MNF Operations Rolling Plan 2025 
Covering schedules 2024-25 to 2028-29

26 February 2025

Citation
CSIRO (2025). MNF Operations Rolling Plan 2025: Covering voyage schedules 2024-25 to 2028-29. CSIRO, Australia.

Copyright 
© Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 2025. To the extent permitted by law, all rights are reserved and no part of this publication covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means except with the written permission of CSIRO.
CSIRO is committed to providing web accessible content wherever possible. If you are having difficulties with accessing this document, please contact csiro.au/contact. 

Acknowledgments
The Marine National Facility (MNF) is national collaborative research infrastructure funded by the Australian Government and operated by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, on behalf of the nation.
This activity is funded by CSIRO and receives additional grant funding from the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).


Contents
1	Introduction	1
2	Call for applications 2025 4
3	Streams of access	5
Application assessment	5
Stream 1: Policy-driven research	6
Stream 2: Discipline-driven proposals	7
Stream 3: Strategic partnerships	8
Stream 4: Technology and innovation proposals	9
Stream 5: User-funded research	10
4	MNF policy-driven priorities for Stream 1	11
POLICY-DRIVEN PRIORITY 1: Biodiversity discovery, baselines and monitoring and management effectiveness	12
Paths to impact	14
POLICY-DRIVEN PRIORITY 2: Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity	16
Paths to impact	19
MNF advice to Stream 1 applicants	20
5	Key research capabilities	22
6	Capability investment, technology and innovation	23
7	Performance targets for 2025-26	24
	


1	Introduction
The Marine National Facility (MNF) released its decadal strategy, MNF 2030, to ensure that access to Australia’s dedicated marine research capability is broad and equitable, and that the research it enables is aligned with Australia’s national research priorities and in support of its mission:
To deliver safe, efficient and excellent marine and atmospheric research, aligned with national priorities, to address Australia’s grand challenges for society, the economy and the environment.
The primary vehicle for MNF 2030 implementation is the annual MNF Operations Rolling Plan (hereafter known as ‘the Plan’). The Plan is updated annually and released with the call for Primary Applications for sea time on research vessel (RV) Investigator.
The primary objective of the Plan is to help prospective users effectively engage in MNF processes, including developing and submitting applications for sea time that are aligned with Australia’s national research priorities (Figure 1).
The Plan provides the following for each schedule:
* Streams for which applications are sought and any associated allocation targets to guide granting of sea time across the streams
* MNF policy-driven priorities to define the focus for Stream 1 applications
* an overview of operations, capability maintenance activities, and media, education and outreach events over the coming schedules 
* annual operational performance targets.

2	Call for applications 2025
Applications are for projects to be undertaken between July 2027 and June 2028. Allocation of sea time is subject to operational and funding availability.
In some cases, sea time additional to these days might be offered on another fit-for-purpose platform.

3	Streams of access
Under the MNF 2030 strategy, the MNF offers multiple Streams of access for applications to reflect the breadth of needs and demands of the Australian research community and to encourage new users.
In 2025, the MNF invites applications for sea time under five Streams:
Stream 1: Policy-driven research 
Stream 2: Discipline-driven proposals 
Stream 3: Strategic partnerships
Stream 4: Technology and innovation proposals
Stream 5: User-funded research
Application assessment
All applications, irrespective of Stream, are assessed against the same two merit principles:
1. Research Quality, assessed by the MNF Research Advisory Committee (RAC)
2. Research Benefit, assessed by the MNF National Benefit Advisory Committee (NBAC).
The MNF Steering Committee will take advice from the two advisory committees and strike a balance across the Streams of access to MNF capabilities for each schedule.
Full details of the MNF assessment criteria and process, and guidance for filling out applications, can be found at:
csiro.au/en/about/facilities-collections/MNF/Apply-for-sea-time

