International Science Linkages (ISL) Program Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS 

• The Department promotes international science and technology cooperation at a government-to-government level through engagement with key international partner countries.  
• The International Science Linkages (ISL) Program targets these key countries and supports collaboration between leading Australian and international researchers in order to contribute to Australia’s economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
• The program aims to:
• assist Australian researchers to increase their participation in international leading edge scientific research;
• leverage access to international research funds;
• raise the profile of Australian research; and 
• support the development of strategic alliances between Australian researchers and international researchers and industry.
• The program has funding of $94.5 million over nine years from 2002/03 to 2010/11. 
• All nations with major scientific research programs have acknowledged the importance of international collaboration and administer similar programs. China and France are bilateral partners in the ISL Program.
• The ISL program consists of three components:

1. Competitive Funding comprising;
• Competitive Grants (supports Australian involvement in collaborative international scientific research projects with key countries and in key areas of research, and also supports major international scientific conferences held in Australia)
• Australia-China Special Fund for S&T Cooperation (supports Australian participation in bilateral collaborative scientific and technological research projects which draw on the complementary strengths of researchers from Australia and China)
• French Australian Science and Technology Program (supports Australian participation in bilateral collaborative scientific and technological research projects which draw on the complementary strengths of researchers from Australia and France
2. Strategic Policy, which provides a vehicle for the Australian Government to establish, reinforce and leverage strategic links and relationships with overseas countries; and
3. ISL - Science Academies Program, which provides targeted support for specific activities using the networks and expertise of the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

• Across the ISL Program’s lifetime, 544 projects have been supported (including 237 currently active), with $73.3 million from the Australian Government.
• Senator Carr announced in his 3 September 2008 National Press Club address that the program will also support collaboration involving the humanities, through a new $1 million funding stream. It will pay for exchanges, fellowships, conferences, symposia and other activities under the aegis of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Activities supported in the most recent funding rounds of the competitive ISL funding components: 

Activities supported in 2007/08 under the ISL Strategic Policy funding component: