Understanding opportunities with ACIAR

CANBERRA — The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has spent 36 years funding organizations and individuals to support the scientific and research objectives of the Australian aid program. With the recent release of its 10-year strategy, ACIAR has signaled its intention to expand its network of partners to seek new ideas and opportunities to scale impact. “In the Australian innovation system, we are not a huge funder but a very distinctive funder,” said ACIAR’s Chief Scientist Daniel Walker. “We provide research organizations with an opportunity to work in the context of Australia’s development assistance program across the regions we serve. “It is self-evident to think of ACIAR as a funding source. But in addition to that, it is worth thinking about us as more than a donor. We are a broker of research and can help build partnerships and opportunities. And we have a real interest and responsibility to think not just about how we deliver against Australia’s development objectives, but also how we can help build and sustain the agricultural and horticultural industry in Australia.” Currently, ACIAR’s projects include a range of sector partners such as NGOs, in-country government agencies, and community groups. But in commissioned research organizations, their partners are less diverse. “Australian commissioned organizations are usually universities and state or national agencies such as CSIRO [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization],” Walker said. But for ACIAR, building partnerships and seeking new research partners is important in ensuring the future impact of their work in developing countries. Since taking on the role in September, Walker has been engaging with a range of research organizations and universities to discuss engagement strategy and understand their interests and how to work together more effectively. This is already seeing ACIAR engage with new potential partners, but they are keen to find more. Avenues for partnership The primary avenue to partnering with ACIAR, for many organizations, is through their bilateral research programs, where ACIAR provides money to international organizations on behalf of the Australian government. While there are no calls for bids or ideas, program administrators within ACIAR are assigned a core role to work with countries as well as program providers in Australia and internationally to develop ideas for research, said Walker. They then develop program and research concept notes that are supported by geographic need, budget, and other key requirements. Over the course of a year, the concept note will turn into a research project requiring researchers to support the objectives. “The approved concept leads to the brokerage of research by key agencies or a commissioned organization — usually a research provider such as CSIRO, a university, or other international research organization,” Walker explained Large bodies or organizations, meanwhile, can look to partner with ACIAR through their co-investment activities. “We do a lot of co-investment with DFAT [Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to deliver aid programs but also with other organizations,” he said. “There is a potential for institutions to think about these opportunities.” Understanding ACIAR’s development and research interests In seeking opportunities with ACIAR, Walker said it is important to be aware of their objectives — highlighted best in their 10-year strategy. The document helps to understand the development objectives ACIAR is tasked with supporting through science, research, and technology development. “To understand where ACIAR is going — that’s the core place to get to grips with,” Walker said. “The strategy talks about six development objectives we will deliver to. Of those six, a couple of them we have been doing forever. Some are elements that have become an increasing part of our business in recent years.” ACIAR has long been seen as an important body of research supporting food security, improved management of natural resources, and sustainable food production. And there are additional objectives Walker defines as “cross-cutting” — including building scientific and agricultural policy capability, gender equity, and empowerment of women and girls, inclusive agribusiness, and agricultural supply chains. “There is a lot more work thinking beyond agriculture into supply chains and that will continue,” Walker said. But an emerging area of ACIAR’s interest is enhancing human nutrition and reduction of risk to human health. “There are a whole lot of issues with the global food security in not addressing hidden hunger in terms of micronutrient deficiency and so on, right to the other end of the spectrum with obesity,” Walker explained. “That’s a new area, and while some work has happened in the past it is not quite clear what the best research in this space should look like.” Walker said that areas not necessarily the “core comfort” for ACIAR are the best opportunities for new partnerships and research ideas. Ways to engage with ACIAR There is a range of avenues in which to engage with ACIAR to better understand the needs of each organization and how they can work together. “Often what is most effective is when we can discuss mutual areas of need or interest rather than people coming a pitching a pet idea — pitching is often that is not the best way of starting a conversation. Finding shared interest is an important part in collaboration with us.” --— Daniel Walker, chief scientist at ACIAR A key stage is when ACIAR’s research project managers are building their program concept notes. During this phase, they may be looking for particular skill sets and will search out for organizations that may support that need. Understanding who is out there are what they can deliver is important in helping ACIAR and leading to the next step of partnering. “We have lot of people to share who they are and what they do — sometimes at a project level and sometimes at an institutional level,” Walker explained. “That happens quite a lot but doesn’t always result in new projects. “Often what is most effective is when we can discuss mutual areas of need or interest rather than people coming and pitching a pet idea — pitching is often that is not the best way of starting a conversation. Finding shared interest is an important part in collaboration with us.” Increasing the role of the private sector Engaging with ACIAR is commonly tailored to suit research organizations and universities — especially at conferences. But ACIAR is also keen to expand partnerships with the private sector, primarily in program co-investment. “We see the private sector as playing an increasingly important role in delivering outcomes in many of the regions where we work,” Walker said. “We have some partnerships with the private sector through a number of existing partnerships, but we are really exploring new ways of engaging and are open to new methods of engagement.” In particular, Walker sees the private sector as playing an important role in helping to scale up small and localized research projects to national or regional programs. National nutrition programs and supply chains are increasingly important areas for private sector collaboration. What should partners bring to the table? In seeking opportunities with ACIAR, it is important to understand the scientific and research nature of the organization. “The core thing to bring is strong research credentials — but our focus is applied research so an interest in impact pathways will make a difference,” Walker said. “The outcomes need to be more than a publication. Publications are valuable, but that’s not why we are here.” Within teams that may help support research objectives, strong science skills, as well as in-country experience is important. And for ACIAR, it is important that institutions are interested in career development opportunities with a plan to invest back into the areas of research — and don’t simply see their work with ACIAR as a side project. Most important is a shared interest in achieving development outcomes. “When we presented our strategic interests and areas of focus and organizations present on theirs, we get to know each other better,” Walker said. “And that’s been a very successful way of generating new projects and partnerships.”