Chairman's Medal

The most exceptional nomination is the recipient of the Chairman's Medal, the most prestigious of the CSIRO awards, first presented in 1991. It consists of a gold medal, a commemorative plaque for the Division and a cash of $100 000 per team capped at $25 000 per individual. The remaining three winners are each awarded a CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement.

Winners are:

2012

• Xiaojing Huang, Yingjie Jay Guo, Valeriy Dyadyuk and the Ngara Backhaul Project Team (ICT Centre). For developing the world’s fastest 10 gigabit per second microwave link for the National Broadband Network as well as for the wider telecommunications industry. This innovation has the potential to significantly improve broadband services in rural and regional Australia. Team Members: Dr Xiaojing Huang, Yingjie Jay Guo, Valeriy Dyadyuk, Dr Jian Andrew Zhang, Nipun Bhaskar, Dr John Bunton, Prof Tony Cantoni, Roshan Mark De Alwis, Alex Grancea, Jayasri Joseph, Ivan Kekic, Les Komarek, Christopher Lewis, John Matthews, Joseph Pathikulangara, Leigh Stokes, Keith Bengston, Dr Iain Collings, Carl Holmesby, Dr Ren Ping Liu, David Robertson, Dr Stephanie Smith.

2011

• Greg Constable and the Cotton Breeding and Biotechnology Team (CSIRO Plant Industry). For the major impact achieved on Australia's cotton production due to the breeding and deployment of the new cotton variety Sicot 71BRF. In 2010-11, 80 per cent of the record Australia crop area was sown with Sicot 71 BRF. Team members: Dr Greg Constable, Dr Warwick Stiller, Dr Danny Llewellyn, Peter Reid, Dr Shiming Liu, Chris Tyson, David Shann, Max Barnes, Kellie Cooper, Deon Cameron, Rebecca Warnock, Marilyn Smith, Kay Smith, Megan Smith, Sandra Magann, Chris Allen, Scott McCarron, Tom O’Connor, Judy Radik, Jackie Oliver, Judith Gaudron, Dee Hamilton, Ammie Kidd, Sam Lee.

2010

• Ross Tellam and the Livestock Genomics Team (CSIRO Livestock Industries). For leadership of two international consortia and scientific contributions dedicated to decoding the genomes of cattle and sheep, positioning Australia as a global leader in transforming animal agriculture. Team members: Dr Ross Tellam, Dr James Kijas, Dr Brian Dalrymple, Dr Bill Barendse, Dr David Townley, Ms Abhi Ratnakumar, Mr Sean McWilliam, Mr Russell McCulloch, Mr Blair Harrison, Mr Rowan Bunch, Mr Wes Barris, Dr Rachel Hawken, Mr Paul Williams, Mr Ashley Waardenberg, Mr Dave Tang, Dr Ylva Strandberg Lutzow, Mr Warren Sim, Dr Lillian Sando, Mr Laercio R Porto Neto, Dr Aaron Ingham, Mrs Vicki Whan, Dr Evgeny Glazov, Mr Nick Corbet.

2009

• John O'Sullivan and team members from (CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science). For delivering major technical benefits to Australia and the world and substantial returns to CSIRO from Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology now underpinning wireless communication systems in over one billion products worldwide. The emergence of portable computers and wireless networking towards the end of the 1980s, presented an opportunity to harness CSIRO's unique skills in radio systems. The Wireless LAN Team foresaw that traffic would be so high that a new generation of wireless land area networks (WLANs) capable of transmitting data at 50 megabits per second would be needed. The team, with backgrounds mostly unrelated to computing, found a solution that eluded 22 major international research groups. See also Wireless LANs. Team leader: Dr John O'Sullivan. Team members: Graham Daniels, Diethelm Ostry, Denis Redfern, Terry Healy, Dr Jack Steele, Nigel Poole, Dr Terence Percival, John Deane, Dr Dennis Cooper, Katrina O'Leary, Dr Hajime Suzuki, Caitlin Westwood, Julie Berwick, Debbie Davis, Julie Filazzola, Sarah Spencer, May Ling Goode.

