With the announcement of Australian Research Council (ARC)-funded Linkage Projects today, Australian researchers are set to start a range of outstanding research projects including finding innovative ways to develop resilient supply chains to better assist the Australian economy and reconnecting Warlpiri communities with past documentation and recordings of their cultural heritage.
The ARC Chief Executive Officer, Ms Judi Zielke PSM, said the ARC Linkage Projects scheme supports Australian researchers to collaborate with industry partners and community organisations to work towards practical solutions in industry settings.
“For example, one of the ARC’s Linkage Projects awarded today comprises researchers working with Surf Life Saving Australia to develop a smartphone rip-detection tool and an online education game to help reduce the number of drownings in rips at Australian beaches each year. Another is partnering with Qantas Airways, to develop and test strategies to mitigate jetlag to directly inform operations for ultra-long-haul flights, improving travellers’ alertness and sleep, and reducing the risk of fatigue related accidents,” said Ms Zielke.
Today 57 successful innovative research projects totalling more than $28 million have been awarded under the ARC Linkage Projects scheme.
Awarded ARC Linkage Projects include:
Southern Cross University ($303,617): research to raise awareness and increase the number and diversity of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register to assist in the growing demand for organ transplantation in Australia.
The University of Newcastle ($506,031): to encourage broader responsibility for environmental sustainability by expanding the knowledge and awareness of threatened species within Australian local communities.
Macquarie University ($362,322): in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the National Archives of Australia, this project will uncover and interpret records relating to listeners and viewers during the broadcaster’s first 50 years. Its purpose is to deepen understandings in the Australian community of the role of the ABC plays in the lives of audience members, and the needs and interests of the community that have shaped it.
Griffith University ($429,996): this project will explore robotic assistance for ultra-precise and pain-free dentistry through units installed at health centres and aged-care facilities, improving the oral healthcare of the Australian community, and facilitating access in regional and remote communities.
