University of Queensland researchers have been awarded $32 million for work designed to create positive change across science, health, engineering and the humanities.
The Australian Research Council today announced the funding as part of the latest round of Discovery Project and Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards, aimed at underpinning fundamental research to sustain and develop Australia’s innovation and knowledge economies.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said UQ was awarded 57 Discovery Project grants, totalling $21.4 million, 19 Early Career Researcher Awards, amounting to $6.75 million, and $3.5 million in the Linkage, Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities scheme.
Nationally, the ARC today announced $225 million in grants for 594 Discovery Projects across 34 universities.
“UQ won the second highest number of Discovery Project grants awarded to universities across Australia, underscoring its position as a research powerhouse,” Professor Høj said.
“And the 19 DECRA awards have confirmed our position as the most successful university in the life of the DECRA scheme, which is designed to support researchers in their early career phases,” Professor Høj said.
“Congratulations to all UQ researchers whose applications were successful in an extremely competitive funding environment,” he said.
Professor Høj said the Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards would support a broad range of exciting and important projects.
EAIT's Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards at UQ announced today include:
$322,446 to Dr Thierry Bore from the School of Civil Engineering - A new approach for characterising soils based on electric parameters.
$314,446 to Dr Rui Feng Yan from the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering - Enabling high photovoltaic penetration in power distribution networks.
$367,646 to Dr Jung Ho Yun from the School of Chemical Engineering - Perovskite photovoltaic-assisted energy conversion system using wastewater. This project aims to explore the potential of a solar-driven electrochemical system to simultaneously generate hydrogen and electricity by utilising wastewater as a fuel.
$365,058 to Dr Joel Carpenter from the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering - Spatial, spectral and temporal imaging through multimode optical fibre.
“It’s exciting to see funding for diverse research with potential to create change in health, infrastructure, the economy and the environment,” Professor Høj said.
The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) researchers were awarded over 20 Discovery Projects, totalling around $8 million.
EAIT's Discovery Project grants at UQ announced today include:
$462,080 to a project led by School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering Professor Stuart Crozier and Professor Feng Liu - Dielectric contrast imaging for 7 Tesla magnetic resonance applications. This project aims to develop novel radio-frequency (RF) technology, ensuring that the benefits of high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are available for a broader range of applications.
$448,261 to a project led by Professor Jason Stokes and Dr Gleb Yakubov from the School of Chemical Engineering to research - Multiscale ciscoelastic lubrication of soft matter systems.
$443,270 to a project led by Professor MingXing Zhang from the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering and the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering's Professor Xue Li - Development of new aluminium alloys through big data analytics.
$302,180 to a project led by the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering researcher, Professor Han Huang - Developing machining technologies for single crystal gallium oxide.
$277,614 to a project that School of Chemical Engineering researcher, Dr Liu Ye will be working on - Unravelling the dynamics of nitrous oxide production in wastewater systems.
$241,590 to a project led by the School of Civil Engineering’ Dr Vinh Dao – Early-age cracking in concrete structures: mechanisms and control.