Stream 1: Policy-driven research
Stream 1 addresses critical policy needs for Australia and is for research projects that directly address a Policy-driven Priority (policy-driven priorities are articulated in this plan in Section 4).
Successful projects in this Stream will inform and influence important public policies and programs, whilst still demonstrating great strength in research quality.
Stream 1 applications will need to demonstrate an end-user co-conception/co-design approach to the development of project proposals. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have engaged the end-user and worked with them to ensure the project will deliver against their needs to fill gaps in the knowledge base relevant to those needs.
In choosing to apply for Stream 1, you must make explicit what is possible (and not possible) for you to deliver, the research outputs and how they will be used, the approach to facilitate uptake, and the timeframe for delivery of benefits to nominated end-users.
With the primary objective of MNF 2030 to facilitate research that delivers impact to areas of priority for government and the nation, the MNF Steering Committee has set an aspirational target for Stream 1 to encourage uptake of this dedicated avenue for sea-time on RV Investigator by the research community, and participation of end-users.
Subject to merit assessment (Research Quality and Research Benefit), the MNF Steering Committee will make available up to 40 per cent of available days in the 2027–28 schedule noting that this target is not intended to be prescriptive and whether it is achieved will depend on the response from the research community and the quality of the proposals received.

Stream 2: Discipline-driven proposals
Stream 2 is to advance scientific knowledge and promote Australia’s science excellence. Accordingly, Stream 2 is for research projects that address important disciplinary, or multi-disciplinary, research questions of national or international standing that do not directly address priorities specified in other Streams but are directly or indirectly in Australia’s national interest.
Successful projects in Stream 2 are expected to significantly advance the understanding of key features or processes in the ocean or atmosphere or Earth system, including human interactions.
Research undertaken through this Stream must be relevant to Australia or address key questions that are in Australia’s national interest. Applicants should identify the national information need, policy area, or public interests that their research is expected to inform, whether directly or through contributions to global knowledge on which Australia draws for its national interests.
You should identify agencies or sectors, including any relevant international research program in which Australia participates, which you expect to benefit from the research products you will produce. Specific links between your research and priorities as identified in national strategies (which may include but are not limited to the Stream 1 Policy-driven Priorities in Section 4 should be identified.
Frontier, fundamental and basic research proposals fall under Stream 2. While the benefit delivered and the application of outputs from these types of proposals may be more difficult to articulate, the identification of potential next and end-users, and the justification of outputs is required. These proposals will need to be highly innovative and have objectives that, if achieved, may radically change the way we think about something important. Proponents must articulate how the results may potentially influence changes to society, the economy or the environment if hypotheses are proven.

Stream 3: Strategic partnerships
Stream 3 supports publicly funded national programs that rely on regular access to MNF capabilities to support data and sample collection and for which deployment of a national research facility is appropriate. It is expected that Stream 3 research will involve recurrent deployments over multiple years through formal partnership arrangements between the MNF and other publicly funded programs.
Stream 3 research will need to have demonstrably credible prospects of delivering the outcomes nominated by partner programs directly reflecting the national interests for which they were funded.
Prospective partners should discuss their research requirements with the MNF at an early stage and ahead of merit assessment, to verify that the research is appropriate for a partnership arrangement with the MNF. Part of the consideration will be the degree of reliance by the program on MNF capabilities.
A notional cap of 20 per cent of total available days for the 2027–28 application round will apply to Stream 3. While this cap has some flexibility to accommodate variability in demand from schedule to schedule, it is intended to ensure that such national programs do not limit access options to the broader science community.

