News Alerts

Innovation plan for next decade released

The Federal Government has released its response to the review of the National Innovation System, headed by Terry Cutler and completed in August last year.

The response document, Powering Ideas: an innovation agenda for the 21st century, sets out a ten-year agenda to invest in and reform Australia’s innovation system. It sets out a list of National Innovation Priorities to complement the National Research Priorities.

New initiatives include:

• a new R&D Tax Credit scheme to replace the 125% R&D Tax Concession . The new system will provide a a 45 per cent refundable tax credit for Australian owned firms turning over up to $20 million a year; and 40 per cent non-refundable tax credit for all other firms.
• a new Sustainable Research Excellence in Universities Initiative to augment the Research Infrastructure Block Grants Scheme;
• a new Collaborative Research Networks Scheme to help smaller and regional universities develop their research capacity by teaming up with other institutions
• an Increase in the stipend for Australian Postgraduate Awards to $22,500 in 2010
• development of a new National Enabling Technologies Strategy.
• a $196.1 million Commonwealth Commercialisation Institute to develop a new approach to commercialising Australian research. The model for the Institute will be further developed in consultation with research organisations, high technology industry players, the venture capital sector and other financial institutions, and the States and Territories. See http://www.innovation.gov.au/Section/Innovation/Pages/CommonwealthCommercialisationInstitute.aspx

The response document, Powering Ideas: an innovation agenda for the 21st century , and the review report, Venturous Australia - building strength in innovation are available at http://www.innovation.gov.au/innovationreview/Pages/home.aspx

[ top ]

National Research Infrastructure Committee appointed

A National Research Infrastructure Committee (NRIC) has been appointed to provide strategic advice on future research infrastructure investments, including those to be funded through the Super Science Initiative.

Innovation Minister Kim Carr said the NRIC will drive and undertake strategic planning and mapping across all categories of research infrastructure and contribute policy advice to Government and to the Education Investment Fund Advisory Board.

"To date, landmark facilities such as the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation research reactor, the Australian Synchrotron, and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder radio-telescope have been funded on an individual basis. The NRIC will oversee a process to identify and prioritise Australia’s landmark research infrastructure needs,” Senator Carr said.

The NRIC will be chaired by Mr John Ryan, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.

Its membership includes:
• Professor Margaret Sheil, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council
• Professor Penny Sackett, Chief Scientist of Australia
• Dr Megan Clark, Chief Executive Officer, CSIRO
• Professor Warwick Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, National Health and Medical Research Council
• Ms Patricia Kelly, Deputy Secretary, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
• Professor Thomas Cochrane, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Technology, Information and Learning Support) at Queensland University of Technology
• Professor Edwina Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Monash University
• Professor Peter Høj, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Australia.
• Dr Suzanne Miller, Director of the South Australian Museum
• Professor Margaret Seares, Former Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The University of Western Australia

[ top ]

Funding for research infrastructure projects

Funding of $934 million has been awarded to 31 projects under the second round of the Education Investment Fund (EIF). The EIF was created in 2008 as an $11 billion fund to support higher education and vocational education and training. It replaced the former Higher Education Endowment Fund.

Of the total, $321.7 million has been awarded to research infrastructure projects. These are:

• Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) - Processing and Devices at University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, Fairy Meadow - $43.8 million
  The University of Wollongong will construct and equip a state-of-the-art building next to the University's existing Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) at its Innovation Campus at Fairy Meadow, NSW. This facility will transform multifunctional materials research and commercialisation by taking existing and emerging fundamental research beyond the scale-up and proof-of-concept stage.
• Building the Sydney Institute of Marine Science into a World Class Marine Research Facility in support of Australia's National Research Priorities at Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay - $19.5 million
  This project will support a major enhancement and upgrade of SIMS' facilities in order to build it into a world class marine research facility. By bringing together New South Wales’ leading marine scientists at one collaborative site, this project will maximise the efficient use of resources for research on Australia’s critical coastal environments. All existing infrastructure will be enhanced across five main areas: research aquarium and seawater facilities, laboratories, administration and accommodation, research training facilities, and research infrastructure.
• Centre of Climate Change and Energy Research at University of Western Sydney, Richmond - $40.0 million
  The University of Western Sydney will establish the Centre for Climate Change and Energy Research (CCCER) at the Hawkesbury campus, which will provide empirical data to assess the impact of climate change on Australia’s land and water resources and assist the nation to adapt to a carbon-constrained economy.
  National Centre for Synchrotron Science: Outreach and Research Support Facilities at Australian Synchrotron, Clayton - $36.78 million
  The Australian Synchrotron is the nation’s single largest scientific user facility; providing a broad range of scientific, engineering and medical researchers with world’s-best analytical facilities. Funding for this two storey building will enable the Synchrotron to better meet the needs of researchers currently using the synchrotron, as well as enabling the expansion of the synchrotron through additional beamlines.
• The Centre for Neural Engineering at the University of Melbourne, Parkville - $17.515 million
  The Centre for Neural Engineering will comprise three infrastructure components: fit-out and engineering research equipment for an Engineering node and Directorate, neuroscience research equipment for a Neuroscience node, and a new building for a Data Centre equipped with data storage equipment, cooling and data backup capabilities. The project will enable researchers to collaboratively study biological neural networks to develop new ways to combat neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, and contribute to development of next generation biotechnologies and neural prostheses, such as the bionic eye.
• The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences at La Trobe University, Bundoora - $64.1 million
  The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences (LIMS) will be a world-class facility for molecular science, biotechnology and nanotechnology research and research training. LIMS will align with the broader Northern Melbourne Science precinct and generate an economically significant biotechnology research and development hub in northern Melbourne.
• Smart State Medical Research Centre at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Hurston - $55.0 million
  The expansion of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research involves the construction of a new flagship 13 storey 23,000 m2 building that includes ten dedicated floors of laboratory and research facilities and one floor for education/teaching/skills programs. The building will enhance recruitment of Australia’s next generation of researchers and technicians and provide additional capacity for collaborative research.
• Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at University of Tasmania, Hobart - $45.0 million
  The University of Tasmania will construct an iconic building on Hobart’s waterfront to house the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. The facility is expected to create a critical mass of marine scientists in Hobart allowing collocation of research teams in a marine science precinct. It will build a platform for Australia's research in temperate water, Southern Ocean and Antarctic marine science.

In addition to these projects a $650 million Sustainability Round of the EIF will provide $400m for research infrastructure related to the Clean Energy Initiative, and 250m for VET, higher education and research infrastructure related to climate change and sustainability activities.

Applications for Round 3 of the EIF will open later this year and successful projects will be announced in early 2010.

More information is at http://www.deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/EIF/

[ top ]

$4.5 billion allocated to energy technologies

Funding of $4.5 billion has been allocated in this year’s Federal budget to a Clean Energy Initiative (CEI) that will fund low emission coal technologies, solar technologies, and renewable energy research.

The CEI has three components:

• CCS Flagships Program: funding of $2.425 billion over 9 years ($2.0b new; $0.425 existing) to support construction and demonstration of large-scale integrated carbon capture and storage projects in Australia, which may include gasification, post-combustion capture, oxy-firing, transport and storage technologies. The target is to create 1000MW of low emission fossil fuel generation. The CCS Flagships builds on the National Low Emissions Coal Initiative, which includes research, demonstration, mapping and infrastructure elements, and the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, which includes support for industrial-scale CCS projects world-wide.
• Solar Flagships Program: funding of $1.6 billion over 6 years ($1.365b new; $0.235b existing) to support construction and demonstration of large-scale solar power stations in Australia, which may include solar thermal, photovoltaic and energy storage technologies. The target size is 1000MW of electricity generation. A single solar flagship project manager is expected to manage the development and operation of the power stations as an integrated commercial enterprise. The Solar Flagships incorporates part of the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP).
• Renewables Australia: funding of $465 million ($100m new; $365m existing) to establish a new body, Renewables Australia (RA), which will promote the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable technologies, through a commercial investment approach. Renewables Australia will take over management of grants awarded under the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program, the Geothermal Drilling Program and the Second Generation Biofuels R&D Program.

