National ICT Australia (NICTA) Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS

• NICTA is a national centre of research excellence funded jointly by the Federal Budget, Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE).
  
  
• A further four years of funding for NICTA from 2011-2015 was announced in the May 2009 Budget.
  
  
• NICTA’s purpose is to ensure Australia participates in key emerging information and communications technologies.  Its goals are to:
• develop world-class ICT research capabilities in existing and emerging fields within Australia;
• o increase the availability within Australia of world-class ICT research skills by providing postgraduate training and attracting ICT researchers from overseas;
• o exploit the commercial potential of its research outcomes for the national benefit; and
• o act as a catalyst for the development of networks and clusters of ICT industry activity.
  
  
• NICTA is a not-for-profit independent company, limited by guarantee.  Its four founding members are the ACT Government, the NSW State Government, The Australian National University and The University of New South Wales.
  
  
• In addition to its founding members, NICTA has seven partners: Griffith University; the Queensland State Government; Queensland University of Technology; The University of Melbourne; The University of Queensland; The University of Sydney; and the Victorian State Government.
  
  
• NICTA has over 413 staff including researchers, researchers seconded from Universities and support staff (engineers, programmers and assistants).   
  
  
• In 2008, 307 students were currently receiving financial support from NICTA for their studies. A total of 92 PhD and masters students have graduated from universities through NICTA-run programs since its inception. 
  
  
• NICTA’s commercialisation activities include: creating spin-off companies; entering into technology licensing arrangements; and initiating joint research projects.  NICTA has generated four spin-off companies to date:  Audinate, Open Kernel Labs, 7-ip and Monitoring Division. 

2008 REVIEW

• The Government’s current Funding Agreement with NICTA made provision for a comprehensive review of NICTA’s performance to take place in 2008. 
  
  
• The 2008 Review was undertaken by a panel of independent experts.
  
  
• The final report of the 2008 Review of NICTA was lodged by the Review Panel in March 2009.   Public release of the report will be at the discretion of the relevant Ministers. 

FACTS AND FIGURES

NICTA’s purpose is to ensure Australia participates in key emerging information and communication technologies. 

Estimated annual budget to 2010–11
 

*  Includes additional $4.8 million ($2.4m pa in each of 2007-08 and 2008-09) from DBCDE announced in October 2007
Figures may not add due to rounding.

Additional funding for NICTA announced in 2009–10 Budget

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS 

Some of NICTA’s most recent achievements include:

• The ‘Smart Transport and Roads (STaR)’ project in collaboration  with NSW Roads and Traffic Authority enabled development of a system for live, on-street infrastructure for traffic control and monitoring  at a number of Sydney intersections. A prototype has been developed and is being trialled on a traffic-light controlled roundabout in the south of Sydney.
  
  
• The 60Ghz Gigabit Wireless Project has developed the world’s first fully integrated 60GHz complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transceiver. These integrated transceivers will enable the next generation wireless technology to deliver ten times the data at one tenth the cost.
  
  
• The project ‘Safe Applications for Emergencies’ (SAFE) focuses on improving ICT technologies to support emergency and disaster response and management. The SAFE  team has been invited by the National Security Science and Technology Unit from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to submit a follow-on project on the evaluation of Intelligent CCTV technology for Counter Terrorism and Protection of Critical Infrastructures. This project will involve strong collaboration with the Port of Brisbane and Queensland Rail.
  
  
• NICTA developed and executed signed a joint research project proposal with Ericsson Research, Sweden, in the area of Context Aware Mobility Management. This is the first joint research project under an umbrella research agreement with Ericsson.
  
  
• NICTA was part of a successful collaborative bid for €6.3 million (AUD$10.9m) in European Commission (EC) funding to support research into the design of vital experimental facilities for network researchers. This 26-member collaborative project has a total budget of €8.9 million (AUD$15.4m) and is the largest of 14 projects funded under the EC’s initiative for Future Internet Research and Experimentation (FIRE).
  
  
• A robotic concertina developed at the University of Adelaide and sponsored by NICTA, won second place in a significant international technology contest, the ARTEMIS Orchestra competition in Nice, France, in April 2009.
  
  
• Byron Wicks, a student under the NICTA-enhanced PhD program, was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship in early 2009.  Byron will take up postdoctoral research in electronic engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, from July 2009. Byron’s study at Berkeley will build on his work on the Gigabit Wireless Project. His work will also inform the work of Bionic Vision Australia.