News Alerts

Issues paper for pulp & paper industry released

An issues paper developed by the Pulp & Paper Industry Strategy Group has been released, identifying factors that will assist the industry to build its innovative capacity, attract new investment and effectively meet challenges.

The key issues include:

• impact of the digital age on the demand for paper, including newsprint;
• government and community responses to climate change;
• enhancing community understanding of the environmental sustainability of the industry;
• increasing the amount of research and development; and
• the impact of emerging economies like China on supply and demand for paper products.

The paper examines the industry’s current performance and describes the challenges it faces, both domestically and internationally.

The group is expected to present its final report to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, in November 2009.

The Issues Paper is available at www.innovation.gov.au/PulpandPaper

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CSIRO joins EU 7th Framework food technology program

CSIRO has been invited to join HighTech Europe, a consortium of research agencies, industrial federations, universities and equipment manufacturers established to facilitate the uptake of innovative and emerging food processing technologies.

Comprising 22 organisations and coordinated by the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL), HighTech Europe is part of the European Union’s (EU) 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.

Its aim is to develop protocols that enhance the availability of innovative technological knowledge to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food manufacturing industry to strengthen them for global competition.

CSIRO is the only organization outside Europe to be invited to join High Tech Europe. CSIRO’s HighTech Europe Project, led by Dr Roman Buckow, will undertake an assessment of the innovation transfer capabilities between research agencies and the Australian food industry.

Biotechnology, information processing and communication technologies are considered areas with high innovative power, and thus serve as promising adjuncts for future food processing technologies.

The relationships between these sources of innovation, basic food engineering operations (separations, structure formation, stabilisation, and packaging) and the underlying scientific principles (physical, chemical and biological) will be assessed by the program.

Special attention will be paid to ethical, legal and social aspects of innovation and their impact on consumer perceptions of high-tech food processing.

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SKA bid extended to include New Zealand

The Australian and New Zealand governments have agreed to join forces to bid for the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project under a formal arrangement signed by New Zealand’s Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee and the Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr

The $2.5 billion SKA is a large-scale, new-generation radio-telescope comprising up to four thousand antennas spread over a five thousand kilometre baseline to create a single deep space listening device. If the New Zealand and Australian bid to host the SKA is successful, the antennas would be spread from Western Australia to New Zealand.

Mr Brownlee said that extending the configuration of the SKA to include New Zealand would add significantly to the scientific outcomes of the project and could possibly see two stations constructed in New Zealand with an array of radio telescopes.

Final decisions on the SKA, including the host site, are not expected until 2012, with construction expected to run for six to eight years. The project currently involves a total of 19 countries.

More information is at www.ska.gov.au or www.skatelescope.org

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Victoria releases $90 million science and maths strategy

The Victorian Government has launched a $90 million strategy to encourage secondary school students to plan for careers in science and technology.
Launching the strategy, Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said the Energising Science and Mathematics Education strategy was a five-year plan to raise the focus on science and maths education, and would help to make students workplace ready for the 21st century.

“This new strategy ensures Victoria’s best teachers will team with our brightest scientists and mathematicians to provide every student with the skills they need for 21st century jobs and inspire students towards specialist careers in these fields,” she said.

Funding initiatives under the strategy include:

• $46 million to fund 200 specialist maths and science teaching and learning coaches;
• $12 million to build three new specialist science centres in Ballarat, Geelong and Heidelberg to complement the existing three science centres;
• $7.6 million to attract high-performing graduates, including science and maths graduates, to begin teaching next year through Teach for Australia;
• $3.45 million to attract new science and maths teachers through the Mathematics and Science Graduate Scholarship initiative and Career Change program;
• $2.8 million for specialist science centres ICT to connect with new federally-funded school science laboratories; 
• $1.4 million to improve access to the specialist science centres by rural and disadvantaged students;
• $1 million for partnerships which connect schools with business and industry;
• $1 million for a one-week summer school for high-performing teachers of maths and science;
• $1 million for university mentoring of science and maths students across Victoria;
• $1 million per year for region-based professional learning opportunities for 1100 primary and secondary maths and science teachers; and
• $400,000 in science and maths awards and scholarships recognising best practice schools.