The new Flagship funding includes $400m from the Education Investment Fund (EIF), and it is expected to leverage two dollars of industry and state government funding for each dollar of Commonwealth investment, creating an overall clean energy investment program exceeding $10 billion.

Funding through the Flagships programs will be subject to competitive processes and proponents will be required to include a specific research infrastructure component in their bids, relating to the construction, commissioning and early operating period of their projects.

The selection of CCS and Solar Flagship projects will be completed in the first half of 2010, following a competitive process commencing in the second half of 2009. Renewables Australia will be established in 2009-10.

More information is at  http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2009/budmr20090512i.html

[ top ]

Funding for Queensland medical research

The Queensland government has allocated $1.8 million to fund an international alliance dedicated to the development of vaccines through its Smart Futures Fund, National and International Research Alliances Program.

Announcing the funding at BIO 2009 in Atlanta, Trade Minister Stephen Robertson said the money would be awarded to the Queensland-US Vaccine Technology Alliance between the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane and Emory Vaccine Centre in Atlanta.

The project will focus on new approaches to vaccination development to create new technologies applicable to a wide range of illnesses and diseases.

In other recent funding for medical research, the University of Queensland (UQ) will receive a $5 million grant from the Queensland government to establish a centre to map the genetic make up of some cancers and identify the specific genes that cause the disease. In particular, the full extent of genetic damage caused by pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer will be mapped.

The Queensland Medical Genome Sequencing Centre will be located at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience will partner with a number of organisations on the project including Life Technologies Inc (USA), the NSW Pancreatic Cancer Network, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Silicon Graphics Pty Ltd (Queensland), the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (Canada) and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Victoria).

A new Centre for Biomarker Research and Development will be formed at the University of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) to bring together AIBN’s nanotechnology researchers with those in medicine and molecular biology to focus on the early diagnosis and tailored treatments of diseases using biomarkers. Biomarkers are molecules specifically associated with particular diseases that when present in the body, may indicate the onset and status of the disease.

The Centre will build on research and commercialisation activities of the AIBN’s Professor Matt Trau who has attracted over $12 million in competitive research grants over the last 18 months 

[ top ]

SA Health and Medical Research Institute takes shape

The South Australian Government is advertising nationally and internationally for a team to design a $200 million Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide.  Funding for the institute was announced in the 2009 Federal budget.

Site works for the project will start in early 2010. Once completed, the facility will cover 25,000 square metres with 20,000 square metres of space reserved for research.

The Institute will be a companion building to the new $1.7 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital on North Terrace, co-locating practitioners, patients, researchers and students in a health and medical hub. Both the new institute and the research building were key recommendations of the Review of Health and Medical Research in South Australia, by Professor John Shine, director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and Mr Alan Young, chairman of the Flinders Medical Centre Foundation,  published in May last year.

The South Australian Government is also establishing a health and medical research fund, another recommendation of the Shine and Young report, that will oversee investment in health and medical research in South Australia. The research building and research fund will be governed by the new independent institute board, which will include representatives from the three South Australian universities. A bill to establish the independent Institute and research fund will be brought to Parliament this month.

[ top ]

Stem cell projects funded under Victorian-USl collaboration

Four projects involving Victorian and Californian researchers have been funded under a $28.7 million program of collaborative research to investigate the use of stem cells in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Under a three-year collaboration established last year between the Victorian Government and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the four projects are:

