We help grow Australia's productivity through excellent science that provides a positive impact for Australia. These case studies show how we have applied our research to challenges, improving lives, creating wealth and ongoing benefits to society.
Our latest impact case studies
Keep up-to-date with our latest impact case studies, showing how we have applied our research to challenges, improving lives, creating wealth and ongoing benefits to society.
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Atlas of Living Australia: Sharing Australia's biodiversity information Natural environment impact case studies
The ALA provides free online access to information about Australia biodiversity.
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DICE: New pathways for efficient power from coal and biomass Industry and defence impact case studies
DICE is a specially adapted diesel engine that uses coal and carbon-based slurry as fuel. We have developed a range of fuels that maximise electricity generation and extend the life of the engine.
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Protecting Australia from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Health impact case studies
This project aims to strengthen preparedness for an emergency animal disease outbreak and facilitate an earlier return to trade for Australia following control of such a disease.
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Future Grid Forum: Investigating the future of electricity in Australia Industry and defence impact case studies
We convened the Future Grid Forum to develop and explore potential scenarios for Australia’s energy future and support the decision-making process around what comes next. The forum brought together more than 120 representatives of the electricity industry, government and community to inform and inspire a national conversation and provide a way forward for the sector.
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Impromy: Addressing the problem of obesity in Australia Health impact case studies
Impromy™ is a health and weight management program including high protein meal replacements and recipes, available exclusively through selected pharmacies.
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Protein-Production-Facility Industry and defence impact case studies
Providing Australian researchers subsidised access to state-of-the-art facilities for protein production, process development and optimisation.
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Controlling rabbit numbers Health impact case studies
Research to find new strategies that will reduce pest rabbit numbers and help maintain biocontrol in the future.
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Reservoir Rejuvenation Technology: Enhancing coal seam gas production Industry and defence impact case studies
Enhancing gas production using cultured indigenous microbes which are active in coal seam gas reservoirs and produce secondary biogenic methane.
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Total Wellbeing Diet: Addressing the problem of obesity and overweight in Australia Health impact case studies
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet online is a 12-week program that is a digital version of the original book.
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Biological control of weeds Health impact case studies
The biological control of weeds with a focus on temperate and tropical weeds of natural, agricultural and rangeland ecosystems.
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Accelerating small business entry into competitive global markets Industry and defence impact case studies
Collaboration with Textor technologies, a Melbourne-based SME that designs and manufactures highly specialised non-woven textiles that are engineered for specific purposes.
Agriculture and fisheries impact case studies
We've worked with industry to breed perfect prawns and competitive cotton, and with governments to develop sustainable fishing frameworks.
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Fighting the global threat of cereal rust disease
CSIRO research is preventing crop losses, improving grain quality and yields for Australian grain growers.
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Growing the Tasmanian Atlantic salmon farming industry
The collaboration between Salmon Enterprises of Tasmania (SALTAS) and CSIRO has delivered significant economic gains.
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Increasing competitiveness for Australia's wine and grape industry
CSIRO’s novel grape varieties and technical innovations achieving increased yield and quality.
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Maximising yields and minimising costs for Australian grain growers
Yield Prophet® decision support tool provides paddock-specific yield forecasts to optimise farmers’ investments.
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A more sustainable and productive aquaculture industry
To improve the sustainability and productivity of Australia’s prawn industry, we bred the ‘perfect prawn’ and developed a new plant-based prawn feed.
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Securing the future of Australia's commercial fisheries
CSIRO research leads to replenished fish populations and improved economic performance of fisheries.
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Transforming the cotton industry for competitive results
Australia has the highest cotton yields in the world, exporting $2.7 billion of cotton each year. We've contributed to this success through plant breeding and improvements in crop, pest and post-harvest management.
Health impact case studies
We're designing tools to support the National E-Health Strategy, breeding fibre-boosted barley, modelling hospital volumes to improve resource allocation, and combating diseases transmitted from animals, including developing the first Hendra vaccine.
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Colvera™: New blood tests for bowel cancer
A new, more sensitive blood test for post-surgical bowel cancer recurrence, developed by CSIRO scientists, has been launched in the US.
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Protecting Australia from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
Our research works to secure our livestock from highly infectious disease outbreaks.
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Impromy: Addressing the problem of obesity in Australia
Multi-strategy approach to address the problem of obesity in Australia.
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Controlling rabbit numbers
Research has led to biocontrol programs which have been extremely effective in reducing rabbit numbers.
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Total Wellbeing Diet: Addressing the problem of obesity and overweight in Australia
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet is a nutritionally balanced, scientifically proven eating plan that can help you feel less hungry and lose weight.
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Biological control of weeds
Biological control of weeds is a long-term solution that is most effective when part of an integrated weed management approach.