Stream 4: Technology and innovation proposals
Stream 4 promotes development and innovation in marine research and industry technology.
This Stream is for projects that propose to undertake development and testing of technology that will advance Australia’s capability or capacity for research and understanding of its marine environment, atmosphere, or the Earth System and may include societal dimensions.
Successful projects in this Stream will directly address areas in which development of new technologies or improvement of existing technologies will enhance the collection or delivery of research and data or build on Australia’s reputation for innovation through contribution to marine industries of national interest. Projects in this space will need to demonstrate why deployment of RV Investigator is necessary to achieve the scope.
Stream 4 proposals should clearly identify the technological opportunity that is being addressed and demonstrate how delivering the proposed technology innovation or improvement will be in Australia’s national interest.
Demonstration of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of your project is required to enable an assessment of the risk associated with approving your project, noting that projects that have not reached TRL 4 (Trial or Validated in Laboratory) would generally not be considered for granting of sea time on RV Investigator.
Discuss your technology research with those who you expect to use the resulting technology improvements or innovations and verify that the research is likely to fill important technology gaps in their operations, whether in research, government or industry. You should also discuss how your results will be applied to develop or improve new research products and/or technologies for future use.
The MNF may incorporate successful Stream 4 applications into other ship activities, such as a partner project on a multi-project voyage, or within MNF trial and calibrations activities to ensure efficient and effective use of the platform.

Stream 5: User-funded research
Stream 5 applies to user-funded applicants to support industry and other entities that require MNF capabilities and that deliver data and research of national interest.
Projects under this Stream will be funded by the applicant, or supporting end-users, and will be considered for MNF support based on RV Investigator availability, and if it is demonstrated in advance that the proposed work relies on specific capabilities of the MNF that are not reasonably available otherwise in Australia.
Ahead of submitting your proposal for merit assessment, you will need to satisfy the MNF that the research depends on the use of RV Investigator and could not be done from a reasonable available alternative platform and that you have the funding to pay for the use of RV Investigator to the extent agreed with the MNF. 
Where Stream 5 opportunities exist, the work will need to be of a research nature, meet MNF research quality expectations, and be demonstrably in Australia’s national interest, directly or indirectly.

4	MNF policy-driven priorities for Stream 1
Stream 1 is for access to sea time on RV Investigator for research projects that directly address the policy-driven priorities specified in the Plan. 
Successful Stream 1 projects are expected to directly inform and influence critical public policies and programs.
This Stream promotes a co-design approach to the development of project proposals. Proponents must demonstrate that they have engaged relevant end-users and worked with them to ensure the project will deliver against their needs and will fill gaps in the knowledge base relevant to those needs.
Stream 1 priorities for the 2025 Primary Application call, for voyages to be undertaken between July 2027 and June 2028, are outlined in the following pages.
Stream 1 priorities are responsive to government policy and plans. They are selected from different policy domains to address key data and science gaps critical to supporting Australia’s marine research impact economically, environmentally and socially. 
Recognising the on-going development of government policies and plans, for the 2025 call, applicants may also choose to address other government policy-driven priorities. Identification of the policy driver and an appropriate end-user with which to co-design the project, including identifying the pathways to impact, is required.

POLICY-DRIVEN PRIORITY 1: 
Biodiversity discovery, baselines and monitoring and management effectiveness

Background
The Australian Government has established 62 marine parks around the country to help conserve marine habitats and the marine species that live within and rely on these habitats.
Parks Australia manages 60 of these parks. Covering 3.8 million square kilometres or 43 per cent of our oceans, Australian Marine Parks make up one of the largest networks of marine protected areas in the world.
Located in Commonwealth Waters – those over 5.5 km from the coast – the marine parks encompass waters that are largely remote and deep. Over 85 per cent of the parks are deeper than 100 m. Parks Australia’s ability to manage marine parks is impacted by the low levels of knowledge of many of them.
To undertake research in Australian Marine Parks often requires a well-equipped blue-water research vessel capable of extended voyages, like RV Investigator.
Areas of focus
Under Stream 1, the MNF invites applications for sea time – between July 2027 and June 2028 – to undertake research projects that explicitly address areas that are a priority for the management and protection of Australian Marine Parks and are dependent on the multidisciplinary ocean research capabilities provided by the MNF. 
Priorities to support evidence-based adaptive management of, and decision making for, Australian Marine Parks
* Research that addresses policy priorities, including:
– assess vulnerability and risks regarding climate change-related impacts and pressures from new ocean industries
– inform the 2028 reviews of marine park management plans
– embed First Nations’ knowledge in management.
* Research to improve understanding of the type and distribution of seafloor features and associated biodiversity (habitats, associated communities and species) in Australian Marine Parks subject to higher levels of pressures in the past, now or expected in the foreseeable future.
* Research to improve understanding of the effects of pressures and drivers on benthic habitats and associated communities and species within Australian Marine Parks, and ways to mitigate impacts of pressures on, or build resilience of, these habitats and species.
* Research to improve understanding of species ecology and population dynamics for threatened species which reside or have breeding or feeding aggregation areas in Australian Marine Parks.

