The University of Queensland (UQ) is to establish three new Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres of Excellence to tackle major challenges and opportunities.
UQ is the only university to have been awarded three Centres of Excellence in two consecutive rounds.
The ARC funding, totaling $105 million, is to support the establishment of the Centres of Excellence for Quantum Biotechnology; for Indigenous Futures; and for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide.
UQ Vice-Chancellor, Deborah Terry said the announcement was an exceptional result that demonstrated the transformative nature of research under way at the university.
“I’m particularly delighted that UQ will be hosting the first-ever Indigenous-led Centre of Excellence, utilising Indigenous knowledge in unique trans-disciplinary, cross-sector-designed research,” Professor Terry said.
She said the ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology would be the first National Centre at the interface of quantum science and biology, while the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide aligned economic and environmental incentives to transition to a sustainable and profitable carbon-neutral economy.
“The three centres will be highly collaborative, with multiple research investigators and partnerships including many other universities, Governments, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, community organisations and industry nationally and across the world,” Professor Terry said.
She said the bids had been supported by a large team of people working behind the scenes to help bring the Centres of Excellence to fruition.
