Food and water security, disaster management, premature cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disorders: these are but some of the areas that the Australia India Strategic Research Fund will help fund fellowships in the year 2020.
19 early to mid-career researchers in Australian universities have received Fellowships under the Australia–India Strategic Research Fund Early- and Mid-Career Researcher 2020.
They will receive up to $16,500 in funding to conduct research at some of India’s leading research institutions. The Australia-Indian Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) supports scientists in India and Australia to collaborate on leading-edge research and is supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government.
Associate Professor Ravinesh Deo of the University of Southern Queensland, one of the recipients of the Fellowship, will evaluate how latest artificial intelligence technologies can be employed to tackle drought and water resources management issues.
Dr Alison Pearce of the University of Sydney will study the loss of productivity resulting from cancer in Indian population.
Dr Sergey Kruk, researcher at the Australian National University is heading to India next year to work on developing new technologies in photonics to create miniaturised optical systems for use in the telecommunications industry.
Other successful recipients of the Fellowships are:
·Dr Sumeet Walia, RMIT University – Harness atomically thin materials for pollution sensors and efficient industrial lubricants
·Dr Nagendrakumar Singanallur Balasubramanian, CSIRO – Systems-immunology based approach to study early immune responses to foot-and-mouth disease vaccination in Asian buffalos
·Dr Morteza Saberi, University of Technology Sydney—Scholarly solution support system
·Dr Fiona Mckay, Deakin University—Documenting the food insecurity experiences and nutritional status of women in India
·Dr Suvash Saha, University of Technology Sydney—Respiratory particle transport: ageing effect and targeted drug delivery
·Dr Jegadesan Subbiah, University of Melbourne—In-situ vibrational spectroscopic studies on the electrode interfacial process for renewable energy storage devices
·Dr Shuaifei Zhao, Deakin University—Closing the CO 2 loop in biogas production by innovative membrane technology
·Dr Siva Krishna Karuturi, Australian National University—New-generation materials for low-cost and high efficiency solar hydrogen generation
·Dr Thanh Thi Nguyen, Deakin University—A human–machine teaming framework based on deep reinforcement learning for disaster management
·Dr Sonika Tyagi, Monash University—Using machine learning to develop robust and reproducible miRNA biomarkers to detect preterm labour
·Dr Sanjay Nimbalkar, University of Technology Sydney—Sustainable performance of future high-speed rail and heavy haul freight corridors: effect of climate change and mitigation measures
·Dr Christina Aggar, Southern Cross University—A mobile digital learning program to support nurses’ leadership and communication skills in chronic disease management: a primary healthcare initiative
·Dr Rebecca Zwart, University of Southern Queensland—A genomics approach to understanding root-lesion nematode resistance in chickpea
·Dr Jency Thomas, La Trobe University—Metabolic syndrome influencing neurodegenerative disorder (MIND project)
·Dr Ashmita Sengupta, CSIRO—Developing functional environmental flows framework to enhance resilience and improve water security under climate change and urbanisation scenarios
·Dr Kaya Klop Toker, University of Newcastle—Identification of frog and disease diversity in a remote part of India (Nagaland).
Dr Ravinesh Deo, University of Southern Queensland—Developing resilience to climate change and variability for water resources management and food security with artificial intelligence
·Dr Sergey Kruk, Australian National University—Photonics at the nanoscale: new disruptive ways to control light with nanotechnology
·Dr Alison Pearce, University of Sydney—The cost of cancer in India: local estimates of lost productivity due to premature cancer mortality