UQ tops the nation in ARC Linkage Project grants

The University of Queensland has topped the nation with the most grants awarded in Round One of the recently-announced 2003 Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects.

UQ and the University of Sydney were equal first with 26 grants each of the total 325 awarded Australia-wide for research involving university and industry partners.

Nationally, the University of Queensland placed a close third (after the University of Sydney and the Australian National University) for total projected funding. Of the total ARC funding of $58 million available, nearly $6 million was allocated to UQ projects.

The University also placed first in the State for the number and value of grants, with about double the number and value of awards made to the next-placed university, Queensland University of Technology (14 grants worth nearly $3 million).

Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle said this was an outstanding result for the University of Queensland.

The result reflected the diversity and high quality of UQ research while confirming its relevance to industry collaborators who had committed funds to the winning projects.

“UQ’s success in this ARC grants round will advance knowledge in areas as wide-ranging as environmental protection, crime prevention, health services, the therapeutic value of honey, drug development and delivery, and animal production,” Professor Siddle said.

He said environmental projects had attracted particularly high levels of support.

“The largest single grant, of $660,000 over three years, will address greenhouse gas emission issues surrounding the use of coal and gas — the main energy source for Australian and many other national economies,” Professor Siddle said.

“This will have an international flavour, with industry partners including the Illinois State Geological Survey; Oil Company of Australia Ltd; Queensland State Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Industries; and Southern Pacific Petroleum N.L.”

The second-highest grant of $574,000 over three years will focus on the wastewater treatment industry’s increasing (but costly) use of external carbon to remove nitrogen. University researchers will work with Sydney Water Corporation, Brisbane Water, CabWater (Caboolture Shire Council) and ANOX AB on the first-known comprehensive study of what, when, where and how carbon sources should be used.

Media: for more information, contact Professor Siddle (telephone 07 3365 9044) or Nicole Thompson (telephone 07 3365 4445) or Moya Pennell at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2846).