New support for leading-edge science research between Australia, India

New Delhi, Sept.22 (ANI): Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese has welcomed a major new funding opportunity for leading-edge science between Indian and Australian researchers.

The latest (fifth) rounds of the Indo-Australian Science and Technology Fund and Indo-Australian Biotechnology Fund opened today for joint research projects in areas including renewable energy, nano-technology, agricultural research and biomedical science.

The two programs form part of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF), a major platform for bilateral collaboration in science, jointly managed and funded by the governments of India and Australia.

"Our science cooperation with India is going from strength to strength," Varghese said.

"Australia has committed AUD 65 million (280 crore rupees) to science collaboration with India - our largest bilateral fund dedicated for collaboration with any country."

"Collaboration in this important area is helping to address some of the major challenges our countries share in areas like agriculture, health and the environment".

In the most recently concluded funding round, the Australian Government committed more than AUD 5 million (22 crore rupees) to the successful projects, which was matched by the Government of India.

Since its establishment in 2006, the AISRF has supported around sixty leading-edge projects, bringing together top researchers in India from the IITs, IISc, leading CSIR labs and other top-level institutions with counterparts at premier research institutes and universities in Australia.

Among the projects underway include work to develop a vaccine for malaria, research into cancer therapies, leading-edge nanotechnology and collaboration on drought and disease resistant crops. (ANI)