About ICRAR

The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research is a collaborative centre that is international in scope and that achieves research excellence in astronomical science and engineering.

As a coherent and unified part of Australia’s national effort, ICRAR makes a fundamental contribution to the realisation and scientific success of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

ICRAR’s mission

ICRAR is an equal joint venture between Curtin University of Technology and The University of Western Australia. The Centre’s headquarters are located at UWA, with research nodes at both UWA and the Curtin Institute for Radio Astronomy (CIRA).

ICRAR has strong support from the governments of Australia and New Zealand and is working closely with:

• The Australia and New Zealand SKA Coordination Committee (ANZSCC)
• The Australia and New Zealand SKA Project Group (ANSKA)
• CSIRO and the Australian Telescope National Facility
• The international SKA Project Development Office (SPDO), based in the UK.

ICRAR will:

• Play a key role in Australia's bid to host the AUD $3 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, the world's biggest ground-based telescope array.
• Attract some of the world's leading researchers in radio astronomy, who will also contribute to national and international scientific and technical programs for SKA and ASKAP.
• Create a collaborative environment for scientists and engineers to engage and work with industry to produce studies, prototypes and systems linked to the overall scientific success of SKA and ASKAP.
• Enhance Australia's position in the international SKA program by contributing to the development process for the SKA in scientific, technological and operational areas.
• Promote scientific, technical, commercial and educational opportunities through public outreach, educational material, training students and collaborative developments with national and international educational organisations.
• Establish and maintain a pool of emerging and top-level scientists and technologists in the disciplines related to radio astronomy through appointments and training.
• Make world-class contributions to SKA science, with emphasis on the signature science themes associated with surveys for neutral hydrogen and variable (transient) radio sources.
• Make world-class contributions to SKA capability with respect to developments in the areas of Data Intensive Science and support for the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.