News Alerts

Eleven CRCs funded in latest round

Funding of $243 million has been announced for 11 CRCs under the 11th round of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program.

Nine of the funded CRCs are extensions to existing Centres. The two new Centres are in the mining and energy sector.

The successful CRCs include:

• CRC for Aboriginal Health (extension), $25.5 million 
• CRC for Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems (Extension), $20.1 million
• CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (Extension), $20.0 million
• CRC for Spatial Information (Extension), $32.2 million
• CRCMining (Extension), $12.0 million
• Dairy Futures CRC (Extension), $ 28.0 million
• Oral Health CRC (Extension) $31.6 million
• Poultry CRC (Extension), $28.0 million
• Deep Exploration Technologies CRC (New), $ 28.0 million
• Energy Pipelines CRC (New) $17.5 million

More details are at www.crc.gov.au

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National Centre of Excellence in Water Recycling announced

Western Corridor Recycled Water Pty Ltd will receive $20 million over five years from the Federal Government to host the National Centre of Excellence in Water Recycling in Brisbane.

Western Corridor Recycled Water Pty Ltd will host the centre with involvement from founding partners including University of Queensland, Griffith University, University of New South Wales and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), along with industry partners, Veolia Water Australia Pty Ltd and GHD Pty Ltd.

Western Corridor Recycled Water is owned by the Queensland state authority, WaterSecure. WaterSecure chief executive officer, Keith Davies, said the expertise of the Centre’s partners and connections with national and international academia, industry and technological providers would ensure that Australia is recognised as an international leader in water recycling research.

“Our key focus is to bring together, under one Centre of Excellence, parties from around Australia with an interest in developing and commercialising breakthrough water recycling technologies, and finding solutions to our water issues in a collaborative and pioneering environment,” Mr Davies said.

The centre is expected to start work later this year. More information about the Centre of Excellence is available at: www.environment.gov.au/water, or by calling 1800 218 478.

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Call for comment on Commonwealth Commercialisation Institute

Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has called for public comment on the development and operation of the Commonwealth Commercialisation Institute.

The Commonwealth Commercialisation Institute was announced in the 2009-10 Budget and is a component of the Australian Government’s statement, Powering Ideas: an innovative agenda for the 21st Century.

Senator Carr said the Institute represents a new approach by Government to assisting Australia’s universities, public sector research organisations and innovative firms to commercialise their ideas.

A Government Committee, consisting of Commonwealth Departments and agencies, has been formed to guide the development of the Institute and will be chaired by Dr Laurie Hammond.

Comments can be provided by completing an online form on the Institute’s website http://www.innovation.gov.au/cci. A discussion paper with information on the background and policy principles to guide the design of the institute is also on the website.

The deadline for comments is 28 August 2009.

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US firm attracts funding to commercialise CSIRO battery technology

The US government has awarded $US32.5 million to US manufacturer East Penn to produce a battery developed by CSIRO.

The grant is part of $US2.4 billion in funding for 48 advanced battery and electric-drive projects announced by President Barack Obama in August under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The UltraBattery, developed by CSIRO Energy Technology as part of the Energy Transformed Flagship research program, combines a supercapacitor and a lead acid battery in a single unit, creating a hybrid car battery that provides comparable performance but costs considerably less than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

CSIRO licensed the UltraBattery technology to Furukawa Battery Company to commercialise the technology in Japan and Thailand, and further granted permission for Furukawa to sub-license the technology to East Penn for commercialisation and distribution to the automotive and motive power sector throughout North America, Mexico and Canada.

The exclusive sub-license agreement will see the UltraBattery distributed by East Penn to the automotive and motive power sector throughout North America, Mexico and Canada while Furukawa Battery Company will release the technology in Japan and Thailand.

CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship Director Dr Alex Wonhas said CSIRO will work closely with East Penn to develop the technology in North America.

The UltraBattery technology is not yet licensed in Australia for automotive applications and CSIRO is accepting expressions of interest for manufacture and distribution of the technology in this region.

UltraBattery technology also has applications for renewable energy storage from wind and solar. CSIRO is part of a technology start-up that will develop and commercialise battery-based storage solutions for these energy sources.

The UltraBattery offers a number of advantages over conventional car batteries: its cycle life is four times longer; it provides 50 per cent more power than lead acid batteries counterparts; it is around 70 per cent less expensive than current HEV battery systems; and it has faster charge and discharge rates. 

Recent testing undertaken in the United Kingdom has further proved the UltraBattery’s capabilities with a HEV surpassing 100 000 miles under controlled conditions, using the power of the advanced battery system. 

CSIRO will conduct further research to improve UltraBattery technology, making it lighter, more efficient and capable of setting new performance standards for HEVs. Field tests for the wind energy storage application are being conducted at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and a similar application is expected to be developed for solar energy production.

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Biofuel R&D funding recipients announced

The successful applicants for funding under the Australian Government's $15 million Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program have been announced, with seven projects sharing in the funding.

The Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program supports the research, development and demonstration of new biofuel technologies which address the sustainable development of the biofuels industry in Australia.

The seven successful projects are (pending successful offer negotiations):

• The University of Melbourne ($1.24 million): This project will look at Biofuel from Micro algae involving the efficient separation, processing and utilisation of algal biomass. The project is also supported by Bio Fuels Pty Ltd and will be located at Hazelwood Power Plant, Victoria.
   
• Algal Fuels Consortium ($2.724 million): The consortium is developing a pilot-scale second generation biorefinery for sustainable micro algal biofuels and value added products. The participants are the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Flinders University and CSIRO. The project is located at Torrens Island, South Australia.
   
