3 years ago
More research funding into COVID-19 and bushfires
THE HON DAN TEHAN MP
The Morrison Government is providing an additional $7.58 million for Australian research into COVID-19 and bushfires.
Minister for Education Dan Tehan today announced new investment in cutting-edge technology, equipment and people to conduct research into Australia’s response to the dual national challenges of coronavirus and natural disasters.
The Morrison Government will provide:
- $1.5 million to Bioplatforms Australia to establish a new nucleic acid testing facility for
- fast-response COVID-19 analysis, to assist with overflow from public health
- laboratories.
- $1 million to Phenomics Australia to develop COVID-19 models to uncover the
- drivers of the virus in humans.
- $1.2 million to Translating Health Discoveries to support an additional five full-time
- staff to work on COVID-19 projects.
- $1.7 million to the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) to replace
- ecosystem monitoring equipment damaged by the recent bushfires with more
- resilient, fire-resistant equipment.
- $1.65 million to the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network to replace
- decade-old information technology hardware and software.
- “Australian researchers are leading the way as part of a global effort to find a vaccine for COVID-19 that will save lives and get us firmly on the road to recovery,” Mr Tehan said.
- “Our researchers are at the forefront in areas such as diagnostics, treatments and vaccine development. We are also undertaking ground-breaking research on national and global priorities such as bushfires.
- “The Morrison Government is supporting these efforts through targeted, additional funding for leading-edge infrastructure and expertise.”
- The additional funding will be provided through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). The Morrison Government is currently providing $4 billion in funding under NCRIS which helps drive innovation by supporting leading national research infrastructure projects.
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