June 27, 2014
Industry collaborations to spark innovation
UOW receives more than $1.2 million to partner with industry on important research projects.
Projects to revitalise city centres, save endangered species, improve transport infrastructure and investigate the link between junk food marketing and childhood obesity will be spearheaded by University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers following the announcement of the latest Australian Research Council Linkage Project grants.
The Minister for Education, the Hon. Christopher Pyne, MP, announced on 27 June that UOW researchers would receive more than $1.2 million to partner with industry on important research projects.
Mr Pyne said collaboration and co-investment in quality research was fundamental to a prosperous future.
“It is critical we have opportunities for our researchers to work together with industry and business, who hold the knowledge and are often the end-users or commercialisers of the innovations that flow from research.”
UOW Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Research) Professor Judy Raper said that four important UOW-led research projects had been awarded funding.
Dietician Dr Bridget Kelly will lead a team on a $192,000 project with the Cancer Council NSW that will develop new evidence regarding the influence of unhealthy food marketing on children’s food attitudes, choices and consumption behaviours.
Engineer Professor Buddhima Indraratna and his team will partner with a number of leading engineering companies, including National Jute Board of India, Coffey Geotechnics, Menard Bachy, Soilwicks Australia and Douglas Partners, to undertake extensive laboratory and field studies to develop new industry guides and standards around the design and construction of transport infrastructure. The $735,000 project will specifically look at prefabricated vertical drains to assist in stabilising soft clay bases, which hamper Australia's coast.
Biologist Dr Phillip Byrne and his team will partner with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Taronga Conservation Society and Zoos Victoria to develop sophisticated assisted reproductive technologies to enhance the propagation and genetic management of critically endangered Australian frog species. The researchers were awarded $160,000.
Social transformation researcher Professor Ian Buchanan and his team will partner with Wollongong City Council to analyse city centre revitalisation processes and policies in regional Australia. The $160,000 project will focus on Wollongong, providing evidence-based analysis of how the Wollongong city centre is regarded and used by its residents and visitors. This information will enable the development of decision-making tools to inform planning processes for long-term city centre revitalisation and sustainable economic growth.
Media contact: Elise Pitt, Media & PR Officer, UOW, +61 2 4221 3079, +61 422 959 953, epitt@uow.edu.au.