Over $2.5 million for research projects

Murdoch University has received over $2.5 million from two federal grant programs; the Discovery and Linkage Projects managed by the Australian Research Council (ARC).

In addition to receiving Linkage projects, Professor Vijay Mishra and Professor Garry Rodan from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities were two of only 27 researchers nationally to receive prestigious Australian Professorial Fellowships.

The Fellowships are awarded to outstanding researchers with proven international reputations to undertake research that is of major importance in its field and of significant benefit to Australia.

Murdoch’s successful Linkage projects were:

• Innovative approaches to managing and understanding taste and odour in drinking water systems, by Associate Professor Una Ryan,

• Young People, Technology, and Wellbeing Research Facility, by Dr Amanda Third and Dr Ingrid Richardson, and

• Functional proteomics of Giardia, by Professor Andy Thompson.

The Discovery project funds will be spent on promising Murdoch academic research projects with significant commercial potential over the next four years.

The successful Discovery projects were:

• Protect, prepare and engage: Does extracurricular activity participation offer sustained benefits for youth? By Professor Bonnie Barber,

• Mapping new cathode materials for aqueous rechargeable batteries: The mechanism of intercalation of lithium in aqueous solutions, by Dr Manickam Minkashi,

• Rushdie Annotated: Definitive explanations of all obscure references in the Salman Rushdie corpus and extended critical commentaries on the author, by Professor Vijay Mishra,

• How is school socio-economic composition associated with student outcomes? A comparative study of seven countries, by Dr Laura Perry,

• Representation and Political Regimes in Southeast Asia, Dr Garry Rodan, and

• Judgment, responsibility, and the life-world: The phenomenological critique of formalism, by Dr Lubica Ucnik.

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, said the funding would provide advanced knowledge to address national priorities.

“The Rudd Government is committed to supporting strong and productive partnerships between research institutions and industry,” Senator Carr said.

“These partnerships provide Australian researchers with the resources needed to undertake crucial research that will advance our knowledge, wealth, and help ensure our future sustainability and wellbeing.”