Funding for National Collaborative Research Infrastructure announced

Funding totalling $381.7 million has been allocated to research facilities under the first phase of the Federal Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), announced in 2004. In addition to the NCRIS funding, an extra $640 million has been pledged in cash and in-kind contributions for the facilities.

The initial provision for NCRIS was $542 million over 2005-2011. According to the Department of Education, Science and Training, $14.7 of this has already been expended on urgent research infrastructure projects and sustaining Major National Research Facilities until NCRIS investment plans are implemented. The remaining $30 million includes a contingency for the programme, expenditure on management of the programme including external facilitation of investment plans and supporting the NCRIS Committee.

The $381.7 million funding has been allocated in nine Cability Areas as follows:

Evolving Bio-Molecular Platforms and Informatics - total $50 million

• $12.35 million to Genomics Australia for facilities to support gene discovery and genome analysis. Services will build on those provided by the Australian Genome Research Facility and will be delivered in New South Wales (through the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis and Southern Cross University), Victoria (through the Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre and Walter & Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research), Queensland (through the University of Queensland), Western Australia (through the WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre), South Australia (through the Waite Campus at the University of Adelaide) and the ACT (through the Australian National University and CSIRO).

• $16.15 million to Proteomics Australia for facilities to support research into protein structure and function. The investment will build on the existing Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, with collaborating partners including Macquarie University, TGR Biosciences Pty Ltd, Monash University and Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

• $9.5 million to Metabolomics Australia for the investigation of metabolic products in cells, tissues, fluids, organs and organisms. Investments will be made at network nodes in Victoria (University of Melbourne), Queensland (University of Queensland), South Australia (Australian Wine Research Institute) and Western Australia (University of Western Australia and Murdoch University).

• 9.5 million to the Australian Bioinformatics Facility. Around two-thirds of this funding will support Bioinformatics capabilities in the specialist areas of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Funding of $3.5 million has been committed to Murdoch University’s Centre for Comparative Genomics to provide co-ordination and linkage across the specialist areas.

Integrated Biological Systems - total $40 million

• $15 million to establish an Australian Phenomics Network, a network of mouse production and phenotyping facilities. This will increase the number of mouse models of human disease available to Australian researchers and reduce the cost of accessing them. The Network will be led by Monash University and the Australian National University, in partnership with Victoria’s Walter & Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, the Menzies Research Institute and the Animal Resources Centre in Western Australia

• $15 million has been committed to developing a national plant phenomics facility, with facilities at South Australia’s Waite Campus of the University of Adeliade and CSIRO/ANU in the ACT.

• $7.5 million has been committed to establish an online Atlas of Living Australia – a “biodiversity search engine” providing ready access to information held in biological collections in museums and public research institutes across the country. The atlas will support research and decision making in conservation planning, health, education and many other areas.

Characterisation - total $47.7 million

• $19.2 million to the National Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility for a national network of advanced microscopy and microanalysis instrumentation. This investment will provide new equipment and make facilities more accessible at a low cost to researchers, building on previous investments through the Major National Research Facilities Programme. The network will have access sites at the University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of Western Australia. The South Australian node will be operated jointly by Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.

• $7 million to the National Imaging Facility to establish a national network of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) facilities. Researchers will use this scanning equipment to monitor the behaviour and function of cells within animals, which will aid medical research and the development of pharmaceuticals. Facilities will be available at the University of Queensland, University of NSW, University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, University of Melbourne, Monash University and University of Adelaide.

• $3.3 million to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to establish the National Deuteration Facility at its Lucas Heights site near Sydney. Deuteration is a technique which significantly improves the capacity to characterise biological and chemical samples, particularly using the neutron radiation produced by the OPAL reactor. This technique has many applications including discovering the exact molecular structure of a disease, the properties of high-tech polymers and the interactions between proteins.

• $18.2 million to the Australian Synchrotron help complete the first of nine beamlines.