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Protecting Australia from emerging infectious diseases
Our unique biosecurity infrastructure and expertise works to minimise the impact of costly infectious disease outbreaks.
Industry and defence impact case studies
We've worked with Defence to improve armour, our research underpinned the success of WLAN technology, and our partnerships with industry have resulted in more precise mineral exploration, safer mining techniques, smart technology to reduce energy consumption and innovative new designs for textiles.
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Accelerating the discovery of Australia's mineral resources
The AuScope National Infrastructure Program is a partnership boosting successful mineral exploration. Our work for AuScope improved the availability and accessibility of comprehensive geoscientific data.
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Transforming the world’s leading supplier of natural botanical insecticide
CSIRO research has helped Botanical Resources Australia (BRA) to maintain its position as the world’s leading supplier of pyrethrum oil for use as a natural insecticide.
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DICE: New pathways for efficient power from coal and biomass
Direct Injection Carbon Engine (DICE) is a specially adapted diesel engine that uses coal and carbon-based slurry as fuel. We have developed a range of fuels that maximise electricity generation and extend the life of the engine.
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Future Grid Forum: Investigating the future of electricity in Australia
Developing and exploring potential scenarios for Australia’s energy future and supporting the decision-making process around next steps.
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Protein-Production-Facility
The Recombinant Protein Production Facility provides Australian researchers access to state-of-the-art facilities for protein production, process development and optimisation.
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Reservoir Rejuvenation Technology: Enhancing coal seam gas production
Enhancing gas production through stimulating in situ microbes and accelerating contemporary biogenic methanogenesis
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Improving safety and productivity in coal mines
Around 90 per cent of Australia’s underground coal production comes from longwall mining. We worked with the industry and equipment manufacturers to develop sensor technology to keep miners safer and improve productivity.
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Reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings
Heating and cooling office buildings is one of the biggest costs for business. We've developed technology to significantly reduce energy consumption, through intelligent control of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.
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Accelerating small business entry into competitive global markets
A key to success for Australia’s manufacturing industry is differentiation through innovation. Textor Technologies partnered with us to develop a superior product that is now being supplied around the world.
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Wireless technology having profound global impact
At the heart of the most popular way to connect computers without wires is a CSIRO success story.
Natural environment impact case studies
Our extensive water research has underpinned national modelling and planning, including a major plan for the Murray-Darling Basin, and our work in weather forecasting has led to improved planning and prevention for natural disasters.
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Atlas of Living Australia: Sharing Australia's biodiversity information
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) provides free, online access to a vast repository of information about Australia's amazing biodiversity. It's a collaborative, digital and open infrastructure that pulls together biodiversity data from multiple sources, and focuses on making biodiversity information accessible and usable.
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Ensuring a vital future for the Great Barrier Reef
eReefs platform transforming our ability to manage and protect the Great Barrier Reef for the long term.
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Successfully managing Australia’s precious water resources
We're helping Australia to maximise the value derived from its water resources. Our research informs water planning, management and investment decisions.
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Enhancing water security in the Murray-Darling Basin
CSIRO’s research is playing a crucial role in supporting decision making in Australia’s largest river basin.
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Strengthening Australia's resilience to extreme weather events
Preparing and protecting people and infrastructure from severe weather.
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Sustainable water use in the resources sector
We work towards sustainable groundwater resources management by extractive energy and mineral resources sectors. Our research leads to manageable environmental impacts and greater socio-economic benefits.
Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF)
The Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF) provides grants to science and scientists for the purposes of assisting Australian industry, furthering the interests of the Australian community and contributing to the achievement of Australian national objectives. SIEF, an independent body, has supported many CSIRO led projects with the following impact case studies forming part of an independent assessment conducted by ACIL Allen in 2016.
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ARCF: Supporting leading-edge research facilities
The Advanced Resource Characterisation Facility (ARCF) delivers high quality and accurate information to improve the understanding of mineral resources.
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Distal Footprints: Securing the future of Australian mineral exploration
The Distal Footprints project provides Australia’s mineral explorers with the tools needed to discover the continent’s hidden mineral wealth.
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Ensuring the effective capture and use of energy waste
Energy Waste Roadblock project identifies multiple commercial applications for captured energy waste.
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EpiSCOPE: Delivering better health outcomes for Australians in the future
EpiSCOPE project identifies early-life risk predictors for adult lifestyle diseases.
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Plant Breeding: Securing the world’s future food production capability
The Plant Breeding project aims to develop major food crop varieties which will enable the feeding of a global population of 9 billion.
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Creating versatile and simple ways to develop new, tailored materials for industry
CSIRO’s Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) technology enables the development of new and advanced materials.
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Supporting Synchrotron Science
The Synchrotron provides a state of the art facility which is accelerating our scientific research.