The board is pleased and proud to advise members of changes over the past year or so.

Change is much on our minds.

Change is the sine qua non for Darwin­ian evolution. It is also crucial to the survival of language, culture and the economy. As Ezra Pound stressed, the challenge is “making new” whilst learn­ing from the past. Not always popular!

Whilst the board cherishes its long-term commitment to the ERADE principle of combining education, research and development with employment within our patch, the means and processes have evolved in keeping with the ebbs and flows around us.

Research Director

With financial support from the AL and M Dawkins Foundation, the Board has appointed Professor Ted Steele as Fellow and Research Director for 12 months. Ted is well known to us through par­ticipation in past meetings and by virtue of his established international standing in evolution. Recently he was honoured for his work on the evolution of immu­noglobulin genes and the importance of RNA templates. He brings an impres­sive list of admirers and competitors and a fearless approach to analysis. The board was mindful of the need for intellectual independence to protect the village from the adoption of popular fashions which tend to dominate science ever more.

Since arriving and taking up residence within the village, Ted has immersed himself in all projects and procedures and may be found at the bench extract­ing DNA, at the computer reporting re­sults and developing databases and in the meeting room provoking us all to greater things in multidisciplinary science. We do hope our initiative will be recognised in tangible ways and that Ted will receive strong support.

We are delighted that the HOWARD HUGHES INSTITUTE will be fund­ing his visit to its new and exciting cam­pus outside Washington DC. Janelia Farm has been featured in previous re­ports because we see that model of pres­tigious sinecures supporting multidisci­plinary science as a reinforcement of our own more humble aspirations.

Administration

Dr Robyn Lindley, aka Mrs Steele, has accepted the role of CEO of Tillbrook Nominees and Hon CEO of the Foun­dation. Her background in innovation and finance fits well with the future needs of the village and her joint appointments provide us with a mechanism for link­ing future income to the fearless but demanding inventive spirits who charac­terise the village.

Robyn has a huge diverse agenda but sadly only limited support at this time. She has already introduced improved fi­nancial systems, better management of the incubators, recruitment of new start-ups, improved IT through negotiation with Telstra Smart Communities, links with entrepreneurs interested in growing the village and has also created a happy and productive environment. We hope we are not too demanding.

Education

At the retreat in September and brain­storm in November, we decided to re­spond to an obvious need for training in livestock genetics and reproduction. The need became obvious when some of us joined Dom Bayard so as to intro­duce DNA sexing of sheep in Victoria. The results were very impressive as re­corded elsewhere in this annual report but widespread application is unlikely until there are more trained operators. It was surprising to discover that there are very limited opportunities for animal scientists and veterinarians to train in the technologies required for embryo transfer and even less in the application of DNA selection to improve the economics of the livestock industries. Worse, there is scepticism due to premature and overly commercial attempts to introduce DNA based testing. Accordingly, Professor Joe Williamson, in association with Dom Bayard, Lindsay Wolrige and Murdoch University developed a training pro­gramme to be provided by the Founda­tion. As a first step, Joe has been suc­cessful in obtaining a contract from the United Nations to establish internation­al training which will ALSO be open to local trainees. The key to the success of this initiative was the ability to combine a strong CYO faculty, our own labora­tory with all necessary facilities, access to cattle and sheep at minimal cost and a track record in combining ET and DNA technologies. Joe deserves strong sup­port. Thanks to all involved.

The brainstorm canvassed other initia­tives which will be investigated. Sugges­tions are welcome.

Research and Development

The DNA based projects have progressed well in spite of contraction of the budget. As often happens in the right intellec­tual environment, a relatively mundane plan, such as developing DNA markers for healthy, tasty meat, can lead to sur­prising discoveries such as the identifi­cation of ancestral haplotypes far and far more important than could have been envisaged. How can extensive hap­lotypic polymorphism over 14 million bases be maintained with little mutation or recombination? What is the selective advantage of such conservation? So, ir­respective of the commercial applica­tions, we now have new IP of potentially greater significance.

Our thanks go to Vivian Zhang and Os­car Kalai, who provided valuable assist­ance to Joe Williamson, Lindsay Wol­rige, Ted Steele, John Millman, Charlie Stewart, Geoff Pain and Pat Carnegie.

There are many other projects, some of which are described elsewhere in this an­nual report. We are very grateful to John Millman for pursuing windmills. It is amazing how John manages to excite us all with his many contributions to engi­neering, mathematics, computer science, genomics and evolution. As he says, we do not want WA to be only a quarry. As Pat Carnegie reminds us, our greatest asset is the enjoyment engendered by multidisciplinary interaction.

Employment

The board has encouraged staff and their collaborators to establish start-ups as one method of creating superior employment and future funding for the foundation. These initiatives will be funded by the way of innovation grants, supported in part by the AL and M Dawkins Founda­tion. One such grant has been awarded to Oscar Kalai. We also offer mentoring and part-time employment to suitable staff of start-ups.

Although in its infancy, the CYO pub is offering an option of convenient part time employment to those who wish to develop a career in the laboratory or the computer centre.

Commercialisation

It is not the board’s intention to become a manager of businesses. We prefer to do what we hope we do best. We are determined to encourage invention in a collegiate environment. However, we do encourage friends and staff to commer­cialise our inventions.

Albany campus

Although this plan is sleeping at present, we have not forgotten. We have once again discovered that there must be bet­ter ways than through government fund­ing. More next year.

Conclusion

In keeping with the principles of evolu­tion, changes occur. Some have been se­lected for further trial. Some are popular, some less so. The board believes that the foundation is healthier and better pre­pared for whatever the future may hold. The people and processes will change but the foundation’s principles appear secure at least for the foreseeable future.

Acknowledgements

The Board is very grateful to our support­ers and staff. We acknowledge the con­tributions of Chris Arrell, Mario Pereira, Jason Wallis and many others who share the vision. We welcome the initiatives of Arthur Spartalis, Doug Kagi and Jim Litis in developing the artistic side of the village.

Thank you to Sue Fierebend for her ded­ication. We wish Emily Waikato well and hope she returns in due course. It is a pleasure to welcome John Heydon, Honorary Life Member back to the board. Welcome also to Derek Mondy.

Sue Lester and Craig McLure come all the way to the retreats but willingly provide excellent advice and service con­tinuously. They also help us to enjoy the intellectual stimulation which sustains us all.