Important information
The National AI Centre (NAIC) is transitioning from CSIRO to the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources (DISR) on 1st July 2024. You can find the latest NAIC content at industry.gov.au. For any NAIC-related questions, please email NAIC@industry.gov.au.
About the CREST program
The Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) program was designed to place student curiosity and inquiry at the centre of learning. Students in Years K-12 undertook their own open-ended research in STEM, supported by educators who were equipped with guidance and activity resources.
CREST aligned to the Australian Curriculum, particularly science inquiry skills, investigation processes and problem‑solving across STEM disciplines.
The program had six competency-based, non-competitive award levels ranging from structured to open activities to advanced, self-guided projects.
Over CREST’s nearly 30-year history, more than 140,000 awards were given to students who successfully completed projects.
Educators in the program accessed a variety of inquiry activities aligned with the Australian Curriculum. While the program closed in 2025, some CREST activities have been turned into the ‘Investigate and Innovate with CSIRO’ series of teaching resources, now available for free through our Resource Library.
Access the 'Investigate to Innovate with CSIRO' teaching resources