Bulletin

Issue: July 2004

News

ARC grants success beats national average

La Trobe University researchers - working towards solutions in key fields of community concern including aged-care, water management, forensic science and grape production - have been allocated $1.13 million for six projects in the second round of the Australian Research Council Linkage Grants.

A further $1.22 million has come from contributions by industry partner. The projects have been funded for four years starting from this year.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Fred Smith, said La Trobe researchers scored a success rate of 54.5 per cent compared with the national average of 51.8 per cent in this round of grants.

In the Clinical Sciences, Professor Smith said, La Trobe was funded for a multidisciplinary project investigating the main factors that affect mobility, such as stair climbing and obstacle avoidance, in older adults including those affected by osteoarthritis.

The history of the Kew Residential Services, formerly know as Kew Cottages, will trace the lives of its residents from 1887, analysing such things as changing politics and practices for people with intellectual disabilities.

In the Horticulture category a project will explore how wine grapes can be grown with minimum use of pesticides and fungicides. Two projects in the area of Land, Parks and Agriculture Management focus on issues associated with saline dry land management and water use efficiency.

The introduction of DNA technology into forensic science has revolutionised this profession. A Law Enforcement project will develop modifications to current techniques and procedures, as well as novel approaches, to improve the targeting, collection, extraction and typing of trace amounts of biological samples.

'These are major projects that demonstrate La Trobe's continuing commitment to directing its research to the benefit of the community,' Professor Smith added.

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