• Australian Stem Cell Centre, Melbourne and the University of California, Irvine:  To determine whether stem cells may one day be able to be used in the clinic as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 4.5 million Americans. Over 500,000 Australians live with the disease currently. There are currently no effective therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. This project will use human embryonic stem cells which are transformed into human neural stem cells and test their ability to improve memory and function, without rejection by the immune system, in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Richard Boyd (Australia) and Frank LaFerla (California) will lead the project.
• Florey Neuroscience Institutes, Melbourne and Burnham Institute of Medical Research, La Jolla:  Parkinson’s disease severely debilitates about two per cent of the US population and approximately 80,000 Australians, with more than 2,225 new cases diagnosed each year in Victoria. Whilst there is currently no cure available for the disease, transplantation (to replace the dying nerve cells in the brain) offers long term hope for many patients. Using mouse and human embryonic stem cells, this collaboration will identify and isolate the best candidate cell for transplantation. The project will be led by Professor Colin Pouton, Dr Clare Parish (Australia) and Professor Evan Snyder (California). 
• Australian Stem Cell Centre, Melbourne and the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla: Human embryonic stem cells that have not yet been turned into specialised cell types are not suitable for transplant into a patient as they may grow unchecked and / or become the wrong cell type or types. There is a risk that these unspecialised cells may also form a type of benign tumour known as a teratoma. This collaboration will develop specific tools and quality control measures for scientists to identify and remove the rare unwanted cells from the specialised cells that are destined for use in the treatment of injury or disease, therefore increasing the safety of future cell therapies and overcoming a major barrier to the advancement of stem cell treatments. The project will be led by Dr Andrew Laslett (Australia) and Dr Jeanne Loring (California).
• Monash University and Novocell Inc, San Diego: Human embryonic stem cells have great potential as the starting material for future treatments using cellular therapies. For example, insulin dependent diabetes is an illness that may one day be treated using a stem cell based therapy. However, there are both scientific and safety hurdles still to be overcome. This project will develop standardised tests to ensure the safety of future embryonic stem cell based products which may contribute to stem cell based treatments for a range of illnesses including diabetes. The project will be led by Professor Ed Stanley and Professor Andrew Elefanty (Australia) and Dr Justine Cunningham (California).

[ top ]

Announcements

2010 Nominations — ATSE Clunies Ross Awards

2010 Nominations – ATSE Clunies Ross Awards

Nominations for the ATSE Clunies Ross Foundation 2010 Awards close 30 June 2009. The Awards are Australia’s pre-eminent recognition of successful commercialisation of science, research and innovation and are awarded annually.

For information on the ATSE Clunies Ross Foundation and past Award winners – and the 2010 nomination forms – go to www.cluniesross.org.au or call (03) 9864 0908.

Previous winners include a parade of leading names in applied science and technology.

The 2009 winners were:

Professor Zigmantas Budrikis, Adjunct Professor at Western Australian Telecommunications Research Institute; Professor Antonio Cantoni FTSE, Research Director at Western Australian Telecommunications Research Institute, and Professor John Hullett, a Consultant in Perth – for their work on overcoming internet congestion.

Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte FTSE, Director, Australian Centre for Field Robotics, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Sydney – for his ground-breaking work in field robotics.

Professor John Hopwood AM FAA, Head of Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit at the Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service, Adelaide – for his distinguished medical research in lysosomal diseases.

Mr Alan Langworthy, Managing Director of Powercorp, Darwin – for his pioneering work in remote renewable energy technology.

Dr Chris Nicol FTSE, Chief Technology Officer, Embedded Systems, NICTA, Sydney – for his contribution to key mobile phone technologies.

A lifetime achievement award was awarded to:

Laureate Professor John Ralston AO FAA FTSE, founder and director of the Ian Wark Institute, University of South Australia.

[ top ]

Call for nominations — NSW Scientist of the Year Awards 2009

Nominations are invited for the $60,000 NSW Scientist of the Year Award.

The NSW Scientist of the Year awards recognise and reward the State’s leading researchers for cutting edge work that generates economic, health, environmental or technological benefits for NSW. Scientific researchers from NSW are encouraged to enter the awards and showcase their contributions to a better future.

Six awards of $5,000 each will be granted to individuals in the following categories:

1. Environment, Water and Climate Change Sciences
2. Physics, Earth Sciences, Chemistry and Astronomy
3. Biomedical Sciences
4. Plant and Animal Sciences
5. Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Sciences
6. Leadership in Teaching Secondary Science and Mathematics

An additional award of $55,000 for the NSW Scientist of the Year will be granted to the overall winner, selected from categories one to five.

The sixth category will reward a teacher for outstanding ability, leadership and innovative thinking in their contribution to secondary school science and/or mathematics education.

