Uni wins $5.4 million for industry-linked research

Friday, 28 June 2013

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have today been awarded more than $5.4 million in Federal funding for new projects that will benefit industry and the community in fields such as health, animal welfare, agriculture, food, environment, computer science and history.

The University of Adelaide has won the competitive funding for 14 new studies that involve collaboration with industry and government. They were announced today under the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.

Winning projects represent 58% of the funding announced for the State and include:

• $675,000 awarded to a team led by Professor Geoff Fincher (ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls) to study the physiology and genetics of barley grain germination in the malting and brewing industries;
  
• $287,607 awarded to a team led by Associate Professor Rachel Ankeny (School of History and Politics) and Associate Professor Wendy Umberger (Global Food Studies) to investigate social and economic issues in animal welfare in Australia's livestock industries; and
  
• $529,853 awarded to a team led by Dr Darren Trott (School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences) to determine if 'superbugs' - multidrug-resistant pathogens that can transfer between species - exist in Australian animals.

Three of the industry-linked grants were won by researchers in the University's Australian Centre for Visual Technologies (School of Computer Science), two were won in the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (collectively the biggest amount awarded to one researcher, with $1.1 million going to Professor Alan Cooper), two by researchers at the Waite Research Institute, and two in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of the Professions.

In addition to the $5.4 million awarded today, the winning projects also stand to collectively receive a further $10 million in cash and in-kind contributions from collaborative partners.

The University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Mike Brooks, said today's Linkage Projects funding announcement is almost double that of three years ago.

"This is a tremendous result for the University of Adelaide and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our research staff," said Professor Brooks.

"Particularly pleasing is the range of projects that have won grants with representation across all of our core research strengths.

"The University of Adelaide has once again attracted well over half the industry-linkage research funding flowing to South Australia," he said.

The other successful projects and funding announced today are:

• $588,029 awarded to a team led by Professor Alan Cooper
  (Australian Centre for Ancient DNA) in partnership with Australian Genome Research Facility and Molecular Research Ltd
  Identifying the diversity and evolution of loci associated with adaptation to aridity/heat and salinity in ancient cereal crops;

• $554,645 awarded to a team led by Professor Alan Cooper
  (Australian Centre for Ancient DNA) in partnership with Australian Genome Research Facility and Molecular Research Ltd
  The role of epigenetic modifications in bovid adaptation to environmental change;

• $524,718 awarded to a team led by Dr Trevor Garnett
  (Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics) in partnership with Dupont Pioneer and Australian Grain Technologies
  Control points in nitrogen uptake: enhancing the response of cereals to nitrogen supply and demand;

• $377,000 awarded to a team led by Professor Anton van den Hengel
  (Australian Centre for Visual Technologies) in partnership with BAE Systems Australia
  Semantic change detection through large-scale learning;

• $360,000 awarded to a team led by Professor Tanya Monro
  (Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing) in partnership with Maptek Pty Ltd
  Compact and versatile chip lasers for three-dimensional mine surveying;

• $345,000 awarded to a team led by Dr Anthony Dick
  (Australian Centre for Visual Technologies) in partnership with Champion Data Holdings Pty Ltd
  Visual tracking with environmental constraints;

• $285,00 awarded to a team led by Professor Martin Lambert
  (School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering) in partnership with Detection Services Pty Ltd
  Combining transient micro-reflections and multi-sensor arrays for condition assessment of buried pipes;

• $281,952 awarded to a team led by Professor Andrew Beer
  (Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning) in partnership with Aged Care & Housing Group, Australian Council on the Ageing, Resthaven Inc, Anglicare SA Inc and Care Connect Ltd
  The rise of the consumer: engagement of older people with consumer directed care;

• $259,000 awarded to a team led by Associate Professor Ben Cazzolato
  (School of Mechanical Engineering) in partnership with Oceanlinx Ltd
  Oscillating water column efficiency improvement through impedance matching and active latching control techniques;

• $182,541 awarded to a team led by Dr Peter Scriver
  (School of Architecture and Built Environment) in partnership with the South Australian Museum and International Islamic University, Malaysia
  The architecture of Australia's Muslim pioneers;

• $150,000 awarded to a team led by Professor Anton van den Hengel
  (Australian Centre for Visual Technologies) in partnership with the Maritime Museum
  Accessing Australia's photographic history.

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