• Curtin University of Technology ($2.5 million): The project will investigate the sustainable production of high quality second generation transport biofuels from Mallee biomass by pyrolysis and utilising the biorefinery concept. The project is also supported by Spitfire Oil Pty Ltd and located in Perth, Western Australia. 
   
• Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES) Limited ($1.326 million): BSES will be developing an optimised and sustainable sugarcane biomass input system for the production of second generation biofuels, located at Indooroopilly, Queensland. The project is also supported by CSIRO. 
   
• Monash University ($1.383 million): The Monash University project will aim to develop a pyrolysis biorefinery supported by the Renewable Oil Corporation and located at Monash University, Victoria. 
   
• Microbiogen Pty Ltd ($2.539 million): The project aims to produce commercial volumes of ethanol from bagasse using patented yeast strains. The project is located at Lane Cove, New South Wales. 
   
• Licella Pty Ltd ($2.288 million): Licella will examine the commercial demonstration of Lignocellulosics to stable bio-crude, located at Somersby, New South Wales.

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TCF Industries Innovation Council announced

Membership of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Industries Innovation Council has been announced, with Mr Phillip Butler, Managing Director of Textor Technologies, appointed as Chair.

The Council is a component of the Commonwealth Government’s $401 million TCF innovation package as announced in the 2009 Budget.

Its members include:

• Phil Butt, Managing Director, J. Robins & Sons;
• Bronwyn Darlington, Managing Director, Rise Up Productions;
• Ross Fitzgerald, General Manager Sales, Steel Blue; John Garrett, Director, Godfrey Hirst Australia;
• Michael Gerakios, General Manager, Global Filtration, Albany Filtration Technologies;
• David Kesby,Group General Manager, Cue Design;
• Mike Lawson, General Manager, Competitive Industries Branch, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research;
• Daniel Leipnik, Chief Executive Officer, The Specialty Group;
• Dr Steve Morton , Group Executive, Manufacturing, Materials and Minerals, CSIRO;
• Professor Marie O'Mahony, Professor of Advanced Textiles and Fashion Design, University of Technology – Sydney;
• Michele O'Neil, National Secretary, Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia;
• Lindsay Packer , Managing Director, Packer Leather;
• Andre Reich, General Manager - Apparel, Footwear, Beauty, KMART;
• Brian Rush, Managing Director, Australian Defence Apparel;
• Charles Szakiel, Managing Director, Tascot Templeton Carpets;
• Barry Tubner, NSW, South Australia and Tasmania Branch Secretary, Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia.

Two additional members are yet to be confirmed.

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Director of Creative Industries Innovation Centre appointed

Ms Lisa Colley has been appointed Director of the Rudd Government’s $17 million Creative Industries Innovation Centre.

Part of the the Enterprise Connect network, the Creative Industries Innovation Centre assists a range of creative businesses including design, publishing, writing, architecture, visual arts, television, radio and advertising, film, performing arts, music, games and interactive content.

Ms Colley was previously the Director of Exhibitions, Events and Projects at University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Prior to this she was Executive Director of Policy, Communication, Research at the Australia Council for the Arts and inaugural manager of the New Media Arts Board.

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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.

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Latest Venture Capital Guide released

The Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Guide (previously the Australian Venture Capital Guide) for 2009 has been released. The Guide provides an up-to-date reference for sources of private equity and venture capital funding in Australia and New Zealand.

Published by Private Equity Media, the Guide provides contact details of a wide range of funds and other investors plus details of capital available and investment preferences.

A total of 165 Australian and New Zealand private equity and venture capital firms are listed. A further 28 other sources of business funding are also listed. The Guide also includes full details of 19 managers of infrastructure investment funds. All entries have been revised and there are many changes from last year.

The Guide includes a fully revised introductory section outlining the private equity and venture capital raising process for capital seekers. While the Guide includes Australian offices of overseas-based managers that invest only in large deals, most of the listings are local firms that primarily invest in Australian and New Zealand businesses.

The 2009 Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Guide is available in print form or as an emailed PDF for $100 including GST, or as a 12-month subscription to a regularly updated online version for $200.

To order, visit: www.privateequitymedia.com.au

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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.

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Scholarships

Postgraduate by Research Scholarships at the University of Ballarat

Postgraduate by Research Scholarships University of Ballarat

The University of Ballarat has a number of postgraduate research scholarships available for 2010.

The University has now developed research themes which have been based on a combination of the University's existing research strengths, and the needs of the communities served by the University.

The four priority research themes are:

• Informatics and Applied Optimization
• Regional Futures
• Addressing Disadvantage and Inequality in Education and Health Injury
• Prevention and Safety Promotion

The University also has three designated research centres:

• Centre for Informatics and Applied Optimisation (CIAO)
• Centre for Environmental Management (CEM)
• Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness (CRIC)

The University invites eligible candidates to apply for the following stipend scholarships to support entry into a PhD or a Masters by Research program:

Research Scholarships are awarded via a merit system. Full details are availalbe on the scholarship website.

• Australian Postgraduate Awards with stipend
• International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (course fees)
• University of Ballarat Postgraduate Research Scholarships

Contact: Application forms and further Information are available from the Research & Graduate Studies office tel (03)5327 9508. Please contact Ms Elanor Clinch for any further details or email: HDResearch@ballarat.edu.au.

Please note all applications must be completed on the approved PhD or Masters application form. Applicants who fail to complete a PhD or Masters by research form will be deemed ineligible.

Scholarship information: here

Applications: here

Expression of Interest forms and applications forms for higher degrees must be lodged by the closing date 31 October, 2009.

An equal opportunity employer CRICOS Provider Number 00103D 280UOB Aust

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