A deep, practical understanding of the national innovation ecosystem
Led by Dr. Tony Peacock, an expert in Australian research collaboration, we offer unparalleled guidance in the competitive world of R&D strategy and implementation.
For universities, research bodies, and industry partners, the advantage is transforming ambitious research concepts into successful, well-funded realities. Peacock Consulting provides the insider's strategic roadmap to secure and govern multi-million dollar collaborative grants. Clients benefit from a deep, practical understanding of the national innovation ecosystem, significantly increasing their probability of success in a field where generic advice falls short.
Services we provide
Reviews
An independent review by Peacock Consulting provides crucial, objective validation in high-stakes sectors. We deliver a credible, actionable report that gives boards, government, and funding bodies the confidence to make critical decisions, knowing they are backed by rigorous expert scrutiny.
We can organise stakeholder surveys or interviews and independent assessors as required.
Previous clients have included MinEx CRC, the Blue Economy CRC, small and large companies, Australian State Governments and stutory bodies.
Whether you are interested in a science, business or governance perspective, we can tailor a review process to suit your needs.
CRC Scoping Study
In the high-stakes world of Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) funding, success demands a rigorous, impartial assessment. We put your bid's fundamentals under the microscope in a focused workshop, available in-person or online.
Bringing together your industry partners and stakeholders, we use the official CRC Assessment Criteria as our framework to determine if a competitive bid is genuinely possible. Together, we will:
Identify Strengths & Weaknesses: Pinpoint where your bid excels and where it's vulnerable.
Maximise Potential: Uncover strategic angles to elevate your proposal from good to exceptional.
Focus on Outcomes: Clearly define the impacts and outcomes that assessors look for.
Shape Your Next Steps: Gain clarity on the critical path forward to build a competitive bid.
Don't commit to a CRC bid without talking to us.
Expert Coaching for Your CRC Bid
At Peacock Consulting, we firmly believe you are best positioned to write your CRC bid. Our role is to ensure you understand the system you're writing for. Our Stage One Coaching service is designed to embed this strategic insight into every facet of your proposal, transforming it from a possibility into a highly competitive contender.
Shape a Winning Narrative We empower your team to shape and write a compelling bid that captures your unique value proposition. By mentoring your team or ensuring external consultants get it right, we act as your strategic partner, dedicated to making your proposal shine for the assessors.
Build the Foundations of Success We give you the advice and support to run your bid like you intend to run your CRC. This means embedding best practices from the start—improving governance structures, advising on leadership recruitment, clarifying IP arrangements, and strengthening in-kind and commercialisation strategies.
Move forward with confidence. Contact us to secure expert coaching for your Stage One bid.
Strategic Executive Recruitment: Finding Leaders for Australia’s Most Demanding Roles
In Australia’s complex innovation, research, and policy sectors, the right leader isn’t just beneficial—they are fundamental to success. A standard recruitment process often fails to grasp the unique strategic and political complexities of these senior roles.
We go beyond the CV to connect your organisation with leaders who possess the precise experience, foresight, and influence required to deliver transformative impact.
Our Difference: A Strategic and Network-Driven Approach
Deep Sector Insight;
An Unrivalled Network;
A True Strategic Partnership.
Partner with Peacock Consulting to de-risk your next executive appointment and find a leader who will deliver on your most critical objectives.
Contact us for a confidential discussion about your leadership needs.
And much more!
We work with small businesses seeking their first grant or first non-executive director through to major universities and top tier companies.
We've conducted assignments across the globe in many industries. We can tailor our approach to your needs, and find partners in our network to get things done.
We're proud of our understanding of the R&D laboratory through to the Boardroom. We get our biggest kick out of seeing you succeed. Don't hesitate to get in touch and discuss how Peacock Consulting can help you achieve your goals.
Meet our team
Ros Peacock is a Director of Peacock Consulting and a highly regarded Executive Recruitment specialist. From an early career as a Human Resources Manager in the NSW government and various private companies, Ros was a top performer in Morgan and Banks (subsequently Hudson and then TMP Worldwide). She led the HR Team at Morgan and Banks and took on more government work on moving to Canberra.
Two of Australia’s most successful and best known entrepreneurs “agreed you (Ros) were the very best and indeed we have not come across anybody before or after to compare”.
One Cooperative Research Centre Chair described Ros’ approach as a “breath of fresh air”.
If you are looking to truly find the best person for your job, reach out today.
Dr Tony Peacock FTSE FAICD CF has unique experience as a business, academic, and not-for-profit leader. He uses that experience to help you deliver impact.
He is one of Australia's most experienced managers of innovation, being CEO of the Cooperative Research Centres Association from 2010 to 2020, of two Cooperative Research Centres from 2001 to 2010, and a statutory Rural R&D Corporation from 1996 to 2000.
He is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australia Institute of Company Directors as well as a Churchill Fellow, winning the 2014 Monash University Churchill Fellowship studying university-business relationships. He is an Eureka Prize winner and an outstanding alumni winner from the University of Sydney.
