Archived News for Research Sector Professionals - July, 2011
The Federal Government has called for comment on the administration of the new R&D Tax Credit.
Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said the R&D Tax Credit will give small and medium-sized businesses — whose R&D efforts are generally constrained by cash flow —better access to R&D support than they have had with the R&D Tax Concession.
“By making the R&D incentive more attractive to small and medium-sized businesses the Government’s tax incentives will be distributed more fairly than has been the case under the current R&D Tax Concession. This will herald a new era of innovation, design and production.”
Energy innovation initiatives announced in carbon price policy
Three major energy innovation initiatives have been announced as part of the Federal Government’s carbon price package.
Review of human cloning and embryo research legislation released
The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler has released the Report of the Independent Review of the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.
Mr Butler said the independent Review Committee, chaired by the Hon Peter Heerey QC, had indicated its view that the basic structure of the legislation should remain, while making recommendations about the framework for human embryo research.
“The 33 recommendations that were produced relate largely to updating and clarifying the legislation, or keeping existing requirements. The recommendations reflect the Committee’s careful consideration of more than 260 submissions, as well as information provided in appearances before the Committee," Mr Butler said.
“The legislative framework will need to continue to balance the needs of health and medical researchers, who aim to improve human health, with the social and ethical challenges in human embryo research."
The Report of the Independent Review of the Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 can be found at www.legislationreview.nhmrc.gov.au.
Australia and New Zealand to implement single patent application process
Inventors in Australia and New Zealand can look forward to a faster, cheaper and more streamlined trans-Tasman patent process, following an agreement between the two countries to an implementation plan that will deliver a single application process for both countries by early 2013, and a single patent examination by June 2014.
Research overturns conventional ideas of ocean circulation
Research at the University of Melbourne and the Bureau of Meterology has overturned conventional ideas of ocean circulation.
EMBL Australia expands to all Go8 universities
EMBL Australia has expanded its participant membership, with all Australian Group of Eight (Go8) universities now involved.
Research collaboration to develop next-generation medicines
Two of The University of Queensland's (UQ) leading researchers have teamed with the world's largest biopharmaceutical company to develop new peptide-based medicines for the treatment of major diseases.
New building for Westmead research institute
The Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research in Sydney is to be housed under one roof in a new $135 million building.