How the CNS Operates

The Centre for Neuroscience is a group of multidisciplinary researchers and clinicians with a common goal of understanding the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves in health and disease. We are committed to translation of this fundamental knowledge into clinical practice, and optimisation of commercial development of materials and procedures and to improve the quality of life for all members of society. A major focus of our activities is to provide a dynamic multidisciplinary training environment for postgraduate research students, and for undergraduate students in health, science and social science.

Operation of the centre

The Centre for Neuroscience (CNS) at Flinders University has been a highly successful group of researchers for 25 years, maintaining a critical mass of 40 to 50 full members at Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, 10 to 15 associate members at other institutions and 15 to 20 student members enrolled at Flinders University. The CNS works by providing a forum for face-to-face interactions, on a regular basis, between researchers with an interest in neuroscience. This leads to:

• Awareness and sharing of expertise
• collaborations in areas of common focus
• Reporting on recent meetings and publications – keeping abreast of the "state-of-the-art"
• Identification and discussion of matters of concern about the local and national research environment
• peer advice on grant and fellowship applications
• shared infrastructure and technical resources, often by coordinated grant applications

How has this been achieved?

Facilitation rather than management. The CNS has a convenor and an executive of 4 to 5, whose main role is to organize the two meetings each week: the Tuesday afternoon Neuroscience Seminar series; and the more informal NeuroLunch series on Fridays. These meetings constitute the major activities of the CNS, and bring together academics, clinicians, full-time researchers and students with common intellectual interests, from 12 academic departments in the Schools of Medicine, Psychology and Biological Sciences. Seminars are frequently presented by visitors from interstate and overseas with support for travel provided by the ASRI and the FMC Foundation. In addition CNS members are strongly encouraged to present their work on a regular basis. Weekly NeuroLunches include discussion of methodologies, conference reports, recent publications from the neuroscience literature, and strategic planning (see below).

Autonomy of research laboratories. The CNS is comprised of 20 laboratories that set their own research priorities and apply for project funds to support research staff salaries, maintenance and small items of equipment. The CNS does not direct research projects, but provides a supportive environment in which good research is encouraged while being subjected to vigorous critical input.

Regular strategic planning. CNS members regularly discuss a wide range of issues relevant to our long term ability to carry out research. For example, journal subscriptions and electronic resources, strategies for attracting research students, changes to external funding opportunities, advantages and pitfalls of commercial research funding, intellectual property considerations have all been discussed in the last year.

Tactical cooperation on grant funding. Members of the CNS actively collaborate to obtain grant funding, in many cases acting as associate investigators on grant applications. Feedback on members’ draft applications has been organised by the CNS prior to submission. In addition, insight into the workings of grant reviewing panels has been provided by members who have served on them. Likewise advice to students and post-doctoral scientists applying for fellowships has been organised by those with experience of the process.

Coordinated applications for large equipment items. CNS members discuss priorities for common service equipment on a regular basis, and coordinate applications for large items of equipment that support multiple projects and laboratories in the CNS and other laboratories in the School of Medicine and Flinders Medical Centre. CNS members also have important roles in managing major research equipment facilities established by successful external applications and supplemented by University funds, such as the Flinders Microscopy and Image Analysis Facility.

Encouragement of research students. Research students are encouraged to present a seminar to the CNS at least once a year. Additional encouragement is provided by the GlaxoSmithKline prizes valued at $500 each, for the best seminars by honours students and postgraduate students. The Kathleen V Russell student prize, funded by the FMC Foundation, is awarded each year on the recommendation of the CNS. Candidates for this prize present a short talk to the CNS demonstrating the originality and broader significance of their research. The CNS awards 2 Honours Scholarships each year ($2,500 each) to the top-ranked students undertaking full-time research in a CNS laboratory in the School of Medicine. These are funded by the FMC Foundation.

Efficient communication and WWW presence. Efficient administrative support from the Department of Anatomy & Histology ensures maintenance of our up-to-date website, circulation of seminar notices, and weekly NeuroNews emailed to all members with reminders of seminars, NeuroLunch topics and circulation of relevant documents. The website is accessed regularly from external sites and is responsible for stimulating many enquiries from potential students and members of the public. The CNS website also is listed on a range of search engines, and has links to many neuroscience institutions and organizations interstate and overseas.

Funds to the FMC Foundation from salary contributions. Many members of the CNS make regular donations to the FMC Foundation as salary contributions. These contributions are used to fund special initiatives such as the CNS Honours Scholarships.

Commitment to undergraduate teaching and clinical training. Academic staff, clinicians and research fellows in the CNS participate widely in the Graduate Entry Medical Program, in teaching Neuroscience topics to undergraduate students in science, health and social science courses, and in postgraduate medical training in Neurology and Psychiatry.

Achievements to date

• CNS members have a consistently high level of external funding from National Competitive Funding agencies ($4 million per year), particularly NHMRC and ARC
• An increasing level of funding from industry grants and contracts and awareness of the issues of commercialisation and intellectual property
• A critical mass of research fellows and postdoctoral researchers funded from external grants, including NH&MRC Career Research Fellows
• State-of-the-art imaging facility (FMIAF) housing a confocal microscope, electron microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, all fitted with high resolution digital image capturing hardware and analysis software
• High national and international profile, including a high citation rate of publications from CNS members (consistently ranked by ISI as 1st or 2nd among Australian institutions)

Challenges for the future

• Enlarging and diversifying the funding base, without detracting from time available for research
• Attracting new research fellows in overlapping areas to enhance our core of full-time researchers, and import expertise in new technologies
• Increasing the number of Honours and PhD research students in most CNS laboratories
• Maintaining numbers of academic staff carrying out both research and teaching in the neurosciences, in the face of shrinking government funding to universities
• Enhancing our ability to access cutting-edge technologies through continued funding of common service research facilities at Flinders, and in collaboration with other institutions in Adelaide
• Enhancing face-to-face interactions between members of the CNS, between the CNS and other researchers at Flinders, between the CNS and laboratories in the rest of Adelaide and increasing contact with leading Australian scientists from interstate. In addition, we need to increase interactions with top overseas neuroscientists, for example by re-establishing a program of Overseas Visiting Fellowships to bring top researchers to the CNS for periods of at least 4 to 6 weeks

Updated May 23, 2008