PICSE began in Tasmania in 1998, an initiative of Dr David Russell. In 2003 the project expanded to Western Australia with the appointment of Colin Hawke as Science Education Officer. PICSE-UWA was run on the same format as PICSE-UTAS, with some changes being made to accomodate the difference in educational structure between the states, and to accomodate the significant impact of distance in Western Australia.

In the earlier years of PICSE-UWA the project was joint funded by the University of Western Australia and the Grain Research and Development Corporation, with the Department of Agricultre and Food, Western Australia coming on board at around the time of the second round of project funding.

The current PICSE-UWA is modelled on this earlier inception of the program with one significant difference. PICSE is now nationally funded by the Federal Government, as well as the partner Universities and state and national industry sponsors. This has created more impetus for a united approach from all of the PICSE activity centres.

PICSE-UWA works with the Russell Model to direct the mechanism for outreach to high school science students. The Russell Model is made up of five key features;

      

1. In class presentations to students about the career opportunities in primary industry science, and the importance of this area of science to the global community.
2. Residential Camp for scholarship students at UWA.
3. Industry Placement program for scholarship students with partner research organisations.
4. Two day Professional Development for teachers.
5. Development of a teaching resource looking to teach core Chemistry and Biology concepts in a primary industry context.