Overview
The Role of the South Australian Fisheries Research Advisory Board
The South Australian Fisheries Research Advisory Board (SAFRAB) is appointed on a skills and expertise membership basis to reflect a broad and independent representation of interests in the State's fisheries resources. The major responsibilities of SAFRAB are to:
- provide a forum to advise R&D priorities for both State and Commonwealth funded fisheries research;
- commission R&D applications that address those priorities;
- advise FRDC on the appropriateness and priority of applications attributing benefit to their related fisheries or industry sectors;
- identify and utilise all available sources of funding;
- develop and periodically update a State fisheries/aquaculture 5-year R&D strategy;
- advise the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, as required.
Its primary activity is to commission and assess fisheries research and development (R&D) applications each year which are submitted to the Commonwealth's Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and other funding sources.
Following an industry briefing usually held early May to identify research priorities, Preliminary Research Proposals (PRPs) are requested usually by early June, although these key dates are updated regularly. Applicants are required to complete the preliminary research proposal application form located on FRDC's website www.fishnet.gov.au
The PRPs are assessed by the Board in June; at which time presentations by Principal Investigators are given approximately 10-15 minutes to present their proposals. Applications are assessed by the Board and comprehensive applications (based on FRDC's online format www.frdc.com.au) are invited for projects that are considered to have merit and that meet State priorities for fisheries and aquaculture research and development. During September and October, these detailed applications, and others received from the FRDC Subprograms, are reviewed and ranked by SAFRAB, and its comments are forwarded independently to FRDC by 1st November each year.
IMPORTANT: Applicants are reminded that it is their responsibility to meet SAFRAB's deadlines and to send their final application directly to FRDC (independent of SAFRAB) by FRDC's deadline of 1st November each year. Also, applicants requesting an early start need to contact FRDC to discuss this request www.frdc.com.au.
SAFRAB may suggest that applicants submit their applications to other funding agencies where appropriate. Applicants for FRDC funding are advised of the final outcome of their applications around April/May of the following year.
SAFRAB promotes close collaboration between researchers, fisheries managers, commercial operators and other fishing industry interests during the development of R&D programs. Such collaboration focuses outcomes, minimises duplication of R&D effort, promotes the sharing of knowledge, and facilitates extension and/or commercialisation of results.
