Industry invited to lab bench for fellowship

Industry representatives are to be placed at the heart of scientific innovation - or more specifically, where it all begins - in the laboratory, thanks to an eight-week fellowship program at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES).

The in-house program is to host Fellows in the facilities of ACES’ Wollongong Node, at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI), where they can develop a hands-on understanding of innovative technology and materials potential as they work alongside researchers on a nominated project.

According to ACES Director Professor Gordon Wallace, the inaugural round of ACES-Industry Advanced Fabrication Fellowships aims to foster knowledge exchange, creating an effective, pragmatic nexus between researchers and industry.

“Having people from industry, who we usually refer to as ‘end users’, in our facility uniquely places them at the heart of research being undertaken and enriches the collaborative nature of work already being done at ACES. This will inevitably lead to more effective commercialisation of research,” Professor Wallace said.

“We also envisage clear benefits for the companies our Fellows represent, with the opportunity to explore how to improve business productivity and harness innovation for their production line.

“We are really excited to see where the Fellows’ contribution and exposure to our work may lead. The Fellowship is a whole new platform for the cross-pollination of ideas,” he said.

The 2013 ACES-Industry Advanced Fabrication Fellowship scheme invites paid employees from the industry sector with the endorsement of their company to apply. The scheme launched on Wednesday 23 January 2013 and applications are encouraged.

More information available here.