Archived News for Research Sector Professionals - June, 2011
Professor Denzil Miller, Professorial Fellow at University of Wollongong in Ocean Governance and Honorary Research Professor at the University of Tasmania in Antarctic Conservation, has been appointed as Director, Antarctic Tasmania, Science and Research.
Announcing the appointment, Mark Kelleher, Secretary of the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts, said the Antarctic Tasmania, Science and Research unit’s mission is to support the strategic development and sustainable growth of businesses and organisations making up the Antarctic and science and research sectors in Tasmania.
“The department is developing, in consultation with stakeholders, strategies to support the development and growth of the Science and Research sector and the Antarctic Sector,” Mr Kelleher said.
WA invests additional $8 million in health and medical research
The Western Australian Government has announced an additional $8million in funding over three years for health and medical research in Western Australia.
Particle physics centre opens
The Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics (CoEPP) has opened at Melbourne University with the objective of helping to answer primary questions about the origin of the universe.
New IIF fund managers announced
The Federal Government's Innovation Investment Fund has invested $60 million in three innovation fund managers — Carnegie Venture Capital Pty Ltd, the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund and Southern Cross Venture Partners Pty Ltd.
CSIRO develops flood management model
CSIRO has reported the completion of powerful modelling techniques to aim to better understand the full impact of flooding that occurs when dams collapse.
WA carbon capture and storage assessment funded
The Collie South West Hub capture and storage (CCS) trial project in Western Australia is to receive up to $104 million in matching Federal and State funding for the completion of a detailed storage viability study.
WA Government contributes to supercomputing centre
The Western Australian Government is providing $15.8million over four years to iVEC’s Pawsey Supercomputing Centre, headquartered at Technology Park, Bentley.
Victorian Fellowships announced
The Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business Louise Asher has announced the winners of the 2011 Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation (VESKI) Fellowships at a ceremony in Melbourne.
UK research shows Australia a fertile start-up environment
Research conducted by the University of Exeter Business School in the United Kingdom shows that that the Australian government’s Innovation Investment Fund allows start-up companies more scope for follow-on investments and has significantly contributed towards the supply of high-potential businesses.
E. Coli treatment blocked by lack of commercial interest
A potential treatment for severe E. coli food poisoning outbreaks that was developed more than a decade ago and might have been deployed in the recent outbreaks occurring in Europe has not progressed to clinical trials because of lack of commercial interest.
Australian centre wins access to US Linac Coherent Light Source
The Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science (CXS), headquartered at the University of Melbourne is the first Australian research institution to be selected to use the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a new form of laser that produces X-rays, based at Stanford University in California, USA.
The CXS experiments at the LCLS have the potential to increase understanding of complex molecular problems that could lead to improved drug development.
Professor Keith Nugent, Laureate Professor and ARC Federation Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Director of CXS said it was a huge achievement and validation for the calibre of Australian led research.
“The California-based free-electron laser is the only facility currently operating in the world and the competition to come up with original and important ideas is brutal. “Our award of experimental time underlines our world-leading position in this area,” he said.
The researchers will use the beam line to trial a new technique to find the structure of membrane proteins, a discovery that will help fast track the development of targeted drugs.
About 70% of drugs on the market today depend on the activity of membrane proteins.
The CXS proposal was rated in the top ten percent of the 114 international proposals. The selection panel said the CXS proposal of investigating structure determination of biomolecules with X-ray XFEL is considered to be very promising.
CXS will begin their experiments at LCLS in January 2012.
Victorian Premier's award recognises cancer researcher
The Victorian Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research has been awarded to Dr Wen Qiu in recognition of her research into how breast and ovarian cancers spread.
Patent enforcement options to be simplified
The Australian Government has undertaken to make changes to Australia’s intellectual property system to improve protection of patented innovations and plant breeders' rights, following consideration of recommendations of two reviews by the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property.
International research partnerships funded
Funding totalling $4.55 million has been allocated to continue Australia’s involvement in two major international research projects.
Collaborative Research Networks to bolster regional research
Twelve research projects led by regional universities have been awarded funding totalling $61.5 million under the Federal Government’s Collaborative Research Networks (CRN) program.
Macquarie University leads environmental and ecology research
A listing of the top-ranked institutions for environmental sciences and ecology research in Australia and New Zealand, published on the UK site Times Higher Education, has placed Macquarie University in the top spot.
UTS signs MoU with Indian Council for Cultural Relations
The University of Technology Sydney has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to establish the Rajiv Gandhi Visiting Chair of Contemporary Indian Studies, ICCR's first chair in Australia.
Australian and Germany sign energy and resources R&D pact
Australia and Germany have signed a Joint Declaration on Energy and Resources Cooperation aimed at increased cooperation and research and development collaboration in the resource and energy sectors.
New chief for UNSW commercialisation arm
NewSouth Innovations Pty Ltd (NSi), the commercialisation arm of the University of NSW, has appointed a new chief executive, Dr Kevin Cullen.
New chair appointed to WA's technology and industry council
Mr Alan Bansemer, formerly the Western Australian Health Commissioner and deputy secretary to the Federal Department of Human Services and Health, has been appointed as the new chair of the Western Australian Technology and Industry Advisory Council (TIAC).