UniSA leads mineral research boom
by
Michèle Nardelli
UniSA's
Ian Wark Research Institute has been named the lead institute for a new
multi-million dollar Australian research group comprising a consortium
of world-class Australian university research centres and a global
network of 24 collaborators.
To be known as the Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI), it will focus on science that will promote minerals and related industry efficiency locally and worldwide.
AMSRI will be supported by the largest Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant ever awarded – with a cash value of more than $22 million, comprising ARC, industry, university and State Government of South Australia contributions.
The Australian partners are UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute, the Australian Research Council Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces, led by Laureate Professor John Ralston (pictured); the University of Queensland’s Julius Krutschnitt Mineral Research Centre; the ARC Special Research Centre for Multiphase Processes at the University of Newcastle; and the ARC Special Research Centre for Particulate Fluids Processing at the University of Melbourne.
Delighted with the announcement, Prof Ralston said the foundation of AMSRI would underpin broad and significant benefits for the Australian community.
“This new Institute will strengthen Australian technological and scientific leadership in particle science and engineering and support the kinds of innovations that improve energy efficiency, enhance frugal water use and waste management, devise improved minerals processing, and develop new and better materials,” Prof Ralston said.
As Director and founder of the Ian Wark Research Institute, Prof Ralston said the support of the South Australian Government in promoting the proposal for the new Institute and UniSA’s lead role had been invaluable.
“Strong support from State Ministers Karlene Maywald and Paul Holloway shows they have understood not only the excellence in research that already exists in South Australia, but also the importance of a powerful national research alliance in these fields, for both our state and the nation,” he said.
AMSRI has been coordinated by AMIRA International, which secured industry support and collaboration from BHP-Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo Platinum, Phelps Dodge, Orica and Xstrata Technology.
“I believe AMSRI will be a core institute internationally in particle science and engineering research with the world’s best researchers on board. From that base our aim is to contribute to the Federal Government’s Mining Technology Services Action Agenda to achieve $6 billion in minerals technology services exports by 2010. The Institute will also bring together research disciplines from other industry sectors with those of the minerals sector and apply research outcomes to industries beyond minerals,” Prof Ralston said.