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The world's most precise clock - developed at The University of Western Australia - will be subject to testing in space as a result of Federal funding announced today.

UWA secured more funding than any other Australian university in the latest Australian Research Council (ARC) funding round.

Federal Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr announced today that $4.4 million will be invested in 10 UWA projects under a Federal scheme to support infrastructure, equipment and facilities for high-quality, large-scale research projects - almost 15 per cent of the total national funding pool.

Today's announcement also means that the University will also receive more than $18 million to support these projects from collaborating organisations, including national and international universities, industry and government organisations.  UWA is also involved in another nine projects administered by other universities around the nation.

Among the UWA projects is the work being undertaken by Winthrop Professor Michael Tobar and his colleagues on the world's most precise time piece, which is testing the very fundamentals that underpin physics.  Professor Tobar was today named WA Scientist of the Year.

The $1.2m project will provide a unique opportunity for Australian membership of a high profile space mission involving atomic clocks on board the International Space Station and in the world's best frequency and time laboratories.

Overall UWA secured funding for 10 of the 12 Western Australian projects under the Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities ( LIEF) scheme including research into a new detector to remove radio interference from the Parkes radio telescope and new laser technology that will be applied to a diverse range of research areas including the next generation of medical implants.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said the funding support reflected the high value placed on collaborative research at The University of Western Australia.

"By working in partnership with government and industry we can ensure that our research has direct benefits for the community," Professor Robson said.  "This funding is recognition by the ARC of the key role played by UWA researchers in leading global research."

A summary of the successful projects is available on the ARC website .

Media references

Professor Alan Robson  (+61 8)  6488 2809
Christine Casey (UWA Research Grants Office)  (+61 8)  6488 1776
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716