The OPTIMA Executive committee meets monthly to oversee the Centre’s management, operations, and performance across the two collaborating research nodes. The Executive committee receives advice from the OPTIMA Scientific Advisory Committee and the OPTIMA Industry Advisory Committee as required.

OPTIMA’s Scientific Advisory Committee provides independent scientific advice to OPTIMA investigators. The committee advises on the Centre’s scientific directions and assesses the Centre’s research quality against international standards.

OPTIMA’s Industry Advisory Committee provides industry perspectives and advice to the Centre. The committee helps identify new partnership opportunities in a variety of industry sectors, provides advice on commercialisation opportunities, and supports OPTIMA’s training agenda by providing input into OPTIMA’s mentoring and training programs for young researchers and industry practitioners.

OPTIMA’s Education and Training Sub-Committee oversees the development of training programs that benefit the Centre members, students, and our industry partner organisations. The sub-committee also develops strategies to communicate OPTIMA’s research to the broader research community, stakeholders in various industry sectors, and liaises with the Outreach Sub-Committee for communication to the general public about the importance of optimisation and STEM technologies for better decision making in society.

OPTIMA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee seeks to provide equal opportunities and equal expectations for individuals, regardless of their gender, race, culture, or sexual identity. In consultation with the Executive committee, it develops policies. It ensures that these policies are acted upon to build the foundations for an inclusive and productive centre in which all individuals can achieve their best and diversity is valued. Our EDI policy is available here.

OPTIMA’s Outreach Sub-Committee identifies opportunities for OPTIMA members to contribute to outreach, through community, schools or industry related activities, events, and media liaison. It designs, promotes, delivers and evaluates an annual series of outreach activities to ensure the work of OPTIMA is known in the wider community.

OPTIMA’s Theme Leaders drive the strategic direction of the three key themes: Integrate, Advance and Uptake.