Increasing fertility in cows, building better computers for aerospace, more accurately predicting land values, and revolutionising athletic footwear are research projects about as diverse as could be imagined.
Together, these four University of Queensland proposals have attracted $1.28 million in Australian Government funding through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects.
UQ researchers will collaborate closely with industry and government partners to deliver breakthrough research geared towards industry needs.
Federal Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham announced the funding today, endorsing the breadth and depth of research undertaken at UQ.
Across Australia, 10 new Linkage Projects were supported for a total of $3.7 million, with partner organisations to contribute additional cash and in-kind contributions of more than $7.4 million.
The four successful UQ projects were:
- A new gene-based method of predicting fertility in cows, influenced by a unique sample of Brahman cattle with exceptionally high fertility. Poor fertility is a substantial challenge to the livestock industry, with weaning rates frequently less than 40 per cent. Funded amount: $420,000. Investigators: Professor Benjamin Hayes, Professor Michael Goddard. Partner organisation: Alf Collins and Collins Trust.
- A new approach to computing that has potential for commercial impact in the aerospace industry in the near future. Expected outcome of the project is the development of nanotechnologies that could have wide uses in sensing, health and communications, and which could improve heat management and energy efficiency in future computers. Funded amount:$334,710. Investigators: Professor Warwick Bowen, Dr Christopher Baker, Dr Rachpon Kalra, Dr Luke Uribarri. Partner organisation: Lockheed Martin Corporation.
- Developing tools which can be used to study land allocation, delivery of infrastructure, and associated taxation revenue. This should provide significant benefits such as the development of new econometric theory, advance computational methods, and evidence-based guidelines for policymakers. Funded amount: $310,000. Investigators: Associate Professor Alicia Rambaldi, Dr Madeleine Tan. Partner organisations: Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria.
- Determining if running shoes help or hinder the natural spring-like function of the foot. A conceptually novel design of shoe – that allows support of the foot, and also harnesses the energy of natural movement of human feet – will be explored. The research could potentially revolutionise athletic footwear design and have implication for enhanced performance in athletic pursuits. Funded amount: $220,000. Investigators: Dr Luke Kelly, Dr Dominic Farris, Dr Glen Lichtwark, Professor Andrew Cresswell, Dr Nicholas Brown. Partner organisations: ASICS Oceania Pty Ltd and Australian Sports Commission.
A full list of Linkage Project funding is available on the ARC website.
