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Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and the Department of Defence have announced a series of grants to fund key thought leadership projects conducted by Australian strategic policy think tanks and academic institutions to further the national security debate.
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The Department of Defence has awarded $8.719 million (exclusive of GST) in grants over three years to fund projects by think tanks and academic institutions that contribute to the national security debate in Australia.
The Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, said the annual Strategic Policy Grants Program was designed to support original initiatives that help inform Defence’s strategic policy advice, as well as support more public discourse on defence and security issues.
“Australia’s security can be strengthened by more rigorous debate between policymakers, think tanks, scholars and the broader public. Defence’s Strategic Policy Grants Program helps ensure that our best minds make valuable contributions to that debate,” Minister Pyne said.
This announcement follows growing debate about the strategic direction of Australia and the military capabilities the nation will require in order to secure national interests, while remaining a capable and reliable ally to regional and global security partners including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and developing partners like India.
Minister Pyne congratulated this year’s recipients, who include:
- The Lowy Institute, Sydney
- The Institute for Regional Security, Canberra
- National Security College, Australian National University, Canberra
- RAND Australia, Canberra
- The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra
- The United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney
- Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
- The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
The Strategic Policy Grants Program (SPGP) aims to deliver outcomes that support Defence policy objectives to increase the strategic policy workforce’s capability to deliver high-quality policy advice to Defence and the Australian government.
Specifically, these outcomes are intended to increase the amount and quality of discourse, debate and research on Defence strategic policy issues, as well as to deliver more professional development opportunities to Defence’s strategic policy workforce.
The SPGP is responsible for a number of key policy and annual documents that support the development of Defence capabilities and accountability, including:
- The Defence White Papers
- Portfolio Budget Statements
- Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements
- Strategy Frameworks
- Defence Updates
- The Joint Operations for the 21st Century: Future Joint Operating Concept (2007)
- Strategic Reviews
As part of the Defence Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group, the SPGP maintains mutually beneficial relationships with other agencies in the Australian Intelligence Community, other government agencies, as well as allied and other foreign intelligence agencies.
As a result, there are opportunities both domestically and internationally in a variety of forums, ranging from conferences and seminars to international roundtable discussions.
Defence Intelligence has close relationships with the defence intelligence agencies of Australia’s allies, maintaining liaison offices in several countries. Defence Intelligence also has analysts on exchange postings, as well as a variety of secondments with our fellow agencies in the Australian Intelligence Community.
For more information about the SPGP, questions or comments should be forwarded
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
