Current Activities

With agreement and funding support from the partners, the CCRSPI program has subsequently moved onto a second phase and is funded through 2008 and 2009. CCRSPI Phase 2 has four core functions:

  • Coordinating existing and proposed research programs, as far as possible, within the overall framework, using the PISC framework of ‘lead’, ‘link’ and participate’.

    Not all partner proposals or projects have to run through CCRSPI, and the framework maintains flexibility to allow specific regional, sector, or theme based initiatives to be delivered as desired amongst partners.

  • Leading investment in specific cross-cutting research initiatives, identified as priorities by the CCRSPI partners, when there is no obvious ‘lead’ existing amongst the CCRSPI partners and upon confirmation that no other external organisation is undertaking similar research.
  • Supporting efficient and effective exchange of climate change related information (research insights, policy thought leadership, and business intelligence), including between research, industry and policy.
  • Developing of a national framework within which climate change research programs can be coordinated.

The principles underpinning these functions recognise that:

  1. Responding to climate change requires a national response
  2. A partnership approach, supported by lean administration, offers the most sensible framework
  3. Cross-cutting themes often find it harder to get funding for important research activities
  4. CCRSPI explicitly recognises the need to design research programs in light of on-farm and industry needs
  5. There are clear benefits from coordination of research activity, especially when drought and economic issues place constraints around available funding