This website provides access to resource material developed since 2005 using funding provided by the Australian Wool Education trust. It is also a repository for educational material developed by the Premium Quality Wool Co-operative Research Centre (CRC), which commenced in 1993 and wound up its activities in 2000, and for the Wool and Sheep Industry CRC, which commenced in 2001 and wound up in 2008.
Woolwise was originally developed, using funding provided by the then AWTA Ltd Wool Education Trust, to provide an online presence for the Premium Quality Wool CRC while it was operating, but also to provide access to the educational material produced by the CRC.
When the CRC terminated the site ownership reverted to the Australian Wool Education Trust
The original website developed by the CRC for Premium Quality Wool has been retained within the current site in order to preserve the history of Woolwise and to acknowledge the people responsible for its creation.
The core parties of the Sheep CRC transferred ownership of the educational IP produced by the CRC to AWET in 2008. These materials are now available from AWET via Woolwise subject to specific conditions of use. As a result of this transfer the educational material provided on Woolwise extends beyond wool production, processing and marketing to include other aspects of the sheep industry. such as sheep meat production, genetics and sustainable land management.
Activities of the Australian Wool Education Trust
In addition to managing the resources developed by both CRC's the Trust provides funding for a range of activities such as:
- Education programs for wool industry participants;
- Development of education programs about the Australian Wool Industry within primary and secondary schools;
- Scholarships for students undergoing wool education within the VET sector;
- Scholarships for undergraduate students participating in Wool Education courses developed by the Wool and Sheep Industry CRC and delivered under licence from AWET by the University of New England.
- Scholarships for Honours students undertaking studies in wool production, processing and marketing.
- PhD research scholarships relevant to the wool industry; and
- Post Doctoral research scholarships relevant to the wool industry.
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The Cooperative Research Centres Program (CRC Program) is an initiative of the Australian
Commonwealth Government , and was established in 1990.
The
CRCs bring together researchers from universities, CSIRO and other government laboratories,
and private industry or public sector agencies, in long-term collaborative arrangements, which
support research and development and education activities that achieve real outcomes of
national economic and social significance.
The program emphasises the importance of developing collaborative arrangements between
researchers and between researchers and research users in the private and public sector in
order to maximise the capture of the benefits of publicly funded research through an enhanced
process of commercialisation or utilisation by the users of that research.
The Australian Government awards between $20-40 million in funding to each CRC over a seven year period. This funding must be matched by cash and/or in-kind contributions (such as expertise and research facilities) from CRC participants.
The established CRCs cover many areas of natural science and engineering: manufacturing
technology, information and communications technology, mining and energy, agriculture and
rural based manufacturing, environment and medical science and technology. |
