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<h1><em>simon says...</em></h1>
<p><img hspace="3" alt="" vspace="3" align="left" width="165" height="236" src="/sites/all/files/simon_leaflet_2011(1).jpg" /></p>
<p>Having got past the challenge of completing and submitting the four exemplar projects the office and Core Team focussed our efforts on preparing a presentation for the interview.</p>
<p>Last Monday we received reviews of all four projects and in general they were very positive. The reviewers provided statements such as:</p>
<p><em>…a lot of novel research</em></p>
<p><em>…more than repay the total investment in the CRC</em></p>
<p><em>…important and critical for safeguarding trade</em></p>
<p><em>…fantastic touch to the CRC</em></p>
<p>If these are any indication of the quality of our bid then our probability of success is looking good. </p>
<p>As John has eloquently discussed, last week saw us complete two ‘mock’ interviews. These are a great way to iron out the creases and fine tune the brain to answer unexpected questions. I would also like to thank John Radcliffe, Joanne Daly and Tony Peacock who assisted the CRC through the ‘mock’ process.</p>
<p>Following our interview on Monday (7 November 2011), I posted a <a href="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/blogs/131/interview-completed-0">blog</a> to provide an update of how the interview went. The news on the outcome of our bid should be known by Christmas.</p>
<p>Submission of PhDs continues with another two submitted in recent months. Bonny Vogelzang and David Savage have both submitted their theses and you can read more about them in this edition of <em><a href="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/content/education-and-training-update-5">The Leaflet</a></em>. I congratulate both of them on this achievement and expect to see many more before the end of the year. A very encouraging statistic is the number of graduates who are now employed in the biosecurity field. One of the key objectives of the CRC was to inject the next generation of experts into the system.</p>
<p>Last month I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit China and have discussions with colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Grain, the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine and the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University. We look forward to developing strong linkages with these organisations that are developing impressive capabilities in biosecurity sciences.</p>
<p>Also another reminder that the 2012 Science Exchange will open soon and I encourage everyone to register early so we can advance the planning.</p>
<p>Keep your fingers crossed for a positive result from our interview.</p>
<p><br />
<img alt="" width="110" height="62" src="/sites/all/files/S McKirdy web.jpg" /></p>
<p>Dr Simon McKirdy<br />
<strong>Chief Executive Officer</strong></p>
