The University of Queensland has topped the nation in the latest round of Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage International Fellowships and Awards.
Out of the $2.7 million awarded in total around the country, UQ researchers garnered more than $380,000 for two Fellowships and four Awards – more than any other university in Australia.
ARC International Fellowships are for outstanding postdoctoral, research or senior research fellows to come to Australian universities and work on innovative projects.
Professor Max Lu, a UQ Federation Fellow and leading nanotechnology researcher, will host Dr Chengzhong Yu, Associate Professor with the Department of Chemistry, Fudan University in Shanghai, for a project to develop bioactive glass for repairing bones.
This unique research will lead to new materials for tissue engineering and will also open up new opportunities for applications such as drug delivery and implanting.
Dr Jian-xin Zhao, a research scientist and QEII Fellow with the Advanced Centre for Qld University Isotope Research Excellence (ACQUIRE), will host Dr Ke-fu Yu, from the Coral Reef and Mangrove Research Group, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, for a project looking at what lessons can be learned from ancient coral reefs in the South China Sea and applied to our own Great Barrier Reef.
Professor David Siddle, UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, congratulated the Fellowship and Award winners and said the grants would provide an excellent opportunity to develop and share knowledge with international researchers.
UQ researchers to receive ARC Linkage International Awards were:
- Dr Stephen Bartlett, from the School of Physical Sciences, will work with Canadian researchers looking into new powerful communication and cryptographic protocols through the use of quantum information.
- Associate Professor Diane Donovan, from the School of Physical Sciences, will work with researchers from the Czech Republic and USA looking at computation theory and how it can be better applied to the fields of biotechnology, information systems and information security.
- Professor Ross McKenzie, from the School of Physical Sciences, will work with researchers from Denmark, UK and USA seeking to understand how quantum physics and the interactions between electrons determine the unusual properties of organic superconductors and frustrated antiferromagnets.
- Dr Jin Zou, from the School of Physical Sciences, will work with researchers from China looking at semiconductor quantum dots, which have received extensive attention in recent years due to their potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.
The ARC’s Linkage International program builds ongoing collaborations between Australian researchers and their overseas counterparts, strengthens the international experience of early career researchers and provides senior researchers with opportunities to develop new research relationships.
Media: For more information contact Professor David Siddle (telephone 07 3365 9044), Professor Max Lu (telephone 07 3365 3735), Dr Jian-xin Zhao (telephone 07 3346 9754) or Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2802).
