Committee Chair

**Job no**: 499723

**Work type**: Part time

**Location**: Hobart, Launceston, Burnie

**Categories**: Administration, Community & Engagement, Farming, Animals and Conservation

**Independent Chair for the Research Advisory Committee**

**Australian Forest and Wood Innovations**

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) for an external member to be the Independent Chair, for the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations’ Research Advisory Committee.

UTAS will host a new national research institute, Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) to drive uplift in vital, transformative national forestry research, development and engagement (RD&E). AFWI will coordinate and deliver short-, mid-, and long-term Australian-made solutions to national challenges such as: mitigating climate change; decarbonising the economy; increasing Australia’s long term domestic wood supply; and creation of new innovative wood and bioproducts.

AFWI is supported through a $101.5M grant from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to operate for a four-year funding term, with a maximum of seven-year activity period. Co-funding from UTAS and research, state government and industry stakeholders is expected in addition to the grant. AFWI will operate through a distributed model where national RD&E is co-ordinated through a central headquarters, hosted at the UTAS campus in Launceston, and end-user focussed research will be delivered through three Research Centres spread across Australia and through national open calls for research projects. AFWI, an unincorporated entity, operates its headquarters within the governance framework of the UTAS College of Sciences and Engineering with an independent, external advisory Board overseeing AFWI's activities and expenditure.

The Independent Chair will lead the AFWI Research Advisory Committee (RAC), which plays a vital role in the successful functioning of AFWI. The RAC will provide expert advice to the Board on strategic and operational matters relating to forest and forest product research and innovation and will ensure that all research undertaken by AFWI is based on sound scientific principles and practices, and supported by industry. AFWI’s research and innovation programme will build cross-disciplinary, integrated research collaborations across research institutions, industry and stakeholder groups nationwide The RAC will receive administrative support through the AFWI Headquarters.

AFWI RAC Chair Position Brief
- 499723.pdf

**THE EOI closing date Sunday 10**th** March 2024, 11:55pm**

**Advertised**: 21 Feb 2024 Tasmania Daylight Time
**Applications close**: 10 Mar 2024 Tasmania Daylight Time