Two female researchers from the University of Queensland have been awarded Australian Research Council (ARC) Australian Laureate Fellowships – with UQ securing the largest share of funding in the competitive grants. Professor Debra Bernhardt and Professor Sara Dolnicar have attracted more than $9.8 million in funding over the next five years for their research projects. The funding will be used for research in the areas of molecular science, environmental tourism and next-generation solar technology.
Professor Debra Bernhardt has received $3.43 million in funding for her project to predict the dynamic behavior and properties of physical matter at a molecular level, and develop state-of-the-art molecular simulation models. Her research will have important applications for technologies such as robotics, batteries, and fluids at a microscopic level, and will lead to the development of new clean energy sources and storage technologies.
Professor Sara Dolnicar has been awarded $3.2 million to manage the environmental impacts of leisure and tourism activities by creating a new theory explaining, predicting and eliciting pro-environmental behavior in these pleasure-focused settings.
UQ Acting Vice-Chancellor Aidan Byrne congratulated each new fellow on their achievement. “The ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships are fiercely competitive and awarded to Australia’s best and brightest researchers,” Professor Byrne said. “Each of our Laureate Fellows is highly regarded academics in their respective fields, and securing five years of funding means they can continue their innovative research that could have not only national but also global impact.
Three new fellows were named from UQ this year, a testament to the important research work being undertaken here at UQ. “It’s also fantastic to see that two of our three new fellows are women – it reflects UQ’s commitment to ensuring the research achievements of women are recognized and that they are supported so they can achieve their goals,” said Professor Byrne.
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