News Alerts

Major Research Facilities program extended

Additional funding of $880,000 has been allocated Australian Government to extend the Access to Major Research Facilities (AMRF) program for a further two years.

The program, managed by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), will focus on astronomy, neutron scattering and physics.

Announcing the funding, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, said the program had so far delivered 50 research publications and another 100 were expected from work already undertaken.

The new funding will bring the total commitment to $3 million over five years.

For further information on the AMRF program visit the ANSTO website at www.ansto.gov.au

[ top ]

Australia invests in Giant Magellan Telescope

The Federal Government has announced that it will provide $88.4 million to ensure that Australia is a major partner in the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

The $1 billion GMT is a next-generation instrument larger and more powerful than any optical telescope constructed to date. It will be built and operated by a consortium of institutions from the United States, South Korea and Australia.

To be located in Chile’s high-altitude Atacama Desert and completed by 2018, it will have up to 30 times better resolution than current land-based telescopes, with images 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.

The $88.4 million funding, to be provided to the Australian National University, includes $23.4 million to upgrade Australian infrastructure, including the ANU’s Mount Stromlo Observatory; and $65 million for the telescope itself.

The funding will give Australia a 10 per cent share of the GMT and guaranteed observing time. The telescope can be operated remotely, including from Australia.

[ top ]

IT Industry Innovation Council meets

The Australian Government’s Information Technology (IT) Industry Innovation Council has met for the first time, under the chairmanship of John Grant, Managing Director of Data#3 Pty Ltd.

Mr Grant said the Council would develop a strategic agenda, addressing innovation within the IT industry itself plus the application of technology to create innovation across the broader economy.

Members of the council include:

• Mr Glen Boreham, Managing Director, IBM Australia & New Zealand
• Mr Michael Clifford, Queensland State Secretary, Finance Sector Union
• Professor Peter Cole, Associate Professor & Dean School of IT, Murdoch University (Professor Cole is also President, Australian Council of Deans of Information & Communications Technology)
• Mr Steve Conolly, Vice President, Siemens IT Solutions & Services, Siemens Ltd
• Mr Tom Crago, Chief Executive Officer, Tantalus Interactive Pty Ltd.
• Mr Bob Cupitt, Chief Executive Officer, The Learning Edge International Pty Ltd
• Mr Peter Dalton, Group General Manager Innovation, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group 
• Ms Belinda Dennett, Adviser, Office of the Minister for Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy (Observer) 
• Ms Ros Eason, Senior Industrial Officer, Communications Division, Communications Electrical & Plumbing Union
• Ms Tracey Fellows, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Australia
• Ms Mia Garlick, Assistant Secretary, Digital Economy, Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy
• Dr Graham Hellestrand, Chief Executive Officer, Embedded Systems Technology Inc (Dr Hellestrand is also a member of the Board of National ICT Australia (NICTA))
• Ms Amanda Heyworth, Chief Executive Officer, Playford Capital Pty Ltd,
• Ms Anne Hurley, Chief Executive Officer, Communications Alliance (Ms Hurley is also President, National ICT Industries Alliance)
• Mr Jan Janssen, Senior Vice President, Design and Development, Cochlear Limited
• Mr Paul Kristensen, Executive Chairman, Capital Technologies Pty Ltd
• Mr Mike Lawson, General Manager, Competitive Industries Branch, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research
• Mr Kumar Parakala, President & Chairman, Australian Computer Society
• Ms Suzanne Roche, Director, Smartnet Pty Ltd
• Mr Neville Stevens AO, Chairman, National ICT Australia (NICTA)
• Mr Randall Straw, Deputy Secretary, Department of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development, Victoria
• Mr Chris Winter, Manager New Services, ABC Innovation
• Dr Alex Zelinsky, Director & Group Executive, CSIRO Information & Communications Technologies Centre

[ top ]

Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute launched

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute, an international initiative led by Australia to speed up the development of carbon capture and storage technology, and reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

The launch occurred earlier this month at Rudd at an event jointly hosted by the President of the United States, Barack Obama and Italy’s Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi in L’Aquila, Italy. It followed a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.

The Institute will play a significant role in delivering the G8’s goal of developing at least 20 fully integrated industrial-scale CCS demonstration projects around the world by 2020. Since it was created in September last year, 131 entities have become Foundation Members, including 23 national governments and over 100 major companies and organisations. All members of the G8 are Foundation Members of the Institute.

The Institute’s International Advisory Panel will be chaired by the former President of the World Bank, Mr James Wolfensohn. Other recent appointments are Lord Nicholas Stern from the UK, former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Mr Claude Mandil and the Executive Director of the Indian Energy and Resources Institute, Dr Leena Srivastava.

The Australian Government has committed A$100 million a year to support the Institute’s work and a further A$2 billion to support the construction of CCS demonstration projects in Australia.

