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<h1><em>simon says...</em></h1>
<div><img height="226" alt="" hspace="3" width="150" align="left" vspace="3" src="/sites/all/files/image/Simon%20photo%20new(2).jpg" /></div>
<p>I write this column following the disappointing news last week that our bid to continue our very successful CRC was not supported by the CRC Program. The reasons for not being supported are not yet fully clear but a meeting will be held with the CRC Program on 23 December, at which time a debrief will be provided.</p>
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<div>While the news was not what we wanted to hear, everyone involved in the CRC should be very proud of what has been achieved over the past 12 months. The other positive news is that we still have the next CRC round (14) to which we can submit a proposal. Submitting a proposal into the next round will be dependent on Participants continuing to support the CRC and the feedback received from the CRC Program. From the initial discussions it would appear that there is still very strong support from our Participants to submit a proposal for the extension of this CRC. A meeting will be held with Participants at the <em>Science Exchange </em>in February to discuss the submission of another bid.</div>
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<div>As a significant amount of work was put into developing the unsuccessful bid I do not expect that we will need to start from ‘square one’ but rather polish and address those areas that made us less competitive than the successful bids.</div>
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<div>I would like to thank everyone who assisted us throughout the different phases of the bid process. We could not have completed the task without the efforts of a large number of people.</div>
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<div>Having mentioned the upcoming meeting at the <em>Science Exchange </em>I can update everyone that Kate Scott and her team are well advanced in organising what will be another standout event. Registrations are numbering over 140 and Kirsty Bayliss and James Ridsdill-Smith have compiled a program that showcases the achievements of our CRC. I look forward to catching up with many of you at this event.</div>
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<div>Another of our PhD students has just presented his final seminar and will submit his thesis on 24 December. Alistair McTaggart has revised the taxonomy of three smut fungi and I am very impressed with his ability to complete his PhD in less than three years. As you will read in a separate article of this <em>Leaflet,</em> Alistair is off to the US in the new year to commence a post-doc position. On behalf of the CRC we wish him all the best.</div>
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<div>January will also see the loss of one of our valuable staff members with Alana van Meurs, our Communications Officer moving to Perth. Alana has contributed greatly to the CRC and she managed the production of the <em>Plant Biosecurity: collaborative research initiatives </em>magazine which has been very well received. We wish Alana all the best in her new life on the west coast.</div>
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<div>2010 has been a very successful year for the CRC despite the bad news in the past few weeks. Hopefully 2011 will see us prepare a revised bid that will get the nod of the CRC Committee.</div>
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<div>On behalf of everyone at the CRC, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year and look forward to catching up with many of you at the <em>Science Exchange </em>in February.<br />
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<div> <img height="62" alt="Simon McKirdy Signature" width="110" src="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/sites/all/files/images/S_McKirdy.jpg" /></div>
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<div>Dr Simon McKirdy<br />
<strong>Chief Executive Officer</strong></div>
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<h2>biosecurity in cartoon by Ang</h2>
<p> <a target="_blank" href="/sites/all/files/file/Cartoon.jpg"><img alt="Ang's Christmas Cartoon" style="width: 381px; height: 416px" src="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/sites/all/files/file/Cartoon.jpg" /></a></p>
