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University of Adelaide researchers have been awarded more than $12.6 million in Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery and Linkage grants starting in 2010. Photo by Randy Larcombe. Full Image (111.3K) ARC Discovery Projects 2010    (75.23K) ARC Linkage Projects 2010    (32.59K)

Monday, 26 October 2009

How elderly people cope with extreme heat... creating biodiesel fuel from meat processing waste... how exploding stars can give us a new picture of the Milky Way... and improving the collection of eyewitness identification...

These new research projects are among dozens of studies at the University of Adelaide that have today been awarded more than $12.6 million in Federal funding.

The funding - from the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Discovery Projects scheme (involving fundamental research) and Linkage Projects scheme (which includes external partners, such as industry and government) - will support 38 new projects at the University of Adelaide starting in 2010.

Among the new studies funded today are projects spanning the fields of: environment and ecology, agriculture, finance and economics, health, physics, engineering, computer science, genetics, history, geography and psychology.

The new Linkage Projects at the University of Adelaide will also attract more than $4.2 million in additional support from industry and other external partners.

Among the successful projects announced are:

• $844,000 to a team led by Professor Graeme Hugo (Geographical & Environmental Studies, School of Social Sciences) - to study circular migration in Asia, the Pacific and Australia, which is fundamental to the nation's economy, society and security;

• $622,997 to a team led by Professor Robert Gibson (School of Agriculture, Food and Wine) - to investigate the production of biodiesel fuel from meat industry by-products, using cutting-edge technologies;

• $160,000 to a team led by Associate Professor Peng Bi (Public Health, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice) - to study how the elderly have adapted to and coped with extreme heatwaves in South Australia, to contribute to public health planning;

• $360,000 to a team led by Dr Wolfgang Haak (Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, Environment Institute) - to understand genetic changes in human populations caused by past epidemics, providing new information about the possible consequences of current and future epidemics;

• $130,000 to a team led by Dr Gavin Rowell (School of Chemistry & Physics) - to study cosmic rays by combining gamma-ray and radio astronomy, helping to provide a new look at the way in which the Milky Way is disrupted by extreme objects such as exploding stars;

• $230,000 to a team led by Dr Carolyn Semmler (School of Psychology) - to study the distortion of eyewitness identification testimony, with a view to improving collection and use of eyewitness accounts for the benefit of the criminal justice system.

"The University of Adelaide continues to demonstrate strengths in fundamental and applied research that will benefit industry, government and society for many years to come," says the University's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha.

"This is another excellent result for our researchers across a broad range of disciplines and is indicative of the depth of world-class research being conducted at our University."