International grants for water research

A senior UNSW researcher is part of an international science collaboration, funded jointly by the European Union and the Australian Government under the Innovation Access (International Science and Technology) program, to study drinking water risk management.

Professor Nicholas Ashbolt, deputy director of UNSW's Centre for Water and Waste Technology, and his team will examine the numbers and distribution of pathogens within catchments, and the variations in pathogen distributions at each stage from catchment through the reservoir to the tap.

The eight European partners in the EU-MICRORISK project will look at different aspects of microbiological risk assessment of drinking water from catchment to tap, including epidemiology.

Innovation Access is a federal funding source which enables Australian participation in international science and technology projects, in particular in EU Framework programs. Professor Ashbolt's award of $377,000 was the second largest ever awarded under the Innovation Access scheme in Australia, and the single largest to a university research group.

The Federal Government will fund two postdoctoral fellows and provide analytical support for the project. UNSW will match this contribution with research data and expertise.

Item provided courtesy of UNSW