Consultants | Dr Paul Brennan

Evaluating R&D Investment Proposals

• One of his major responsibilities for GRDC, HAL and SRDC was to evaluate, on an annual basis, the research proposals solicited form research providers. This was undertaken in collaboration with selected growers and scientists. The evaluation criteria varied but can be distilled to:
• industry priority for the issue being addressed (dollar return to the industry as a whole),
• adoption potential of outputs by industry,
• commercialisation potential and proposed arrangements,
• balance between high and low risk initiatives,
• technical soundness of the approach being advocated and
• the competence of the research team to deliver the expected outcome.

More recently, as private investment in the Australian plant breeding industry accelerates, Dr Brennan has been retained to undertake technical due diligence for a number of investments by the private sector.