Sunshine Coast researchers solving some of Australia’s biggest problems have been given a massive funding boost to continue their work in 2021.
Research grants to the University of the Sunshine Coast will nearly double next year, the highest-value growth of any Australian university.
USC has been promised nearly $16.4 million in research block grants as part of the Federal Government’s $3 billion university funding announcement.
USC Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett said Sunshine Coast researchers were at the forefront of discovery and ideas and solving Australia’s most pressing problems.
“Our world and our workforce have changed so much this year, and USC research has played a key role in how we have adapted and will continue to thrive,” Professor Bartlett said.
“Our researchers have not only delivered programs to support our community, but are at the forefront of considering how we, as a country, will move forward.
“They are investigating what the future of work will look like and how we will solve our most pressing problems – from mental health and employment to climate change.”
USC currently has 26 areas of research rated as world standard or above, including USC’s research flagships such as agricultural and veterinary sciences, nursing, ecology, zoology and environmental sciences.
The block grants will be used to support research student scholarships, academic salaries, laboratories and research equipment.
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Professor Bartlett said the doubling of last year’s USC grant funding was due to the university’s strategic growth of its research capacity, coupled with an increased nationwide focus on the importance of regions.
“There is a new appreciation for the capacity in regions across Australia in terms of population, lifestyle and innovation,” Professor Bartlett said.
“And with that, there is a growing awareness that the research we are doing at USC is not only regionally relevant but broadly transferable, with the power to improve our world on a global scale.”
