R&D INFO, December 12, 2003
SUMMARY
NEWS ALERTS
1.
ARC RESEARCH NETWORKS PROGRAM LAUNCHED
2. TRANS-PACIFIC FIBRE OPTIC CABLES FUNDED
3. VICTORIA SUPPORTS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
4. RESEARCH NETWORK TO PROTECT ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
CALL
FOR NOTIFICATION OF INTENT
5. 2004 CRC SELECTION ROUND
CALL
FOR APPLICATIONS
6. COMPETITIVE GRANTS - INNOVATION ACCESS PROGRAMME - International
Science and Technology
NEWS
ALERTS
1.
ARC RESEARCH NETWORKS PROGRAM LAUNCHED
Details of the Australian Research Council's new $37.5 million Research Networks program have been announced. The Networks will be funded to support researchers across Australia rather than institutions, with the aim of supporting areas where new centres of research may be emerging. The networks will target the Federal Government's National Research Priorities and will aim to enhance communications between disciplines, universities, government and non government research agencies and professional organisations. The closing date for submission of applications by eligible Higher Education Institutions for ARC Research Networks is 22 March 2004.
2. TRANS-PACIFIC FIBRE OPTIC CABLES FUNDED
AARNet has brokered a $44 million project to link Australian universities and research institutions by two high-bandwidth, trans-Pacific fibre optic cables to North America, Europe, Asia and Central and South America. Each cable carries up to 10 Gigabits per second, more than 30 times the current connection capacity.
The project, to be known as SX Lightwave TransPort, has been negotiated with the undersea cable provider Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) which is sponsoring the dual fibre optic circuits between their cable landing sites in Sydney, Hawaii and the US west coast. The Federal Government has committed $16.4 million and AARNet and a number of US partner universities and organisations will also contribute towards the overall cost of the project. Access to the SX TransPORT facility will be managed by AARNet, which is also providing many of the terrestrial networks and terminating equipment components. The involvement at the US end is being coordinated by the University of Hawaii. Further information is at http://www.aarnet.edu.au/news
3. VICTORIA SUPPORTS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
The Victorian Government is providing $1 million to assist small and medium sized software developers to attain CMMI (Level 2) accreditation. The program will fund 50 per cent, or up to $10,000 of CMMI accreditation. Funding of $50,000 is also being provided to assist Software Engineering Australia to develop a Software Quality Centre of Excellence in Melbourne, to be the only European Software Institute-accredited centre in the Asia-Pacific.
4. RESEARCH NETWORK TO PROTECT ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
A Research Network for Engineering a Secure Australian (RNESA) has been formed by the University of Melbourne and the Institution of Engineers Australia to focus on emerging security problems associated with Australia's critical infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, transport, energy, water, telecommunications and information systems.
RNESA involves 15 universities, six Commonwealth organisations, eight professional associations, Standards Australia, the Australia Building Code Board and more than 30 companies.
It will facilitate a knowledge-sharing network for government, universities and the private sector to produce multi-hazard mitigation strategies and a real-time crisis support networkto help cope with potential disasters.
CALL
FOR NOTIFICATION OF INTENT
Australian
Government: Department of Education, Science and Training
Application guidelines for the 2004 selection round for the Cooperative Research
Centres (CRC) Programme are available on the CRC Programme web site at http://www.crc.gov.au.
The CRC Programme Objective for the 2004 round is:
To enhance Australia's industrial, commercial and economic growth through the development of sustained, user-driven, cooperative public-private research centres that achieve high levels of outcomes in adoption and commercialisation.
Prospective applicants (other than for supplementary funding for existing CRCs) must lodge a Notification of Intent by 30 January 2004. Other deadlines and information on applying are in the guidelines.
Information sessions will be held in mid January 2004 and details will be published on the web site.
Further information about the CRC Programme is available on the web site (http://www.crc.gov.au) or from the CRC Programme hotline on (02) 6240 5011 during business hours.
CALL
FOR APPLICATIONS
6. COMPETITIVE GRANTS - Innovation Access Programme - International Science and Technology
An initiative of the Government's Innovation Statement Backing Australia's Ability
The Innovation Access Programme (IAP) - International Science and Technology aims to promote innovation and competitiveness by increasing Australian access to global research and technologies and facilitate their uptake by Australian researchers and firms, particularly small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
The IAP - International S&T offers assistance through a Competitive Grants component for international research and development cooperation and related activities. It provides support for Australian researchers who are undertaking strategically focussed, leading-edge, collaborative research projects and associated project-specific workshops with international partners. This includes support for participation in European Union Framework projects and in projects undertaken with APEC economies. Support may be provided to participate in international strategic planning activities for major international projects. The Competitive Grants component also offers support of up to $50,000 per major international conference to be held in Australia.
Applications will be accepted from Australian private companies and organisations such as education institutions, Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs), industry groups and Commonwealth scientific agencies (eg, CSIRO). Consortia of these may also apply.
Grants
for the IAP - International S&T are made on a competitive basis against
specific criteria. Applications are considered in assessment rounds. Applications
for the next assessment round open on 2 February 2004 and will close on 1 March
2004. Access to the online application form will be available on the IAP-International
S&T website from
2 February 2004.
Information and guidelines are available from http://www.dest.gov.au/science/iap/ or by contacting the International S&T Policy and Programmes Section by email: ist@dest.gov.au or by phone: (02) 6240 5014.