More than 30 Queensland research projects aimed at combatting the COVID-19 pandemic have received grants totalling $6.45 million.
The funding is part of the latest round of the Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships program.
Announcing the grants, Minister for Innovation, Kate Jones said COVID-19 was one of the biggest challenges the State had ever faced.
“The funding will allow our researchers to get on with some of the most important work of their careers,” Ms Jones said.
“Queensland researchers are leading the charge in the fight against COVID-19. We’re investing in this vital research because we know the potential of this work when it comes to creating jobs and improving the lives of ordinary Queenslanders.”
She said the researchers were working across a wide front in the battle against COVID-19 — from developing faster diagnoses for COVID-19 patients, to developing crisis management toolkits for struggling small businesses, to using artificial intelligence to prevent suicides due to the pandemic.
“Even if we manage to overcome COVID-19 within the next year, the research projects will lay the all-important groundwork in helping us prepare for future pandemics,” the Minister said.
“One of the big challenges with COVID-19 has been getting quick turnaround diagnostic results, but thanks to this funding, a solution may be on the horizon.”
Ms Jones gave the example of Kristyan Guppy-Coles (pictured), from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), who had been awarded $90,000 to develop a rapid, highly-accurate and inexpensive test for detecting COVID-19.
“Being able to quickly diagnose and treat patients is absolutely essential throughout this pandemic,” the Minister said.
“The research being conducted by the team at QUT shows real promise in speeding up diagnoses in the future. This work could be a game-changer for our health system,” she said.
