The Morrison Government in a joint Australia-India science and technology initiative has announced $5.2M in grants for Australia-India research projects.
In total, six innovative projects have been funded out of more than 80 applicants in Round 14 of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) has been allocated.
These Collaborative Research Projects include conducting research to reduce preventable blindness and cut the cost of water quality management.
Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the project underlined the growing strength of the Australia-India relationship.
“The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund is strengthening the links between Australia and India and creating new innovation networks of global significance. These cutting-edge projects will benefit both countries and show what is possible when our leading research institutions and industries work closely together.“
The projects address six out of eight priority areas agreed to by our two governments, including quantum technologies, critical minerals, and infection prevention and control.
Minister Price added:
“I look forward to the development of these projects and further scientific and research cooperation between our nations in the future.”
The projects, successful Australian applicants and grant amounts are:
- Development of low cost, portable and solar-powered optical sensing technology for online monitoring of contaminants in groundwater, University of Sydney ($979,931).
- Prevention of blindness using digital technologies at primary care centres, The University Of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle ($912,000).
- Research into the structural dynamics of SARS-Cov-2, University of Melbourne ($894,513).
- Advanced recovery of the battery materials and rare earth elements from ores and wastes, University of South Australia ($905,881).
- Development of a versatile protein mimicry platform to deliver the next generation of bioadhesives for mending soft tissues, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology ($525,380).
- Quantum-enhanced atomic gravimetry for improved sensing capabilities, Australian National University ($1,000,000).
Prof. Naba Dutta of RMIT University’s School of Engineering posted on LinkedIn:
“OMG!!! This is an amazing success we were looking forward to for long time!!!
It is thrilling to learn that our #AISRF (Australia India Strategic Research Fund) application ‘ #australia #scienceandtechnology ”#development of a versatile #protein #mimicry platform to deliver the next generation of #bioadhesives for mending #soft #tissues’’ have been successful and received significant support!”
He further added:
“The project’s success is personally euphoric since it will provide unparalleled opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists and scholars at alma mater -INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INDIA; to push the frontier of SCIENCE forward in a cutting edge area of research on which we are working for more than decades.”
Prof. Dutta has been engaged in fundamental and applied research in the areas of Polymers, Biomaterials Engineering, Energy Materials for energy conversion devices including Fuel Cells, Thin Films & Coatings and Advanced Manufacturing for more than 25 years.
The AISRF is Australia’s largest fund dedicated to bilateral science cooperation and will help build links between Australia and India’s top universities, research institutions and the end users of scientific innovation.
