collaborate? – Defining collaboration value propositions
- Clarifying the nature and extent of the likely benefits to be obtained relative to the costs, including identifying the range of benefit – cost configurations that exist. This helps to stimulate a vibrant collaborative community willing and able to collaborate because they are clear about the advantages and the associated costs and risks.
- What to collaborate in? – Defining thematic priorities for collaboration
- The world faces major global challenges and emerging new opportunities both of which require a scale and scope of research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities that are beyond the resources of most individual nations. Better information on the distinctive research capabilities available in Australia relevant to these challenges and opportunities will facilitate efficient and effective international cooperation in these important areas.
- How to collaborate? – Assessing and recommending strategies and tactics
- Actually conducting effective collaboration usually involves choices within a sequence of events. There are also important issues to consider when deciding upon collaboration with researchers in different European nations. Assisting researchers to make better decisions by collating and sharing information on strategies and tactics helps to maximise the quantity and quality of European-Australian research collaboration.
- Who should collaborate? – Providing advice appropriate to different career stages
- The international mobility of researchers is linked to collaborative behaviour. Different career stages involve different opportunities and constraints regarding mobility and collaboration. Consequently, it is important to tailor advice on why to collaborate, what to collaborate in and how to collaborate to the distinctive concerns found at different stages in a research career.
The work package structure for the project addresses each of the above questions.
Implementation and dissemination activities
Key aspects of the implementation of the project on a work package by work package basis are:
- Defining Thematic Collaboration Roadmaps:
- Providing key information on those aspects of major thematic areas in which the Australian RD&D capability is competitive at a global level.
- Enhancing levels of transparency and rigour when defining consensus priority areas for RD&D cooperation between Europe and Third Countries.
- Increasing the likelihood of competitive Australian capabilities being recognised in EU FP7 work programmes and planning by EU member states.
- Facilitating Liaison:
- Managing FEAST’s relationships by providing sufficient resources to enable effective outreach and a smooth return of information and knowledge.
- Promulgating Best Practice Strategies and Tactics:
- Maximising the benefits and minimising the risks associated with European-Australian RD&D cooperation via disseminating appropriate decision-support information for academia and industry.
- Developing a software-based Impact Monitoring System:
- Designing, developing and demonstrating a software-based method for tracking research engagement across the full life cycle from initial concept/opportunity through to collaboration outcomes.
- Providing an auditable means of demonstrating FEAST’s additionality.
- Continuity in Established Activities:
- Further developing the FEAST website by providing timely information and enhancing its utility.
- Continuing to extend the scope and coverage of the on-line database of collaborative projects.
- Continuing to provide helpdesk support.
- Planning and delivering collaboration agenda-setting workshops in response to emerging opportunities.
As regards dissemination, experience has shown that the most effective means of disseminating information is via Opinion Pieces written by the Executive Director and placed in national newspapers and professional periodicals. Newspapers and periodicals are keen to publish such pieces provided that they address topical issues. It is usually possible to link a discussion of a particular topical issue with a more general discussion pertinent to enhanced Australian-European research and innovation collaboration. Significant findings from FEAST’s work on quantitative research and innovation performance indicators will be reported in working papers aimed at the policy community and in relevant peer-reviewed academic journals.
Expected impact
The expected impacts of the project are:
- improved S&T cooperation between Europe and Australia by providing information and by identifying priorities and best partners for collaboration;
- a measurable increase in the number of effective collaborations;
- improvements in mutual understanding of the research systems in Europe and Australia, and in the reciprocal benefits to be obtained from cooperation.