2008

• Tom Hatton and colleagues (Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, CSIRO Land and Water, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research). For research that has delivered the most comprehensive and complex whole-of-basin water assessment ever undertaken in Australia. This knowledge is fundamental to the sustainable management of one of Australia's most important regions, the Murray-Darling Basin. See also Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields Project. Team Leader: Dr Tom Hatton. Team Members: Dr Bill Young, Dr Francis Chiew, Dr Geoff Podger, Dr Glen Walker, Dr Albert Van Dijk, Dianne Flett, Richard Evans, Sue Cuddy, Dr Ian Prosser, Dr Andrew Frost, Dr David Post, Dr Mac Kirby, Dr Neil Viney, Dr Nick Potter, Dr Richard Cresswell, Dr Russell Crosbie, Dr Stuart Richardson, Dr Wendy Welsh, Dr Ang Yang, Andrew Davidson, Dr Jai Vaze, Brad Neal, Kate Austin, Dr Brad Neal, Dr Donna Hughes, Dr Ray Evans, Jean-Michel Perraud, Mick Hartcher, Rachael Gilmore, Dewi Kirono, Scott Keyworth, Dr David Lemon, Dr Nick Marsh, Dr QJ Wang, Dr Zahra Paydar, Andrew Freebairn, Arthur Read, Bai Qifeng, Garry Swan, Heinz Buettikofer, James McCallum, Jamie Vleeshouwer, Jorge Pena-Arancibia, Mohammed Mainuddin, Peter Cook, Phillip Davies, Simon Gallant, Steve Marvanek, Steve Page, Trevor Dowling, Yi Lui, Jenet Austin, Kathryn Farry, Linda Merrin, Rose Davis, Janice Bathols, Geoff McLeod, Paul Wettin, Craig Johansen, Paul Harding, Jin Teng, Mark Alcorn, Durga Kandel, Dr Vic Waclawik, Dr Anthony Goode, Dr Brian Barnett, Dr Carl Daamen, Dr Peter Hill, Dr Phillip Jordan, Dr Tony Sheedy, Craig Mckay, Nicola Logan, Linda Holz, Dr Lu Zhang and Dr Juan Pablo Guerschman.

2007

• Ian Davis and the Gigabit Wireless Team (CSIRO ICT Centre). For their outstanding research and development of the world's fastest and most spectrally efficient 6 gigabit per second wireless millimetre-wave communications link. See also Wireless network (gigabit). Team Leader: Mr Ian Davis. Team members: Mr Val Dyadyuk, Ms Oya Sevimli, Dr John Bunton, Mr Joseph Pathikulangara, Mr Leigh Stokes, Dr David Abbott, Mr Rod Kendall, Ms Jayasri Joseph, Mr Alex Grancea, Mr Rob Shaw, Ms Mei Shen, Mr Juan Tello, Dr John Archer, Mr Boyd Murray, Mr Melvyn Pereira, Mr Tony Adriaansen, Mr Alex Krum-Heller, Mr Craig Russell, Mr Tom McGinness and Dr Y Jay Guo.

2006

• Colin Ward and colleagues (CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies). For their landmark achievement of determining the molecular structure of the human insulin receptor, the protein on the surface of cells that mediates the effects of insulin. See also Insulin and epidermal growth factor receptor structures. Team Leader: Dr Colin Ward. Seminal Contributors: Dr Timothy Adams, Dr Maurice Frenkel, Dr Michael Lawrence, Ms Mei-Zhen Lou, Dr George Lovrecz, Dr Neil McKern and Dr Victor Streltsov. Significant Contributors: Mr John Bentley, Ms Kellie Cartledge, Ms Elizabeth Da Silva, Dr Thomas Elleman, Dr V. Chandana Epa, Dr Ross Fernley, Mr Peter Hoyne, Mrs Jennifer Lewis, Mr Tam Pham, Ms Pat Pilling, Ms Kim Richards, Ms Christine Robinson, Ms Sonia Sankovich, Dr Lindsay Sparrow, Ms Violet Stoichevska. Other Contributors: Dr Olan Dolezal, Mr Albert van Donkelaar, Mr Phillip Strike, Mr Nic Bartone, Dr Louis Lu, Mr Lemuel Cheong, Ms Tram Phan.

2005

• Peter Waterhouse and colleagues (CSIRO Plant Industry). For leading research in one of the most high profile, commercially relevant areas of modern molecular biology, RNA interference (RNAi) and has had considerable impact, both at the level of the fundamental understanding of RNAi action and in applications. See also RNAi. Team Leader: Dr Peter Waterhouse. Seminal Contributors: Dr Chris Helliwell, Mr Neil Smith and Dr Ming-Bo Wang. Significant Contributors: Mr Geoff Ellacott, Dr Varsha Wesley, Ms Anna Wielopolska, Ms Limin Wu.

