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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>
<p><img hspace="3" alt="" vspace="3" align="left" width="165" height="236" src="/sites/all/files/simon_leaflet_2011(1).jpg" /></p>
<p>2012 has arrived with a rush and it is hard to believe we are already in the second half of February. As the Chairman has informed a considerable task at present is the development and acceptance of the Participants Agreement and Commonwealth Agreement. Both of these agreements must be in place before the Australian government will release their commitment to the CRC. The timelines set by the CRC program to achieve these tasks are tight with the Participants Agreement and Commonwealth Agreement needing to be signed by 21 May 2012. I thank our Participant representatives who are ensuring we make these deadlines.</p>
<p>Visiting our Participant organisations is a high priority at present and the Chairman, Nick Langley and I will continue to travel over the next few months to ensure we get to every participant. Last week Nick Langley and I visited Kansas State University (KSU) to progress discussions in regard to the Participants Agreement and to meet with all relevant staff. This was a very successful visit and the inclusion of KSU is a significant gain for the CRC. In a few weeks time the CRC will be visiting another two of our new International participants in Plant and Food Research New Zealand and Lincoln University. Like KSU the inclusion of our colleagues across the Tasman is an important addition to the CRC. The Chairman and I will be meeting with our CABI colleagues in early April.</p>
<p>A critical point in the preparation for the extension of our CRC is the upcoming <a href="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/content/workshops-develop-project-ideas">Program workshops</a>. The dates for these have been widely circulated and I encourage you to register if you have not already done so. The purpose of these workshops is to provide any researcher from a participant organisation the opportunity to be engaged in the development of project ideas. The workshops will be facilitated and the aim is to have generated collaborative project ideas that can be included in the research program commencing on 1 July 2012. The project ideas must address both the objectives of the CRC and the needs of our end-users and be a collaboration between multiple CRC participants as well as demonstrate excellence in science. Each project must also have a clear delivery and adoption plan developed to ensure we achieve value for our end-users.</p>
<p>Our Science Committee is already very active and the Program Leaders are working to build their research programs. The first set of projects is the four exemplars submitted as part of the bid. We aim to have them start on 1 July 2012. These, however, are just the start and there is a large portfolio of projects that still need to be developed to ensure we have a full portfolio of research by the end of this calendar year.</p>
<p>Planning for the Science Exchange is progressing well. Current registration numbers are 155 and there is still the opportunity for a small number of <a href="http://www.crcplantbiosecurity.com.au/content/science-exchange-preparations-full-swing">late registrations</a>. In particular I am keen to see more end-users attending as it is an ideal opportunity to view and gain a better understanding of the breadth of research undertaken by the CRC. It also provides an opportunity to meet with the researchers and provide input to their efforts.</p>
<p>The CRC welcomed a new staff member this week when Marcia Murray commencing her role as Management Accountant. I welcome Marcia to the team.</p>
<p>The next few months will continue at the same brisk pace as we approach the 1 July start date for the extension. I seek your continued support in making sure we achieve signing of all documentation by this start date and that all researchers focus on developing collaborative research ideas that address our objectives and delivery real benefits for our end-users. <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>
