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18 June 2008
It's conclusive: Australia is a clever country
Australians pride ourselves on our ingenuity. We all know that the Cochlear bionic ear implant, the Hills hoist and the black box recorder are Australian inventions, but what have we done that’s special lately?
The inaugural Australian Research Council (ARC) Graeme Clark Research Outcomes Forum, to be held in Canberra today, will bring together 20 top ARC-supported researchers to demonstrate – in plain English – how their work is 'making a difference' to the world in which we live.
"Research is generally a slow business, there’s no doubt about it," ARC Chief Executive Professor Margaret Sheil says. “How many times have you heard about a 'breakthrough' that is expected to lead to a result in five to 10 years? The news is full of these items — now we have an opportunity to find out what happened next.
"The results of a lot of innovative and exciting Australian research do have a positive and significant impact on our lives today. Even if we don't always realise it, Australia definitely is a clever country."
Professor Sheil says that it is important to recognise Australia’s research talent, and seek to foster and strengthen opportunities for researchers in the public and private sectors, industry, academia and the wider community.
"Our researchers are a valuable resource. Their work has a profound impact on our wellbeing as individuals and as a nation," she says. "The Graeme Clark Research Outcomes Forum is a way of showcasing some extraordinary Australian research projects that have achieved real world outcomes and making research accessible to a general audience, with the help of Master of Ceremonies Adam Spencer."
It was in the 1960s that Professor Graeme Clark AC started the research that led to the Cochlear implant, which has brought hearing to tens of thousands of people around the world. Now in his 70s, Professor Clark is continuing his research in the field of medical bionics, with a focus on infection control using implanted devices, the correction of nerve and spinal cord injuries, and the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy.
As well as Professor Clark's achievements, research outcomes to be featured at the Forum will include:
- technology to separate DNA-damaged sperm from other sperm in assisted reproduction therapy
- use of chemical residues from bomb blasts, in an era of homemade explosives, to catch terrorists
- improved predictions of Australian rainfall extremes using Indian Ocean surface temperatures
- successfully managing copyright in the digital age
- strategies to improve child development and family wellbeing in disadvantaged communities before crime or serious behaviour problems emerge or become entrenched
- insight into the human appetite for protein, which can predispose us to obesity and other problems
- design of offshore structures that can survive catastrophic weather events like Hurricane Katrina
- strategies to preserve the world’s coral reefs
- minerals technology being used by global mining giants, saving money and increasing profits.
In addition, the ARC, in partnership with Palamedia Ltd, has produced a new publication that celebrates the research outcomes of Forum presenters and other ARC-funded researchers. Monash University Chancellor Dr Alan Finkel AM will launch Outcomes: Results of research in the real world 2008 at the Forum, where copies will be available free-of-charge.
Media are welcome to attend. For more information, please refer to the attached Program and sneak preview of presentations.
| Media contacts: | ||
Fiona Skivington |
Australian Research Council |
0412 623 057 |
