MERIT Research at the Melbourne School of Engineering

LIEF 2009 OUTCOMES

The Melbourne School of Engineering has had great success in the recent Lief Grant applications, receiving 2 lead grants (100% success rate) and 3 non-lead.

LIEF Lead Grants

LE0989384 – Prof Marcus G. Pandy, Department of Mechanical Engineering

High speed three dimesional x-ray fluorscopy for diagnosis prevention and treatment of joint disease (oseoarthritis)

LE0989341 – Prof Frank Caruso, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Advanced NanoBiomaterials Imaging Facility

LIEF Non-lead Grants

LE0989062 - A/Prof Jeff Walker, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Airborne hyperspectral scanning for advanced monitoring and assesment of vegetation and water properties

LE0989471- A/Prof Andrea O'Connor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Facility for innovation in structural biomaterials engineering

LE0989127 - Dr Daniel Riley, Department of Mechanical Engineering

A High Throughput Neutron Spectrometer for the study of Atomic and Molecular Motion at ANSTO

LIEF Grant Project Summaries

High speed three dimesional x-ray fluorscopy for diagnosis prevention and treatment of joint disease (oseoarthritis) (LEO989384)

Prof MG Pandy; Prof IM Mareels; Prof R Kotagiri; A/Prof RK Begg; Dr KM Crossley; Dr KE Webster; A/Prof JA Feller; Dr JW Fernandez

2009: $ 233,000

Partner Organisations & Collaborating Organisations:

The University of Melbourne
Victoria University
La Trobe University
National ICT Australia

Administering Organisation: The University of Melbourne

This proposal addresses one of the most difficult and long-standing problems in the field of biomechanics: How can human joint motion be measured accurately and non-invasively during common activities such as walking, stair ambulation and running? Low-dose, high-speed, three-dimensional, x-ray fluoroscopy provides an excellent solution to this problem and, in so doing, can play a pivotal role in healthcare, through clinical gait analysis and gait rehabilitation (diagnosis, prevention and treatment of movement disorders); in sports, through the development of personalized training programs for elite athletes; and in entertainment, through the creation of physics-based animations for the video/digital games industry.

Advanced NanoBiomaterials Imaging Facility (LEO989341)

Prof F Caruso; Prof K Hourigan; Prof GW Stevens; Prof T Sridhar; Prof SJ Kent; Mr A Fouras; A/Prof GG Qiao; A/Prof DE Dunstan; Dr GA Thouas; A/Prof SB Hooper; Dr AJ O'Connor; Dr AP Johnston; Dr BM Stadler; A/Prof RG Evans; Dr SL Gras; Dr KM Denton; Dr JT Pearson; Dr GK Such; Dr A Blencowe; Dr MJ Kitchen; Dr KK Siu

2009: $ 690,000

Partner Organisations & Collaborating Organisations:
The University of Melbourne
Monash University

Administering Organisation: The University of Melbourne

The convergence of nanotechnology with biotechnology offers unprecedented opportunities to prepare nanomaterials with defined structure and function on the nanometre scale. However, the small length scales involved in nanomaterials present challenges in their characterisation, and in turn, their interaction with biological systems. The Advanced NanoBiomaterials Imaging Facility will provide state-of-the-art equipment for examining the properties of nanomaterials and their interaction with biosystems. The equipment will facilitate the development of new materials that are expected to underpin advances in drug delivery, diagnostics and implant devices, further strengthening Australia's strong reputation in these areas.

NON LEAD APPLICATIONS

Airborne hyper-spectral scanning for advanced monitoring and assessment of vegetation and water properties (LEO989062)

A/Prof JM Hacker; A/Prof J Beringer; A/Prof JP Walker; A/Prof MM Lewis; A/Prof MJ Lynch; Dr LB Hutley; Dr PJ Baker; Dr E Daly; Prof ID Bishop; Dr MJ Stewardson; Dr PR Fearns; Dr S Maier

2009: $ 450,000

Partner Organisations & Collaborating Organisations:
The Flinders University of South Australia
Monash University
The University of Melbourne
Curtin University of Technology
The University of Adelaide
Charles Darwin University

Administering Organisation: The Flinders University of South Australia

The proposed infrastructure will give Australian researchers the most advanced capabilities available world-wide in airborne remote sensing of the environment. By combining hyper-spectral scanning, with full wave-form resolving Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), microwave scanning and sythetic aperture RADAR, flown simultaneously on the most cost-efficient and technologically advanced research aircraft, it will be possible to assess and monitor a wide range of parameters not accessible to airborne methods before.

Facility for innovation in structural biomaterials engineering (LEO989471)

Dr JS Forsythe; Dr AJ O'Connor; Prof GB Garnier; Prof GW Stevens; Dr GA Thouas; Prof JS Van Deventer; Dr W Shen; Dr SL Gras; Dr N Birbilis; Dr Q Chen; Dr JL Provis; Prof GP Simon; A/Prof GV Franks; Dr RA Caruso; Dr GM Forde; Prof WA Morrison; Prof MK Horne; Dr PG Farlie

2009: $ 300,000

Partner Organisations & Collaborating Organisations:
Monash University
The University of Melbourne

Administering Organisation: Monash University

Biomaterials are used in a diverse range of environments that impact on the way that all Australians live. The Facility for Innovation in Structural Biomaterials Engineering will greatly assist researchers to undertake cross-disciplinary projects aimed at improving human health eg. smart materials that assist stem cell therapies for treating deafness and spinal cord injuries, as well the way we live eg. more durable building materials for a sustainable national infrastructure. The facility will help Australia remain at the forefront of these high priority areas and see both individuals and industry benefit from advanced biomaterial products.

A High-Throughput Neutron Spectrometer for The Study of Atomic and Molecular Motion at ANSTO (LEO989127)

Dr D Mather; Prof G Kearley; Prof JD Gale; Prof GA Hope; Prof CJ Kepert; Dr JA Stride; Prof J Bartlett; Prof SX Dou; Dr DP Riley; Dr DJ Goossens; Dr C Yang

2009: $ 400,000

Partner Organisations & Collaborating Organisations:
Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE)
The University of New South Wales
Griffith University
The University of Sydney
University of Wollongong
Curtin University of Technology
University of Western Sydney
Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
The University of Melbourne
The Australian National University

Administering Organisation: Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE)

Neutron scattering enables new science across a broad range of disciplines, and for this reason it is undergoing major expansion in the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. Various diffactometers and spectrometers have recently been built at ANSTO, but an instrumental option for a high-throughput cross-discipline spectroscopy is urgently needed. Fortunately, it is fairly straightforward to add this type of option to an existing spectrometer that will broaden its user-base from specialised applications in physics to more general applications in physics, chemistry, materials-science and biology. This additional option provides a totally new way for Australian scientists to study atomic and molecular motions.