Linkage Projects supporting stronger partnerships between researchers and industry

31 May 2017

Linkage Projects supporting stronger partnerships between researchers and industry

Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, has today announced an additional $22.2 million to support 61 new collaborative research projects funded under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.

ARC Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Leanne Harvey, said the successful Linkage Projects involve significant collaboration.

“The Linkage Projects scheme is defined by its collaboration—these research projects all involve significant partnerships between higher education researchers and other parts of the national innovation system, from governments and community organisations, through to business and industry,” said Ms Harvey.

“Supporting these projects will be 143 partner organisations, who, in addition to ARC funding, will provide a further $37.0 million in cash and in-kind over the duration of the projects.

The 61 new projects awarded funding today include:

• Professor Zhong Tao from Western Sydney University, partnering with Nu-Rock Technology Pty Ltd, will develop a new generation of concrete-filled steel tubular columns to enable the expansion of the domestic and worldwide market for Australian producers of geo-polymer concrete and fly ash aggregates.
• Dr Pauline Grierson from The University of Western Australia, collaborating with Rio Tinto, will undertake research to improve the sustainable management of mineral and groundwater resources in arid regions and reduce the impact of water abstraction and surplus discharge associated with mining and regional development.
• Dr Andrew Bridle from the University of Tasmania, working with Benchmark Animal Health Group Ltd, will identify candidate vaccine antigens and produce an experimental vaccine against amoebic gill disease that will benefit the Tasmanian and international Atlantic salmon aquaculture industries.
• Associate Professor Tracy Ireland from the University of Canberra—in partnership with Airservices Australia; National Museum of Australia; Civil Aviation Historical Society Inc; and SFO Museum—will explore how aviation has transformed Australian society over the last hundred years and how the technology of global mobility has shaped people, cultures and communities.
• Prof Xun Yi from RMIT University, together with CSIRO and Medtech Global Ltd, will explore practical privacy-preserving solutions for outsourced cloud data mining services to help businesses cut costs and assist Australia’s national cyber security strategy. 

From 1 July 2016, the ARC commenced accepting proposals under the Linkage Projects scheme on a continuous basis—a significant move away from the previous ‘one round per year’ approach, with successful grants announced on a continuing basis throughout the year.

More details about the Linkage Projects announced today are available from the ARC website.

Media contact:
ARC Stakeholder Relations                
0412 623 056 or communications@arc.gov.au