Future Fellowships funding supports Australia’s best mid-career researchers

The best and brightest mid-career researchers could soon answer a myriad of 21st century challenges, such as how to stop underage drinking and if light rail is the solution to Australia’s urban transport problems.

The Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, today announced 209 Future Fellowships totalling $151 million to provide research opportunities to some of the world’s best mid-career researchers.

“This round of fellowships will bring 12 Australian researchers back home to undertake their research in Australia,” Senator Evans said.

“It also brings 23 international researchers to our shores to experience the great research opportunities we offer here and to share their knowledge with Australian researchers.

“All 209 researchers will use their fellowships to solve problems and make discoveries that may improve the lives of all Australians.”

The Future Fellowships include projects to:

• advance the understanding of key mechanisms promoting unstable breathing in sleep and ill health and functioning from disturbed sleep;
• explore the effects and benefits of the Gold Coast Rapid Transit rail project - the biggest public transport project in Australia;
• focus on the health and wellbeing of adolescents in the Northern Territory, 40% of whom are indigenous, to provide an evidence base to inform health policy, identify transformative life skills and the ways to translate these into practice; and
• investigate how animals are responding to extreme climatic events and understand if their response is fast enough for them to avoid extinction.

The Future Fellowships scheme began in 2009 to increase the opportunities for highly qualified mid-career researchers to work in Australia, rather than overseas. The scheme is boosting our research workforce by providing new opportunities in Australia for the world’s best researchers.

For more information on the 209 new fellows and their research, visit http://www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/futurefel/ft_outcomes.htm.