Dr. Nick Austin is an internationally recognized expert in agriculture and natural resources, with extensive experience across public, private, and non-profit sectors both in Australia and globally. He is President of Australia’s Policy Advisory Council on International Agricultural Research, chairs the Agriculture and Food Forum at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), is Deputy Chair of the Zero Net Emissions from Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre, and is a member of the governing board of Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations LLC, a St. Louis-based startup focused on accelerating technology translation.
Previously, Nick was the Director of Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation in Seattle. He has also held key leadership roles, including interim Executive Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in Montpellier, CEO of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and Executive Director of Agriculture and Deputy Director-General of Science and Research at the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Originally from a sheep station in Far North South Australia, Nick holds a B.E. (Agriculture) (Hons); a Masters in management; and a PhD in the sustainable use of water and fertilizer in Australia’s irrigated dairy industry. He is an elected Fellow of ATSE, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and an experienced non-executive director.
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Agribusiness and Innovation Platform
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Crop Protection and Seed Health
Cell, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
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Enabling Systems Transformation
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Genomics, Pre-Breeding and Bioinformatics
GeoSpatial and Big Data Sciences
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Knowledge and Capacity Development
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Landscapes, Soil Fertility and Water Management
Legal and Intellectual Property
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Markets, Institutions and Policies
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