The Government will extend the nation's horizons with a $1.1 billion boost for critical areas of scientific endeavour, including astronomy, climate change, marine and life sciences, biotechnology and nanotechnology.
The Government’s $901.0 million investment in cutting-edge research infrastructure will give Australia’s top researchers the tools they need to get on with the job in three areas of world-leading scientific capability:
- Space science and astronomy;
- Marine and climate science; and
- Future industries.
This investment will stimulate economic activity, supporting new jobs and building the platform for high-skill, high-wage jobs in the future.
To keep our best young minds on the job in Australia, the initiative includes funding for 100 Super Science Fellowships across the targeted disciplines.
The Super Science Initiative will redress a decade of neglect in areas where Australian researchers have consistently punched above their weight.
The infrastructure projects funded under the Super Science Initiative were identified as priorities in the Strategic Roadmap for Australian Research Infrastructure in September 2008.
The Super Science Initiative will support:
Space and Astronomy - $160.5m - a new Australian National Centre of Square Kilometre Array Science in Perth; additional funding for the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO), the world's leading 4-metre optical telescope; and funding for an Australian Space Research program and a Space Policy Unit that will provide advice to the Government on national space policy.
Marine and Climate - $387.7m - a state-of-the-art marine research vessel to replace the 38-year-old RV Southern Surveyor; extensions of the Integrated Marine Observing System network; new tropical marine infrastructure investments at the Australian Institute of Marine Science; an upgrade to Australia's peak high-performance climate change computing capacity; distributed infrastructure for terrestrial ecosystems, groundwater depletion, sustainable energy and water, and energy use in built environments.
Future Industries - $504.0m - new facilities for cutting-edge biological discovery and biotechnology development including funding for a European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia Partner Laboratory; new National Enabling Technologies Strategy; nuclear science facilities for ANSTO; facilities to support nanotechnology research; and advanced ICT platforms.
100 Super Science Fellowships - $27.2m - offered across the targeted disciplines, the three-year post-doctoral fellowships will allow our most promising young researchers to work in areas of national significance, with 50 fellowships to commence in 2010 and 50 in 2011.
Support for Questacon - $11.3m - will strengthen and improve Questacon's science and education facilities, including a boost for the highly successful outreach and communications program. Additional funds will enable this popular national institution to continue taking the wonder of science to children and adults in remote and regional areas.
All the projects are highly collaborative, with infrastructure to be developed at many of the nation's universities, the CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science, ANSTO, and other public research agencies.
Media contact: Catriona Jackson, Minister's Office, 0417 142 238