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New Centre for Grain Food Innovation for WA

A new Centre for Grain Food Innovation is to be established in Western Australia under a collaborative agreement between the WA Department of Agriculture and Food, CSIRO and Curtin University.

Announcing the centre, the WA Agriculture and Food Minister, Terry Redman, said it will address the perception in South East Asian markets that WA wheat supposedly doesn’t bake well.

“By working with South East Asian flour processors to provide them with a better understanding of how our wheat reacts to their baking methods, we will be able increase their demand for our wheat,” he said.

“The Centre will also develop food products with health benefits from wheat and lupins to provide WA grains with a competitive edge in the South East Asian market. For example, they will work to educate Asian markets on how to make the most of both the taste and health benefits of WA lupins in their flour.”

The Centre, to be headed by Dr Sumana Bell under secondment to DAFWA from the CSIRO, will be formally opened later this year. Mr Redman said that Western Australia will be investing in research in areas in which it has strengths, and linking into research from other states on issues where others have greater capacity.

“Clearly the grains industry is an area in which the State has great knowledge and capacity, so therefore I see us putting more of our resources into this area of research. The Centre for Grain Food Innovation is going to be a big part of that.”

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Progress report on South Australian science, technology and innovation released

The South Australian government has released a progress report examining investment in science and technology in the state at the half-way mark though its Ten Year Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation, launched in 2004.

The STI Progress Report provides an overview of the major areas of investment in science and technology and their relations to the STI-10 strategies; summaries of the roles of the South Australian Chief Scientist and the Premier’s Science and Research Council; details of venture capital and science commercialization funds in South Australia; and an overview of innovation in SA.

The report can be downloaded at http://www.innovation.sa.gov.au/publications

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South Australian Science Awards announced

Obstetrician and gynaecologist, Professor Robert Norman, has been named the 2009 South Australian Scientist of the Year, an award that carries $50,000 in prize money.

Professor Normal leads a group of more than 350 researchers at the Robinson Institute at the University of Adelaide in the areas of reproductive health and regenerative medicine. Last year, he was named one of Australia's ten great minds in research by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
Six South Australian Science Excellence Awards have also been announced, each carrying $10,000 to advance recipients with their research and education initiatives. The Award winners are

• Award for Excellence in Research Commercialisation: Professor Stephen Grano from the University of South Australia’s Ian Wark Research Institute. Professor Grano ‘s research has the potential to make a major contribution to reducing energy consumption and improving productivity in mineral processing operations.
• Award for Excellence in Research for Public Good: Professor Alastair MacLennan from the University of Adelaide’s School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health. Professor Maclennan’s department is regarded as the world’s largest research unit into women’s and children’s health.
• Award for Excellence in Research Collaboration: Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) , a collaboration between the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, the Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service, and other supporting partners.that addresses the physical, psychological and social health of Australian infants, children and adolescents.
• School Science Educator of the Year: Mrs Anita Trenwith from Salisbury High School 
• Tertiary Science Educator of the Year: Professor Holger Maier from the University of Adelaide’s School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Engineering.
• Community Science Educator of the Year: Ms Rona Sakko for her work in running CSIRO’s Double Helix Science Club in SA.

South Australian Young Tall Poppy of the Year is Dr Alice Rumbold, a Senior Research Fellow from the University of Adelaide, recognised for her research into women’s reproductive health problems, particularly among Aboriginal women.

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Announcements

10th Anniversary of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science

The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science is are Australia's most prestigious science and science teaching awards:

• The Prime Minister's Prize for Science ($300,000 + gold medallion)
• The Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year ($50,000 + silver medallion)
• The Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year ($50,000 + silver medallion)
• The Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools ($50,000 + silver medallion)
• The Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools ($50,000 + silver medallion)

This year marks its ten years rewarding achievements in science and excellence in science teaching.

