Eureka! UOW part of CSIRO’s winning team

Aug 28, 2006

Dr Dianne Jolley and four PhD students from UOW’s Department of Chemistry are members of a CSIRO team studying contaminated sediments that has won a 2006 Eureka Prize for outstanding research.

The Eureka Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in Australian science in four categories – research, leadership and innovation, education and science communication.

This year’s awards were presented at a dinner in Sydney in late August.

The CSIRO team, which included Dr Dianne Jolley and UOW PhD students Jacqueline Levy, Brad Angel, David Strom and Clare Atkinson, won the Land & Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research for their work which has helped develop new guidelines for the responsible management of contaminated sediments in Australian harbours, estuaries and rivers.

CSIRO scientists Dr Graeme Batley, Dr Stuart Simpson and Dr Jenny Stauber lead the award-winning team, which includes other CSIRO scientists and researchers from UOW, the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation and the University of Canberra.

Dr Jolley said UOW has an on-going collaboration with the CSIRO’s Land and Water research unit based at ANSTO in Lucas heights, which has proven extremely valuable for students. The UOW researchers combine environmental toxicology with chemistry to assess the contaminants’ biological impact on the food chain.

“It really is a tremendous opportunity for students to be able to work as part of a committed industry team and to experience research outside the university environment,” Dr Jolley said. “It is also exciting to be part of a team that wins such a prestigious award.”