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<h1><span style="font-family: Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: MyriadPro-Bold; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><em>simon says...</em></h1>
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<p>As everyone is now aware we were successful with our bid and it is a very welcome Christmas present for everyone. This is a great outcome and is a result of the significant effort made by everyone in the CRC over the past six years.</p>
<p>Now we have less than six months to prepare the documentation and submit signed agreements to DIISRT. This will ensure we are up and running as the Plant Biosecurity CRC on 1 July 2012. Timelines and the first drafts have recently been forwarded to all Participant representatives.</p>
<p>Myself and Nick will be visiting all participants in the next few months to finalise the documentation. At the same time our Science Committee, led by Bill Roberts, will commence the process of pulling together the research programme. We will communicate the details of the process for developing the research programme in the new year. Through the four research programmes the CRC will continue to undertake world leading plant biosecurity research that is of benefit to Australia.</p>
<p>Being successful in a CRC round has become an increasingly more difficult process as the level of competition has increased and available funds have decreased. We would not have achieved the success this year without the help of many people. Again I thank everyone who contributed to the achievement.</p>
<p>Our PhDs continue to progress and Alex Rea recently submitted his thesis. A very promising statistic is that of the 10 that have currently completed their PhDs, nine are still active in biosecurity.</p>
<p>Our 2012 Science Exchange will be a great event as we celebrate the success of the CRCNPB and look to the future through the PBCRC. It is hoped that we will have a good mix of researchers, regulators and industry at the Science Exchange so I encourage everyone to submit their registrations as early as possible. If you have somehow missed the mail outs please contact <a href="mailto:m.knobel@crcplantbiosecurity.com.au?subject=Science%20Exchange">Max</a> or <a href="mailto:a.crichton@crcplantbiosecurity.com.au?subject=Science%20Exchange">Andrew</a>.</p>
<p>Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone in the CRC family. I look forward to catching up with you in 2012.<br />
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<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>
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