Two rounds of funding are announced

Cash for clever kit: Australian Research Council Linkage infrastructure grants were announced Friday. Some 47 projects are funded with 29 per cent of applicants receiving $30m of the $33m requested.

Monash U and UNSW have money for six projects each, in sciences, engineering and technology. Uni Melbourne wins five and UWA four. All up 20 universities are in the money for research infrastructure.

There is funding for equipment and data across STEM, with astronomy, climate, and photonics science well-represented. HASS disciplines also get a go. UWA leads a project involving all the state’s universities to digitise their “significant” HASS research collections.

First Linkage projects: The first Linkage Grants of 2020 were also announced, on the morning of Sunday January 12. (Sorry, no idea why).

The Commonwealth is kicking in $9.5m, with more from project partners. Overall success rate is 39 per cent.

Monash and Macquarie Us, plus the universities of Adelaide and Queensland win most awards, with three each. Swinburne U and UNSW have two each and 12 universities one a piece.

Among STEM and social science projects, one led by Diane Kirby (La Trobe U) and Stuart Macintyre (emeritus professor, Uni Melbourne) stands-out.

With support from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the researchers will explore the ACTU in the Hawke-era. “In an innovative study that highlights the Hawke era to show the ACTU’s history as one of transition to governance, we aim to reveal the potential of the Australian labour movement to effect change.”

Who says research awards are party-political.