March 2017 Newsletter

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Note from the Manager

Welcome to the first SIEF newsletter of 2017.

We are happy to report that our grant recipients of the Experimental Development Program (EDP) are progressing well technically and are on track with commercialising and market-uptake of their technologies. I congratulate the EDP TranspiratiONal team, led by Dr Keith Bristow, who were jointly awarded the CSIRO Agriculture & Food Director’s 2016 Team Award for Breakthrough Innovation.

I would like to remind all recipients of SIEF Scholarships and Fellowships that milestone reports are due no later than 1 April 2017.

Dr Melissa Straffon
SIEF Manager
Melissa.Straffon@sief.org.au
(03) 9545 7952 or 0408 134 581

Medium Equipment Program

We are excited to announce a new program, the SIEF Medium Equipment Program (MEP). The MEP is a new program designed to address a gap in funding for research equipment in the medium range ($500,000 – $4m). The MEP aims to facilitate Australian innovation in areas of greatest strategic impact; encourage a coordinated investment approach in research infrastructure; grow capability and capacity of equipment stock available to researchers; and to encourage greater collaboration – nationally, internationally and with industry.

To be eligible for the MEP, the Lead Applicant must be CSIRO and the equipment located at a CSIRO site; CSIRO will conduct a review process to ensure only high quality applications which meet all the eligibility criteria are submitted to SIEF; applications must be endorsed by CSIRO and any other collaborators. Funding is available for the purchase of equipment, with at least 50% co-investment by applicants and/or and collaborators. To view more about the MEP including the terms and eligibility criteria, please visit the SIEF website.

Potential collaborators are advised to contact the relevant CSIRO Business Unit Director or Deputy Director.

Taryn Noble: Investigator Blog

Join Taryn Noble’s journey through the Southern Coast for her John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellowship project investigating the impact of changing ocean circulation on the Antarctic ice shelf. Taryn was on a whopping 51 day voyage on the research vessel Investigator to the Sabrina Coast of Antarctica. Follow Taryn and research scientists from all around the world on the Sabrina Seafloor Survey blog, which is updated regularly with photos of the day and blog posts.