Federal Member for Fraser Bob McMullan and Senator for the ACT Kate Lundy today congratulated the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Canberra (UC) and their hard working researchers on receiving a total of $40,742,839 to fund 107 outstanding research projects from the Rudd Government.

Funding for these projects comes from the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development, Discovery Projects and Linkage Projects schemes – announced today for funding commencing in 2010.

“These grants are extremely competitive and further highlight the first-class work being undertaken by ACT institutions.”

“This funding will enable the best and brightest researchers to make exciting and critical discoveries; forge strong international partnerships; and contribute to a strong national innovation system.”

ACT projects include –

University of Canberra

Financing aged care in Australia: Mitigating fiscal gaps and maintaining intergenerational equity

$275,000 over three years

This project will develop the cutting edge modelling tools needed to allow Australia to make informed decisions about possible reforms in aged care financing;

The Australian National University

An unprecedented opportunity to quantify biodiversity recovery after major wildfire $1,499,339 over five years

The outcomes and new understanding obtained from this project will have enormous rural, regional, national and international benefits through developing better informed, and ecologically sustainable, principles and practices for biodiversity conservation, vegetation management, and fire management;

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

The evolution and maintenance of specificity, mutualism and diversity in plant soil microbe interactions

$240,546 over three years

The research will significantly advance knowledge regarding the evolution of mutualisms between plant and soil microbes. Results will provide valuable date on the importance of below-ground microbial community structure to growth and productivity of an ecologically important component to the Australian flora (Acacia ssp.), and contribute to the development of best ecosystem restoration practices.

A total of 1145 projects will receive over $394 million in funding this round of funding.

For more information on the schemes, and a full list of successful projects, visit www.arc.gov.au

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sam Casey (McMullan) 0421 697 660
Annika Hutchins (Lundy) 0407 458 882

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