Funding and praise for UNSW's Centres of Excellence

UNSW has received 25 percent of the federal government's new funding package for high performing research centres.

UNSW will receive $17.3m in additional funding following a positive review of the performance and future research plans of its ARC Centres of Excellence and ARC Centres.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology was awarded $10.1m over the next 3 years and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics was awarded $7.2m over the same period. Both Centres of Excellence have major research nodes based at UNSW.

Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop described the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology as a focal point for worldwide research in quantum computing.

The Minister also noted that the ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics at UNSW was positioned as a world leader in solar power research.

"The Centre holds the world records for the most efficient silicon solar cell and the most efficient silicon solar power module," she said. "It has successfully commercialized, or is in the process of commercializing, eight solar power technologies."

UNSW will also benefit from new funding awarded to its research nodes at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Autonomous Systems, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Modeling of Complex Systems, and the ARC Centre for Complex Systems.

UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Les Field said the new funding was a sign that high performing research centres were making a positive contribution to Australia's research and development.

"This result shows the wisdom of putting significant research funds into areas of national significance over an extended period," he said. "The government has seen a good return on its investment and I am heartened by the excellent results in quantum computer technology and silicon photovoltaics and photonics."

The ARC Centres of Excellence scheme was established by the federal government in 2002 to create the scale and focus necessary to maintain and develop Australia's international standing in four priority areas - nanomaterials and biomaterials, genome/phenome research, complex/intelligent systems, and photon science and technology.

Reviews of the 15 ARC Centres of Excellence and ARC Centres from the 2003 cohort were undertaken in 2006 to assess their performance with a view to funding a number of them for an additional three years. Funding was approved for 14 of those proposals, 11 for the period 2008-10 and three for 2008. The review process was headed by BHP Billiton's former Chief Scientist Dr Bob Watts.