Official announcement of 2009 award recipients will be made at a black-tie dinner on Wednesday 28th of October in the Great Hall at Parliament House.

More information about the Prizes, follow the link at http://www.innovation.gov.au/scienceprizes.

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Conferences & Events

The 4th Annual IP Management, Commercialisation & Protection conference

The 4th Annual IP Management, Commercialisation & Protection conference and workshops - being held from 26-28 October 2009, at The Grace Hotel Sydney, is an intensive and timely cross industry forum for IP Managers, Commercialisation and Licensing Managers, Directors of R&D, and In-house counsel.

Attend this comprehensive conference and workshops to hear from 12 case study organisations and leading experts who will address:

• Best practice global IP strategy
• Achieving completive advantage
• Creating strong IP culture and aligning business units
• Valuing intellectual property
• Gaining successful commercial negotiation outcomes
• IP licensing in collaborative ventures
• Technology transfer
• Strategic brand & IP protection
• IP rights in different jurisdictions - including China
• Trade Mark, Copyright and Patent law updates
• R&D reforms
• Practical case law

Key case study presentations include:

• UniQuest Pty Ltd
• CSIRO
• ANSTO
• James Hardie
• CRC Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology
• DuPont
• CSL Limited
• Rosemount Estates
• University of Tasmania
• Weir Group PLC
• ResMed Ltd
• Asatori

Download Programme

Contact Tonkin Corporation at registrations@TonkinCorporation.com or telephone 02 9224 6000 to save up to $550 per booking.

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Positions Vacant

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Chinese Medicinal Products in Diabetes)

Faculty of Pharmacy
Reference No. 436/0809

The University of Sydney is Australia's premier University with an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence, and employs over 6,800 permanent staff supporting over 46,000 students.

The Faculty of Pharmacy has an established tradition of advanced herbal medicines research in Australia. The Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre within the Faculty covers a broad spectrum of pharmacological and cell biological sciences and undertakes collaborative research projects in diabetes with groups within the University, other national and international universities and research institutes, the herbal medicines industry and the profession.

The Faculty of Pharmacy is undertaking specialised research in the role of Chinese herbal medicines in diabetes. It is seeking to appoint an outstanding postdoctoral researcher in studies on the pharmacological, cell biological and molecular mechanisms of selected Chinese medicine herbs to identify new drug targets and potential multi-component mechanisms in type 2 diabetes. The position is funded through the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Collaborative Centre in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The successful applicant will be working collaboratively on a NICM funded project involving (1) the selection of suitable herbs (2) pharmacological in vitro cell studies and (3) whole animal molecular mechanism of action experiments. It is intended that the successful applicants will work with established highly-skilled, multidisciplinary teams of the Collaborative Centre and will also contribute to innovative research programs.

The successful applicant must hold a PhD in an area of biology or pharmacology or a related discipline, with interest in developing a career within the natural products sector. The applicant will also have excellent doctoral research experience including expertise in tissue culture, in vitro techniques such as Western blotting, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy and recombinant DNA technology, while experience in whole animal studies is considered valuable. An early career record of peer-reviewed publications would be highly desirable.

Information about the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre may be obtained from the Faculty and University website: www.pharm.usyd.edu.au

The position is initially full-time fixed term for 12 months, with possible extension up to a further 12 months subject to availability of funding and satisfactory completion of a probation period for new appointees. Membership of a University approved superannuation scheme is a condition of employment for new appointees.

Remuneration package: Up to $79 854 – $85 717 (which includes a base salary Research Level A $67,478-72,432 p.a., leave loading and up to 17% employer’s contribution to superannuation).

All applications must be submitted online. For more information and to apply, visit the following web link: http://usyd.edu.au/positions and search by reference No. 436/0809.

Closing Date: 30th September 2009

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