Requirements for partnerships with Parks Australia for Stream 1 projects
Co-design of projects with Parks Australia
Genuine co-design is required to target priorities of importance to Australian Marine Park managers and to ensure that research proposed aligns with activities allowed within the parks. Some extractive and destructive methods may not be permitted in Australian Marine Parks.
Collaboration among researchers
Ideally, individual proposals will include several priorities for Parks Australia and involve multiple research groups.
Multidisciplinary needs
Primary and supplementary projects that address multiple needs within the same marine park are encouraged as well as linkages between separate projects. This may include oceanographic process data and bathymetry mapping being combined with species specific data collection and habitat/species distribution modelling.
End-user specific outputs/deliverables
Ideally, reports will be lodged with Parks Australia at the conclusion of the research project and research highlight articles and imagery for Australian Marine Park websites and communication products will be collaborative outcomes of the project. Please note that it is an expectation that media releases and social media articles are to be approved by Parks Australia prior to release.
Resources/funding
It is expected that funding to support activities and post-voyage analysis and reporting comes primarily from research partners in the form of in-kind or cash contributions. Parks Australia may contribute a small amount of funding towards outputs that support park management but if a project is reliant on any funding contribution from Parks Australia, it must be agreed by their Branch Head prior to submission of the MNF application.
Indigenous engagement
Parks Australia’s Indigenous engagement program recognises and respects the ongoing cultural rights and responsibilities of Indigenous people to care for Sea Country and support social, cultural and economic benefits for Traditional Owners.
As such, early in planning, Parks Australia engages with relevant Indigenous Corporations that represent Traditional Owners when the research will occur in Sea Country in Australian Marine Parks. Whenever Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are engaged on research it is also critical their rights to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) be respected, including by ensuring that Indigenous Knowledge is only recorded, used or shared with the free, prior and informed consent of Traditional Owners.
Permits
An authorisation is required to undertake research in Australian Marine Parks. Authorisation applications generally take eight weeks to assess. Therefore, applications must be submitted within a suitable timeframe and will be the responsibility of the Principal Investigator of the project.

Paths to impact
Science and data delivered through the applications should directly inform any of the following:
* digital catalogue of natural values within Australian Marine Parks – for example, Australian Marine Parks Science Atlas
* assessment of environmental impacts of activities and pressures within Australian Marine Parks
* evidence about effectiveness of zoning and management arrangements
* decadal reviews of management plans for Australian Marine Parks
* strategic prioritisation of investment in management and further research.

POLICY-DRIVEN PRIORITY 2: 
Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity 

Background
Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity is a landmark investment to cement the nation’s position as a global renewable energy leader, ensure a pipeline of resources for a ‘Future Made in Australia’ and enable responsible management of all resources.-
Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity is specifically designed to support increased resource exploration and responsible management of all resources to achieve net zero ambitions, underpinned by the precompetitive geoscience from Geoscience Australia.
This initiative is a key component of the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia policy. This policy provides a plan to maximise the economic and industrial benefits of the transition to net zero and secure Australia’s place in a changing global economic and strategic landscape.
A Future Made in Australia aims to attract and enable investment, making Australia a renewable energy superpower and value-adding to the nation’s resources. It will improve Australia’s investment environment and encourage new industries that put the nation on a path to net zero and strengthen our economic resilience.
Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity is the Australian Government’s 35-year, $3.4 billion investment precompetitive geoscience initiative, led by Geoscience Australia. It aims to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals and other resources to boost Australia’s net zero transition and enable responsible management of all resources.

