National funder appoints Monash BDI scientist to experts’ panel
Congratulations to Professor Mibel Aguilar who has been appointed to the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts.
Professor Aguilar joins a team of nearly 200 experts of international standing drawn from the Australian research community who assess, evaluate and rank submissions under the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program. This includes the Discovery schemes and the Linkage schemes, which connect fundamental researchers and industry partners.
The experts are from higher education, industry and public sector research organisations, and are nominated and then appointed for one to three years.
The role is a recognition of Professor Aguilar’s research achievements as a bioanalytical and biophysical chemist researching peptides and proteins, and her profile working across a number of disciplines.
“It was a privilege to be accepted,” Professor Aguilar said.
“It’s an important role, the panels’ work is to recommend fundable applications and we may be involved in strategic advice on new peer review reforms and policies,” she said.
ARC College of Experts members also assign external assessors, assist with recruiting through the nomination of new assessors and provide strategic advice to the ARC on emerging disciplines and cross-disciplinary developments.
“It’s a really interesting, informative and beneficial experience to be part of a panel assessing a broad range of applications, a valuable experience on many levels,” Professor Aguilar said.
“You meet different people, you interact with colleagues from different institutions and are privy to a wide sphere of outstanding research,” she said.
Professor Aguilar has previously conducted assessments for the ARC, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and several international funding agencies.
Fellow Monash BDI scientist Associate Professor Meredith O’Keeffe, who is also in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is part way through an appointment with the College of Experts.
About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute
Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the newly established Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery.