Media Centre

Email this page  Print this page

Media Release

Researchers share equipment to advance Australia’s knowledge

25 September 2007

The Australian Government will provide $33.3 million over five years to support 67 Australian research projects that will involve cooperative use of national and international research infrastructure, equipment and facilities.

Announcing the outcomes of the latest Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) funding round today, the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, said Australian researchers were highly innovative and generous in their support of colleagues.

“While there is a healthy level of competition between Australian researchers, I am impressed by the large numbers of collaborative research partnerships that occur within and between disciplines, organisations and sectors and that involve Australian and international researchers,” Minister Bishop said.

“The LIEF scheme rewards such collaboration by affording researchers access to equipment that otherwise would not be within their grasp and thereby assists them to achieve their goals.

“This ensures expensive infrastructure is utilised efficiently and has the potential to provide significant benefit to all Australians.”

LIEF funding announced today will be used to help finance:

• the establishment of a multi-function eye-tracker facility to enable the collection of data that will provide insights into eyewitness identification processes, attention deficits in autism and the role played by the eyes in controlling the movements of disabled people (Flinders University).
• the purchase of equipment to assist in the detection and analysis of trace concentrations of chemical contaminants in urban water systems (The University of New South Wales).
• phase 2 of the development of the AustLit national research infrastructure for humanities and education researchers, which provides an index of creative and critical works of Australian literature and information about Australian authors and literary organisations dating back to 1780 (The University of Queensland)
• Australian membership of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program – which will help us to better understand and eventually predict major natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis (The Australian National University).
• the purchase of a multidisciplinary ‘environmental’ field emission gun scanning electron microscope for use in the development of new materials for the automotive, textile and bio-medical sectors (Deakin University).
• the use of a world-leading advanced driving simulator for experimental studies to help reduce injuries and death caused by road accidents (Queensland University of Technology).

The LIEF scheme is funded under the Australian Government’s 10-year $8.3 billion commitment to innovation, Backing Australia’s Ability.

For more information, visit www.arc.gov.au.

Media Contacts: Ms Bishop’s Office: Murray Hansen 0417 886 155
Australian Research Council: Fiona Skivington 0412 623 057

Copyright  |  Disclaimer  |  Privacy Statement