The initiative is specifically designed to support decision making by government, industry and communities, underpinned by precompetitive geoscience data, analysis and decision-support tools, to support responsible management of land, water and the environment and the future investment in exploration and development in Australia’s resource industry.
In the offshore, Geoscience Australia, in partnership with Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, will:
* reprocess and review valuable archives of existing offshore geoscience data
* collate new offshore geoscience datasets collected by our partners (including CSIRO)
* integrate these to build Australia-wide, foundational offshore geoscience datasets
* undertake national assessments of the potential for offshore geological storage of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and suitability for offshore renewable energy
* develop techno-economic assessments to estimate the economic feasibility of resource projects
* empower First Nations peoples and local communities to increase economic and environmental self- determination through participation and increased access to and use of precompetitive geoscience
* improve digital service delivery, enabling tailored, timely and effective access to digital products and services.

Given the size and complexity of Australia’s offshore estate, Geoscience Australia cannot tackle this long-term challenge alone and seeks the support of the Australian research community to pursue offshore projects that directly address Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity priorities.
The Marine National Facility offers a highly valuable and unique capability for collection of offshore geoscience data. Inclusion of the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative as a Stream 1 policy-driven research priority enables Geoscience Australia to leverage infrastructure and expertise, and support projects that directly deliver impact against a critical policy need for Australia.

Areas of focus
Under Stream 1, the MNF invites applications for sea time – between July 2027 and June 2028 – to undertake research projects that explicitly address areas that are a priority for assessments of offshore energy, particularly offshore renewables and geological storage of carbon and hydrogen.
Understanding onshore-offshore groundwater interactions is also an area of interest. Assessments of seabed minerals are not in scope for Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity. 
Priorities to support evidence-based assessments
* Research to improve understanding of the seabed and sub-seabed in areas with potential for offshore renewable energy and/or geological storage of hydrogen and carbon.
* Research that contributes to understanding seabed stability and suitability for offshore energy infrastructure.
* Research that contributes high-level offshore geoscience data and products including:
– new foundational seabed and sub-sea geophysical datasets – for example, bathymetry, backscatter, sediment composition, passive seismic, legacy 2D and 3D seismic
– interpreted products information on seabed topography, structure and processes – for example, geomorphology, sediment mobility, seabed stability, seabed subsidence, geological constraints
– 2D and 3D geology – for example, paleogeography, depositional environment, layered geology, groundwater systems, stratigraphy, structure, sediment thickness, geochemistry, geochronology, fluid escape structures.

Requirements for partnerships with Geoscience Australia for Stream 1 projects
Co-design of projects with Geoscience Australia
Genuine co-design is required to target priorities for the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative.
Collaboration among researchers
Proposals will be co-conceived and designed to incorporate relevant priorities for Geoscience Australia. Ideally, individual proposals will involve multiple research groups that address multiple needs within the same area.

End-user specific outputs/deliverables
Data and information products will be made available to Geoscience Australia. Research articles, visuals and communication products will be collaborative and highlight the impact and benefits of the research to broad audiences. Please note that it is an expectation that media releases and social media articles are to be approved by Geoscience Australia prior to release. 
Resources/funding
It is expected that funding to support activities and post-voyage analysis and reporting comes primarily from research partners in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Any reliance on Geoscience Australia towards project deliverables needs to be discussed and agreed prior to submission of the MNF application.
Indigenous engagement
Geoscience Australia recognises and respects the ongoing cultural rights and responsibilities of Indigenous people to care for sea country and support social, cultural and economic benefits for Traditional Owners. Early in proposal planning, engagement with Traditional Owners will be required when the research will occur in Sea Country. Proposals that build and deepen partnerships with First Nations people, support their economic self-determination, integrate their traditional knowledge and explore how geoscience data and information can be used to assist with managing and protecting Sea Country are encouraged. 
Permits
Arranging Commonwealth, State and Territory authorisations, where required, to undertake research will primarily be the responsibility of the Principal Investigator of the project.

