Region. UWS scores high ranking

UWS research scored well in the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation, with two of the university's key research areas - cultural studies and plant biology - labelled "well above world standard" and achieving a score of five, the highest ranking possible. "Of the 21 broad research disciplines that UWS is research active in, the majority were rated at or above world standard, which is very pleasing," says Professor Andrew Cheetham, UWS Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research). The ERA 2010 National Report is the first comprehensive assessment of the research quality within Australia's universities, measuring it against research carried out by other institutions around the world

Region. International collaboration is vital

Collaboration with international scientific organisations is vital to the success of Australian research, according to Professor Andrew Cheetam, pro vice-chancellor, research, at the University of Western Sydney. “But it is not clear to me [that governments] fully understand its importance and consequently do not fund such collaboration and participation at a high enough level. There are schemes available but in reality they are quite small in scale and scope,” he said in an article in the latest About the House magazine published by the Department of the House of Representatives. The article, Knowledge Networks, noted the value of international collaboration leading to important scientific breakthroughs.

Region. Research fellowship awarded

The Federal Government has appointed Dr Zhong Tao as one of the nation's first Future Fellows, an initiative for promising mid-career researchers. Dr Tao, previously a full-time post doctoral research fellow with UWS, will return to the School of Engineering, which has one of Australia's best laboratories for testing and monitoring of heavy infrastructure. Dr Tao's research will investigate how stainless steel columns filled with concrete operate at different temperatures and in different working environments. Dr Tao's work will be carried out within the new Civionics Research Centre, at UWS, which is directed by Professor Brian Uy, and will involve an international collaboration with Professor Lin-Hai Han at Tsinghua University, one of China's most selective institutions. The fellowship, an initiative of the Australian Research Council (ARC), is worth $686,000 over four years.

Research funding for UWS

UWS Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Andrew Cheetham, has welcomed the latest round of ARC funding for the university. “ARC Linkage grants are highly sought after … and the size of these research grants highlights the calibre of research at UWS," said Professor Cheetham. “UWS serves to be a vital hub for new knowledge and innovation, making a difference to the lives of individuals and communities with Greater Western Sydney and beyond through its research program.

UWS wins research grants

University of Western Sydney researchers have received research funding of $2.1 million. The Australian Research Council (ARC) has awarded research grants to three UWS studies as part of the ARC Linkage funding scheme which promotes joint research with industry. ARC funding has been set at $745,796 for the projects, with industry partners contributing $1.4 million. One of the studies will develop advanced e-business technology which aims to enhance Australia's role in developing cutting edge e-business automation.