Federal Member for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson, today congratulated Deakin University for receiving $8,300,116 from the Australian Government to fund 19 new research projects through the Australian Research Council (ARC).
“Three of these projects totalling $1,023,500 will be based in Geelong, while some of the other projects will be based at other Deakin campuses with contributions from Geelong researchers,” Ms Henderson said.
Ms Henderson today joined Assistant Professor, Joselito Razal, one of the projects’ researchers to learn more about the exciting work. Assistant Professor Razal’s project aims to understand the fibre spinning process of nanomaterials to identify their true potential and limitations in clothes. The project is expected to accelerate the transformation of the fibre industry, which will have far reaching implications across research disciplines and sectors critical to technology, health, social, and economic future.
“This is obviously a huge boost to the important research work being done by Deakin University.”
“This funding will allow our researchers to work with partners to produce important outcomes for the region and our nation.”
“Future fibres including carbon fibres and nanofibres are an exciting future frontier for Australian science, and Deakin’s expertise in this area is already providing major opportunities for the Geelong region.”
The schemes for which projects have received funding across the whole of Deakin include:
Discovery Projects for funding commencing in 2017 – $4,202,000 for 12 projects
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for funding commencing in 2017 – $1,093,124 for three projects
Future Fellowships for funding commencing in 2016 – $2,654,992 for three projects.
Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment, and Facilities for funding commencing in 2017 – $350,000 for one project
“This $8,300,116 will enable some of our region’s best researchers to make exciting and critical discoveries that will have flow-on effects for our local communities and the nation.”
Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, today announced funding of $416.6 million for 989 new research projects across a number of Australian universities.
Minister Birmingham said the new research—funded through the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program—represented a significant investment in a wide variety of fundamental and applied research projects, growing Australia’s research capacity and infrastructure, and supporting the next generation of researchers.
More information on the ARC’s Major Grants announcement is available on the ARC website.
1 November 2016
Details about three of the projects which will be based in Geelong:
Project lead: Assistant Prof Joselito Razal
Grant total: $275,000
This project aims to understand the fibre spinning process of nanomaterials to identify their true potential and limitations in wearable applications. The project is expected to lead to multifunctional materials that allow design and production of smart functional fibres and textiles that store and convert energy and sense, monitor and respond to human activities and external environments. The project outcomes are expected to accelerate the transformation of the fibre industry, which will have far reaching implications across research disciplines and sectors critical to technology, health, social, and economic future.
Project lead: Dr Mylene Mariette
Grant total: $372,000
This project aims to reveal how birds programme their offspring for a warming world, by communicating acoustically with their embryos. Most animals, including humans, can hear external sounds before birth, but it is not known what function this plays. An Australian bird calls to its eggs at high ambient temperatures, which alters nestling growth and survival. This project will show the physiological effects involved and the consequences for adaptation to heat in wild birds. This project will elucidate whether the global reduction in animal body size is an adaptive response to rising temperatures, and research the therapeutic benefits of pre-natal sounds.
Project lead: Prof David Lowe
Grant total: $376,500
This project aims to analyse Australian motives and their connectedness to the allocation of foreign aid since the Second World War. In addition to reducing poverty and lifting living standards abroad, aid has always been linked to other interests such as the promotion of security, economic opportunity and other outcomes. This project will research relationships between identified values and geographical priorities in Australia’s aid programme. In reconnecting history with the social science of applied economics, it will provide methodological paths for further research, including comparable studies of other governments giving aid. This project expects to add to understanding of Australia’s role in world affairs and the significance of aid in Australia’s international reputation.