News Alerts

CRC selection round goes ahead with changes in place

A call has gone out for the 12th CRC Selection Round, and information sessions are being held this week and next week in the capital cities.

In this year’s budget, the CRC program has been maintained with funding of $682 million over the next four years, but the CRC Association described the program as the “Cinderella science scheme” as it had been awarded no additional funding despite a 25% increase in government investment in innovation across all schemes.

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, has announced that the Government will accept recommendations of the review of the CRC Program by Professor Mary O’Kane including:

• funding rounds to be made on an annual basis instead of every two years;
• restoring public good as a key objective;
• extending eligibility for funding to the humanities, arts and social sciences;
• placing more emphasis on the needs of end-users;
• increasing funding and organisational flexibility; and 
• funding CRCs for up to ten years, subject to rigorous review.

Guidelines for the 12th selection round and details of information sessions are at https://www.crc.gov.au/Information/default.aspx

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Review of NHMRC Research Fellowships Scheme

The National Health and Medical Research Council has released a consultation paper as part of its review of the Research Fellowships Scheme.

It is calling for comment on a range of questions and issues, including the aims of the Research Fellowship Scheme; the alignment between aims and selection criteria, scoring and ranking processes and feedback to applicants; Position Classification Statements; the numbers of Fellows at different Fellowship levels; the appropriateness of the current four levels of Fellowship; the application process; re-application; gender imbalance in the scheme, and other details of the scheme.

The NHMRC is in the process of developing a Strategic Plan covering the years 2010-2012, which will include a strategy for medical research and public health research and also identify the major health issues likely to arise and how the organisation intends to handle them. It has commissioned a demographic study of the health and medical research workforce which is due to be completed shortly.

The consultation paper and submission form are atwww.nhmrc.gov.au. Submissions close on 29 June

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Call for fund managers for IIFF program

The Federal Government has called for applications under its new venture capital program, the $83 million Innovation Investment Follow-On Fund (IIFF).

The program is designed as a temporary response to the global financial crisis to invest in early-stage innovative companies to assist them to continue to develop and to commercialise research.

Fund managers currently licensed under the first two rounds of the Innovation Investment Fund, the Renewable Energy Equity Fund and the Pre Seed Fund and successful applicants under the ICT Incubators program are eligible to apply. Applications are due by 19 June.

Further information is at www.ausindustry.gov.au

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NHMRC funds urgent research on swine flu

The National Health and Medical Research Council is providing funding of $7 million for research into the H1NI influenza 09 virus (human swine influenza), and has put out an urgent call for expressions of interest from research teams.

The research will focus on two areas: 

• biology of the virus, including the progress of mutations, likely increase or decrease in virulence, susceptibility to antivirals, and the risk of combination with other influenza virus strains; and 
• health care, including quarantining, effective population based use of antivirals, advice on public health measures and messages and the factors that put individuals at higher risk.

Applications for research projects of up to 12 months duration are due by 22 June. The application form and supporting document are available at www.nhmrc.gov.au

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Funding for bionic eye research

Researchers in bionic eye technology have been invited to submit proposals for funding under the $50 million Research in Bionic Science and Technology Initiative, created by the Australian Government in response to the 2020 Summit.

Under the initiative a leading research team or teams will receive up to $50 million to initiate significant national and international research collaboration to develop a bionic eye. The program is administered by the Australian Research Council, and applications close on 29 July.

Funding guidelines are at www.arc.gov.au

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SA funding for research institutes

The South Australian Government has allocated $10 million over five years to research infrastructure in its 2009 budget, supplementing the Federal Government’s commitment of $68.8 million last December through the Higher Education Endowment Fund.

The two projects that will receive the funding are:

• $5 million to UniSA’s Mawson Lakes campus to help establish a Materials and Minerals Science Learning and Research Hub. This is in addition to $40 million in Federal Government funding.
• $5 million to establish a new Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) at the University of Adelaide. The Commonwelath has allocated $28.8 million to this Institute.

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Mitsubishi Development funds sustainable mining chair

The mining company Mitsubishi Development is providing funding of $1.1 million to establish a new Mitsubishi Chair in Sustainable Mining Practices in the University of New South Wales’ School of Mining Engineering.

It is the first investment of its kind in Australia by the company, and the largest contribution from an individual company received by the School.

The Chair will head a new Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices. The Centre, currently in the planning stage, will be an international centre of excellence in sustainable mining research and education, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region. It will provide education for local and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level and for mining industry professionals.

Associate Professor David Laurence, the Director of Postgraduate Studies and International Development in the School of Mining Engineering, said the new centre will focus on technical, environmental and community issues associated with mining.

“Our approach to sustainable development and the mining industry is unique – as mining engineers we take a holistic approach to sustainability including the dimensions of community, environment, economic, safety and resource efficiency. Using that approach will help mines take the steps needed to maintain their social license to operate.”

The inaugural occupant of the Chair will be selected by the end of the year, following an international search.

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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.

