Key facts for the Energy Priority • It is estimated that approximately $190 million of the $2.65 billion supporting national priorities is allocated directly to the Energy Priority area.* • In terms of citation impact, an indicator of research quality, Australian research on this Priority ranks: • 2nd out of 11 when compared against selected Asia Pacific countries** • 9th out of 15 when compared to selected European countries, Canada, New Zealand and US

1. 1
Science
SCIENCE AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Energy – Capability Statement
Enabling the Australian energy sector to improve efficiency, reduce
emissions and integrate diverse energy sources into the electricity grid
and, as a result, create jobs, growth and export opportunities.
PRESENT
Key facts for the Energy Priority
• It is estimated that approximately $190 million of the
$2.65 billion supporting national priorities is allocated
directly to the Energy Priority area.*
• In terms of citation impact, an indicator of research quality,
Australian research on this Priority ranks:
• 2nd
out of 11 when compared against selected Asia Pacific
countries**
• 9th
out of 15 when compared to selected European countries,
Canada, New Zealand and USA.***
• 55 per cent of Australian publications are produced with an
international co-author.
Notes:
* Data on two key initiatives – university research block grants and the R&D tax
incentive – are not collected in a way that supports analysis against priorities.
** Selected Asia Pacific countries: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
*** Selected European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France,
Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
Current research strengths
Australia is considered a source of impactful and influential
research in energy technologies—producing high quality research
and participating in a range of international research collaboration
with major international institutions. Australia’s existing research
strengths include:
• solar photovoltaics
• solar thermal technologies
• biofuels (particularly algal biofuels)
• carbon capture and storage applied to electricity generation
and fossil fuel-based industrial processes
• nuclear technologies – including waste encapsulation,
deuteration and neutron scattering.
FUTURE
Practical challenges
1. Low emission energy production from fossil fuels and
other sources.
2. New clean energy sources and storage technologies that
are efficient, cost-effective and reliable.
3. Australian electricity grids that readily integrate and
more efficiently transmit energy from all sources including
low– and zero–carbon sources.
Opportunities
Action within this Priority will support internationally relevant R&D
that will lead to more efficient and/or lower emissions use of fossil
fuels, advances in renewable energy and storage technologies and
integrative energy solutions. It will assist Australia to overcome
current research weaknesses and take advantage of strengths by:
• strengthening engagement between the research sector
and industry
• positioning Australia with a strategic advantage to
commercialise emerging energy technologies
• fostering increased international collaboration with the
global energy sector
• prioritising social science research into energy use and
emerging technologies.

2. 2
Science and Research Priorities · Energy – Capability Statement
November 2015 · 15-53004b
International Citation Comparison, 2010 to 2014
Below Australia Above Australia
0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
Weighted citations relative to Australia
Energy
Australia
Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
England, Finland, France, Germany,
Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland)
Asia (China, India, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam)
Canada, New Zealand, United States
For this Priority, each circle represents one of the comparator countries, grouped into region by colour: circle size represents number of
publications, while circle placement indicates the country’s weighted citations relative to Australia. Data are from Thomson Reuters InCites,
with the Priority identified by a keyword search.
Australian Government Expenditure on Science and Research Priorities
Food
$387.2mHealth
$464.2m
Soil and Water
$440.0m
Transport
$111.9m
Cyber Security
$81.1m
Energy
$192.8m
Resources
$204.4m
Advanced
Manufacturing
$445.6m
Environmental
Change
$337.6m
FUNDING TO
THE SCIENCE AND
RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Approx.
$2.65b
p.a.
The Australian Government invests $9.7 billion in science, research and innovation. Approximately $2.65 billion of this investment can be
attributed to research aligned to the nine Science and Research priorities. Data on university block grants and the R&D tax incentive – two key
initiatives that have critical roles in supporting strategic, mission-directed research - are not collected in a way that supports analysis against
the priorities.
Sources: 2015-16 Science, Research and Innovation Budget Tables; Research Strategies Australia, Science and Research Priorities and Practical Challenges, May 2015.
Australia’s Science and Research Priorities
Australia’s Science and Research Priorities identify areas that are
of immediate and critical importance to the nation and its
place in the world. They help align our research to industry and
will make sure that we capitalise on our comparative advantages
and address challenges.
The Australian Government will use the Priorities to guide a
proportion of its research investment to areas of critical need
and national importance. This capability snapshot is a vital step
to make sure that we get this strategic investment right – it is
about understanding what we spend now, what we are good at
and where we need to improve.