The Australian Research Council has announced more than $8 million in funding for 22 University of Queensland-led research projects aimed at tackling health, energy, environment and infrastructure issues.
The projects have attracted more than $14 million in additional support from partner organisations, including highly-respected Australian and international industrial collaborators.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the grants supported UQ’s goals of connecting research even better with industry and reflected The University’s strong growth in industry income for research in 2013 and 2014.
“UQ's strategic goal to double its $100 million per annum income from 'industry' over seven years appears feasible,” he said.
“The recent multi-million dollar Spinifex deal exemplifies what we can do and will seek to do more of.
“Our world-class researchers have come up with innovative answers to a range of issues affecting the global population.
“The key is translating these findings into achievable, practical solutions that benefit industry, society and the environment, taking excellence to excellence-plus.
“UQ has a long history of success with ARC-funded projects, including Professor Zhiguo Yuan’s award-winning sewer corrosion project, which has attracted an additional $370,384 in this round.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Robyn Ward said the significant amount of respected partner organisations involved in projects reflected the high-quality of UQ research.
“Partner organisations include the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Ergon Energy, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Antwerp and Dow Chemical,” she said.
“This diverse range of collaborators shows how wide-reaching the impact of research can be.”
Highlights of today’s ARC Linkage funding announcement include:
- UQ School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management’s Dr Carissa Klein will receive $146,341 over two years. She will collaborate with the Wildlife Conservation Society to develop models to determine the ecological and economic impacts of land-use changes on fisheries. Her project aims to improve the sustainability of coastal development, biodiversity conservation, and health of fisheries, helping millions of people reliant on fisheries for their livelihoods.
- UQ Business School’s Professor Roy Ballantyne has been awarded $236,822 over three years for a project to improve the educational value of zoos and aquariums in teaching and engaging the public about conservation issues. He will work with 13 associations in Australia, Canada and America on the project.
- UQ School of Chemical Engineering Professor Evgueni Jak will receive $615,000 over three years for his work on creating new data and thermodynamic modelling tools to be used in the development of lead metal smelting, refining and recycling processes used to recycle electronic materials, process hazardous wastes and recover valuable metals. He will work with international and Australian partners Nyrstar Port Pirie, Outotec Ausmelt, Umicore Nv and Aurubis Ag.
A full list of recipients can be found here.
Media: Senior Communications Officer Katie Rowney, +61 7 3365 3439 or katie.rowney@uq.edu.au
