Wollongong scores above the national average

Nov 10, 2005

Minister announces 2006 successful Australian Research Council (ARC) recipients

New researchers, particularly in the areas of science and engineering, have helped boost the outcome for the University of Wollongong in the hotly-contested 2006 Australian Research Council grants announced by Education, Science and Training Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson.

Wollongong's overall success rate for its researchers was 26.9 per cent against a national average of 24.4 per cent.

Under the Discovery Projects Scheme (which represents the largest allocations of grants), UOW researchers were awarded the 11th highest level of national funding overall with 25 grants totalling $7.4 million.

“Given the decline in the national success rate from 31 per cent in 2005 to just over 24 per cent in 2006, this is an excellent result for the University,” the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Margaret Sheil said.

Professor Sheil said the Faculty of Science stood out with 12 Discovery projects and two Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment grants.

Among other faculties, Engineering scored six Discovery grants, one Linkage International grant and one Linkage Infrastructure; Informatics received three Discovery grants and a Linkage grant; and Health and Behavioural Sciences also received three Discovery grants.

One of the highlights from the minister's announcement was the awarding of two prestigious Queen Elizabeth 11 Fellowships to Dr Dan Li (Science) who will join the University's Intelligent Polymer Research Institute from the University of California in Los Angeles and Dr Clive Schofield (Centre for Maritime Policy, Faculty of Law).

Only 16 QE11 Fellowships are awarded nationally.Dr Schofield and Dr Li received the largest financial grants. Dr Schofield is chief investigator together with Professor Stuart Kaye and Professor Martin Tsamenyi into a $660,970 five-year project looking at “Maritime Legal Practice and Policy in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific: Synergies and Challenges for Australian Trade and Security”. Dr Li is the chief investigator of a research team involved in a $554,000 grant over five years for the study of “Electronically Conducting Nanofibres and Assemblies”.

Professor Sheil said the new research grants would build on the strengths of the University.

“It's obvious from the results that new appointments we have made to the University have greatly boosted our overall research capability, especially in the science and engineering disciplines,” Professor Sheil said.

UOW also received funding for three Linkage Infrastructure grants, two Linkage grants and one Linkage International Award. These included a Linkage grant awarded to the Business School on supply chain management.

A full list of the successful UOW researchers and the titles of the funded projects can be found at the following web address: UOW Research Grants

For further information contact Professor Margaret Sheil on (02) 4221 3915.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128