Paths to impact
Science and data delivered through the applications should directly inform any of the following:
* contribute to regional and national-scale offshore geoscience data compilations
* inform assessments of the potential for offshore geological storage of carbon dioxide and hydrogen and suitability for offshore renewable energy
* inform techno-economic assessments to estimate the economic feasibility of resource projects
* empower First Nations peoples and local communities to increase economic and environmental self-determination through participation and increased access to and use of precompetitive geoscience.

MNF advice to Stream 1 applicants
MNF policy-driven priorities are set through consultation with key government and industry end-users to define critical needs for data, knowledge and research, such as:
* big-picture research questions to underpin national policy development
* a focus on an oceanic region to support sustainable growth of new and emerging industries
* contributions to global research programs of strategic national importance
* establishment of baselines and ongoing monitoring to directly inform government programs and regulation.
The objective of Stream 1 access is to catalyse the co-design of large, multidisciplinary high-impact projects that deliver research clearly aligned with national priorities. 
Accordingly, applications for Stream 1 access will need to ensure that they:
* provide strong evidence of project co-design with the end-user
* clearly demonstrate the multidisciplinarity of the proposed research
* clearly articulate the rationale for location-based or regionally-focused proposals
* clearly articulate the impact pathway of the research to the end-user
* clearly articulate plans for Indigenous engagement in the project design if the proposal includes research on Sea Country.
For general advice on what makes a strong application for sea time, visit the MNF website at mnf.csiro.au

5	Key research capabilities
Through access to RV Investigator’s advanced multidisciplinary scientific equipment and instrumentation, along with expert operational and technical support personnel, the MNF can flexibly and safely cater for diverse and multidisciplinary oceanographic, biological, geological and atmospheric research needs.
MNF Capability Prospectus
The MNF Capability Prospectus provides an overview of available MNF equipment and instruments, technical expertise and data capability. It includes a summary of available capabilities and equipment within the main science disciplines of atmospheric, biological, geoscience and oceanographic research. 
The Prospectus includes a wide range of general information for planning purposes including an overview of the vessel’s information technology and data capabilities.

The MNF Capability Prospectus is available at:
csiro.au/en/about/facilities-collections/MNF/Research-vessel-Equipment-Data/MNF-Capability-Prospectus 

Key research support provided by the MNF currently includes:
* A team of dedicated, highly skilled and experienced hydrochemists, geophysical and survey mapping experts, instrumentation, calibration and engineered systems experts, data acquisition and processing, and information and data centre staff to ensure sample, mapping, technical services and data integrity is delivered from collection through to analysis and data processing.
* A suite of policies and information to ensure users are informed of their obligations, including the collection and management of samples and data, use of MNF supplied resources and acknowledging MNF support, and health, safety and wellbeing at sea.
* Access to MNF’s unique and advanced capabilities and expert support personnel is a significant investment in marine science for the benefit of the nation and a key principle remains MNF’s commitment to continually evolving as new equipment is added and technology is upgraded.

6	Capability investment, technology and innovation
The MNF is responsible for maintaining and upgrading its key research capabilities, and for expanding capabilities in response to new and emerging technologies and needs. 
The MNF also offer significant opportunities for advancing technology development for novel marine research systems and, more broadly, technological solutions that can support the growing blue economy.
To ensure the MNF keeps pace with emerging capabilities, technologies and key research needs, and continues to play an active role in promoting and adopting marine technology innovation, it has:
* provided a dedicated technology and innovation access Stream (Stream 4) to foster the development of new marine technologies and innovation in marine systems
* developed a 25-year capability investment framework
* reviewed and prioritised MNF capital investment on key research capabilities
* instigated a Technology and Innovation Advisory Group (TIAG), with membership from the research and technology development communities, to advise MNF on strategic capability investment.
Each of these activities will ensure the MNF continues to provide capability and equipment that best fits the current and future needs of Australia’s marine and atmosphere research users and is interoperable across the national research fleet, where possible.

