New South Wales, Australia
May, 2009
Southern Cross University will share in close to $2 million
in funding for critical research infrastructure and equipment.
The grant was announced last month by Senator Kim Carr, the
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
Southern Cross University is a partner with other universities
in two successful bids for collaborative infrastructure - each
worth $950,000. It has also received a grant of $220,000 for a
project based at SCU.
The first collaborative project involves funding for the latest
technology in DNA sequencing for use in biological, medical,
agriculture, environmental and evolutionary genetics research.
 Professor Robert Henry, director of the
Centre for Plant
Conservation Genetics, said together with funding from the
collaborating institutions the total project would be worth $2
million, with one facility to be established at SCU’s Lismore
campus and the other at the University of New South Wales in
Sydney.
“This is a very significant achievement for us and an import
piece of infrastructure which will allow us to continue to
attract research funding,” Professor Henry said.
The second collaborative project, also worth $950,000, is in the
area of geochemistry and is designed to contribute to studies of
global climate change. Southern Cross University’s Centre for
Earth Science Systems is one of the partners in this project,
which will provide access to new technology for palaeoclimate
and archaeological research.
Professor Bill Boyd, a member of the research team, said this
technology, to be used for dating sediments, would provide new
insights into environmental change.
“We know for example that sea levels have gone up and down over
time. If you can understand how that has operated in the past
you are better placed to react to it in the future. The same
applies to rainfall and temperature changes,” Professor Boyd
said.
Southern Cross University has also received $220,000 for the
development of a facility, the first of its kind in Australia,
to assist in the measurement and modelling of different elements
in the environment. To be housed at the Lismore campus, this
facility will allow ground-breaking research in the area of
climate change, coastal estuaries, soil loss and salinity and
acidity. The project will be led by Professor Bradley Eyre.
Professor Neal Ryan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) said the
funding for these three projects was a real indication of the
calibre of research being done at Southern Cross University.
“This is part of a national move towards collaborative research
and universities working together. We are delighted that
Southern Cross University is playing such an integral part in
these projects,” Professor Ryan said.
Photo: Professor Robert Henry is involved in a collaboration for
the development of a new DNA sequencing facility. |
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