Today Australian Research Council (ARC) Chief Executive Officer, Ms Judi Zielke PSM, announced the award of $22 million for 50 Early Career Industry Fellowships under the Industry Fellowships Program.
The Early Career Industry Fellowships scheme provides opportunities for new and emerging researchers to work with highly experienced, leading professors and shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian industry to help solve industry challenges. The Fellowships will help build innovation in the research and industry sectors and facilitate the adoption, translation and commercialisation of Australian research over time.
"Providing opportunities for early career researchers to collaborate with colleagues in an industry setting is crucial to ensure that Australia can meet the challenges of tomorrow," Ms Zielke said.
"Working with a broad range of stakeholders, the ARC has made this scheme flexible for researchers from both industry and academia. Breaking down barriers will help industry understand the importance of research and development in growing their business. Creating opportunities for this type of collaboration is important for Australia's prosperity."
Ms Zielke said the Fellowships awarded today will assist the Australian community across a range of sectors including the sports and carers industries and the justice system.
"Examples include developing training strategies to assist female participation and retention in professional sport; ensuring the effectiveness of support services for Australia's 2.7 million unpaid carers; and the comprehension of forensic science in the justice system."
Awarded ARC Early Career Industry Fellowships include:
La Trobe University ($448,222): to develop training strategies that build high performing women football players of the future to reduce drop-out and injuries, maximise the commercialisation of women's sport, and increase the visibility of professional, high performing women in society.
The University of New England ($447,914): to develop tools for laboratory-based testing of parasitic worm infections to improve the productivity and welfare of free-range chickens in Australia.
The University of Adelaide ($390,574): to provide communication strategies to assist how forensic science is explained in courts to reduce incidences of misunderstanding, resulting in a fairer, more reliable justice system for all Australians.
University of Canberra ($443,486): to improve the ability of Carers Australia and the Department of Social Services to identify the effectiveness of services to support Australia's 2.7 million unpaid carers.
