NEWS RELEASE
4 December 2002
UniSA
wins $2.1m for ARC Special Research Centre
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has awarded more than $2 million in
continued funding over three years to the University of South Australia for its
internationally renowned ARC Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces.
The award follows the ARC Review Panel’s assessment that ‘the
Centre is meeting the objectives of the Special Research Centre at a high level. It is a
dynamic, exciting research centre with exceptionally strong links to industry users and
very successful research training. It has achieved an international reputation for quality
innovation and practical solutions to complex problems.’
According to the ARC report, since the Ian Wark Research Institute won Special Research
Centre status in 2000, the SRC has achieved ‘outstanding collaborations and excellent
visibility. It is the leading centre in the science of particle and material interfaces in
Australia and a leader in this field internationally. It attracts high quality
international research students and senior visiting researchers.
‘The IWRI’s key basic research projects have strong interaction
with its applied research, and the IWRI is especially good at being able to turn its
excellent science into applications that can be used by industry,’ the ARC report
states.
"Our research into the properties of bubbles, small particles and
reactive surfaces, which underpin the minerals, pigment, pharmaceutical, optical,
electronic and specialty manufacturing industries is world class, accounting for the
strong international network of companies that interact with the Institute, and this is
the reason why we are being recognised for our excellence in fundamental and applied
research and our very high level of international visibility,” Director of the IWRI,
Professor John Ralston said.
“When special research centres are funded, the funding lifetime is a
maximum of nine years, subject to stringent triennial reviews. After nine years the ARC
designation as a SRC can be retained in perpetuity. This is the third year of operation of
the IWRI as the ARC Special Research Centre for Particle and Material Interfaces and the
renewed funding ensures its operation for another three years.
“This splendid result would simply not have been possible without the
efforts of all staff and students in the IWRI, where individual contributions have
combined together to give a superb outcome,” Professor Ralston said.
News
that the Ian Wark Research Institute has also been shortlisted for a Priority Centre of Excellence
by the Australian Research Council confirms that UniSA’s Special Research Centre has
definitely earned its place as one of Australia’s leading
centres in nanotechnologies, according to Professor Ian Davey, Pro Vice Chancellor,
Research and International.
“The successful bid for
the Institute for Functional Interfaces and
Nanostructures Centre of Excellence would see the Ian Wark Research
Institute as a key partner with eastern state nodes including the University of Sydney and
Monash University,” Professor Davey said.
“The Centre will foster
world leading research and research training in the key emerging area of the design,
development and processing of novel nano and bio materials. About eight centres of
excellence will be established nationally as a part of the Commonwealth Government’s
Innovation Action Plan Backing Australia’s Ability.”
Ian Wark Research
Institute
The Institute attracts about $7 million in research funding annually from
industry sponsors, and national and international grants, with resulting increases in
productivity for research participants across a range of industries measured in tens of
millions of dollars each year.
While improving primary minerals processing efficiencies in the mining
industry is the mainstay of the IWRI, it provides some of the most sophisticated particle
and interface science research in the world, known as colloid science.
In
addition, research into materials processing, which is helping to turn raw materials into
worthwhile products that we recognise and use, is IWRI’s second largest area of
research directed to the manufacturing industry.
Other
IWRI research projects of significance include environmental issues in mining, packaging
for preservation of food, wine and beverages; turning recycled plastics and rubber
materials into products, and pharmaceutical research into coatings on drugs and drug
delivery mechanisms applying the research fields of biointerfaces and nanoscience.
Media contact: Geraldine Hinter (08)
8302 0963 or 0417 861832
email: geraldine.hinter@unisa.edu.au