Tony currently chairs the Australian Pork Research Institute. He serves on the Boards of the Marine Bioproducts CRC and the CRC for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food, and the Environment.
Tony has international experience in innovation projects in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Noumea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Ros Peacock
Director
Tony Peacock
Director
Building a High-Performing Board for Your CRC
Developing the right Board for your Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is a unique challenge. As entities subject to the Corporations Act and ACNC regulations, CRCs demand a specialised approach to governance that goes beyond standard practice.
Getting it right from the start is critical. This involves navigating complex requirements for Director independence, determining the optimal Board size, and establishing fair remuneration. How do you build a skills matrix that covers R&D, commercialisation, and policy experience while also championing diversity? How do you implement robust processes for performance reviews and for managing the inevitable conflicts of interest that arise?
These foundational elements are crucial for your CRC's long-term success and impact. With deep, first-hand experience as CEO and Director of multiple CRCs, we provide expert guidance to help you establish a high-performing Board with strong governance.
Whether you are in the bidding phase or looking to strengthen your existing Board, we can help you navigate the complexities and recruit the right leaders.
To build a Board that drives success, contact Peacock Consulting today.
CRC Scoping Study
The journey to a Cooperative Research Centre is long, hard and can be expensive. For those that succeed, a decade of funding and an opportunity to make a real difference in the world makes it worthwhile. But more fail than succeed.
Peacock Consulting offers a CRC Scoping workshop to put the fundamentals of a bid under the microscope. In a half-day workshop, which can be delivered in-person or online, you will use the CRC Assessment Criteria as the basis for determining whether a competitive bid is possible.
This is a hard look at whether you have the goods to bid successfully. The confidential Scoping Report provided after the workshop will lay out the strengths and weaknesses of your potential CRC. We use crowd sourcing software to ensure every voice is heard and that you cover all the Assessment Criteria.
CRC Stage 1 Coaching
You know your industry and what it needs better than anyone else. So why ask someone else to write your bid?
Smart people are perfectly capable of shaping and writing a highly competitive CRC bid. Peacock Consulting offers Stage 1 coaching to take you through the process. Through regular coaching of the bid leaders, strongly focussed on the Assessment Criteria, you will have the tools and confidence to lodge a competitive bid.
Stage 1 is not a preliminary bid. Most bids fail at Stage 1, never getting the chance to progress. We encourage you to run your bid like you intend to run your CRC – improving governance, recruiting leadership, putting in placed IP, in-kind and commercialisation arrangements as you go. Cookie cutter approaches don’t work for CRCs. You need to develop a bid that suits your industry.
Recruiting CRC partners is no simple task and needs the attention of the bid leaders. Partners should be drawn to the CRC by the opportunity to collaborate on high quality research. Managing expectations and conducting due diligence needs to start from day one to ensure you build the best possible CRC.
CRC Stage 2 Coaching
Congratulations, you are getting close. But there is a lot of work still to be done. Shaping your response to the CRC Advisory Committee feedback is critical, as is preparing for interview.
This may be the one and only time you work on an Economic Impact Study. Peacock Consulting has literally worked with many dozens. It’ll form the backbone of your accountability should you win a CRC. It needs to be credible and linked closely to your proposed research.
Deciding who will attend interview is always hard. You’ll go in with a team of leaders. Will they present as a team that will get the job done? We’ve done more Mock Interviews than anyone else and we spend our time on preparation, not hype.
The importance of real connections
Zoom, Teams or Google Meet or, heaven forbid, WebEx?
In a world where technology is constantly advancing and communication is predominatly done through screens, it's easy to forget the importance of face-to-face (IRL!).
I’m a fan of the late Tom Allen, whose work led to the “Allen Curve”. The Irish-born MIT professor studied IBM engineers in the 1970s and showed that the richness of communication dropped off dramatically at 50 yards. Whether that’s coffee or yelling distance, I’m not sure. But it’s not very far. Beyond that, you need to put in effort to collaborate.
In its simplist form, the Allen Curve tells us that unless you physically sit near someone at work, you need to make a special effort to communicate with them. Collaborating with them takes more than communication, but it's a start.
This research is particularly relevant for those in specialised fields like science and research. In these industries, many jobs are not advertised, but rather created through networking and establishing connections. For introverted individuals, reaching out and advocating for oneself may feel uncomfortable, but it's necessary for career growth.
And before you dismiss Professor Allen’s work as old and irrelevant in the Zoom age, don’t. He showed it held up despite the internet. Other MIT researchers have examined papers and patents from that institution over a decade showing collaboration drops exponentially with distance on campus.
Instead of waiting for the perfect job to come along, take the initiative to contact professionals in your desired field and express your interest in working with them. You never know – they might just create a position for you. Most people are willing to help, but they need to know about you and your aspirations.
Use your screen-based tools by all means, but don't forget the value of a face-to-face meeting to build more meaningful and memorable connections. Some things can only happen in person. Collaborate, communicate, and advocate for yourself – your future self will thank you for it.