Further information is available at www.globalccsinstitute.com.

[ top ]

Competition launched for military robots

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, has announced a million dollar international competition for research organisations to build fully autonomous ground robots able to operate effectively in military operations.

The competition, known as the Multi-Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge (MAGIC), is being organised by Australia’s Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO) in partnership with the US Department of Defense.

Mr Combet said the competition aims to attract the most innovative solutions from around the world to address a technology gap currently faced by coalition forces operating in urban combat zones.

“While remote-controlled robots are being deployed in operational areas, we need smart, intelligent and fully autonomous systems that can take over from humans in conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The ultimate aim is to make these operations much safer for our military personnel, leaving the robots to carry out the dirty and dangerous work,” he said.

Competitors are required to develop a proposal demonstrating teams of robotic vehicles that can autonomously coordinate their activities and execute a mission in a changing urban environment. The robots must detect, monitor and neutralise a number of potential threats to meet the challenge goals and an international panel of experts will judge the entries.”

The first five short-listed competitors will each receive research grants of $US100,000 to develop their proposals into prototypes.

After they have successfully demonstrated their prototypes at a location in South Australia next year, the top three finalists will receive research awards of $US750,000, $US250,000 and $US100,000 respectively.

These finalists also have the opportunity to qualify for further funding under the US Joint Concept Technology Demonstrator (JCTD) Program, so that their prototypes can be transitioned into operational capability. If an Australian competitor is among the top three finalists, that organisation would also be considered for funding under the Capability & Technology Demonstrator Program managed by DSTO.

The five shortlisted competitors will be invited to present their projects at the Land Warfare Conference in November 2010. The competition is valued at US$1.6 million.

Competition details are at: www.dsto.defence.gov.au/MAGIC2010/

[ top ]

New Broadband Institute for Melbourne

A new $50 million Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society (IBES) will be established at the University of Melbourne, with funding from the Victorian Government.

Announcing the Institute, the Premier, John Brumby, said the Institute would create 64 skilled jobs and would be Australia’s first institute dedicated to future broadband applications. It will bring together researchers and industry players to develop and test innovative broadband technologies and applications.

Companies including Telstra, Cisco, Allied Telesis, Microsoft, Ericsson, NEC Australia, Optus, Pacific Broadband Networks, Haliplex, Alcatel-Lucent and Bell Laboratories have already agreed to participate in the new institute.

The University of Melbourne, NICTA and the Centre for Ultra Broadband Information Networks (CUBIN) are foundation partners of the institute.

[ top ]

Announcements

GlaxoSmithKline Australia Post Graduate Support Grant

Announcing the GlaxoSmithKline Australia Post Graduate Support Grant

Our global quest is to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. To achieve our quest, GlaxoSmithKline invests up to $35 million each year in Australian research and development.

Support grants for postgraduate research students

GSK Australia is pleased to offer grant awards of up $25,000 over a period of two years to PhD or Post Doctorate students in the field of human health.

These awards will provide additional financial support to PhD or Post Doctorate research students who are currently in receipt of a research grant from a non-commercial body.

A minimum of six grants will be made available in 2009, with the potential to increase if the quality of applications is high.

How to apply
For further information and application forms, please visit www.gsk.com.au/research
Closing date for applications and supporting documentation is 5.00pm (AEST) Friday 28 August 2009.

[ top ]

Conferences & Events

Learn to search the Internayional Patent Databases Hands-on Workshop

LEARN TO SEARCH THE INTERNATIONAL PATENT DATABASES

Hands-on Workshop via teleconference from 10am – 12pm Tuesday 11th August, 2009

IP First is a Patent & Trade Mark Attorney firm that encourages inventors to take a proactive approach to protecting their intellectual property. Accordingly, we are conducting a workshop to introduce inventors to patent novelty searching. Searching the state of the art can help in planning R&D projects as well as in fine tuning a product to ensure it is protectable. Furthermore, searching the prior art can save you subsequent costs in patent prosecution.

The workshop will include:

• How to search international patent databases;
• Navigating the content of a patent document; and
• Open question and answer session.

This workshop will be provided via a teleconference and is designed to be hands on.
Please ensure that you have access to the internet so that you can follow online searches as they are conducted.

Register by Tuesday 4 August by phoning Kylie Mills on 1300 737 739 or via email at kylie@ipfirst.com.au

Each registrant will receive an audio tutorial on an MP3 player which will assist in preparation for the teleconference.

Registration Fee $275 ($198 for each subsequent person from the same organisation). Payment can be made via credit card by phoning 1300 737 739 or via cheque payable to IP First Level 6, 12 14 Marine Parade Southport, QLD, 4215.

If you would like any further information please feel free to contact us.

Telephone: 1300 737 739
Fax: (07) 3319 6086
Email: patents@ipfirst.com.au
Website: www.ipfirst.com.au

[ 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 ]