The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Sustaining funding for government research agencies
Australian Government Antarctic Division
The Australian Government Antarctic Division (AGAD) is part of the Department of the Environment and
Heritage. Its role is to lead Australia’s Antarctic programme, conduct and support scientific research in
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and to administer the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of
Heard Island and MacDonald Islands. In particular, AGAD manages Australian government activity in
Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic, provides transport and logistic support, maintains permanent Australian
research stations, and conducts and manages scientific research programmes on land and at sea.
AGAD supports about 160 scientists in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean each year. Of these, about 40% are
employed by AGAD while the remainder work for Australian and overseas universities and research institutions.
Studies are conducted in the four priority programmes of ice ocean atmosphere and climate, Southern Ocean
ecosystems, adaptation to environmental change and impacts of human activities in Antarctica.
There is also a strong emphasis on climate science (jointly with the Cooperative Research Centre for Antarctic
Climate and Ecosystems) and quantitative marine biology to support Australia’s positions in the Commission
for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the International Whaling Commission. Scientific
data contributes to improved understanding about new generation climate change models, sea level rise estimates,
sustainable fisheries, Australia’s biodiversity, environmental protection and space weather. Research is also
conducted in human biology and medicine, space and atmospheric sciences, astronomy, and geosciences.
In 2005, Antarctic science supported by AGAD resulted in 327 publications of which 137 were in peer reviewed
publications and 36 contributed to supporting Australia’s position in the Commission for the Conservation
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Ninety-two chief investigators conducted 122 science projects during
the year. Australian Antarctic Science Grants, available to projects led by researchers from Australian universities
or state institutions, were awarded to 47 of these projects.
A total of 162 scientists travelled to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to undertake research. Of these,
96 were employed by universities and research institutions in Australia and overseas and 66 were scientists
employed by AGAD. The Australian Antarctic programme also supported 131 students including 86 PhD,
13 Masters of Science, 24 Honours and eight undergraduate students. AGAD collaborates extensively with other
institutions, both within Australia and overseas, and throughout the year, there were collaborations with
176 institutions in 28 different countries.
For 2006-07, AGAD and other contributors to Australia’s Antarctic programme will undertake field work on
the Antarctic continent and sub-Antarctic at Macquarie Island. Activities will also include a marine science
voyage to the sub-Antarctic zone to characterise key components of Southern Ocean planktonic ecosystems,
their influence on carbon dioxide exchange with the atmosphere and the deep ocean, and their sensitivity to
past and future global change including climate warming, ocean stratification, and ocean acidification from
anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.
More information about AGAD and its programmes and activities can be found at: www.aad.gov.au
22 Backing Australia’s Ability