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