Backing for clean hydrogen, mRNA, hypersonic drone projects in round 12 of CRC-P grants

Funding for 13 Cooperative Research Centre Projects has been announced, with a total of $32 million in grants awarded to projects including for green hydrogen storage and use, hypersonic drones, and mRNA formulation and manufacturing.

The program — which has been supporting collaborative projects since 2016 — was announced on Thursday, with these showing “how incredible problem solving is possible when businesses team up with researchers to address challenges that affect our lives and how we work,” according to science minister Melissa Price.

Grants under Round 12 of the program include:

• $2,366,317 to a team of Endua, Ampol and the CSIRO to support quickened development of a green energy storage solution to help “trigger mass adoption of green energy storage that will catalyse the uptake of renewables”;
• $3,000,000 to a team of Bridgewest Australia Biotech, the University of Adelaide and Global Life Sciences Solutions Australia for a “mRNA manufacturing and formulation service for late stage clinical trials”;
• $2,950,000 to Hypersonix Launch Systems, LSM Advanced Composites, University of Southern Queensland and Romar Engineering to “deliver a new sovereign manufacturing capability for high temperature oxide-oxide ceramic matrix composites” for use in a world-first reusable hypersonic UAV; and 
• $3,000,000 to Cannapacific, CSIRO, University of NSW, Tasmanian Alkaloids and the University of Newcastle for “Cannabinoid manufacture for development of registered pharmaceuticals” for treating pain and PTSD.

A total of $56 million cash and in-kind will be invested by the 62 partners among the funded projects.

A full list of the 13 successful grant applicants can be seen here.

CRC-Ps run for a maximum of three years and must have teams that include two industry partners (with one SME) plus one Australian research organisation partner.

Picture: Endua

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