March 2, 2020

Making New Strategic Partnerships

UOW is an international network of strategic partnerships – and we partner for a reason. Collectively we can tackle major global issues more effectively, and develop the next generation of exceptional researchers and industry leaders. To help build such partnerships, the ARC’s Linkage funding schemes encourages cooperative approaches to research and promotes national and international research partnerships between researchers, business, industry and community organisations. As a result, there is a transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas that benefits all. UOW is pleased to announce two recent Linkage projects (a LIEF and LP) to further strengthen our partnerships.

Partnering with Bluescope Steel – ARC LIEF – Tribology Lab upgrade for UOW

An ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment & Facilities (LIEF) grant awarded to Senior Professor Kiet Tieu for a total value of $500K (including $246K from the ARC) sees him partnering with Bluescope Steel and other universities such as UNSW, USyd, Deakin and RMIT, to upgrade a Spectroscopy facility to ensure a combined assessment of materials with sub-micrometer accuracy, and from room temperature up to 800oC.

The equipment upgrade with an added Raman spectroscopy (and a hot stage) will be unique in Australia. The integrated system will evaluate how the chemistry and structure of materials contribute to mechanical behaviours. In particular, a real-time understanding of the intrinsic mechanical properties of microstructural features within materials that operate under extreme conditions is significant for developing advanced materials that achieve desired mechanical function and performance.

Partnering with Douglas Partners, Glencore Coal Assets Aust. & Manildra – ARC LP

Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna (pictured above) and his team were awarded nearly $800k for an interdisciplinary ARC Linkage Project ($570k from ARC and the rest from Industry) to fully understand soil-water interaction to ensure the sustainable development of floodplains.

The project investigates the bio-chemical clogging of permeable reactive barriers (PRB) to develop a more effective solution to treat acidic soils and groundwater, and investigates the role of bacteria in the floodplain soil. Australian coastal floodplains and underground coal mines are often affected by acidic groundwater caused by the oxidation of pyrite to form sulphuric acid, and this process is catalysed by certain strains of bacteria.