2004

• Peter A. Caccetta and colleagues (CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences). For application of remote sensing to environmental management at a continental scale. Team Leader: Dr Peter A. Caccetta. Team Members: Dr Norm Campbell, Dr Joanne Chia, Miss Suzanne Furby, Dr Harri Kiiveri, Dr Donald McFarlane, Dr Gary Richards (Australian Greenhouse Office), Mr Jeremy Wallace and Dr Xiaoliang Wu.

2003

• Greg Constable and Dr Danny Llewellyn and colleagues (CSIRO Plant Industry). For their contributions to the development and delivery of genetically modified insect and herbicide resistant varieties for the Australian cotton industry. See also Genetically modified cotton varieties.

2002

• Ray Binns and colleagues (CSIRO Exploration and Mining). For their world leadership in the discovery and scientific investigation of active ore-forming systems on the ocean floor of the southwest Pacific. Application of this research has expanded industry's capability to find untapped mineral resources hidden within Australia's ancient geological environments. See also Seabed ore systems. Team Leader: Dr Ray Binns. Team Members: Ms Lesley Dotter, Dr Tim McConachy, Dr Brent McInnes, Dr Joanna Parr and Dr Chris Yeats.

2001

• Robert Evans and colleagues (CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products; Mathematical and Information Sciences; Molecular Science). For the development of SilviScan technology and its application to the rapid assessment of wood quality in forest resources, increasing the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the forest based industries. See also SilviScan™ rapid wood analysis. Team Leader: Dr Robert Evans. Team Members: Ms Leanne Bischof, Mr Malcolm David Boyd (Digital Solutions), Mr Bruce Coley, Dr Geoff Downes, Dr Tim Gureyev, Ms Sharee Harper, Mr Murray Hughes (Digital Solutions), Dr Ronald Jones, Mr Christoph Kohle, Mr David Menz, Dr Laurence Schimleck, Dr Sue-Anne Stuart, Ms Kirsty Surridge, Mr John van der Touw and Mr David Tuttleby.

2000

• David Lamb, Howard Lovatt and colleagues (ICT Centre, CSIRO Telecommunications and Industrial Physics; Marine and Atmospheric Research; Energy Technology; Mathematical and Information Sciences; Molecular Science). For the development of complete power-trains for two low-emission car projects: one for Holden Limited to incorporate in the ECOmmodore; the other for a concept car known as the aXcessaustralia Low Emission Vehicle. See also Low emission vehicles. Team Leaders: Mr David Lamb, Dr Michael Brothers, Dr David Gates, Dr Howard Lovatt, Dr Peter Manins, Dr David Rand, Dr Warren Thorpe, Dr Tony Vassallo and Dr Mark Westcott. Team Members: Dr Tom Beer, Mr Colin Bilson, Mr Vic Buriak, Mr Lindsay Burke, Mr Chris Cantrall, Mr Brad Cowley, Mr Peter Cusack, Mr Tom Davis, Mr Vivian D'Offay, Dr John Dunlop, Mr Quentin Fletcher, Mr Paul Gwan, Dr Peter Hurley, Dr Houyuan Jiang, Mr Bruce Kalan, Dr Lan Lam, Mr Bruce Lanham, Dr Russell Newnham, Ms Hilkat Ozgun, Dr Tony Pandolfo, Mr Glen Prout, Prof. Vic Ramsden, Mr Greg Redden, Mr Randy Rhoads, Mr Claude Sacchetta, Mr Chris Sharman, Dr Nariida Smith, Mr Trevor Smith, Mr Werner Strecker, Dr Gerardo Trinidad, Dr Palitha Welgama, Dr Wei Wu.

1999

• Brian Myers and colleagues (CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, CSIRO Land and Water). For their work on the Wagga Wagga Effluent Plantation project which resulted in the development of national guidelines for growing environmentally sustainable plantations irrigated with municipal effluent. See also Effluent-irrigated plantations. Team Leader: Mr Brian Myers. Team Members: Dr Richard Benyon, Dr Warren Bond, Ms Evelyn Colvin, Mr Ian Craig, Mr Randall Falkiner, Mr Gordon McLachlan, Dr Nicholas O'Brien, Ms Wanda Pienkowski, Dr Philip Polglase, Dr Chris J. Smith, Dr Val Snow, Mr Leroy Stewart, Ms Jaqueline Sweeney, Dr Tivi Theiveyanathan, Mr Dean Tompkins, Mr Mark Tunningley and Ms Seija Tuomi.

