Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships announced

Published Tuesday, 16 April, 2024 at 01:30 PM

Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation
The Honourable Leanne Linard

  • Nineteen researchers will share in more than $5 million in funding in the latest round of Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships.
  • The fellowships support Queensland-based researchers to partner with industry to conduct research that improves the agricultural industry, health outcomes, the environment and renewable energy.
  • More than $53 million has been invested in the fellowships program since 2016.

Nineteen Queensland-based PhD qualified researchers will share in more than $5 million in funding in the latest round of Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships.

The fellowships are designed to foster innovation and future proof industry, with researchers partnering with industry to address barriers to growth, identify more effective and efficient ways of servicing customers, and developing new products.

The fellowships also have a track record of job creation – with each fellowship, on average, creating around three jobs per research project and more post-completion.

Fellowships backed by industry are a proven way of fast-tracking research from the lab to commercialisation.

Researchers must secure an industry partner to qualify for an Advance Queensland fellowship, that way the research translates to practical uses for industry, creates good, secure jobs and attracts investment to Queensland.

Fellowships are available for early-career and mid-career researchers.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Science and Innovation, Leanne Linard:

“The fellowships demonstrate the Miles Government’s commitment to building a resilient economy and creating jobs, as well as reinforce Queensland’s reputation as a world leader in innovation and research.

“The 19 fellowships offered in this round cover a diverse range of topics involving unique research to help develop innovative solutions for industry.

“This includes the use of spider venom to control plagues of locusts, more effective disease control in our livestock industries, the use of artificial intelligence to produce climate-resilient and profitable crops and the restoration of seaweed forests.

“I congratulate our new fellows and I look forward to the difference their research will make to Queenslanders, to our economy and our industries."

Quotes attributable to Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor Kerrie Wilson:

“The talented Queensland scientists embarking on these fellowships are paving the way for innovative solutions to benefit our economy, natural environment and society.

“Investments in our talented researchers allows new knowledge to be generated to address industry priorities and develop critical technologies.

“The Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship program supports Queensland-based researchers to collaborate with industry and ensure the findings are translated into practical application for the industry partner. Ultimately, this benefits Queensland’s economy and builds new jobs for the future.”

Quotes attributable to University of Southern Queensland academic and 2019 fellow, Professor Allan Manalo:

“The fellowship was one of the highlights of my research career.

“In partnership with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), we were able to demonstrate the climate resilient benefits of concrete structures reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars in boating and maritime infrastructure.

“The collaborative research showed the GFRP reinforced concrete structures have better structural performance than steel reinforced concrete, and we were able to eliminate corrosion in the marine environment.

“The fellowship created a lot of opportunities to work with TMR and a number of Queensland-based industries.

“The partnerships I made during the fellowship are ongoing, and the fellowship supported twelve existing Queensland jobs and it supported 23 new jobs.

“The projects the research team has implemented through the fellowship project have created 49 new jobs, and it has the potential to create 160 new future jobs in regional Queensland with TMR now specifying the GFRP bars in their boating and maritime infrastructure.”

“We can also create climate-resilient, adaptive technological solutions that will enhance capabilities of TMR and other government agencies to design, build and deliver infrastructure and transport systems better able to withstand adverse impacts of increasing natural disasters like flooding and storm surges.”

Further information:

Full list of researchers awarded an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship:

Name

Location

Industry Partners

Project title

Amount

Dr Fawad Ali

Griffith University, Brisbane

Zest Speciality Coffee Roasters

VLAI Company Pty Ltd t/a Coffee Mentality

Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd

Murat enterprises

Invigorating the coffee industry in Tropical North Queensland

$240,000

Dr Alexandra Campbell

University of the Sunshine Coast

Sea World Foundation

Preserving Queensland’s Golden Kelp forests

$360,000

Dr Eric Dinglasan

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

LongReach Plant Breeders Pty Ltd

Advanta Seeds Pty Ltd (trading as Pacific Seeds)

AI crop breeding to produce climate-resilient yields

$240,000

Dr Arun Everest-Dass

Griffith University, Brisbane

Sanofi-Aventis Australia Pty Ltd

Boosting mRNA vaccine technology development

$240,000

Dr Nicholas Fletcher

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

AdvanCell Isotopes

Next generation cancer treatments

$360,000

Dr Shaodong Guo

University of the Sunshine Coast

University of Queensland

Colere Group Pty Ltd

Eco-friendly insecticides based on spider venoms to control Australian locust plagues

$240,000

Dr Yueqi Kong

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Graphene Manufacturing Group

Generating a new rechargeable battery – the aluminum-ion battery

$240,000

Dr Maxence Lavaill

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane

Stryker European Operations Ltd

Improving shoulder implant surgery

$160,000

Dr Lida Omaleki

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Scolexia Pty Ltd

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)

Tréidlia Biovet

ACE Laboratory Services

Meat and Livestock Australia

Supporting more effective disease control in Queensland’s livestock industries

$360,000

Dr Hannah Seligmann

University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba

Department of Transport and Main Roads

Townsville City Council

Repurposing landfill waste to build flood-resilient roads

$240,000

Dr Kamel Sultan

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

EM Solutions

Revolutionising vehicle-to-satellite communication by developing a cutting-edge broadband antenna system

$240,000

Dr Ummul Khair Sultana

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Glencore Technology Pty Ltd

Recovering critical metals such as cobalt from copper mine tailings

$240,000

Dr Trong Tran

University of Sunshine Coast

Native Beeings Pty Ltd

Vanadit Pty Ltd ATF Van Rooyen Family Trust

Australian Native Bee Association Inc.

Sugarbag Bees Pty Ltd

Looking for the commercial potential of stingless be propolis – a produce normally discarded by beekeepers but which could provide an additional income stream for the honey industry

$360,000

Dr Guilherme Vieira da Silva

Griffith University, Gold Coast

City of Gold Coast

Department of Environment and Science

Local Government Association Queensland

Improving coastal erosion assessment

$360,000

Dr Yuan Wang

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Cook Medical Australia Pty Ltd

Using AI to assess the quality of custom-made medical devices used in vascular health

$240,000

Dr Qing Wu

Central Queensland University, Rockhampton

Aurizon Operations Limited

Improving rail energy efficiency by identifying vehicle design improvements and developing a vehicle energy rating system similar to those used for household appliances

$360,000

Dr Fang You

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Rio Tinto Services Limited

Using biotechnology to support the growth of native plant species on rehabilitated mining lands through improving soil quality

$360,000

Dr Chenming Zhang

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

Elexon Mining Pty Ltd

Stanwell Corporation Limited

Rio Tinto Aluminium

Develop an AI-driven system to monitor and manage mine water and tailings

$360,000

Dr Renjie Zhou

The University of Queensland, Brisbane

 

Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ), Department of Resources

EQ Resources Limited (EQR)

Develop new digital infrastructure to cost-effectively identify mineral exploration targets in North-East Queensland

$360,000

 

For more information on the Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship, visit: https://advance.qld.gov.au/universities-and-researchers/industry-research-fellowships

ENDS

Media contact: Scott Chandler – (07) 3719 7339