The Western Australian government has unveiled the eight recipients of a $1.19 million investment aimed at supporting defence researchers in a variety of fields, such as maritime surveillance, diver communication systems, and modelling tools for tracking misinformation.
The funding is part of the Defence Science Centre’s annual Collaborative Research Grant (CRG) Program. Twenty-nine research projects each applied for up to $150,000 in financial assistance for the 2022 round, making it the CRG initiative’s biggest year to date.
Since its conception in 2019, CRG provided approximately $3.4 million to support 24 defence research projects in WA and generated an additional 14.8 full-time equivalent research positions.
One of the recipients of the grant, Mitali Sakar, was originally awarded $150,000 in 2019 to support her project titled “Preclinical testing of novel compounds against multi-drug resistant bacteria of biological warfare concern.”
According to a press release issued by WA Monday, the funding enabled Sakar-Tyson to implement her research outcomes with the Defence Materials Technology Centre where she is now developing new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
CRG is intended to bolster the effects of research outputs and enhance industry and academic linkages by diversifying research and development efforts across defence-relevant tech areas.
“The State Government is committed to supporting these cutting-edge research programs, and ultimately contributing to Australia’s sovereign defence capability,” said Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia.
The eight winners for this year’s funding round are outlined on the Western Australian government’s announcement page.
