The Department of Defence has awarded $8.719 million (exclusive of GST) in grants over three years to fund projects by think tanks and academic institutions that contribute to the national security debate in Australia.

Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP said the annual Strategic Policy Grants Program was designed to support original initiatives that help inform Defence’s strategic policy advice, as well as support more public discourse on defence and security issues.

“Australia’s security can be strengthened by more rigorous debate between policy‑makers, think tanks, scholars and the broader public. Defence’s Strategic Policy Grants Program helps ensure that our best minds make valuable contributions to that debate,” Minister Pyne said. 

The competitive selection process attracted 59 applications from Australia and overseas. This year’s grant recipients are:

• Australian Member Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (Aus-CSCAP), Canberra
• Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)
• The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington
• China Matters
• Flinders University, Adelaide
• The Institute for Regional Security, Canberra
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore
• L21, Sydney
• The Lowy Institute
• Macquarie University, Sydney
• The National Bureau of Asian Research, Washington DC
• National Security College, Australian National University, Canberra
• RAND Australia, Canberra
• The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), London
• Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies Australia, Canberra
• SAGE International Australia, Adelaide
• The Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra
• The United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney
• The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
• The University of New South Wales, Canberra.

 "I offer my congratulations to the successful applicants and look forward to their valuable contributions to strengthening Australia’s national security," Minister Pyne said.