Fabrication - total $41 million for establishment of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)

The ANFF will be headquartered in Melbourne and comprise seven integrated nodes around Australia each offering specialist fabrication services, including rapid prototyping of nano- and micro-devices. The facility will support the work of around 125 research groups nationwide and provide vital R&D services to industry.

In addition to an estimated total investment of $63 million in new fabrication equipment and the clean-room environments vital to nanoscience, researchers across Australia will gain open access, on a merit basis, to existing facilities worth approximately $130 million.

The seven Australian National Fabrication Facility nodes are as follows:

• The Victoria node, Vicfab, will be a joint venture between the Victorian Government, five Melbourne based universities, CSIRO and Minifab – a polymer micro-fabrication company. $15 million has been committed from NCRIS to help Vicfab build a facility and offer services required for fabricating sensors, devices and integrated systems.
• $11 million has been committed to the ACT node at the Australian National University which will offer services for the micro/nanofabrication of photonic and related devices. In addition, access to the specialised micro-electromechanical systems expertise of the University of Western Australia will be available through this node.
• $7 million to the University of Queensland to enable it to offer comprehensive processing capabilities for nano-bio and soft materials, such as polymers.
• $4 million to assist the University of New South Wales to offer electron beam lithography and other services for nano-electronics research, including semiconductor device fabrication.
• $1 million to the Macquarie University, the Bandwidth Foundry and the Optical Fibre Technology Centre to help consolidate their activities and offer optical fibre fabrication, laser machining and other specialist services.
• $1 million to the ‘materials’ node being established by the Wollongong and Newcastle Universities to offer services relating to the fabrication of novel polymer and ceramic nano-materials, and organic electronic nano-devices.
• $2 million to the South Australian node, based at the University of South Australia, to offer nanoscale patterning and micro-fl uidic device fabrication.

Biotechnology Products - total $35 million

• $19.66 million to scale up production of potentially useful recombinant proteins, made successfully in the laboratory, to the level needed to support clinical trials. Three facilities – at the University of Queensland, the University of New South Wales and at a joint Monash/CSIRO facility in Victoria – will support development of processes for expressing and purifying proteins. Researchers will then have subsidised access to licensed contract manufacturing organisations to produce their proteins in the quantities required.

• $7.62 million to expand the national capacity to produce human cells under strict regulatory conditions. Funds will support the establishment and maintenance of Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) licenses for facilities in five States, together with subsidised access to these facilities for researchers to undertake expansion and processing of human cells and tissue. Organisations contributing include the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, The Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, the SA Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, the Royal Perth Hospital, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Queensland.

• $7.72 million to construct two pilot scale facilities for development of novel biofuel production technologies and to enhance related laboratory infrastructure at three universities: a pilot facility to convert lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol at the Queensland University of Technology in Mackay; a facility in Adelaide to convert microalgae to biodiesel by the South Australian Research and Development Institute, together with the Universities of Adelaide, Flinders, Murdoch and South Australia; and laboratories at Macquarie University, the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney will be enhanced to support the pilot projects.

Networked Biosecurity Framework - total $25 million

• $1 million to conduct a project definition study for a biosecurity network to enhance collaboration between researchers in the human and animal sectors.

• $8.5 million to upgrade the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), run by CSIRO in Victoria. The funding will go to construct 2000 square metres of additional PC3 and PC4 (pathogen containment) laboratory space for its use by researchers within both human and animal sectors. Access to this facility will be open to external researchers.

• $15.5 million earmarked for biosecurity-related research infrastructure, pending further consideration of investment options.

Optical and Radio Astronomy - total $45 million

• $19.2 million to the Mileura International Radio Array (MIRA) in Western Australia, building on commitments made by CSIRO and international partners

• $10.02 million to further develop the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Siding Spring near Coonabarabran, NSW. The funds will be used to update the observatory and construct a new instrument for the Anglo-Australian Telescope.

• $7.16 million to enable Australian astronomers to continue to access the Gemini telescopes in Hawaii and Chile.

• 1 million will go towards paying Australia’s contribution to the design and development phase of the proposed 25-metre Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) in Chile. The GMT consortium is comprised of the Australian National University and a number of leading American institutions.

