Governance and Management

This page contains information on our funding, committees, and organisations that support ANFF to enable R&D.

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ANFF was established in 2007 through an Australian Government investment under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It has received further government investment through the NSW, Qld, SA, Vic, and WA state governments, member organisations, and the federal Education Infrastructure Fund (EIF).

NCRIS and Funding

The Australian National Fabrication Facility is supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) which manages Australia’s national research infrastructure under the Department of Education. The NCRIS program is based on a set of guidelines, click here to find out more about it.

ANFF is one of 24 funded projects, plus pilot projects and an international membership. These organisations provide the R&D community with specialist services through open access to research infrastructure and expertise. The projects form a network involving over 200 delivery partnerships, and employing over 1900 highly skilled technical experts, researchers and facility managers.

Each organisation provides a different set of skills and tools, you can find out more about the services these groups provide on the Friends of ANFF page.

The NCRIS program provides ANFF with funding in order to run our daily operations, and to procure the necessary equipment required to meet the needs of the Australian R&D community, to stay at the cutting edge, and to ensure research excellence. This money is co-invested by universities and State Governments. As of the 2018 NRI Census, each $1 Government invested in NCRIS saw $1.29 in co-investment from universities, research agencies, state and territory governments and industry.

Governance structure

ANFF Oversight

ANFF’s Board of Directors consider recommendations made by an International Advisory Committee and a Strategic Advisory Committee (composed of the Node Directors and chaired by the CEO) on the future development of ANFF beyond the initial program and to ensure the network stays nationally and internationally relevant to fabrication trends and demands.

Our latest strategic plan is available below.

ANFF Strategic Initiatives

ANFF HQ

In order to oversee the distribution of funding, to implement directives from the various advisory committees and a board of directors, and to govern the national facility in general, ANFF Limited (ANFF), a company limited by guarantee and incorporated in Victoria, was established in 2007. This company comprises staff members that work across the network. They drive ANFF’s national initiatives and seize on new opportunities and projects that benefit the entire ANFF community.