Research Infrastructure

The objective of the SIEF Research Infrastructure (RI) Program is to support the creation or enhancement of nationally significant research infrastructure facilities or equipment. The Program comprises two elements:

  • Major Research Infrastructure Program
  • Medium Equipment Program 

Major Research Infrastructure (RI)

The Major Research Infrastructure Program facilitate the creation or development of nationally significant for the conduct of research, including investment in national scale scientific equipment and special purpose facilities for the conduct of scientific research. (Further information can be found in the SIEF Research Infrastructure Guidelines). All funds allocated to this Program have now been committed. The funded Major Research Infrastructure activities are:

Medium Equipment Program (MEP)

IMPORTANT: Applications to the MEP will only be accepted from the eligible Lead Applicant (CSIRO). CSIRO will undertake an internal review process to determine applications which will be put forward to SIEF for consideration. Potential collaborators are advised to contact the relevant CSIRO Business Unit Director or Deputy Director.

The SIEF Medium Equipment Program (MEP) is designed to address a gap in funding for equipment in the medium range ($950k-$4m). This Program aims to enhance capability and capacity, and encourage collaboration – national. international and with industry.

The objectives of the program are to:

  • Facilitate leading-edge innovation in Australia in areas of greatest strategic impact, based on scientific research;
  • Encourage a coordinated approach to investment in research infrastructure, creating greater collaboration both between organisations and researchers, stimulating multidisciplinary research and fostering linkages and
  • Grow both capability and capacity of the equipment stock available to researchers.

SIEF MEP Eligibility Criteria

  1. Lead applicant must be CSIRO
  2. Proposed equipment must be located at CSIRO
  3. Equipment must be for ‘scientific research’; and
  4. Minimum cash investment by Lead Applicant of $200k per request for purchase of equipment. Operating, maintenance and laboratory refurbishment are not eligible co-investments; and purchase and commissioning to be a completed within 24 months.

SIEF MEP Guidelines

SIEF Medium Equipment Program Round 1 projects are now completed.

Project title Location Collaborators Total investment
Geoscience Drill Core Laboratory Kensington, WA CSIRO, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University $2,000,000
Acoustic Liquid Handler (Liquid Handler) Black Mountain, ACT CSIRO, Australian National university $520,000
Boorowa Digital Agriculture Research Facility Boorowa, NSW CSIRO $1,600,000
Triaxus Towed Sensor (Triaxus) Hobart,TAS CSIRO $700,000
Agile Flow Chemistry Production System for Chemical Manufacture (FlowWorks) Clayton, VIC CSIRO $1,740,000

SIEF Medium Equipment Program Round 2 Projects are no completed.

Project title Location Collaborators & Co-Funders Total investment
Argo Floats Hobart, TAS CSIRO, Department of Defence, Bureau of Meteorology, Integrated Marine Observing System, ACEC Research Centre $4,233,000
MNF Heavy Ocean Towing System (HOTS) RV Investigator, TAS CSIRO $1,500,000
Pilot-scale cGMP Protein Facility Clayton, VIC CSIRO, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Sementis, Monash University, GE Healthcare $2,200,000
High Resolution Noble Gas Mass Spectrometer (NGMS) Waite, SA CSIRO $1,100,000
4D Micro-CT Upgrade Kensington, WA CSIRO, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University $900,000
Virtual Laboratory for Cybersecurity Research Clayton North, VIC CSIRO $1,000,000
CubeSat Platform Satellite Marsfield, NSW CSIRO $1,130,000
Food Ingredient Process Innovation Platform Werribee, VIC CSIRO $1,500,000