Australia-India Strategic Research Fund backs five new projects

Round 15 of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) has backed five research projects with a total of $3.8 million in grants, including those involving nanomaterials for water remediation and recycling metal from disused mobile phones.

According to a statement from federal industry minister Ed Husic on Wednesday, Indian and Australian researchers were cooperating through the partnership to tackle some “some of the world’s most pressing issues”, including superbugs, e-waste and artificial intelligence.

The program, established in 2006, has provided over $100 million in grants in its time and backed 181 early and mid-career fellowships.

“The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund has delivered more than 360 collaborative research projects in the past 18 years, ensuring our nation’s universities and research institutions have remained at the forefront of global research initiatives,” said Husic.

Australian recipients are the Australian National University, Monash University, the University of Adelaide, the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney, with the Indian government supporting partners in each project, which include the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, AbGenics and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Picture: credit @AusHCIndia/X