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RSAA News of the Month: June 2005

Federation Fellowships and new Centres of Excellence for ANU

ANU media release 15 June 2005

 

A leading astronomer, a renowned international law expert, an accomplished historian, Australia’s best vision researchers and top antimatter physicists will all conduct vital research at ANU over the next five years following the announcement of Australian Research Council grants on June 15.

Three ANU researchers were awarded prestigious Federation Fellowships by the ARC, and two others will lead new ARC Centres of Excellence based at ANU. Federation Fellowships are Australia’s most valuable publicly funded fellowships — they are worth over $1 million — and are funded by the ARC with support from the host institutions. ANU has now been awarded a total of 18 Federation Fellowships over four rounds, more than any other Australian university.

“Our ongoing success securing Federation Fellowships and ARC Centres of Excellence further illustrates the depth and quality of research underway here at Australia’s national university,” ANU Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Cram, said. “The Federation Fellowships awarded today ensure that three of Australia’s top scholars remain in the country to contribute to the social, economic and political landscape through research and teaching.

“Similarly, the ARC Centres of Excellence will allow ANU staff and students to collaborate with some of the world’s best and ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of research in key areas. This is a great result for ANU and again strengthens our research base, as well as expands the depth and variety of areas of study for undergraduate and postgraduate students.”

2005 Federation Fellowships were awarded to:
• Professor Brian Schmidt, who will study of the evolution of the Universe;
• Professor Hilary Charlesworth, who will establish a Centre for International Governance and Justice; and
• Professor Geremie Barmé, who will investigate Chinese cultural identities in the lead up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

ARC Centres of Excellence to be established at ANU are:
• The Centre of Excellence in Antimatter Studies, which will look at developing tools and techniques harnessing antimatter in the physical, chemical and biological sciences; and
• The Centre of Excellence in Vision Sciences, which will investigate the fundamental science of vision, inform diagnostic tools and disease prevention strategies for healthy vision and look at ways vision in the animal kingdom can inform technology.

ANU press releases can be read here.

Professor Brian Schmidt is RSAA's second Federation Fellow

Stromlo is home base for two Federation Fellows. Brian joins Professor Mike Dopita, who was awarded one of the inaugural Fellowships in 2001.

Prof Mike Dopita (left) and Prof Brian Schmidt (right)
RSAA's Federation Fellows

The Federation Fellowship is the latest in a string of awards which Brian has accumulated since beginning his career in astronomy. They include the 2000 Harvard Bok Prize for an outstanding astronomical thesis, the inaugural Australian Government Malcolm McIntosh Prize for physical scientist of the year (2000), the 2001 Australian Academy of Science Pawsey Medal for outstanding research in physics, and the 2002 Vainu Pappu Medal of the Astronomical Society of India. Last year (2004) he was named as Australia's top scientist by Bulletin magazine in its annual Smart 100 listing.

Brian's Fellowship will fund research into the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies, dark matter, and the mysterious "Dark Energy" which accounts for around 70% of the Universe. Much of the research will be done with the new ultra-fast SkyMapper telescope now being designed for Siding Spring Observatory.

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