National ICT Australia (NICTA) Fact Sheet 

KEY POINTS

• NICTA is a national centre of research excellence funded on behalf of the Australian Government jointly by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE).
• 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;
• increase the availability within Australia of world-class ICT research skills by providing postgraduate training and attracting ICT researchers from overseas;
• exploit the commercial potential of its research outcomes for the national benefit; and
• 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 Department of State and Regional Development, 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 422 staff including researchers, seconded researchers and support staff (research engineers, programmers and assistants).    
• In 2008, 313 students are financially supported for their studies. A total of 64 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.  The four spin-off companies to date are Audinate, Open Kernel Labs, 7-ip and Monitoring Division. 

2008 REVIEW

• The Government’s current Funding Agreement with NICTA makes provision for a comprehensive review of NICTA’s performance to take place in 2008. 
• The 2008 Review will focus on assessing the effectiveness of NICTA in achieving its objectives, its strategic ability to contribute to Australia’s Information and Communications Technology capabilities and the development of ICT research and research training capabilities. 
• The review will take place from July to October 2008. An independent peer review panel, comprised of Australian and international experts, will conduct the review.

FACTS AND FIGURES

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

Length of program and proposed annual budget over the program’s life
   

Some of NICTA’s most recent achievements include:

• NICTA’s Office in a Box (7-ip) project, which aims to set up and maintain communications links for groups of people working in remote locations, successfully conducted tests over a live satellite link. The technology was demonstrated at the Mobile Satellite Industry Conference in Perth.
• The Smart Transport and Roads (STaR) Strategic Focus Project successfully commissioned three cameras and access to inductive loop traffic detector data (at the corner of Barker Street and Anzac Parade in Kensington, Sydney) to support its traffic monitoring research.
• The Water Information Networks Strategic Focus Project: release of wireless farm irrigation management system with trials underway on dairy, viticulture and horticulture enterprises in Victoria and the USA.  
• 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.