Mental health, bushfire safety and PFAS contamination among the focal points of this year's Industry Research Projects Program
Issued: 15 May 2024
Advance Queensland and the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) have officially unveiled the recipients of this year’s ‘Industry Research Projects Program’. The 10 projects awarded from across the state will assist Queensland during its journey towards becoming a leading and sustainable world-class innovation economy.
In 2024, the selected applicants will share more than $9 million in funding, which will be used on projects that focus on developing opportunities that translate research outcomes into commercialisation opportunities for innovative services and products.
Created to provide support for projects that aim to address a significant issue or problem in Queensland, the 2024 ‘Industry Research Projects Program’ will see funding allocated to projects targeting topics such as mental health, bushfire mitigation, PFAS recycling, aquaculture, renewable energies and flood mitigation, among others.
Among the 2024 recipients is the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute who will use funding to help address the current crisis of accessibility in psychiatry. While this is an industry-identified problem being felt across Australia, waiting times to see a psychiatrist in Queensland currently exceed three months across most of a state whose population of people experiencing mental illness significantly exceeds the national average (NSMHW 2022).
With Queensland psychiatrists working longer than their colleagues anywhere in Australia, and Queensland having the highest rate of suicide deaths of any state in Australia (AIHW 2022), QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s project will play an important role in finding improvements in the mental health sector.
The University of Southern Queensland are also among recipients of the Industry Research Projects Program in 2024 and will be using their funding to advance 3D concrete printing technologies that have the ability to produce low-carbon, sustainable and fire-resistant solutions to improve the protection of housing and buildings in bushfire prone areas across Queensland.
A project led by The University of Queensland will explore leading edge technological solutions to the complex challenge of monitoring the quality and quantity of Queensland’s precious water resources, as well as running a pilot program which will seek to address the pervasive issue of PFAS contamination in Queensland, delivering significant economic and environmental benefits to Queensland.
Quotes attributable to Queensland Chief Scientist Kerrie Wilson Quote:
“I'd like to congratulate the successful project teams embarking on these 10 research projects from across Queensland, expected to deliver tangible benefits across multiple industry sectors as well as for the community.
“Projects under the Industry Research Projects Program will boost Queensland’s economy through the translation of research and reflect Queensland’s commitment to a more sustainable and innovative state.”
View the recipients:
| Recipient | Project Title | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute | Optimisation of brain stimulation therapy in major depression through brain-network derived biomarkers | $987,750.00 |
| University of Southern Queensland | Aerated and 3D printed low-carbon emission concrete for bushfire resilient infrastructure | $962,962.00 |
| The University of Queensland | Next generation autonomous water monitoring system for managing flood and water quality risks for Queenslanders | $815,280.00 |
| Follow Me AI Pty Ltd | AI-Empowered, Video Based Uplift of Paralympic Classification Systems | $1,500,000.00 |
| Young Guns Container Crew Pty Ltd | Robotic systems for more efficient and safer unloading of shipping containers | $1,500,000.00 |
| University of Queensland | Circular Economy Strategies: Transforming Waste PFAS into Advanced Battery Materials | $1,003,526.00 |
| Central Queensland University | Solving the aquaculture bottleneck - removing nitrogen and adding value to aquaculture wastewater | $601,538.00 |
| James Cook University | Optimising Transmission Grid Planning and Operations in North Queensland | $656,354.92 |
| Nbryo Pty Ltd | Quality control of bovine blastocysts for embryo transfer | $1,334,554.00 |
| RapidAIM Holdings Pty Ltd | Enhancing RapidAIM's Digital Detection & Defence System and Service | $523,273.00 |