7	Performance targets for 2025-26
The strategic objectives and key actions under each of the strategic pillars in MNF 2030 are intended to keep the MNF on course to fulfil our mission. 
We seek to facilitate safe, efficient and excellent marine and atmospheric research that is well aligned with strategic priorities and addresses Australia’s grand challenges for society, the economy and the environment.
Alongside those, and to check our progress along the way, we will monitor and report on key operational performance targets under each pillar.
Operational performance targets for 2025–26 are listed overpage.

Table 1 MNF operational performance targets for 2025-26
CSIRO PRIORITIES 
COMMITMENT
PERFORMANCE TARGETS FOR 2025–26
CSIRO Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (2024-2027)
Increase access to science education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
* Continue to support two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students per year to join voyages of RV Investigator through the Indigenous Time at Sea Scholarship (ITSS).

Demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by observing cultural protocols.
* Develop and promote a framework for engaging with Traditional Owners of Sea Country.
MNF 2030 PILLAR 
MNF 2030 OBJECTIVE
PERFORMANCE TARGETS FOR 2025–26
Foundation: Protecting our people and the environment
To continue to improve our health, safety and environmental performance and strive for zero harm in all our operations.
* Deliver 3 new, fit for purpose Health, Safety and Environment training modules for RV Investigator users, improving understanding and application of risk management practices onboard.
* Improve in our HSE leading indicators, through meeting or exceeding our organisational target for hazard-to-incident reporting rate for 2025.
* Establish detailed baseline ground data within Marine Facilities Planning (MFP) system to inform future decarbonisation plan.

Pillar 1:
Maximum impact
To deliver maximum return on public investment through strengthening the alignment of MNF-supported research to Australia’s policy, strategic, and research and innovation.
* In 2025, review and improve data delivery workflows, supporting sequential processing and the quantified delivery of data sets into national and global portals, no later than 12 months post-voyage.
* Streamline process to publish planned voyage areas into the AusSeabed Survey Coordination Tool to efficiently deliver key data to the Australian seafloor mapping community.

Pillar 2:
Broad access
To offer broad access to the MNF to researchers from academia, government, museums and industry.
* Support users in preparing successful applications for sea time, by providing research quality and research benefit exemplars within the tools and resources available to applicants.


* Promote the application call widely to ensure the research community is aware of opportunities to engage with the MNF.
Pillar 3:
Streamlined operations and optimal use
To optimise use of MNF resources and increase efficiency of our operations.
* Maximise efficiency and effectiveness of RV Investigator operations, by refining our processes and implementing the voyage planning module in the MFP system.


* Deliver a minimum of 90% of planned science days for the 2025-26 voyage schedule.
Pillar 4:
Advanced capabilities and innovation
To maintain and enhance the MNF research capabilities to accommodate evolving research needs and technology developments.
* Deliver our 5-year strategic capital expenditure plan in 2025, to guide strategic investment decisions and promote innovation of our research systems.
* Embed the role of the Technology and Innovation Advisory Group (TIAG) within the MNF governance framework, developing strategies for TIAG members to facilitate broader user community input and investment priorities.

Pillar 5:
Training future generations
To deliver education and training activities that help encourage and develop future generations of blue-water researchers and technicians.
* Deliver one Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea Training Alliance Network (CAPSTAN) voyage in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 schedules and schedule a CAPSTAN opportunity within the 2025 call for sea time for the 2027-28 schedule year.
Pillar 6:
Connecting with Australians and the world
Deepen the public’s understanding of marine and atmospheric research and of the MNF’s value and contribution to solving key challenges.
* Achieve year-on-year increase (vs 3-year rolling average) in engagement metrics for conventional media, social media and MNF website.


* Share the story of every voyage to increase awareness of the research we deliver and its impact and benefit to the nation.


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MNF Operations Rolling Plan 2025