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A passion for science and teaching the community about plant science has earned the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology the Chevron Science Engagement Initiative of the Year Award at the 2013 Western Australian (WA) Science Awards.

The WA Science Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of the State's science community and highlight the important role of science in WA.

The Premier and Minister for Science Colin Barnett last night presented the award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to community awareness, interest and/or participation in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The award, sponsored by Chevron, includes $10,000 in prize money.

Based at The University of Western Australia, the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology (ARC PEB) outreach and educational programs include a variety of strategies to engage the community with plant science.

The programs promote the importance of science and aim to increase understanding of the significance of plants and their ability to capture, process and covert energy, focusing on engaging the general public, students, farmers and industry professionals.  The programs also connect scientists and growers with the general public.

Winthrop Professor Harvey Millar, Chief Investigator with the Centre, thanked the Premier and Chevron for the award.

"It's an honour to be recognised for the hard work, commitment and innovation of our team," Professor Millar said.

"The Centre is filled with staff who are passionate about science education and the many possibilities of science. Funding from the Australian Research Council has allowed us to develop truly innovative outreach programs, which have now been recognised by the Government of Western Australia.

"We would also like to thank our fantastic education and outreach collaborators, including the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG), Dairy Futures Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), UWA Science Communication, Soxon Inflatables, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and Scitech."

The ARC PEB outreach programs include Bio-Bounce - the world's biggest (10 metre by 13 metre inflated structure) and bounciest cell, incorporating all the elements needed for the molecular function of plants.  Plant science workshops and experiments for students and the general public, such as, Get into Genes - highlight the application of biotechnology to crop improvement.  This program is a collaboration with ACPFG and Dairy Futures CRC.

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology is one of the world's top plant energy research centres, combining the expertise of more than 100 scientists from The University of Western Australia, the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide.  This award is recognition of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology's commitment to delivering excellent and engaging outreach and education programs.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Harvey Millar (ARC COE Plant Energy Biology)  (+61 8)  6488 7245  /  (+61 4) 20 308 534
UWA Public Affairs Media Team  (+61 8)  6488 7977  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716