building long-term relationships and collaborative networks across sectors improving resources and incentives for knowledge sharing, research collaborations and cross-disciplinary research communicating scientific issues and research and development findings to improve community awareness, engagement and behavioural change. Implementation issues The R&D Queensland fora proved to be a very valuable mechanism by which to share ideas and knowledge across sectors on shared issues. R&D Queensland will continue to convene fora around the remaining 12 research and development objectives over the next three years. Capitalising on progress made at the fora will require a leader/coordinator in each objective to drive progress on a shared goals basis. The National Primary Industries Research Development and Extension Framework is proving to be a very efficient means of collaboration and continuous development, and for eliminating duplication of investment of research and development activities across Australia’s primary industry sectors. It may provide a good model for managing the 14 research and development objectives across Queensland Government and with its partners. There is an ongoing challenge in ensuring a balanced portfolio of research and development investments by the Queensland Government, given that research and development budgets and investment decisions are directed by individual departments. This will remain a strategic focus for the R&D Queensland committee in 2011 and beyond to ensure research and development funding is integrated as strongly as possible across government. Apply clear investment criteria The Queensland research and development investment strategy 2010-2020 for Queensland Government research and development funding to be conditional upon meeting the approved Queensland Government research and development investment criteria, to maximise the likelihood of success and the benefits for the State. Progress in 2010
excellent progress in increasing ‘specialist’ numeracy and science support in schools through the training of 130 literacy and numeracy coaches to lift teacher performance in target schools, and the Science Spark initiative, which employs 15 regional science managers and 100 primary science facilitators to work with classroom teachers and their students to improve the quality of science teaching across the state good progress towards a new structure and program of advanced professional learning for primary school leaders very limited progress in implementing a recommendation around standard science tests as a discretionary resource to evaluate and track individual student performance in Years 4,6,8 and 10 Legislation has now been passed in Parliament to establish Skills Queensland, an industry-led skills and workforce development body. Skills Queensland is a partnership between the State Government and industry to provide effective leadership of the skills system to help ensure skills developed meet the needs of industry and the economy, including STEM based occupations. Implementation issues The Queensland Government will ensure that this suite of education reforms succeeds in delivering first class education in numeracy, mathematics and science. Key to this will be the implementation of the proposed changes in teacher trainee intake and teacher training, which will rely on the partnerships between schools, tertiary education providers and the Department of Education and Training. Attract outstanding researchers ’s research and development capability and performance relies on attracting and retaining outstanding researchers at all career stages. Progress in 2010 Queensland Education and Training International (QETI) introduced the Queensland-India Friendship Scholarship in 2010, for financially-disadvantaged Indian students to participate in study or research in Queensland universities for a semester in 2011. and the Office of Health and Medical Research (Queensland Health) continued to roll out fellowship programs to attract national and international talent to the State. Implementation issues