Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Queensland has received the third-largest allocation nationally in federal funding for research and research training for 2010 announced today.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ received more than $130.5 million in Research Block Grants distributed across seven schemes including $7.7 million under the new Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) program and $14.1 million for 267 new Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) places – an increase of 52 APA places from the 2009 allocation to Â鶹ÊÓƵ of 215.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s total allocation was third only to Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Melbourne ($168.9 million) and Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Sydney ($155.8 million).
Overall, Â鶹ÊÓƵ received almost 60 percent of the $221.8 million allocated to Queensland universities split up among new APAs, the Commercialisation Training Scheme, the International Postgraduate Research Scholarships, the Joint Research Engagement, Research Infrastructure Block Grants, Research Training Scheme and the SRE.
A total of $1.42 billion in funding for the schemes, known as Research Block Grants, was announced for 41 universities by the Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr, today (Wednesday, January 20).
Senator Carr said the grants included provision for an extra 500 APAs across the nation for outstanding students, thereby delivering on Labor’s election commitment to double the number of awards by 2012.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Max Lu welcomed the funding allocation, particularly promised funds under the SRE.
“This money will help to address serious structural shortfalls in funding the many indirect costs of research such as major characterisation and imaging facilities, experimental animal provision, computing and administrative support etc," he said.
The Dean of Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Graduate School, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, said an increase in APA places was always welcome as research higher degree students represented the next generation of Australian researchers.
"I am also pleased to see that research students will benefit from the APA stipend increase of 10 percent to $22,500 a year," Professor Skrbis said.
Media: Shirley Glaister at Â鶹ÊÓƵ Communications (telephone 3365 1931 or 043 812 9083).
