The Australian Research Council (ARC) Chief Executive Officer, Ms Judi Zielke PSM, today announced more than $39 million in research funding under the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme.
Ms Zielke said the LIEF Scheme provides funding for acquisition of key research equipment and infrastructure allowing Australian researchers to undertake excellent basic and applied research and training. It also prioritises collaboration and cooperative initiatives to allow Australian researchers access to expensive facilities nationally and internationally.
"This funding ensures Australian scientists have access to world-class infrastructure to support their cutting-edge research across a wide range of disciplines." Ms Zielke said.
Among the 21 universities that will receive funding are:
The Australian National University ($400,000): Establishing a National Facility for Electricity Grid Security and Resilience Research. This facility will enable large-scale industrial control systems to be better engineered for improved robustness and resilience and reduce the risk of power blackouts caused by cybersecurity threats.
The University of Western Australia ($319,000): Digitising the drafting of the Australian Constitution. Australia's first open-access, online resource on the drafting of the Constitution will consolidate, correct, and digitise historical records from across Australia. Accessible to all, this project will enhance public understanding of the Constitution, including issues around constitutional change.
RMIT University ($450,000): Establishing a new generation metal 3D printing facility. Establishing a new generation metal 3D printing research facility in Australia will allow faster more cost-effective and greener 3D printing of complex metal parts. This will help the Australian defence, space, aerospace, biomedical and clean energy industries further develop cost-effective, low carbon emission products.
The University of New South Wales ($1 million): Bioprinting and advanced visualisation of novel 3D model systems. This infrastructure will use Australian made bioprinting machinery to create miniature replicas of organs and tissues and access a new microscope to study the cells within these 3D structures. The models will minimise the use of animals in research and enable the study of cell and tissue function under more "life like" conditions.
The University of Adelaide ($2.8 million): Enabling the future of the Australian collider physics program. This project will position Australian science at the forefront of the international quest to discover new fundamental particles. Researchers with access to facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider will construct particle detection devices with applications in telecommunications, financial services, data analytics, and improved cybersecurity.
