The Australian National University (ANU) welcomes the Government’s announcement today of $10 million investment, with $1.6 million announced to support critical upgrades to ANU medical and nuclear physics infrastructure.

ANU Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Professor Michael Cardew-Hall said two research facilities to receive funding from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme are based at ANU and support Australian researchers to investigate and develop solutions to some of society’s biggest problems.

“The funding from today’s announcement will help advance Australia’s research interests, and ensure Australia remains at the forefront of research capability,” Professor Cardew-Hall said. 

“We are delighted to see continued investment in key pieces of national research infrastructure hosted here at ANU.”

ANU will receive $700,000 to upgrade equipment at the Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility, a unique national facility supporting Australia’s nuclear physics research program. The Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility provides the infrastructure to creating new and innovative materials, explore new energy resources, develop new opportunities for waste management and also supports quantum physics, environmental, biological and climate change research.

The Australian Phenomics Network will receive $903,000 to upgrade its medical research equipment. The APN is a national system of eight research facilities and expertise, delivering infrastructure enabling biomedical discovery and translation. The investment in research equipment will lead to better research outcomes that will help us understand genetic mechanisms and the biology of human diseases.

Professor Cardew-Hall also welcomed the Government’s investment in four other National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme projects, led by Astronomy Australia, AuScope, University of Adelaide, and University of Queensland.

“ANU is working collaboratively with other universities and organisations to develop national-scale infrastructure across the board. We have been engaged with each of these NCRIS capabilities, and we welcome this additional Government investment,” Professor Cardew-Hall said.