UQ receives Federal Systemic Infrastructure Initiative funding

The University of Queensland is participating in projects that have received more than $13 million under the federal government’s new Systemic Infrastructure Initiative.

UQ is a significant partner in the new Marine Research Education Network, which is to receive more than $2.2 million in 2002 and more than $10 million over three years. The funding will upgrade and strengthen major marine research and training infrastructure along the Great Barrier Reef and coastal Queensland.
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The funding will help to integrate and modernise university infrastructure at five island research stations including UQ’s facilities at Heron Island, the Low Isles and North Stradbroke Island.

The network is based at James Cook University, with UQ and the University of Sydney the major partners.

In other areas, UQ will receive $357,650 towards a new instrument known as the BIAcore 3000 to aid the discovery and characterisation of new pharmaceuticals, and $434,625 to improve the equipment and instrumentation level of its hypersonics facility and to establish a payload proving laboratory. This will assist in the flight testing of new hypersonic propulsion and aerodynamic concepts.

UQ is also a supporting partner in a Rapid DNA Assessment Facility with La Trobe University ($562,400) and is involved with the University of Wollongong in a facility for the Nanofabrication for Processing of Novel Multilayer Materials ($1.477 million).

The funding was announced by the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs Dr David Kemp from a $55 million pool for systemic infrastructure over the next three years under the first round of the new scheme. It is part of the Federal Government’s Backing Australia’s Ability package, with a total of $246 million to be allocated nationally over the next five years.

For more information, contact Peter McCutcheon at UQ Communications (07 3365 1088).