UQ scientist receives inaugural Australia-India science award

University of Queensland scientist Dr Akshat Tanksale has been awarded an inaugural Australia India Science and Technology Research Award (AISTRA).

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, announced the two winners of the award, which supports three-month overseas research placements for talented early career researchers, one from Australia and one from India.

The theme for the inaugural awards, “energy generation in a low-carbon future”, reflects the importance India and Australia place on meeting our growing energy requirements in a sustainable manner.

Dr Akshat Tanksale from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology will work with researchers at India’s National Chemical Laboratories in Pune, India’s leading research organisation in the field of chemistry, chemical engineering and nanotechnology.

“I feel very privileged to receive this award, and hope it will lead to new collaborations with the NCL in Pune, India," he said.

“My research will focus on making new nanomaterials for catalytic applications to convert agricultural matter into carbon-neutral fuel."

Dr Tanksale is expected to travel to India in first half of 2010 to commence his placement.

The AISTRA program was established in 2009 to promote greater collaboration between the Australian and Indian research communities.

The awards are administered by the Australian Academy of Technology Sciences and Engineering with the support of the Australia-India Council, which sits within the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The awards will make a valuable contribution to both governments’ efforts to strengthen links in science and technology and on sustainable development.

They complement the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, a joint undertaking of both governments, which the Prime Ministers of Australia and India agreed in November 2009 to extend and expand.

Media contact: Dr Akshat Tanksale (0423315599, a.tanksale@uq.edu.au)