Grants support transformative research

Derek Abbott

Derek Abbott

Two 成人大片 researchers, Professor Derek Abbott and Professor Alan Collins, have been named Australian Research Council (ARC) 2024 Australian Laureate Fellows for their work in transforming terahertz biosensing and unearthing the secrets of our planet.

Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) at the 成人大片 congratulated Professor Abbott and Professor Collins on their success.

鈥淭his announcement highlights the outstanding work being done by our academics both in driving research at scale and mentoring the next generation of researchers,鈥 he said.

鈥淭hese projects are leading the way in their respective fields and further highlight the University鈥檚 place as one of Australia鈥檚 most research-intensive institutions.鈥

Professor Abbott of the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering received $3,739,790 to create next-generation sensors for rapid detection.

His project, Advancing the Frontiers of Detection: Ultrasensitive Terahertz Sensing, aims to transform terahertz biosensing, creating next-generation sensors for use in security, forensics and space exploration.

鈥淭erahertz radiation lies between microwaves and infrared - it can uniquely 鈥榝ingerprint鈥 or identify substances,鈥 he said.

鈥淭his ground-breaking program will investigate terahertz-matter interaction together with sensor design based on advanced materials, breaking current terahertz detection limits. This will enable rapid substance identification with precision at trace levels.鈥

Alan Collins

Alan Collins

Recently appointed Douglas Mawson Chair of Geology Professor Collins, of the School of Physics Chemistry and Earth Sciences, received $3,408,000 for his Plate Tectonics, Critical Metals and our Habitable Earth project.

鈥淭his Fellowship aims to use abundant geological information to build a digital twin of the Earth鈥檚 surface through its middle age (1800鈥500 million years ago) then apply this to investigate how deep earth processes including earthquakes, volcanos and plate tectonics endowed our planet with critical metals and built a habitable world,鈥 he said.

鈥淥utcomes include ground-breaking data-driven geology and deep-time full-earth modelling, which have not been attempted before, as well as de-risking mineral exploration.鈥

ARC Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Richard Johnson said the scheme is an important part of the ARC鈥檚 Discovery Program, creating a supportive research environment for early-career researchers to work with cutting-edge senior researchers.

鈥淭he Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme offers researchers the opportunity to design ambitious research programs around a team of postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate students, which is vital for ensuring high-quality mentorship of Australia鈥檚 up-and-coming researchers,鈥 Dr Johnson said.

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