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28 March 2008
Nuclear and nanotech head new grant round
Australia's Learned Academies have been awarded $561,272 over two years for research into issues as diverse as decisions about nuclear energy, nanotechnology safety, multiculturalism, workforce needs, and new approaches to illness and wellness, under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects scheme.
With a membership of about 2,000 eminent Australian researchers in all disciplines, the four Academies provide objective expert advice to Government on important matters of public interest, and contribute significantly to the advancement of Australia's intellectual capacity and international research reputation.
Announcing the projects today, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, applauded the Academies for their innovative proposals and for supporting research that is likely to produce long-term benefits for many Australians.
"The Learned Academies are able to provide a unique perspective on research that needs to be done in the natural and applied sciences, technological development and applied technology, the social sciences and the humanities, without being blinded by allegiances to individual universities," Minister Carr said.
"Through them, we are able to tap into research that focuses on advancing knowledge across the whole sector or that may not fit easily into other funding schemes.
"In 2008, six proposals from five Academies will be funded, representing a 75 per cent success rate and average funding of $93,545 a project, up by almost $10,000 on 2007."
The new research projects will:
- explore aspects of integration and multiculturalism in Australia, like language use, marriage patterns, location and political participation, to learn how they contribute to social cohesion, development of a common national identity and core values, and to inform public policies on migrant settlement, citizenship testing, national security and social integration. (Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia)
- develop a comprehensive picture of the current and future state of Australia’s humanities capability to inform government, industry and community responses to national priority areas of workforce need. (The Australian Academy of the Humanities)
- examine the use of technology enhanced language learning activities as a university retention strategy and inform the sector on best practice for teaching the widest possible range of languages other than English (The Australian Academy of the Humanities)
- shape new approaches to illness/wellness through applications of converging technologies, eg. smart packaging, air and water treatments with neuronal chips and robotics. (Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering)
- analyse the research of historians, political analysts, physicists, environmentalists, legal analysts, economists, cultural critics, anthropologists and others to clarify the political, scientific, environmental and social contexts in which decisions on nuclear energy are made. (National Academies Forum)
- examine nanotechnology research trends and priorities in Australia and develop appropriate criteria for assessing the health, safety and environmental risks on a case-by-case basis for different applications. (Australian Academy of Science)
The Minister approved all of the projects recommended by the ARC for funding.
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