Funding announced for six new research collaborations

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham has announced $1.9 million in funding for six new research projects under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.

The funding will enable the research collaborations to bring tangible outcomes to Australians, including development of 3D-printed materials for the vision impaired, improved grain crop production through better weed control and innovations in advanced composite paints.

“The ARC’s Linkage Projects scheme provides support for researchers in our universities to collaborate with other parts of the innovation system, including industry partners,” said ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Sue Thomas.

“Together with their research and innovation partners, university-based researchers are able to work towards practical solutions to problems and challenges in a ‘real world’ setting.

“These six projects will involve cash and in-kind support of a further $2.9 million from 17 partner organisations, in addition to the Australian Government funding support.”

The six newly funded projects are:

• $301,254 for Dr Michael Morrison at Flinders University — collaborating with the Trustee for the Western Cape Communities Trust, Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation, Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council and Queensland Museum — to trace historical Indigenous foodways in colonial Cape York Peninsula for greater insight into cultural values and the history of our society.
• $406,665 for Professor Julie Ratcliffe at the University of South Australia — collaborating with Ech, Uniting (NSW, ACT), Uniting Agewell Victori, Helping Hand Aged Care and Presbyterian Aged Care — to develop a new ‘quality of life’ instrument that will improve the care and wellbeing of older Australians.
• $223,507 for Professor Kimbal Marriott at Monash University — collaborating with the Department of Education and Training (Victoria), Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Guide Dogs Victoria and the Royal Society for the Blind of South Australia — to investigate the benefits of 3D-printed accessible materials for vision-impaired children and adults.
• $350,000 for Associate Professor Xuchuan Jiang at Monash University — collaborating with Rika Technology — to develop innovative techniques to produce new advanced paint composites that will have diverse applications, including self-cleaning paints, and lead to economic growth in the mineral industry.
• $256,551 for Professor Elizabeth Webster at Swinburne University of Technology — collaborating with IP Australia — to create new neural-network machine-learning algorithms to better understand how scientific knowledge progresses and identify new technologies and potential collaborators.
• $358,107 for Professor Stephen Powles at The University of Western Australia — collaborating with Nurafarm Australia — to better understand trifluralin herbicide resistance in annual ryegrass to improve Australian grain production and soil conservation.

The ARC accepts proposals under the Linkage Projects scheme on a continuous basis, with successful grants announced throughout the year.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/David Gunn