The University of Sydney secures $8 million in new CRC-P funding
Three University of Sydney projects have received over $8 million in funding via the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grants, designed to support short term, industry-led collaborative research.
The winning projects from the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering will support Australia’s visually impaired community, develop electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and establish Australia as a pioneer in advanced hydrogen storage materials.
A total of 22 industry-led collaborative research and development projects will share in $47.1 million in funding from the Australian Government.
ARIA - bionic visual-spatial prosthesis for the blind
ARIA is a breakthrough bionic medical device that delivers high-fidelity visual-spatial perception for blind people. ARIA makes possible new levels of autonomy for Australia’s 600,000 blind & vision impaired citizens and for over 337 million blind/vision impaired people globally.
Led by Associate Professor Craig Jin from the School of Electrical and Information Engineering alongside Dr Donald Dansereau and Dr Viorela Ila from the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, ARIA has been granted $2,602,035 to undertake preclinical evaluations, build early prototypes, undertake preclinical trials, and prepare for future clinical trials.
Vertiia - powertrain development for high speed eVTOL transport
Vertiia is an Australian developed electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft, that will provide rapid response air ambulance and low cost passenger transport for regional and remote Australia.
Helmed by Associate Professor Dries Verstraete from the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, this project will enable the optimisation and development of a quiet, efficient and lightweight propulsion system tailored for Vertiia, greatly increasing range, reducing noise and lowering cost.
Optimising these components will increase Vertiia’s potential to operate in noise sensitive areas and enable the delivery of the lowest cost transport as an air ambulance or air taxi.
Advancing nanoporous MOF materials for high efficiency hydrogen storage
Led by Professor Cameron Kepert and Dr Lauren Macreadie, both from the School of Chemistry, this project will prove-up breakthrough advanced hydrogen storage materials discoveries at the University of Sydney.
The inability to store H2 efficiently is a key barrier to the uptake of H2 as a new zero-carbon fuel, as identified in the National Hydrogen Strategy.
Granted $2,770,000 in funding, the project is expected to demonstrate the superior system-wide volumetric and gravimetric efficiency gains of the metal-organic-framework (MOF) material to enable higher density lower pressure storage.
These gains will enable key H2 markets in grid, mobility and aerospace, supporting decarbonisation. This project will enable technology validation and prototype development and testing with SME & large industry partners, accelerating commercialisation and uptake.