Networking Strategies

The purpose of forming the RNSA is to facilitate collaborative research on policy, business decisions, analysis techniques, and treatment options in order to secure Australia’s critical infrastructure. The network will establish integrated research programs enabling collaborative research relationships. The network will launch a program of activities (workshops, focus groups, summer retreat, and an annual conference) throughout each year to foster research collaboration and nurture young investigators.

The RNSA will have a physical presence in a number of Australian and international organisations undertaking research. Synergies between these can be found through the transfer of expertise, and/ or sharing of facilities. The most exciting possibilities come from cross-disciplinary research of new ideas, novel approaches to old problems, or completely unforeseen innovations. This proposal seeks to capture the strengths of relevant Australian and international research on securing critical infrastructure. The RNSA will encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research by organising a program of activities. The proposed network draws on diverse but complementary research expertise and the resources of three broad research areas identified as essential for a comprehensive and integrated approach to securing Australian critical infrastructure: Physical Infrastructure Security; Information Infrastructure Security; and Surveillance and Intelligent Systems.

The RNSA will develop a diffuse and flexible approach to research collaboration enabling ‘risky’ and innovative research. It is intended that the network will expand and evolve as new research directions are developed and fostered to meet the needs of key stakeholders (including the owners and operators of Australian critical infrastructure and policing, security and insurance organisations), and as new national research priorities arise. Researchers will be encouraged to collaborate across a range of disciplines thereby laying incentives for further research.