Australia’s capabilities as a world leader in scientific research are set to increase, with a $253.6 million investment, including the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, to be made across a number of key research facilities in this year’s Federal Budget.
Research into marine science and nuclear medicine will benefit from direct funding injections, and further investment will be targeted at attracting more international research and development to Australia.
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research Craig Emerson and Minister for Science and Research Senator Don Farrell said the Australian Institute of Marine Science, headquartered in Townsville, will receive $30.9 million.
“This investment is about protecting marine life and supporting the environmental performance of our marine industries, which are projected to double in value by 2025,” Dr Emerson said.
“Growth in areas like offshore oil and gas, marine-based tourism and port development will benefit regional economies, but we need to do the research to ensure that growth is environmentally sustainable.”
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| ANSTO's OPAL research reactor will increase its capacity to drive cutting-edge research both locally and internationally thanks to an $8.1 million funding boost in the 2013 Federal Budget. |
The funding will also support the state-of-the-art National Tropical Sea Simulator facility, due to open later this year, which will position Townsville as a global research hub.
Another research hub, ANSTO, will receive $8.1 million to boost the capacity of its OPAL research reactor.
At the heart of ANSTO’s research capabilities is the OPAL research reactor which is one of the world’s best multi-purpose research reactors. OPAL is used for scientific research, the production of medical radioisotopes, the activation of targets and the irradiation of silicon used in microelectronics.
OPAL facilitates specialised research using a growing suite of neutron beam instruments at ANSTO’s Bragg Institute. Scientists at ANSTO’s Bragg Institute apply neutron scattering and X-ray techniques to solve complex research and industrial problems.
It produces 20 per cent of the world’s irradiated silicon and 85 per cent of Australia’s nuclear medicines, used to diagnose heart disease and cancer.
“This funding will drive more cutting-edge research both locally and internationally, and builds on the $432 million the Government has already invested to build OPAL’s capacity,” Dr Emerson said.
“An increase in OPAL’s operations also means more material will be provided to our $168.8 million nuclear medicine manufacturing facility, where production will triple.
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| Funding in the Federal Budget for OPAL will mean more material will be provided to ANSTO's nuclear medicine manufacturing facility, where production will triple. |
“This will cement ANSTO as one of the world’s major nuclear medicine suppliers.”
The Government is also investing in the safe, long-term management of Australia’s legacy nuclear facilities, including the HIFAR reactor, which OPAL replaced in 2007.
More than $28 million will be spent over four years to upgrade facilities and support decommissioning activities that draw on international best practice and meet local community needs.
There is also provision in the Budget for CSIRO to undertake a $230 million upgrade of its facilities at Clayton in Victoria and Black Mountain in the ACT to attract international research and development.
In Clayton, upgrades will assist the CSIRO to collaborate with Monash University to establish the Factories of the Future Innovation Centre.
The upgrades to Black Mountain will support excellence in science in the agriculture sector.
“These investments will support CSIRO’s leading-edge science activities and help attract the world’s best researchers to Australia,” Senator Farrell said.
Since 2008, the Government has invested more than $2.1 billion in world-class science facilities across the nation.