Future Fellows funding win

Medicine

Five researchers at the University of Adelaide are among the first of the prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships announced recently by the Federal Government.

The Future Fellows will conduct research into areas of national priority and will advance Australia's international research and innovation standing.

Under the scheme, the Future Fellows will receive up to $135,000 each year for four years, while the host University will receive up to $50,000 a year for associated infrastructure and other costs.

At the University of Adelaide, Future Fellows will conduct research into the environment, genetics, cancer and chemistry for the benefit of society and industry.

The Federal Government established the ARC Future Fellowships scheme "to address the gap in opportunities for mid-career researchers in Australia, which forced many of our talented researchers to search for work overseas", said the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr.

As well as supporting researchers already based in Australia, the Future Fellowships will give Australian researchers working overseas the opportunity to return to Australia, as well as attracting a number of overseas researchers to the country.

Among those overseas researchers is Dr Phillip Cassey from the Centre for Ornithology at the University of Birmingham. Dr Cassey will conduct research in the University of Adelaide's School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, developing innovative solutions to contain the spread of exotic species in Australia.

The University of Adelaide Future Fellows and their research projects are:

• Associate Professor Sean Connell (Environment Institute, University of Adelaide) - Kelp forest ecosystems near and far: Putting a new theory explaining dynamic ecological systems to the test;
  
• Professor Alan Cooper (Environment Institute, University of Adelaide) - From Biodiversity to Health: Performing the first genetic audits of Australia;
  
• Dr Darryl Russell (Robinson Institute, University of Adelaide) - Regulation of tissue morphogenesis in reproductive function and metastatic cancer;
  
• Dr Christopher Sumby (School of Chemistry & Physics, University of Adelaide) - Internally decorated discrete metallo-supramolecular assemblies and infinite metal-organic frameworks as molecular containers;
  
• Dr Phillip Cassey (Centre for Ornithology, University of Birmingham) - The evolution of species traits and spread during biological invasions.

Story by David Ellis and Candy Gibson