Dr Tony Willis
Dr Tony Willis
Senior ASSOCIATE
Dr Tony Willis has extensive experience of working at the intersection of science, strategic policy, higher education and research, with particular interest and expertise in research funding, strategy and evaluation.
He was a Senior Executive in the Australian Public Service for many years, working in diverse agencies including Health (Office of the Gene Technology Regulator), Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Tony held senior leadership roles at the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and was the Executive General Manager at the Australian Research Council (ARC). He has sought-after people skills, a deep understanding of the Commonwealth’s higher education policy and research-funding and research-evaluation landscapes, and a strong network of professional relationships across government and higher education.
Tony holds a PhD in Plant Sciences (Botany) from the Australian National University. He held post-doctoral research fellowships at Imperial College and at CSIRO Plant Industry.