November 18, 2016
Molecules and metals key to German collaboration
UOW researchers succeed in grant funding from Germany
Two early career researchers from UOW have been awarded grant funding under a scheme that fosters and encourages collaboration between Australian and German universities and research institutes.
The Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme is a joint initiative of Universities Australia and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Germany’s national agency for the support of international academic cooperation.
Dr Chris Hyland from the Faculty of Science Medicine and Health (SMAH) was among the successful recipients and will be working with Heidelberg University to develop ‘Gold-Catalysed Reactions of Strained Molecules’. The Australian expertise in strained molecule reactivity will combine with the German expertise in gold catalysis to prepare a range of molecules known as heterocycles.
Professor Rian Dippenaar from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences will collaborate with researchers at RWTH Aachen University in a project entitled: ‘Nucleation in Peritectic and Reverse Eutectoid Transformations: An Experimental and Computational Investigation’.
The DAAD and Australian universities have contributed $1.27 million and $1.24 million respectively to the 2017-2018 round of funding, with 72 successful projects announced last week from a pool of more than 250 applicants.
Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson said Germany is consistently ranked as the third most important country in terms of research collaboration for Australian universities.
“Germany is a world leader in innovation and research. Today’s funding announcement will mean Australia can build even stronger ties with a country that is known as a research powerhouse and build our own research capacity in return,” Ms Robinson said.
“These projects are laying the ground work for our future large-scale collaborations, helping both nations to reap the economic and societal benefits of sharing cutting-edge research knowledge and practice.”
Applications will open in April 2017 for the 2018 and 2019 funding rounds.