Nominations for the Awards close on Friday, 12 June 2009, with an awards ceremony to be held 10 September 2009.

Download a nomination form for the NSW Scientist of the Year awards.

Contact:
NSW Office for Science and Medical Research
Ph: 02 9338 6700
E: info@osmr.nsw.gov.au

The NSW Scientist of the Year Awards are an initiative of the Department of State and Regional Development through the NSW Office for Science and Medical Research (OSMR).

[ top ]

Further Education

Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Biomedical Research Management)

Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Biomedical Research Management)

Success in biomedical research depends on outstanding research management capabilities. And that's something you can learn!

The Biomedical Research Manager needs to be able to lead, coordinate and manage the activities of experts from all the relevant technical, commercial and clinical disciplines, along with the stakeholders in a project – without losing their focus on the operational activities and strategic objectives. Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• Understand and be conversant with the major activities involved in planning biomedical research projects from start to finish
• Understand and be able to develop strategies to manage biomedical research projects
• Understand the nuances, rationales, politics, risks and benefits of dealing with a variety of project stakeholders
• Understand the need to comply with regulatory requirements, the processes to fulfil this and be able to identify potential regulatory and legal pitfalls
• Be able to prepare and operate a budget for biomedical research projects and adapt the budget to changing circumstances
• Understand what is required to develop a project plan for the commercial development of the outcomes of clinical research

Who Should Attend
Designed for professionals involved in biomedical research, this course provides development opportunities for those who wish to advance their career or move into a career in biomedical research management. For organisations it provides the opportunity to provide training that will help meet regulatory requirements, improve investment and risk management and develop staff to increase success rates and maximise economic return. For individuals it provides the opportunity for career development, to acquire the skills and tools to improve personal effectiveness and performance and to increase job satisfaction and success.

Dates
Part 1 - September 7, 8, 9 & 10 2009
Part 2 - October 12, 13, 14 & 16 2009

Cost
$4,200 per person
(GST is added for non award course attendants)

To register contact Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email e.strande@mccp.unimelb.edu.au.

Further information can also be found on our website.

[ top ]

Business Services

Spruson&Ferguson: patent and trade mark attorneys

With over 120 years experience, Spruson & Ferguson is a leading intellectual property firm in Australia which provides a fully integrated service for the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of your intellectual property.

Spruson & Ferguson is one of the largest intellectual property firms in Australia, with a team of over 220. Our 60 plus patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers work in specialised practice areas; Chemical/Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electrical/Information & Communications Technologies (ICT) and Trade Marks, together with Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers which provides intellectual property commercialisation, enforcement and dispute resolution services.

Spruson & Ferguson’s patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers have extensive intellectual property and industry experience in science and engineering including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, phototonics, transport, telecommunications, mining, publishing, consumer products, ceramics, chemistry and mechanical/medical technologies.

The depth of our industry experience is an attribute that many of our clients hold in high regard. Spruson & Ferguson is a recognised as a market leader with multinationals and many of Australia’s foremost research institutions entrusting to us to protect and assisting with the maximisation of returns on their intellectual property assets.

Our comprehensive range of services includes patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, IP audits, due diligence, dispute resolution and litigation and intellectual property commercialisation services including licensing, joint ventures and research and development collaborations.

For more information about our comprehensive range of intellectual property services, please contact one of the following relationship principals:

Chemical: Dr John McCann BSc (Hons) PhD FIPTA
Life Sciences: Dr Andrew Blattman BScAgr (Hons) PhD GDipIP FIPTA
Electrical: Robert Miller BE BLegS FIPTA
ICT: Scott Berggren BSEE MSEE LLB FIPTA
Mechanical: Greg Turner BE FIPTA
Trade Marks: Annette Freeman BA LLB (ANU) LLM (UTS)
IP Commercialisation: Rob McInnes BSc (Hons) LLB (Syd)
IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Simon Williams BA LLB (Syd) LLM (Lond)
Managing Principal: David Griffith BE (Hons) FIPTA

Telephone: (02) 9393 0100
Fax: (02) 9261 5486
Email mail@sprusons.com.au
Website here 

[ top ]