Research group National ICT Australia (NICTA) has received an
additional A$250 million (CDN$210.8 million) in funding from the
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
(DCITA) and the Department of Education, Science and Training
(DEST).
The new, five-year agreement was announced by DCITA Minister
Senator Helen Coonan, and DEST Minister Julie Bishop MP.
Senator Coonan said the "substantial and continued" funding for
NICTA demonstrates the government's long-term commitment to
enhancing Australia's information and communications technology
innovation system and recognition of ICT's contribution to broader
economic growth.
"I expect to see NICTA increasingly interacting with industry
and applying its research to benefit all Australians," Coonan
said.
In the 10-year period to June 30, 2011, the federal government
will provide A$380 million to NICTA as part of its A$8.3 billion
commitment to innovation, dubbed "Backing Australia's Ability".
NICTA's research areas include the Smart Transport and Roads
(STaR) project to develop new technologies for streamlining traffic
flow, the Water Information Network (WIN) project to develop an ICT
infrastructure of networked sensors and actuators that communicate
over a wireless network to manage irrigation, and developing an IT
methodology for discerning medically useful knowledge from
micro-array profiles of tissue, with a focus on cancer diagnosis
and treatment. This is being conducted in collaboration with the
Peter MacCallum Cancer Center.
Minister Bishop said since it was established in 2002, NICTA has
become a magnet for world-class researchers, including many of
Australia's best researchers working overseas, and has enhanced
Australia's research training capacity through a competitive PhD
program.
"NICTA's research program has practical applications in a broad
range of industries, wealth creation and benefits for all
Australians," Bishop said.
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