1998

• David Phillips and colleagues (CSIRO Wool Technology). For the development of the OPTIM™ fibre process for the generation of innovative new wool fibres. See also OPTIM™ fibre processing. Team Leader: Dr David Phillips. Team Members: Dr Ahmed Bhoyro, Dr John Cook, Dr David King, Dr Gary O'Loughlin, Dr John Rippon, Mr Keith Thomas and Dr John Warner.

1997

• Ahmed Azad, Dr Kevin Fahey and Dr Colin Ward and colleagues (CSIRO Molecular Science, CSIRO Animal Health). For their outstanding contributions to our knowledge of the structure and biology of the Birnaviridae family of double-stranded RNA viruses, leading to the development of a prototype recombinant vaccine against infectious bursal disease of poultry. See also Infectious bursal disease virus vaccine. Team Leaders: Dr Ahmed Azad, Dr Kevin Fahey (DAH) and Dr Colin Ward. Team Members: Dr Ian Macreadie, Dr Mittur Jagadish, Dr Peter Hudson, Dr Neil McKern, Dr Paul Vaughan, Dr Tony Chapman (CSIRO Animal Health), Dr Hans-Georg Heine, Dr John Skicko, Mr Andrew Wolfe, Dr Dean Hewish and Dr Ian O'Donnell.

1996

• Graham Harris and colleagues (CSIRO Project Office, CSIRO Coal and Energy Technology; Mathematics and Statistics; Oceanography; Fisheries). For their work on the $12M four-year Port Phillip Bay environmental study resulting in a model of the Bay system, the only one of its kind in Australia and widely applicable to coastal marine environments. Valuable information for future Bay management was produced, and has already had a major impact on infrastructure plans in Melbourne. See also Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study. Team Leader: Professor Graham Harris (CSIRO Project Office). Team Members: Dr Graeme Batley (CSIRO Coal and Energy Technology), Dr Chris Crossland (CRC for Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Great Barrier Reef), Dr David Fox (CSIRO Mathematics and Statistics), Mr Douglas Hall, Mr Robert Molloy and Mr Brian Newell (PPBES Office), Dr John Hunter and Dr Stephen Walker (CSIRO Oceanography), Dr Peter Jernakoff, Dr Alexander Murray, Dr John Parslow and Dr Trevor Ward (CSIRO Fisheries), Dr Graham Skyring (SES Environmental Consultants).

1995

• Keith Murray and colleagues (CSIRO Animal Health). For the discovery of a previously unknown equine morbillivirus: a new disease found in horses which can also affect humans. See also Hendra virus identification. Team Leader: Dr Keith Murray. Team members: Dr Alex Hyatt, Dr Allan Gould, Dr Peter Hooper, Mr Paul Selleck, Dr Harvey Westbury and Dr Laurie Gleeson.

1994

• Dharma Shukla and Dr Colin Ward (CSIRO Biomolecular Engineering). For their work on the structure, variation and taxonomy of the Potyviridae, the largest family of plant viruses. See also Potyvirus taxonomy.

1993

• Graeme Caughley (CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology). For his research achievements and leadership in the field of vertebrate ecology.

1992

• Ezio Rizzardo (CSIRO Chemicals and Polymers). For his contributions to polymer science and technology which has led to new materials that meet today's tough performance and environmental standards. See also Nitroxide-mediated living radical polymerisation.

1991

• Peter Room (CSIRO Entomology). For his work on the biological control of the water weed salvinia. Dr Room helped design and implement projects that cleared salvinia from lakes and rivers in eastern Australia, from 200 square kilometres of lakes in the Sepik flood-plain in Papua New Guinea, and from hundreds of water bodies in Sri Lanka. Elsewhere, biological control has been applied successfully in India, Botswana, Kenya, Zambia, Malaysia and Fiji. In our own Kakadu National Park, a three-year study to adapt control measures to challenging local conditions has begun. See also Salvinia biocontrol.