Sydney Seeds International Research Partnerships
30 October 2009
University of Sydney researchers engaging in international collaborations have received a funding boost totalling close to half a million dollars through the latest round of the annual International Program Development fund (IPDF).
The IPDF, administered through the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), is aimed at supporting initiatives in internationalization.
The scheme continues to grow in popularity and this year attracted the highest number of submissions in its ten-year history - evidence of the growing engagement of our researchers in international collaborations. A total of 98 funding applications was received spanning the breadth of both the University's research and the globe. The IPDF now supports more that 140 projects building links with leading universities around the world.
"As a world-class university this kind of investment in building our international research collaborations is vital. We are proud to be supporting our researchers who are taking their work to the global stage and partnering with colleagues around the world to address the major research challenges we currently face as a global society" said Professor John Hearn, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International).
The competitive fund provides grants in the order of $15,000 to high quality international research collaborations that meet highly selective criteria within the University's international strategy and clearly demonstrate relevance, capacity, sustainability, impact and innovation. In doing so, the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor partners with the faculties as all grants must be matched by funding from the faculty.
Some successful projects in this year's round include:
- Professor Stephen Leeder from the Menzies Centre for Health Policy was awarded funds to lead a breakthrough international project that aims to lower mortality from cardiovascular disease in the Asia Pacific region. The University of Sydney will work with Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) partners: Peking University, Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong to identify and implement best practice in cardiovascular disease interventions in hospitals throughout the region.
- Professor Alex McBratney and Dr Budiman Minasny of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources were awarded funds to collaborate with the University of Florida on research into the role that soil systems in the US and Australia play in absorbing atmospheric carbon and the impact of climate change and land use on this process.
- Professor Robert Aldrich and Dr Kirsten McKenzie from the Department of History were awarded funds to further develop their Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) collaboration in colonial and postcolonial studies. Their project links with WUN partners: the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol, the University of Bergen and the University of Cape Town, among others, to examine historical perspectives of population and cultural flows throughout the Indian and Pacific Ocean rims.
- Dr Alexander Chaves of the Faculty of Veterinary Science was awarded funds to develop a collaboration with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and Agri-Food Canada to develop a solution to agricultural emissions, one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Professor Robert Cumming, Professor Simon Chapman and Joel Negin of the School of Public Health were awarded funds to partner with the University of Nairobi and the Kenyan Ministry of Health to build Kenya's capacity to respond to non-communicable disease.
Contact: Nicholas Haskins
Phone: 02 9036 7219