 Climate Change Research Centre team |
Faculty stands out in Eureka PrizesBy Dan Gaffney Ten UNSW-affiliated researchers and research groups are in the running for eight prize categories at this year's Eureka Prizes, an unprecedented achievement for any research institution in the Eureka's 19-year history. Five Faculty of Science-affiliated academics and research groups have been selected as finalists at this year's Eureka Awards. They are joined by an equal number of Engineering Faculty-affiliated individuals and Schools. The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes aim to raise the profile of scientific research and to acknowledge outstanding achievements in Australian science and science communication. Recognising the university's leadership in frontier technology and environmental research, this year's UNSW finalists are drawn from the fields of photovoltaics, solar hydrogen, quantum computing, nanotechnology, taxonomy, environmental conservation and climate change. Entomologist Gerry Cassis is a finalist for the ABRS Eureka Prize for Outstanding Taxonomic Research that recognises outstanding research in naming, identifying, classifying or describing fauna and flora. Professor Cassis is co-founder and joint principal investigator of the plant bug project of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory. To date, only 5-15 percent of life on Earth has been discovered and described. The PBI is a cyber-based taxonomic project that aims to classify and assemble biodiversity information about life on Earth before it is decimated by mass extinctions. PBI is an ambitious project because it is multi-investigator, multi-institutional and multi-national project to demonstrate the feasibility of accomplishing global biodiversity surveys within reasonable time frames. He is an academic staff member of the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. UNSW Science Dean, Professor Mike Archer said the nomination of five Science Faculty-affiliated individuals/groups was an acknowledgment that UNSW is at the leading-edge of scientific research. "I am delighted to see such significant representation of UNSW scientists among this year's finalists," he said. "I congratulate all finalists from around the country and the efforts of the Australian Museum to reward and recognise first class scientific research." UNSW's Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor Les Field praised the university's effort, saying: "Our continued success in these prestigious prizes is a strong reflection of the ongoing quality of research being undertaken at UNSW. I congratulate all finalists on their achievement in being selected as amongst the best researchers in the country." Researchers from UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre are finalists for the Land & Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation. Professor Matthew England, Dr Alex Sen Gupta, Dr Caroline Ummenhofer and Dr Agus Santoso have been recognised for discovering a pattern of Indian Ocean temperatures that lead to drought seasons over Australia, Indonesia, and Africa. This discovery of an oceanic precursor to drought periods will improve predictability of Western Australia's freshwater supply. Dr Leigh Sheppard, Senior Research Associate, Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion and Adriana Downie (UNSW/Technical Manager, BEST Energies Australia) are finalists for the British Council Eureka Prize for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change. Dr Sheppard is recognised for innovative research and outstanding leadership in the development and advocacy of solar hydrogen, an environmentally-friendly fuel generated from water-splitting by using solar energy. Ms Downie, who is completing her PhD in the School of Materials Science, is noted for her outstanding leadership in bridging the divide between research, industry, government and the public needed to turn fundamental pyrolysis and biochar research into a commercially relevant, globally implemented, climate change solution. Professor Richard Kingsford, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, is a finalist for the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. His nomination as a finalist is for his inspirational and tireless campaign to promote and explain the science of rivers, wetlands and their dependent organisms beyond the scientific community to the Australian public at large. Professor Kingsford's work has identified controversial issues of water management, raised the capacity of inland river communities to understand the science of rivers, effected major government policy change and generated wide media coverage that has increased the community's understanding of water management. UNSW Finalists, 2008 Australian Museum Eureka PrizesCSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research British Council Eureka Prize for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change ABRS Eureka Prize for Taxonomic Research Land & Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science People's Choice Award IAG Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change 2008 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes
Media contact: Faculty of Science, Dan Gaffney 0411 156 015 |
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