Nurturing new research talent is the aim of a funding scheme recently introduced at the University of Queensland.
Brainchild of the University's Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Paul Greenfield, the Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Grants for Early Career Researchers will provide between $50,000 and $100,000 for each recipient.
The scheme builds on the institution's recent announcement as 1998 University of the Year by the Good Universities Guides.
In the Guides, the University received the maximum five-star rating for both research performance and staff qualifications.
According to Professor Hay, the new grant scheme would recognise, nurture and reward promising new researchers.
"All new staff receive some internal funding to assist their early research. However, these new grants are a very positive and personalised way to provide recognition and assistance for our really outstanding new researchers," he said.
Professor Greenfield said the aim of the new grant scheme was to attract and retain Australia's and the world's best new researchers.
"The funds will help new researchers generate project results allowing them to apply for external grants from highly competitive schemes such as those run by the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council," he said.
The grants were another way the University was maintaining its reputation as a place of intellectual excitement equipped with high-quality infrastructure such as state-of-the-art equipment and laboratory facilities, Professor Greenfield said.
The University has allocated $400,000 for the excellence awards with each of its seven faculties nominating two new researchers for consideration.
Applicants must demonstrate the strategic importance and significance of their research program to their heads of department.
Research programs must be well-defined and investigating a major issue in the theory or practice of a discipline or a research program aimed at the development of new knowledge in a fundamental or applied area. Recipients will be announced in May this year.
For more information, contact Professor Hay (telephone 07 3365 1300) or Professor Greenfield (telephone 07 3365 3917).
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