CEBRA began as a partnership between the University of Melbourne and the federal Department of Agriculture in 2006 to develop tools and techniques for biosecurity risk analysis. Initially, it functioned as a typical CoE, with marginal success. In 2009, the relationship was revised to better integrate with Departmental priorities. This move precipitated a range of new projects that have challenged the Centre's participants and generated novel and practical solutions to some long standing problems in biosecurity risk analysis. This presentation describes the developing relationship, outlines some technical developments that have useful applications in animal biosecurity, and finally, describes some of the things that statisticians, economists and botanists may contribute when working with animal biosecurity research specialists.