A method to image human joints in motion, and improving students’ reading achievements in rural and mining communities are among UQ projects supported in round two of the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects scheme announced today.
The Linkage Projects scheme enables Australian institutions to undertake innovative and cutting-edge research projects in collaboration with industry and other partners.
The University of Queensland led projects attracting $5.7 million out of $66.7 million awarded to 32 institutions, announced today by Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr.
UQ received funding for 20 projects — almost half the 42 projects awarded in the state.
Professor Stuart Crozier of the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering leads a team developing a new technology to enable joints to be imaged while they are in motion, rather than statically.
Professor Crozier said the dynamic imaging in orthopaedics research, which attracted $380,000 Linkage Projects funding, would be conducted in conjunction with an orthopedic surgeon and industry partner X Radiology Australia.
“This is an Australian first technology and will change the way in which diagnosis of joint disease is done,” he said.
“The applications of this new technique include the diagnosis and monitoring of treatment in Osteoarthritis and related chronic joint diseases,” he said.
“Acute injuries to knees, hips, shoulders and other joints will be able to be better diagnosed and hence improve treatment planning.”
Professor Crozier also attracted $540,000 funding with a team including CSIRO researchers and industry partner Siemens.
The second project aims to engineer new tools for Magnetic Resonance Imaging for improved diagnosis and treatment of Osteoarthritis.
This is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly 1.4 million Australians.
The project will also examine acute injuries, such as cartilage and ligament tears in sporting injuries, and other traumas.
Professor Crozier said the software developed would be provided on the Siemens platform and would therefore be available worldwide, and have a consequently large impact on the field.
Other UQ projects attracting round two Linkage Projects funding included:
• Associate Professor Jayne Lucke of the UQ Centre for Clinical Research (industry partners Bayer Australia, Family Planning NSW) leads a longitudinal study of patterns of contraceptive use and access to contraceptive information, advice and services for young Australian women.
• Associate Professor Christina van Kraayenoord of the School of Education (industry partners BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance, Education Queensland) leads a project supporting schools and teachers to improve students’ reading achievement in rural and mining communities.
• Professor Paul Burn of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (industry partner Arborescent 2 Ltd) will tackle the development of a new handheld sensor to detect trace amounts of explosives, improving the nation’s security.
• Dr Richard Fuller of the School of Biological Sciences (industry partners Birds Queensland, Department of the Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts, Port of Brisbane Corporation, Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management) is working to understand and reverse the rapid declines in Australia’s shorebirds.
UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Max Lu said the results demonstrated that the University’s research continued to be highly industry-relevant.
With partner organisation cash and in-kind contributions, the value of the projects is $15.9 million.
He congratulated all researchers who had contributed to the University’s outstanding success rate of 60.6 percent compared with the national average of 42.6 percent.
Media: Jan King 0413 601 248.
