Research futures
by Michèle Nardelli
Projects to improve the efficiency of solar energy storage, unlock the mysteries of debilitating genetic diseases, and to use nanoparticles to fight cancerous tumours are among the many to have secured support in last month’s round of funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
UniSA researchers engaged in 14 ARC Discovery Projects won almost $3.6 million for projects beginning in 2008 and carrying through to 2012. The funds support fundamental research undertaken by individuals or research teams.
The successful projects cover a broad base and include a focus on econometrics and advanced systems; information and communications technologies including broadband; biomedical engineering; Indigenous mental health; sleep, shiftwork and work safety; child protection policy development; the transition from school to work and changes to work and gender roles in the family.
And in an emerging area of growth for UniSA, researchers have
built on last year’s success in capturing health research grants
through the NHMRC,
by adding another four projects and almost $2 million to the health
research portfolio at the University.
Three projects from the Division of Health Sciences – one examining the benefits of Levocarnitine supplements for dialysis patients; further research into the treatment of lysosomal disorders; and research into epigenetic programming of the hypothalmo-pituitary-adremal axis - were successful, and a fourth project led by The Wark™ will explore the use of nanoparticles to improve drug delivery to cancer patients.
Three Linkage Projects with industry were also successful in gaining more than $1million from the ARC coupled with industry partner investment, supporting research in chemical science, engineering and technology, and business and management.
Researchers in the School of Mathematics were awarded more than $40,000 in funding under the Linkage International Awards to work on a linear programming approach to tackle non-linear control problems, and UniSA was also successful in securing almost $250,000 in Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities funding for a biophysical characterisation facility to allow scientists to study proteins at the biophysical level.
UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj congratulated all staff who worked on grant applications in 2007.
"The research environment is extremely competitive," Prof Høj said. "We are really very proud of the collective achievement of UniSA staff and we rely on their commitment and passion for their research as we aspire to grow and strengthen our research capacity."
Details of the new projects administered by the University of South Australia are available online.