Published Monday, 17 November, 2008 at 05:00 AM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Distinguished national and overseas researchers wooed to Qld
Queensland’s innovative researchers and industry bodies have until 28 November to apply for the first round of funding of the new $80M Smart Futures Fund – the State Government’s biggest ever push to gain more brainpower in Queensland.
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said Queensland boasted state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure and the search was now on to attract the best scientific brains to the Smart State.
“We’re on a mission to secure Queensland’s future and we’ll do that by seeking out distinguished international and national researchers and encouraging them to lead teams here in Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.
“We’ll also run new programs that place scientists and industry leaders side by side in the workplace.
“We are not only creating more jobs for Queenslanders but we are providing a new level of opportunity for the state’s brightest.”
Ms Boyle said investments in R&D over the past years had laid the foundations for Queensland’s future.
“With multi-million dollar top class facilities like the Queensland Brian Institute, Australian Tropical Forest Institute, Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics Research, and Institute for Molecular Bioscience we’ve attracted internationally renowned scientists to Queensland,” she said.
“We have scientists of the calibre of Professor Mandyam Srinivisan whose research is providing valuable insights into brain function, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg who is researching solutions to climate change issues impacting on the Great Barrier Reef, Professor Ian Fraser who led the team that developed the world’s first vaccine for cervical cancer and Doctor Bryan Wilson who is developing diagnostic tools for the early detection of coral diseases.
“But, we want more like them. We want to attract brilliant brains from elsewhere and give our home-grown brightest the best chance to find those scientific and medical breakthroughs that we know are so tantalisingly close at hand.
“It’s time to capitalise on all we’ve built, and for our scientists and industry to work closer than they ever have before. It’s time to get more of that research out of the lab and into the commercial world where it can bring home the big bucks and the big medical benefits for Queenslanders.”
Ms Boyle said the Smart Futures Fund had two components – skills and projects.
The $60M Projects Fund will create new collaborations across research and industry and drive new innovations through four programs:
- National and International Research Alliances Program for collaborative science and technology projects
- Research-Industry Partnerships Program for collaborative ‘near-to-market’ research projects between industry and research organisations that will lead to the development of new or improved products
- Partnerships Alliances Facilitation Program to assist Queensland applicants seek national and international funding
- Proof-of-Concept Program to help researchers demonstrate the commercial potential of their ideas and increase commercialisation in the State
The $20M Innovation Skills Fund designed to retain Queensland’s brightest and attract the world’s best minds is broken down into four programs:
- Premier’s Fellowship for distinguished national and international researchers to lead research teams in Queensland
- Fellowships for outstanding early and mid career researchers to undertake innovative research in Queensland
- Commercialisation Fellowships which has two streams:
o Researchers in Residence Fellowships to enable researchers to work within industry and increase the uptake of new ideas and help firms appreciate the benefits of undertaking research
o Entrepreneurs in Residence Fellowships to enable experienced industry leaders to work with research institutions to help commercialise R&D
- PhD Scholarships to encourage more innovative research to be undertaken in Queensland.
Ms Boyle said to date the State Government’s $3.4 billion investment in R&D had resulted in 36 new research institutes and more than 230 research-related projects, research scholarships and fellowships.
The Minister said successful applications under the Smart Futures Fund were expected to be announced in April 2009.
Guidelines, application forms and other information on the Smart Futures Fund is available at www.industry.qld.gov.au/smartfuturesfund
Ends
Media contact: 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
November 2008
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said Queensland boasted state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure and the search was now on to attract the best scientific brains to the Smart State.
“We’re on a mission to secure Queensland’s future and we’ll do that by seeking out distinguished international and national researchers and encouraging them to lead teams here in Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.
“We’ll also run new programs that place scientists and industry leaders side by side in the workplace.
“We are not only creating more jobs for Queenslanders but we are providing a new level of opportunity for the state’s brightest.”
Ms Boyle said investments in R&D over the past years had laid the foundations for Queensland’s future.
“With multi-million dollar top class facilities like the Queensland Brian Institute, Australian Tropical Forest Institute, Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics Research, and Institute for Molecular Bioscience we’ve attracted internationally renowned scientists to Queensland,” she said.
“We have scientists of the calibre of Professor Mandyam Srinivisan whose research is providing valuable insights into brain function, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg who is researching solutions to climate change issues impacting on the Great Barrier Reef, Professor Ian Fraser who led the team that developed the world’s first vaccine for cervical cancer and Doctor Bryan Wilson who is developing diagnostic tools for the early detection of coral diseases.
“But, we want more like them. We want to attract brilliant brains from elsewhere and give our home-grown brightest the best chance to find those scientific and medical breakthroughs that we know are so tantalisingly close at hand.
“It’s time to capitalise on all we’ve built, and for our scientists and industry to work closer than they ever have before. It’s time to get more of that research out of the lab and into the commercial world where it can bring home the big bucks and the big medical benefits for Queenslanders.”
Ms Boyle said the Smart Futures Fund had two components – skills and projects.
The $60M Projects Fund will create new collaborations across research and industry and drive new innovations through four programs:
- National and International Research Alliances Program for collaborative science and technology projects
- Research-Industry Partnerships Program for collaborative ‘near-to-market’ research projects between industry and research organisations that will lead to the development of new or improved products
- Partnerships Alliances Facilitation Program to assist Queensland applicants seek national and international funding
- Proof-of-Concept Program to help researchers demonstrate the commercial potential of their ideas and increase commercialisation in the State
The $20M Innovation Skills Fund designed to retain Queensland’s brightest and attract the world’s best minds is broken down into four programs:
- Premier’s Fellowship for distinguished national and international researchers to lead research teams in Queensland
- Fellowships for outstanding early and mid career researchers to undertake innovative research in Queensland
- Commercialisation Fellowships which has two streams:
o Researchers in Residence Fellowships to enable researchers to work within industry and increase the uptake of new ideas and help firms appreciate the benefits of undertaking research
o Entrepreneurs in Residence Fellowships to enable experienced industry leaders to work with research institutions to help commercialise R&D
- PhD Scholarships to encourage more innovative research to be undertaken in Queensland.
Ms Boyle said to date the State Government’s $3.4 billion investment in R&D had resulted in 36 new research institutes and more than 230 research-related projects, research scholarships and fellowships.
The Minister said successful applications under the Smart Futures Fund were expected to be announced in April 2009.
Guidelines, application forms and other information on the Smart Futures Fund is available at www.industry.qld.gov.au/smartfuturesfund
Ends
Media contact: 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326
November 2008