The government is to invest a total of AU$117.5 million in four cooperative research centres, it was announced this week.
The first AU$47m, pledged on 13 February, will go towards establishing a bushfire and natural hazards CRC from 1 July 2013.
The centre will build on the activities of the existing bushfire CRC and will expand its research efforts into other natural hazards, including floods, earthquakes, cyclones and tsunamis.
But the federal government’s contribution is contingent on the states and territories making similar commitments, at a level equivalent to state financial support for the existing bushfire CRC, it says.
On 17 February it was announced the government would commit a further AU$70m for three other CRCs.
The Alertness, Safety and Productivity CRC will receive AU$14.5m to further Australia’s strengths in sleep and alertness research.
A cell therapy manufacturing CRC will benefit from AU$20m to help make Australia a world leader in the field.
AU$31m will go towards establishing a CRC focusing on living with autism spectrum disorders.
The remaining AU$5m will enable the Vision CRC to expand its work on the delivery of eye care in remote environments.