CSIRO Alumni
In this month’s newsletter you can read some of our recent news highlights and hear about upcoming events, job opportunities and the achievements of our alumni members.
Launch of the National AI centre
A National Artificial Intelligence Centre within CSIRO has been launched, with Stela Solar, a former senior executive at Microsoft in the US leading the new centre. The new AI Centre will be part of CSIRO’s digital and data division, Data61.
HyResearch
The Australian Hydrogen R&D online Portal ‘HyResearch’ is a collaborative effort between the Australian Hydrogen Research Network (AHRN) and the CSIRO Hydrogen Mission. The focus of HyResearch is to catalogue and present information on Australia’s R&D activities in hydrogen and hydrogen-fuels.
Also, of use to many hydrogen researchers will be the Hydrogen Patent Analytics Visualisation tool that has been developed by IP Australia in collaboration with Max Temminghoff and Greg Maloney of CSIRO Energy Futures.
2022 CSIRO Alumni Scholarship in Physics
We are thrilled to announce Trey Guest as the 2022 winner of the CSIRO Alumni Scholarship in Physics.
Trey's project is a collaboration between the La Trobe University and the European XFEL, and aims to leverage Australian expertise in x-ray physics to develop suitable phase-retrieval methods for application at the European XFEL. Trey intends to travel to the Hamburg metropolitan region of Germany to implement wavefront sensing schemes designed using wavefront simulations he has performed, as well as preliminary experiments undertaken at the Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) at the Australian Synchrotron.
The award will be presented by our Chief Scientist, Bronwyn Fox and the ceremony will be held as an online event – please look out for your invitation!
Help grow our alumni network
We now have over 4,400 members but we know that there are many more former colleagues out there. Help us build the alumni network and forward this newsletter on or share the link to alumni registration.
Many presentations and seminars are now being held online – so you can attend from the comfort of your own home. Our alumni calendar lists both CSIRO and external events, so you can find out about a wide range of events.
Upcoming events
Cutting-edge Symposium on Integrated Systems Biology
1-3 March 2022
We would like to invite you to attend the Cutting-edge Symposium on Integrated Systems Biology, hosted by CSIRO, on the 1-3 March 2022 in Brisbane (and online for those unable to travel).
This symposium is a chance to learn about the most recent developments in molecular Systems Biology and provides a forum to collaboratively identify and address the challenges and future directions for this exciting field.
If you are using (or are interested in using) omics approaches or systems biology in your research this symposium is for you!
Register by 20 Feb 2022
Innovate to Grow: Cyber Security
Starting 10 March 2022
Applications are open for a free 10-week program for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to investigate new R&D opportunities related to cyber security solutions.
The Innovate to Grow program is a self-paced and virtually-delivered program to boost innovation performance of SMEs in high priority sectors.
The course will provide tools and information to help you better understand what’s involved with R&D and key things you need to consider at each step of the process. You’ll be able to apply this knowledge to advance your innovation journey.
You will also be exposed to industry knowledge, hear from innovation and industry experts and work with a sector or R&D mentor. Throughout the course, you will also work alongside other like-minded SMEs and build your networks.
Register by 14 Feb 2022
CSIRO Alumni panel – career advice for CERC Fellows
15 December 2021
We heard from a panel of CSIRO Alumni talking about their career journeys after working at CSIRO.
As our fourth event in this series, it proved to be a great opportunity for our CERC Fellows to hear about roles outside of the organisation and potential career options. The speakers gave insights, advice and tips on life after CSIRO.
The event was hosted by Joey Man and Jonathan Ricetti who are two of our current CERC Fellows.
We had an introduction from Dr Ben Cao who is the CSIRO Senior Research Scientist and Group Leader of the Biology R&D Group.
We’d like to thank our alumni member who joined our panel:
- Dr Stephane Mangeon AVP at Moody’s ESG focusing on climate solutions
- Dr Martin Bell Lecturer, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, UTS
- Dr Cheryl Lim Director Strategic Engagement and Communications, National Measurement Institute
We are always keen to hear from alumni, so if you are interested in joining one of our regular panel events and sharing career advice with our CERC Fellows, please contact alumni@csiro.au
Promote your own events
To help connect alumni with one another, we encourage you to list your own events on our website. Let us know if you are organising, presenting or attending events and we can help promote it to the alumni network – please email alumni@csiro.au
Are you working on promising research that will help Australia tap into the into high-growth global protein markets? Or on ways to improve drought resilience via on-farm, regional community, or policy solutions?
