ARC Future Fellowships recognise groundbreaking research

Early- and mid-career researchers at the University of Sydney will help us manage climate change and food security, improve our detection of money laundering schemes, and increase the wellbeing of mothers and newborns thanks to new government funding announced today.

This morning Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Science and Research, announced 209 Australian Research Council Future Fellowships totalling $151 million to provide research opportunities to some of the world's best mid-career researchers.

The University of Sydney received 22 of these, the largest single cohort of any institution.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Jill Trewhella congratulated all successful applicants.

"I would like to congratulate our Future Fellowship recipients," said Professor Trewhella. "It is fabulous to see our mid-career researchers recognised with these Fellowships. These really are important for the University in that they go some way towards securing the future of world-class research here and in Australia broadly.

"Again we have achieved funding across a broad range of disciplines, a testament to the continuing depth and breadth of research quality at the University of Sydney."

Among the 22 Future Fellows from the University of Sydney are:

• Dr Jane Ford, Northern Clinical School, Sydney Medical School 
  Tracking blood and blood products for a healthy start to life

This project will aim to track blood and blood products from supply to recipient and improve safe and appropriate blood product transfusions for mothers and newborns. Tracking blood will assist in early identification of adverse outcomes. Identification of at-risk women and babies will allow early prevention and treatment.

• Professor Seokhee Hong, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies 
  Algorithmics for visual analytics of massive complex networks

The project will provide new scalable algorithms for visual analytics of massive complex networks. These fast algorithms will enable security analysts to detect abnormal behaviours such as money laundering, biologists to understand protein-protein interaction networks, and support software engineers' new ways of understanding large software systems.

• Associate Professor Jennifer Milam, Department of Art History and Film Studies 
  Visual cosmopolitanism, national identity and imperialist ambitions in garden spaces

This project will contribute to current debates about the globalisation of art by tracing the concept back to artistic practices and aesthetic theories of the enlightenment through a focus on experience within the eighteenth-century garden.

• Dr Budiman Minasny, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment 
  Dynamic soil landscape carbon modelling

Soil is the largest terrestrial store of carbon. This project will enhance our understanding of the causes and controls of spatial and temporal variations of soil carbon which is crucial for managing climate change, food water and energy security and for maintenance of biodiversity.

Other successful 2012 Future Fellows from the University of Sydney are Professor Peter R Anstey, Associate Professor Kirrie J Ballard, Associate Professor Madeleine Beekman, Professor Marcela M Bilek, Dr Gregory P Brown, Associate Professor Min Chen, Dr Ute Eickelkamp, Associate Professor Michele T Ford, Dr Aristides Gionis, Associate Professor Clare L Hawkins, Associate Professor Qing Li, Associate Professor Yonghui Li, Dr Baoping Li, Dr Andrew Merchant, Professor Sebastien Perrier, Associate Professor Daniela Traini, Dr Martin Wechselberger and Dr Bruce D Yabsley.

The Future Fellowships scheme began in 2009, to increase the opportunities for highly qualified mid-career researchers to continue working in Australia.

For more information on the new fellows and their research, visit the Australian Research Council website.

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Media enquiries: Jacqueline Chowns, 02 9036 5404, 0434 605 018, jacqueline.chowns@sydney.edu.au