The Queensland Government is providing $250,000 to each of two research projects to be jointly undertaken and funded with Chinese partners under the Queensland-Chinese Academy of Sciences partnership.

The investment is matched by a similar contribution from Chinese authorities.

The Queensland Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts Ros Bates said Queensland is the only sub-national government to have a jointly-funded collaborative research program with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

“We are very proud of this relationship, which stems from our ability to turn scientific discoveries into economic benefits and better lifestyles for our respective citizens.

“This government wholeheartedly believes in the exchange and development of strategic knowledge as a way of placing our scientific capabilities on par with the best in the world.”

CAS President Professor Bai Chunli, who is a member of the Chinese State Council and a respected researcher, attended the announcement.

The funded projects are:

• Agriculturally-derived Water Pollution Mitigation – a collaboration between Griffith University and Wuhan Botanical Garden. Led by Professor Jon Olley and Professor Quanfa Zhang, the project aims to protect water resources from contamination

• An Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Model for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – a partnership between the University of Queensland and Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health. Led by Professor Chen Chen and Professor Miguel Esteban, the project tackles a devastating disease characterised by the progressive degeneration of motor neurones

Submissions for this year’s Queensland-Chinese Academy of Sciences grants were required to address either agricultural biotechnology or stem c