A new group of Research Advisory Committee (RAC) members will provide their input into FRDC’s research priorities when they commence in the second half of 2023. 

By Dempsey Ward

FRDC's RACs play a vital role in prioritising and aligning the organisation’s investments with the prevailing research priorities of each jurisdiction. FRDC has eight RACs - one representing each State, the Commonwealth, and the Northern Territory. 

The RACs comprise people with broad fishing, aquaculture, and community (including Indigenous) expertise to provide situational awareness and access, on behalf of their networks. 

Senior Project Manager and RAC Coordinator Dr Christopher Izzo, says said this new group of RAC members is delivering a strong balance of continuity and renewal for the committees.  

“We have mix of returning and new members on the RAC committee, with quite a few being graduates of the FRDC-funded National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP). We’ve found these types of leadership programs are a great pathway for graduates to progress their career, while also providing FRDC with confidence in the people making decisions on behalf of fisheries and aquaculture sectors,” says Chris. 

The RACs will also benefit from input from FRDC’s Extension Officer Network, who will help close the loop on completed research projects being extended back to end-users. The RACs meet at least twice a year to help refine research priorities identified by their stakeholder groups and the Extension Officer Network.  

Extension Officer for Tasmania, David Maynard, says working collaboratively with the RAC is helping finetune the research priorities outlined in FRDC’s call for investment opportunities.   

“FRDC’s Extension Officers are working with grass-roots stakeholders across all sectors of fishing and aquaculture, as a result, we are picking up common threads in research and development needs that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.” says David.  

The Extension Officer Network also provides another avenue for two-way communication between FRDC and its stakeholders - with the network able to deliver consistent information to stakeholders if common-thread research questions have already been addressed by FRDC.  

Chris says that the value of including FRDC’s Extension Officer Network in RAC processes cannot be overstated.  

“The Extension Officer Network are embedded from the start of RAC prioritisation discussions, ensuring that fishing and aquaculture sectors receive and can adopt research outcomes in a way that looks, feels, and sounds the way they need it.”   

The RACs will commence their first meeting later this year. 

A list of the new members is viewable on the Research Advisory Committees page.

Related projects 

• 2021-100: FRDC Extension Officer Network 
• 2021-099: National Seafood Industry Leadership Project 2022

This relates to R&D Plan Outcomes 1, 2 and 5