The CRC Program: Long-term, Large-scale Collaborative Research

What this pathway is

A CRC is a formally established collaboration — typically incorporated as its own entity — that brings together industry participants, research organisations and often government and community partners around a shared, long-horizon research agenda. CRCs run for multiple years, employ dedicated research staff, and are governed by boards drawn from their participants. The program is administered by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources through periodic competitive selection rounds.

The underlying logic: some industry challenges — decarbonising a supply chain, transforming an agricultural sector, building sovereign capability in a technology — require sustained research effort, shared infrastructure and many partners. The CRC model pools that effort where no single company could justify or sustain it alone.

What kinds of involvement it may suit

For most businesses, the realistic question is not “should we form a CRC?” but “should we participate in one?” Involvement may be relevant where:

• Your challenge is genuinely sector-scale — shared with other organisations in your industry, and unlikely to be solved by any one of them.
• You can commit for the long term. CRC participation is a multi-year relationship with ongoing contributions, not a one-off project.
• An existing CRC covers your field. Joining or partnering with an established CRC as an industry participant is often a far more accessible route than proposing a new centre.
• You bring something the collaboration needs — data, facilities, market access, co-investment or a live industrial setting for research.

Companies whose research needs are project-shaped — a specific technical question with a defined outcome — are usually better served considering a CRC-P, an ARC Linkage partnership, or structured in-house R&D.

What preparation may be required

• A clearly articulated, shared research agenda. New CRC bids are built around industry-defined outcomes with broad sector support — assembling that case takes substantial time and coordination.
• A large, committed consortium. CRCs involve many partners across industry and research, each with negotiated contributions, governance roles and IP positions.
• Long-term co-investment capacity. Participants contribute cash and in-kind resources over the life of the centre.
• For joining an existing CRC: a defined research interest that aligns with the centre's program, and internal capability to absorb and apply the research outputs.

How Ignition Research helps

We help businesses understand whether their challenge is genuinely CRC-shaped or better matched to a project-scale pathway; prepare a credible research position — the questions, capability and evidence a company brings to a collaboration; and document research activity so participation is grounded in structured work rather than aspiration. We do not broker CRC bids, prepare applications, or make any representation about selection outcomes.