From the Chancellery
The newly formed Australian Mineral Science Research Institute (AMSRI) will be launched by the Hon Nick Minchin, Senator for South Australia, at a ceremony on Friday September 8 at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Professor Peter Hoj, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC), and senior industry and university representatives, will attend to highlight the significance and importance of AMSRI from their perspective.
AMSRI has been established to strengthen Australian technological and scientific leadership in particle science and engineering, and has its headquarters at UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute located at our Mawson Lakes campus. AMSRI comprises three ARC Special Research Centres, located at UniSA (Particle and Material Interfaces), the University of Melbourne (Particulate Fluids Processing) and the University of Newcastle (Multiphase Processes), together with one of the world’s best engineering centres, the Julius Krutschnitt Mineral Research Centre at the University of Queensland.
AMSRI boasts a large range of industry partners including giants such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo Platinum, Phelps Dodge, Xstrata Technology, and Orica Mining. Together, these companies have committed $7.5 million through AMIRA International, the industry association which manages collaborative research for its global minerals industry members.
Through its Linkage program, the ARC has provided $8.6 million to the five-year $22.6 million research program to enable the creation of cross-disciplinary and cross-industry teams to conduct basic fundamental scientific research that will deliver economic, educational and environmental benefits to Australia. The four universities are contributing $4 million, and the South Australian State Government has provided $2.5 million for the Ian Wark Research Institute to establish the headquarters.
As Director of AMSRI, I will be working with a dedicated team of national and international researchers to conduct research into the major technical challenges facing the global mining industry over the next 25 years. This research will transform the mineral industry and extend to other industries concerned with particle science and engineering.
AMSRI is a unique multi-disciplinary activity, bringing together minerals companies, specialty chemical manu-facturing, bio-pharmaceutical, environmental and electronic industries into a special research interaction, critically important to Australia. It is unequalled worldwide.
Ralston
honoured
Laureate Professor John Ralston last month was named winner of the 2006 Premier’s Science Excellence Award for research leadership and, with it, $15,000 in prize money. (Media release)
The Director of UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute and Laureate Professor of Physical Chemistry and Minerals Processing, Ralston was selected for displaying strong leadership within his research team and for his significant success in collaborating across disciplines and sectors in developing the physical chemistry of the mineral flotation process, the surface chemistry of metal sulphides and the static and dynamic wetting behaviour of simple and structured solid surfaces.
UniSA’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Denise Bradley congratulated Prof Ralston on winning the award.
"Laureate Professor Ralston has brought honour to the University of South Australia in activities which lie at the very core of our mission – working with industry partners to find innovative solutions. We celebrate his achievements and acknowledge our pride in all he has done for Australian science. This additional recognition, winning the Premier’s Science Excellence Awards for Research Leadership, is very well deserved," Prof Bradley said.