News Archive

The European Southern Observatory, Queen's University in Ontario and Peking University are the destinations for three outgoing Federal Endeavour Award-winners from The University of Western Australia.

The outgoing awardees are among a record 33 Endeavour Award winners at UWA.

Mr John Moore, a Senior Technician and Safety Officer in UWA's School of Physics, will join Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS-INSU) St. Michel, France and the European Southern Observatory whose work involves gamma ray burst observation, tracking space debris using robotically controlled telescopes and other projects in partnership with UWA's Zadko Telescope located at Gingin.  Mr Moore will be involved in maintaining telescope optics in optimum condition and ultimately expects to take a leading role in Australia in highly innovative technical support within the astronomical community.

ARC Australian Research Fellow, Research Associate Professor Michael Shane of UWA's School of Plant Biology will collaborate with Professor Bill Plaxton at Queen's University, Canada to investigate the biochemical basis underpinning the phosphate acquiring ability of specialised roots of native Australian plants.  This information could provide insights into ways to develop crop plants with increased efficiency in phosphorus uptake and utilisation.

"Such a result would not only be of enormous benefit for Australian agriculture, but for crop production world-wide as global phosphorus supplies dwindle while the  population continues its alarming growth," Associate Professor Shane said.

Arts/Law Fogarty Scholar Thomas Williams, winner of a Prime Minister's Australia Asia Endeavour Award, will continue his Chinese studies at Peking University.

UWA's incoming Endeavour Award winners are from nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China; Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States of America.

Their postgraduate work is mostly in the fields of agriculture, environmental and related studies; engineering and related technologies; natural and physical sciences; health and medical studies; management and commerce; and culture and human society.

Media references

John Moore (UWA School of Physics)  (+61 8)  6488 2005
Research Associate Professor Michael Shane (UWA School of Plant Biology) (+61 8)  6488 2594
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716