Setting priorities for publicly funded research: the CSIRO priorities method

The CSIRO Priorities Method is a way to rank and display research priorities for publicly funded research. This paper describes the development and evolution of the method that was employed in CSIRO throughout the 1990s and, since that time, in several other research organisations in Asia and Europe. It comprises three elements: a framework, a process, and a results screen, and has been used for priority setting at a national, organisational, program and project level. Its key attributes are its simplicity, robustness, and adaptability. This paper fills a gap in the literature about this Method by summarising its development and use, and by providing online references to previously unavailable documents.