• $1 million for the design and development phase of the proposed Pathfinder for an International Large Telescope (PILOT). The 2.4-metre optical/infrared PILOT telescope may be established in the Australian Antarctic Territory, if feasible, and would likely to be 50 per cent Australian owned and operated.

• Other funds will be allocated later to strategic options, such as further upgrades to the Gemini telescopes, further development of the GMT or the construction of PILOT.

Integrated Marine Observing System - $55.2 million

An Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) will be coordinated by the University of Tasmania, supported by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research. IMOS will involve a large number of universities, research agencies and government agencies around Australia. International organisations, such as the USA’s Scripps Institute of Oceanography and National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration and the French Polar Institute, are also taking part. The eMarine Information Infrastructure (eMII), operated by the University of Tasmania, will provide the fundamental linking component to all other investments in IMOS. After data is collected, eMII will: store, analyse, retrieve and share it, together with related information; provide the tools to enable researchers to access and use it, so supporting Australia’s marine science researchers and other marine data users.

• Support will be provided to Argo Australia (managed by CSIRO) for its participation in the International Argo Float programme, which measures the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 metres of the ocean through a global array of 3000 free-drifting fl oats. Vessels will be equipped to make observations as they pass through Australian waters.
• A National Facility for Ocean Gliders, coordinated by the University of Western Australia, will make observations in waters at the continent’s edge. An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Facility will support observations off the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef.
• An Australian National Mooring Network will make observations in coastal oceans, while instruments will be deployed to enable measurements in the sub-Antarctic zone southwest of Tasmania.
• An Australian Acoustic Tagging and Monitoring system, managed by the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science, will observe the movements of marine animals in coastal and continental shelf ecosystems.
• The Australian Institute of Marine Science will use remote sensor networks to observe the interaction of heat and light in coral bleaching and understand its influence on the ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef.

Structure and Evolution of the Australian Continent - 42.8 million

The funding will help build an integrated national infrastructure system – AuScope – that will feature the world’s first continental-scale, four-dimensional data model. The AuScope infrastructure will be managed by a non-profit company – AuScope Ltd – with members including the CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and 15 universities. Other organisations such as the Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing, NASA and a number of State and Territory Government agencies will be involved in providing resources and delivering AuScope.

• $27 million to develop advanced systems for acquiring and analysing geophysical and geochemical data. The national infrastructure will include a geotransect facility for imaging large-scale cross sections of the earth’s crust, an Ion Probe for advanced analysis of earth samples and the development of a virtual library of drill core samples from across Australia.

• $15.8 million to develop an enhanced national geospatial reference system. This will support work in precision agriculture, mining and large-scale engineering as well as providing detailed observations about the geological movement of Australia. This system will encompass national and State-owned global positioning system (GPS) sites, satellite laser ranging systems, very long base interferometry and gravity measurement systems.

Further information is at http://www.ncris.dest.gov.au/

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NCRIS Funding for future capability areas

The Minister for Education, Science and Training, Julie Bishop, has provisionally set aside funding of $118 for three further areas of capability for which planning is currently under way. They are:

• Platforms for collaboration Investment plan
• Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network
• Population Health and Clinical Data Linkage

This allocation includes $3m for possible Australian associate membership of the the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

More information is at http://www.ncris.dest.gov.au/

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Postdoctoral and Invitation Fellowships in Japan (for travel in 2007)

The Australian Academy of Science, in association with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), invites applications from Australian researchers to undertake Postdoctoral and Invitation Fellowships in Japan. Postdoctoral Fellowships are for a period of 12 to 24 months, Invitation Fellowships short-term for a period of 14 to 60 days and the Invitation Fellowship long-term is for 2 to 10 months.

Researchers in any field of natural sciences, including technology, engineering and medicine can apply. Applications in the humanities and social sciences are also accepted but only for the Postdoctoral Fellowships only. Please see website for information and guidelines.

Applications close Friday 15 December 2006.

