USQ research receives more than $1.8 million in ARC grants
A fantastic result for USQ with a host of researchers receiving more than $1.8 million in the Australian Research Council (ARC) funding for 2019.
Five USQ-led projects were successful, as well as three projects led by other institutions involving USQ staff.
Dr Pingan Song, Associate Professor Zhigang Chen, Professor Bryce Barker, and Associate Professor Lara Lamb were all successful in their bids for Discovery Project grants. 
Dr Song is aiming to develop eco-friendly flame-retardants; Associate Professor Chen will develop next-generation electronic nanomaterials, and Professor Barker and Associate Professor Lamb will investigate the inhabiting of the Great Papuan Plateau by early modern humans.
Professor Rob Wittenmyer and Professor Jonti Horner’s Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities grant will go towards a dedicated telescope at USQ’s Mount Kent Observatory, while Dr Bin Yu (who will be joining USQ in 2019) was successful in his bid for a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award grant to develop high-performance flame-retardant polymer foams.
Associate Professor Georgina Barton and Professor Hao Wang are involved in two successful ARC Discovery Projects led by other institutions, and Professor Brad Carter and Professor Rob Wittenmyer in a LIEF grant led by another institution.
Image: Associate Professor Lara Lamb, along with Professor Bryce Barker, received an ARC Discovery Project grant to investigate the inhabiting of the Great Papuan Plateau by early modern humans.
USQ researcher one of the world’s most highly cited for 2018
USQ’s Professor Stuart Biddle has been named one of the world’s most highly cited researchers for 2018.
Professor Biddle was recognised in the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List, for ranking in the top 1% by citations for his field of research.
Now in its fifth year, the citation analysis identifies influential researchers as determined by their peers around the globe – those who have consistently won recognition in the form of high citation counts over a decade.
Professor Biddle, who is Research Program Director for Physical Activity and Health, is an internationally-respected physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health expert with an academic career spanning four decades at five universities in the United Kingdom and Australia.
The annual list, from Clarivate Analytics, included more than 4000 researchers hailing from over 60 nations, named in 21 fields of the sciences and social sciences.
USQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Mark Harvey, commended Professor Biddle for being one of the 170 Australian researchers listed.
“This is a remarkable achievement and one that USQ is very proud of. This year’s list recognises researchers, including 17 Nobel laureates, whose citation records position them in the very highest strata of influence and impact,” Professor Harvey said.
Image: USQ’s Professor Stuart Biddle has been listed in the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List, for ranking in the top 1% by citations for his field of research.
USQ technology wins JEC Asia Innovation Award
USQ’s Centre for Future Materials was named a winner at the JEC Asia 2018 international composites exhibition in Seoul, Korea.
The JEC Asia Innovation Award for the Infrastructure and Civil Engineering category, recognised technology that was the result of a three-year collaborative project between USQ and Joinlox, to develop and commercialise a new type of composite repair technology for infrastructure rehabilitation.
Led by Associate Professor Allan Manalo, the research team was able to develop a non-corrosive and highly durable technology that has since been used in several bridge rehabilitation projects, including rail bridges, across the Gold Coast canal system. 
CFM Director, Professor Peter Schubel, said it was a prime example of USQ working with industry to understand problems facing the sector, and collaboratively developing new technologies that have a real impact on communities.
“This award recognises the innovativeness of research activities at USQ and our strong linkages with industries, which help bring our developed technologies from research laboratories to real-life applications,” Professor Schubel said.
Image: USQ researchers Gary Elks and Associate Professor Allan Manalo with Director of Smart Materials R&D Center at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Dr Mee-Hye Oh.