Breakthroughs to continue at synchrotron
The Australian Synchrotron
Researchers in fields from biomedicine to art history will benefit from a new $55 million funding program, managed by Monash University, to enhance access to the Australian Synchrotron.
Led by Monash University's Professor Ian Smith, the Special Research Initiative (SRI) in Synchrotron Science will deliver in excess of $30 million in funding over four years from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Additionally, more than 30 Australian universities have pledged a combined $25 million in operational funding.
The SRI will ensure researchers from Australian and New Zealand universities and research institutes have continued access to the synchrotron, supporting important research projects that would otherwise be forced off-shore.
Professor Smith, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Research Infrastructure) at Monash, worked closely with the Australian Synchrotron's Director, Professor Keith Nugent and Head of Science, Andrew Peele to bring together Australian universities to participate in the SRI.
"The widespread support for this crucial research initiative illustrates just how vital the synchrotron is to the future of Australian research," Professor Smith said.
"Almost every university in the country is on board because the synchrotron can be utilised by researchers in almost any field of research and the research outcomes can impact on almost any industry.
"Additionally, the facility's track record, in terms of quality and productivity, is amongst the worlds' best at this stage of development."
The synchrotron, officially opened in 2007, is part of a world-leading innovation precinct that includes Monash Biomedical Imaging and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication.
Professor Smith said the synchrotron was widely considered as one of the most important pieces of research infrastructure in Australia.
"The synchrotron has contributed to many important research breakthroughs over the last five years and the SRI will help ensure that Australian and New Zealand researchers will continue to be internationally competitive," Professor Smith said.
In addition to the SRI, the synchrotron will receive significant funding from the Victorian Government, the New Zealand Government, CSIRO and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).