Postdoctoral Fellowships: http://www.science.org.au/internat/jspspd.htm
  
Invitation Fellowship short term: http://www.science.org.au/internat/jspsfst.htm  

Invitation Fellowship long term: http://www.science.org.au/internat/jspsflt.htm  

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Trading Ideas - the Future of IP in Asia Pacific

Landmark Intellectual Property Event

28 - 30 January 2007, Hilton Sydney, Australia

The Australian Government will host a major landmark intellectual property symposium in January 2007.

Trading Ideas – the future of IP in Asia Pacific will highlight emerging IP issues, stimulate discussion, provoke debate and provide a forum to explore the future direction of intellectual property in the region.

Trading Ideas Fast Facts:
• More than 30 expert speakers from the leading and emerging APEC economies and beyond.
• Session topics include: IP Commercialisation Valuation and Licensing IP and Doing Business in APEC economies, IP and Regional Trade Agreements, International IP Asset Management, Copyright and the Challenges Posed by Digital Technologies.
• This event will bring together for the very first time the IP profession, business from the APEC region and global IP policy makers.
• The cost of registration is $700.00 (an early bird special open until October 30).

ON-LINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN AT www.tradingideas.org  

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Graduate Programs in Clinical Research!

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne, is pleased to announce that we are taking enrolments for our Graduate programs in Clinical Research.

Start your career with the Professional Certificate in Clinical Research (25 point qualification) by enrolling with Clinical Research Context and Practises (12.5 points)

Topics covered include:

• Basic ethics in human research
• Principles of respect, autonomy, beneficence and maleficence
• Balancing harm and benefit
• Balancing the role of physician and researcher
• The convergence of statistical and clinical reasoning in research
• Difficulties in various types of trial
• Case studies of high-profile mistakes and problems in studies
• Need for integrity in trials and studies.
• Principles of recruitment, selection, allocation and randomisation
• The role of blinding and the need for objectivity
• Measurement of exposure and response, including surrogate measures, markers of response, and choice of endpoints.

Cost: $2,000
When: February 16th, 17th & March 16th, 17th 2007
Where: The University of Melbourne
442 Auburn Road
Hawthorn, Victoria Australia 3122

www.soe.unimelb.edu.au/clinicalresearch  

Express your interest in this course or related courses by contacting;
Brad Atkins on (03) 9810 3185 or email b.atkins@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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Pathways to Commercialisation

The School of Enterprise, University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the 2007 dates for Pathways to Commercialisation.

Who is this course for?
This 5 day course is for anyone working in the technology commercialisation and new product development area that is required to put together effective business cases for investment projects for both internal and external funding. Designed to enhance practical experience gained in the workplace, the principles learned on the program are applied immediately into a team project that runs throughout the week, culminating in each team giving a presentation to an independent panel in a “pitch” for fund.

What will I get out of this course?
„Ï Enhanced ability to commercialise new technologies, products and services
„Ï Business case development skills and capabilities
„Ï Enhanced capacity to build a business case to attract investment finance

Numbers are limited, so be quick!

Cost: $2,995 + GST per person
10% discount for 3 registrations from the same organisation when registered and paid for together.
When: 26th to 30th March 2007.
Where: The University of Melbourne,
Hawthorn Campus
442 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn

NEED TO KNOW MORE?
Click here for more information.

Express your interest in this course or related courses by contacting;
Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email here 

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Pave the way for outstanding research

Pharmaceutical R&D insight from Thomson Pharma

All over the world, professionals working at all stages of the drug lifecycle rely on Thomson Pharma for the essential data that can justify and speed their decision-making, meet their critical business challenges, and keep them abreast of the market.

Thomson Pharma combines a comprehensive global pharmaceutical database with unique abstracts, commentaries and analysis prepared by our team of industry experts.

• More than two million unique chemical structures
• Over 24,000 drug monographs
• Approximately five million unique gene and protein sequences from 1980 to the present day
• More than 3,000 biologically-relevant drug targets
• Comprehensive patent information
• The latest news stories, meetings and conferences

Using Thomson Pharma, you can:

• gather critical data on investigational and marketed drugs
• study information on approved drug uses, dosages, clinical trials, and the latest techniques and innovations
• receive updates of relevant new drugs and compounds
• stay informed on the latest trends in research
• identify gaps in the market
• get to market quicker

No other data source puts so much knowledge at your fingertips. In place of your legacy indexing systems, multiple interfaces, and complex data sources, imagine how Thomson Pharma can simplify the information needs of your researchers.

To find out more, go to website here

You can e-mail us at: ts.info.asia@thomson.com  
Or call us at: +61 2 8587 7948 or 1 800 007 214 (from Australia)

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Ernst & Young R&D Services

Would you like to receive a tax break or grant from the government to help your R&D investment stretch further? Do you need government R&D assistance but you are too busy to pursue it? We can help you. Ernst & Young helps hundreds of Australian companies to access substantial R&D benefits each year. We have extensive experience helping companies to access:

• R&D Tax Concession and R&D Tax Offset (cash rebate),


• R&D grants, 


•  Export incentives, and


• other State and Commonwealth grants.

Ernst & Young Australia boasts one of the most experienced and multi-disciplined Innovation & Incentives practices in Australia. Comprising specialists with hands-on expertise in developing technology and leveraging government assistance, Ernst & Young’s team is dedicated to helping clients gain maximum value from their R&D investments. Ernst & Young can help you to select the type of R&D assistance that best suits your company, considering your circumstances, your industry and your R&D projects.

For more information on how Ernst & Young can help, please contact an office near you or visit our website at http://www.ey.com.au

Perth: Robin Parsons (08) 9429 2251
Melbourne: Steven Batrouney (03) 8650 7571
Melbourne: Alun Needham (03) 9288 8099
Sydney: Mark Tafft (02) 8295 6987
Brisbane: Murray Graham (07) 3011 3264
Adelaide: Chris Sharpley (08) 8233 1685

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Spruson&Ferguson: patent and trade mark attorneys

With over 115 years experience, Spruson&Ferguson is a leading intellectual property firm in Australia which provides a fully integrated service for the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of your intellectual property.

Spruson&Ferguson is one of the largest intellectual property firms in Australia, with a team of over 220. Our 60 plus patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers work in specialised practice areas; Chemical/Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electrical/Information & Communications Technologies (ICT) and Trade Marks, together with Spruson&Ferguson Lawyers which provides intellectual property commercialisation, enforcement and dispute resolution services.

Spruson&Ferguson’s patent and trade mark attorneys and lawyers have extensive intellectual property and industry experience in science and engineering including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, phototonics, transport, telecommunications, mining, publishing, consumer products, ceramics, chemistry and mechanical/medical technologies.

The depth of our industry experience is an attribute that many of our clients hold in high regard. Spruson&Ferguson is a recognised as a market leader with multinationals and many of Australia’s foremost research institutions entrusting to us to protect and assisting with the maximisation of returns on their intellectual property assets.

Our comprehensive range of services includes patents, trademarks, designs, domain names, IP audits, due diligence, dispute resolution and litigation and intellectual property commercialisation services including licensing, joint ventures and research and development collaborations.

For more information about our comprehensive range of intellectual property services, please contact one of the following relationship principals:

Chemical: Dr John McCann BSc (Hons) PhD FIPTA
Life Sciences: Dr Andrew Blattman BScAgr (Hons) PhD GDipIP FIPTA
Electrical: Robert Miller BE BLegS FIPTA
ICT: Scott Berggren BSEE MSEE LLB FIPTA
Mechanical: Greg Turner BE FIPTA
Trade Marks: Annette Freeman BA LLB (ANU) LLM (UTS)
IP Commercialisation: Rob McInnes BSc (Hons) LLB (Syd)
IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Simon Williams BA LLB (Syd) LLM (Lond)
Managing Principal: David Griffith BE (Hons) FIPTA

Telephone: (02) 9207 0777
Fax: (02) 9261 5486
Email mail@sprusons.com.au

www.sprusons.com.au

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