CSIRO’s ON Prime can help! Purpose built for researchers, this delivered, hands-on learning program provides you with the skills needed to take your research to the next level through customer discovery activities.
ON Prime is a free program designed to help research teams of two to six people take their projects to the next level through customer discovery activities and more. We work with researchers at any stage of their project across all disciplines.
During the nine weeks of ON Prime, you will develop a deeper understanding of the people who could benefit the most from your research and sharpen skills to communicate with that audience.
Find out more
We feature a range of alumni stories on our website celebrating the achievements of our members. We encourage members to get in touch and send in their stories of trials and tribulations – all in the name of scientific research!
On a sadder note, if you would like to let the alumni network know about the passing of one of our members, please email us and we can post a notice to the news page and also feature an obituary within our stories section.
If you have received an award, written a book or have any stories that you’d like to share with the alumni network, please email alumni@csiro.au
Dr Carina Joe spent seven years at CSIRO Manufacturing, first as an intern and then as a PhD student through RMIT.
During her time at CSIRO, she was an industrial trainee in Manufacturing division specifically in the Fermentation team with Prof George Lovrecz as her supervisor.
In 2019 Carina joined the Jenner Institute, which for several years had been developing low-cost manufacturing processes for chimpanzee adenovirus vectored vaccines under the direction of Dr Sandy Douglas. Carina joined as a postdoctoral research scientist in vaccine development, working closely with Dr Adam Ritchie, an Australian who knew that Carina’s experience with the CSIRO would be of benefit to the team.
When Covid-19 emerged, Carina was thrown into the deep end to develop and optimise a manufacturing project for what is now known as the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, for which over 2 billion doses have now been distributed. Carina worked as the lead scientist in process development for large scale cGMP Oxford/Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing and her team managed to complete the manufacturing process in a record time to supply enough vaccine for the clinical trials and international supply.
Just recently Carina has been awarded Time Indonesia’s Woman of The Year 2021.
Read her full story
It is well known that, in their professional lives, most academics and researchers will – like cats – seek to exercise as much independence as possible and may display resistance to anything resembling authority. Nevertheless, leaders of academic/research institutions must still lead and, by common agreement, need all the help and advice they can get!
In the ten years since they wrote their hugely popular first book on the subject, the world has changed almost beyond recognition. Geoff Garrett and Graeme Davies, formerly Vice-Chancellor of the Universities of Liverpool, Glasgow and London, have gained more insights around leading international academic/research institutions, and have talked to even more colleagues around the world. In Herding Cats Revisited they have extended, rewritten and updated their advice to reflect the technology, equality and financial realities of the 2020s.
A number of former CSIRO colleagues and expert cat herders (now alumni) plus a current senior staffer were among their distinguished and highly value adding ‘consultees’.
Read the reviews and order your copy here: www.triarchypress.net/cats
Special offer for alumni members: Get a third off the advertised price when you use the promotion code catflap
The NSW Alumni Chapter promotes alumni activities and events across NSW.
One of our main activities is the annual CSIRO Alumni Physics Scholarship where we assess the applications and manage the selection panel to award the winner each year. We work with the CSIRO Alumni team and LCU to set up the award ceremony at CSIRO Lindfield.
Our committee meets 3-4 times a year for an hour or so each time. We encourage our members to contribute new ideas and opportunities to promote the NSW Alumni and help build our network.
If you would like to join our Committee and participate in our activities, please contact alumni@csiro.au
We are hiring – please feel free to share these opportunities with anyone who might be interested:
CERC Fellowships
Join our world class science, engineering and digital teams as a CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellow. Applications open now csiro.au/cerc-fellowships
Roles available:
Research Projects Officer (Identified Role - Indigenous)
Research Projects Officer - Insectary (Identified Role - Indigenous)
VS CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Valuing Local Co-Benefits for Indigenous Communities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Careers Register
Research Projects Officer (Identified Role - Indigenous)
Field Research Technician
Check out our other career opportunities
Check out the hot deals in the CSIRO Publishing Summer Sale – you'll find summery specials for curious minds, green thumbs, foodies, wildlife watchers and lovers of the great outdoors!
Order by 15 February 2022 to score selected books at discounted prices.
We love to hear from our alumni members, so get in touch and let us know what you are up to – reach out to the network for help or promote your events, research or successes.
Please email alumni@csiro.au