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2010 Awards and Grants - The Australian Academy of Science

2010 AWARDS AND GRANTS – THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

The Australian Academy of Science Honorific Awards for scientific excellence are made to early-career researchers under 40 and to career researchers for life-long achievements.

The Academy also supports research through the sponsorship of conferences that focus on rapidly developing fields of research; awarding travelling fellowships for the exchange of scientific ideas; and grants to support research. The Academy invites the following:

Nominations for:
• Medals and prizes for early career and career researchers
Closing date – 31 July 2009
Website: http://www.science.org.au/awards/index.htm
• Rudi Lemberg Travelling Fellowship in biological sciences for Australian or overseas scientists to travel in Australia
• Selby Fellowship in all fields of science for overseas scientists to travel in Australia
Closing date – 31 August 2009
Website: http://www.science.org.au/awards/research.htm

Applications for:
• Award for the Conservation of endangered Australian vertebrate species
• Graeme Caughley Travelling Fellowship for Australian ecologists to travel overseas
Closing date – 31 August 2009
Website: http://www.science.org.au/awards/research.htm

Expressions of Intent for Research Conferences:
• Boden Research Conference in the biological sciences
• Fenner Conference on the Environment
• Elizabeth and Frederick White Research Conference in the physical sciences
Closing date – 31 August 2009
Website: http://www.science.org.au/awards/research.htm

Email enquiries: awards@science.org.au

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The General Sir John Monash Foundation Awards

General Sir John Monash Awards
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
BE ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE LEADERS

• Up to $150,000 over three years
• Postgraduate study commencing 2010
• Applications close 31 August 2009

More information www.monashawards.org

“These are prestigious, national scholarships for our brightest and our best… supporting the leaders of tomorrow.”
“The General Sir John Monash Awards and the extraordinary young Australians who have won them in the past are helping to keep the name and legacy of Monash and his men (the Anzacs) alive.”
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia

“We offer to Australia’s future leaders the General Sir John Monash Awards for international postgraduate study in any field, at the world’s best universities.”
General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Retd),
Chairman, General Sir John Monash Foundation

Awards Supporters: Federal Government (DEEWR), Victorian Government, Australian Capital Equity, Macquarie Group Foundation, Commonwealth Bank Ltd, the Pratt Foundation, Tenix, WorleyParsons Ltd, South Australian Government, Mr Bruce and Mrs Lana Moran

Leader’s making a difference to Australia’s Future

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Conferences & Events

AIRG Winter Conference

Australia and New Zealand are investing heavily into major research infrastructure – examples of which include NCRIS, the MNRF program before it, the Synchrotron, the new nuclear reactor at ANSTO, and many other instrument‐driven capabilities in Universities and CSIRO, all of which are capital intensive.

While most of the infrastructure seems largely designed for academic use, it is recognized that this major research equipment and the highly skilled people who work with it, may also have significant potential to accelerate the progress of Australian industrial R&D. Therefore, the AIRG is holding its 2009 Winter Meeting, again in Canberra, to assess how the nation’s research infrastructure can, or should, impact on various industrial sectors’ R&D and innovation activities.

The results of a recent brief informal survey suggest that various Australian industry sectors are using these expensive, but highly competitive facilities to quite different levels. Meanwhile, although the capabilities now do exist in Australia, and there are similar facilities in use overseas by industrial competitors, some major Australian companies and even industry sectors, appear not to be aware of what is, or could be, available locally and how it could impact upon research productivity and outcomes. The meeting will therefore consider what increased industry usage might do in terms of consequent measureable economic impact on the economy. It will also consider whether key issues exist that affect considerations by Australian industrial R&D staff relative to using this impressive national research infrastructure.

For conference details please contact:
Meg Caffin
Executive Officer, AIRG
T: 03 9864 0913
Email: airg@atse.org.au

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Future Models for Energy and Water Management under a Regulated Environment

AMSI / MASCOS / UNESCO / AWA Workshop and Short Course: Future Models for Energy and Water Management under a Regulated Environment
20-22 July 2009, Brisbane

Energy and water are the essential elements that underpin modern society. Guaranteeing continuity and quality of supply requires ingenuity and robust planning, mathematical and statistical models will increasingly be used to examine options.

The program will bring together experts on energy and water management from around the world. The event will highlight the connection between electricity and water supply, demand and markets to help you better evaluate your options and enable you to identify: the models available, who is using them, how to use them and their underlying assumptions.

Short-courses:

• Shahbaz Khan (UNESCO, Paris)
• Elliot Tonkes (Energy Edge)
• Graham Weir (IRL, NZ)

Keynote lectures:

• Ian Rose (ROAM Consulting)
• Michael O’Sullivan (University of Auckland)
• David Swift (ESIPC, SA)
• Mukand S. Babel (Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand)
• Jacques Ganoulis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece)

Areas of interest include: pricing and network management; risks around the water-energy-climate nexus; economic implications, wind and geothermal energy (renewables), demand forecasting and integrated water resource management.

Discount registration for AWA members.

For full program and further details or to register see: http://www.amsi.org.au/energy.php

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