$35,000 prize money for top researchers

Tuesday, 19 June 2007

More than $35,000 prize money is up for grabs over the next three months for the most innovative University of Adelaide researchers.

The financial incentive is being provided by Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd (ARI). ARI is offering four separate awards to the University's researchers and affiliates who can demonstrate successful commercial partnerships with industry and projects that are making an impact on the community, the State and around the world.

The inaugural ARIIAS - Adelaide Research and Innovation Impact Awards - will reward researchers in four categories: Innovation & Entrepreneurship; New Achievers in Commercial Research; Growth in Contract Research; and Most Exciting New Disclosure.

The first three categories offer prize money of $10,000 each and the latter category, recognising future commercial research opportunities, offers $5000 prize money.

ARI Managing Director Robert Chalmers said: "ARI has been working with researchers and industry for more than 20 years to translate ideas and inventions. That includes developments in agriculture, food and wine, world-first IVF procedures and the creation of several biotech start-ups.

"Innovation is about ideas and these awards acknowledge the transformation of ideas into value-creating outcomes which have social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts on society."

The University of Adelaide is South Australia's most research intensive university and also ranked among the top eight in Australia. It has been an innovator from the very beginning, being the first Australian university to admit women to academic courses in 1881, the first to grant degrees in science, the first to establish a Conservatorium of Music and the first to graduate a female surgeon.

"More than 2000 researchers at the University and affiliated institutions are working in a number of areas that have the potential to make an impact, either by curing diseases, reducing famine, saving the environment, or in any number of ways," Mr Chalmers said.

"Among these are some of the State's best research talent engaging with a wide range of industries. We believe by working together we can create a critical mass in our research, education and industry strengths to compete successfully at a national and global level."

Staff members of the University of Adelaide (full-time and part-time), including affiliated titleholders who are pursuing research activities through ARI, are eligible to enter the awards. Finalists will be selected for each award and the winners will be announced at a gala presentation night in October.

Visit www.adelaide.edu.au/aripl for more information and a copy of the application form.

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