IMER Researchers Gain Millions In Grants

Institute for Mineral and Energy Resources (IMER) researchers both lead and are participants of a combined $A5.872 million funding success through successful Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery, Linkage and LEIF projects.

Our congratulations to the Director of the Centre for Energy Technology (CET) Professor Gus Nathan who received one of the nation's 26 Discovery Outstanding Researcher Awards.

The largest ARC Discovery grant was $A900,000 for a three-year project on "Heat transfer in novel solar thermal reactors to process minerals and solar fuels" with Professor Nathan, Dr Alwahabi, Professor Abraham and Professor Steinfeld.

ARC Discovery projects which received funding include:

• $A900,000 for a three-year project on "Heat transfer in novel solar thermal reactors to process minerals and solar fuels" with Professor Nathan, Dr Alwahabi, Professor Abraham and Professor Steinfeld;
• $A500,000 over three years for "Quantifying the impact of wind farm noise on rural communities", led by Professor Colin Hansen; 
• Dr Tingay and Adj Professor Heidback were awarded A$380,000 over three years for a project "Contemporary stress and tectonics of Australia; 
• $A320,000 grant over three years on "Resolving the mechanics of turbulent noise production" with Dr Doolan, Dr Brooks and Dr Medwell; 
• Associate Professor Jaksa and Associate Professor Airey are leading a $A320,000 project on the impact of rolling dynamic compaction; 
• A grant of $A270,000 for a project titled "Were abrupt changes in the Precambrian global carbon cycle the trigger for animal appearance and radiation on Earth" with Professor Kennedy, Professor Fairchild and Professor Swart; 
• A$260,000 was awarded over three years to Dr King, Assoc Professor Collins, Dr Tingay, Dr Backe and Dr Morley for their project "Detachments in evaporates and shales: their controls on fold-thrust belt style and wedge"; and
• Professor Martin Hand is participating in a $A250,000 grant over three years titled "Supercells and the supercontinent cycle".

Successful LIEF proposals include:

• $A420,000 project to offer a stable isotope analysis of environmental and physiological samples and a $A230,000 project for enhanced powder X-ray diffraction capabilities for South Australia.
• SACGER is a collaborator in a $A940,000 project to create an advanced, macro-scale hydro-thermo-mechanical testing chamber for sustainable deep geological applications as well as CET in a further $A160,000 funding for Chemical Engineering project which offers the simultaneous measure of reaction kinetics and particle distributions for cutting edge research into CO2 storage, catalysis and novel materials. 
• Other projects awarded funding include a $A350,000 project for an advanced computational facility based on a graphic processing unit for particulate research and a $A150,000 project relating to an integrated 2MHz nuclear magnetic resonance high temperature tri-axial flow cell apparatus. 
• $A230,000 was awarded to Dr Sumby, Professor Gerson, Dr Doonan and Professor Pring for a one year project "Enhanced powder X-ray diffraction capabilities for South Australia".

A successful Linkage project:

Assoc Professor Facelli, Professor Austin, Assoc Professor Cooper and Dr Stevens were awarded A$372,000 over three years for their project "Effects of fire on the reproductive ecology of terrestrial orchids and on their fragmented landscapes of southern Australia;

IMER Executive Director Professor Stephen Grano is part of a $A150,000 successful proposal for a multi-purpose facility for enhanced complex ore beneficiation and waste material recycling.

Professor Grano said he was delighted the University of Adelaide researchers were involved in so many significant research projects.

"It confirms the excellence and ground-breaking insights by IMER researchers."