Top result in Linkage grants

UNSW will receive $13.2 million in Linkage Project grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC), the highest level of funding in the state and the second highest in the country, it was announced today.

Thirty-five UNSW projects received support in the latest round of the funding scheme that teams university researchers with industry, business and community organisations to find solutions to our most pressing problems.

“This is an impressive result for UNSW that will drive innovation across some of our most important research areas,” said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Les Field. “UNSW received about as much funding as the rest of NSW combined, and nearly as much as Queensland.”

The average size of UNSW’s grants was $377,000, up from $283,000 last year. “This is a good result for UNSW,” Professor Field said.

Among UNSW’s successful projects, the largest grant of $750,000 went to Professor Michael Regan, from the School of Aviation, for a naturalistic driving study, looking at innovation in road safety research and policy.

More than $668,000 was awarded to the Faculty of Science’s Associate Professor Emma Johnston, for a project looking into the impacts of contaminants on ecosystem structure and function in urban waterways.

Two researchers from Faculty of Engineering won two grants each: Professor Travis Waller, for studies into the optimisation of urban transport, and Professor Oleg Ostrovski, for projects looking at the application of new technologies in steelmaking.

Under the Linkage scheme, industry partners must make a significant cash and/or in-kind contribution to their projects. The collaboration is essential to transforming industries, building communities and strengthening the Australian economy, said ARC CEO Professor Aidan Byrne.

“It’s about bringing together the scientists in our research institutions with industry, business and community organisations – those who can apply the outcomes of research – to tap into research expertise and share knowledge,” Professor Byrne said.

In total, 306 projects worth $101.8 million were funded in the 2013 Linkage Project round, attracting a total of $193.8 million in industry partner contributions. Project summaries are available on the ARC website.

Media contact: Steve Offner, UNSW Media Office, 02 9385 1583