Major Research Facilities
What is a Major Research Facility?
Major Research Facilities are expensive, large equipment items or highly specialised laboratories that are vital for conducting leading-edge research in science, engineering and technology. By adding strategic capability to Australia’s research infrastructure, these facilities enhance the scope and opportunity to exploit Australian science and technology innovations.
Major Research Facilities in WA
A brief summary of each of the major research facilities in WA is provided below.
Australian Genome Research Facility
The Australian Genome Research Facility is an efficient state-of-the-art facility for the collection of molecular genetic information covering large-scale DNA sequencing, genotyping, micro-arraying, agricultural genomic services and other resources for the genetic and physical mapping of chromosomes, mutation detection and associated bioinformatic analysis.
For more information visit www.agrf.org.au/.
Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility
The Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) is an initiative of the Australian Government as part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is a joint venture between university partners, funded by the Commonwealth through DEST and the State Governments of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The AMMRF has formal links to smaller units or specialist facilities through Linked Laboratory and Linked Centre relationships.
The facility provides access to a vast array of instrumentation. These include widely used optical, electron, x-ray and ion beam techniques and importantly, state-of-the-art flagship platforms that form world leading capabilities. Such capabilities include pulsed-laser local electrode atom probe, high-throughput cryo-electron tomography, high-resolution SEM and spectroscopy, high-precision ion microprobe and ultra-high resolution TEM platforms.
For more information visit www.ammrf.org.au/.
Australian Synchrotron Project
The department is managing a Joint Collaboration Agreement between the State of Western Australia, the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Curtin University of Technology for the purposes of promoting research using the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne.
The State along with UWA and Curtin University are jointly contributing $5 million over five years from 2007 – 2011 (the State is contributing $3.25 million) as a Foundation Investor to the Australian Synchrotron to enable preferential use of the synchrotron beamlines for WA researchers. The Australian Synchrotron produces a number of beamlines of extremely bright light which may be used for a wide range of experiments in fields as diverse as biosciences (e.g. cell biology) and minerals exploration (e.g. rapid analysis of drill core samples).
For more information visit www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au/.
Centre for Food and Genomic Medicine
The Centre for Food and Genomic Medicine (CFGM), a Centre of the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, is a world-class research cluster established to tackle the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity, also known as ‘diabesity’.
The CFGM is a unique blend of scientific, clinical, agricultural and food technology researchers from WA-based Federal and State Government bodies, universities, hospitals and medical research institutes.
For more information visi www.cfgm.org.au/.
Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (iVEC)
The Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (iVEC) is Western Australia’s hub for advanced computing, located at Technology Park, Bentley. This initiative is a joint venture between CSIRO, Central TAFE, Curtin University of Technology, The University of Western Australia and Murdoch University and is supported by the Western Australian Government.
iVEC provides access to cutting edge high performance computing (HPC) and visualisation laboratories to researchers and industry. It also holds seminars and conferences on computational science and HPC, as well as provides support to students, industry personnel, researchers, academics and scientists through training, scholarships and seminars on advanced computing, research and development opportunities.
iVEC has three facilities based around a considerable high-performance computing capability:
- The Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC) – focusing on minerals, petroleum and chemistry research. In addition to high performance computing, the facility supports grid computing and has a large form-factor stereo projection system for visualisation projects.
- The Western Australian Supercomputing Program (WASP) – with its HPC and visualisation, including an upright dome immersive display, WASP is used for a range of projects
- Informatics – focusing on biotechnology and life sciences. The facility also supports grid computing and immersive visualisation.
For more information visit www.ivec.org/.
Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation
As the Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation has come to the end of its operation, several of its nodes have joined the new Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility.
National Networked Tele-Test Facility
The National Networked Tele-Test Facility (NNTTF) provides fabless companies and design houses with engineering, pre-production test and characterisation services. NNTTF is accessible through the web with leading edge capabilities addressing the most complex testing and IP validation challenges such as mixed-signal and high-end digital integrated circuit (IC) technologies, as well as other emerging technologies.
For more information visit www.nnttf.ecu.edu.au/.
Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA)
The funding provided to WA:ERA is to support and assist the major research facility to:
- Maximise Australia’s self sufficiency of petroleum liquid over the next 30 years
- Develop economically feasible solutions for gas and condensate reserves
- Develop technologies for exploration and production;
- Education and training.
The other partners are Curtin University of Technology, The University of Western Australia and CSIRO. The strategic alliances are with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd and Woodside Energy.
For more information visit www.waera.com.au/.
Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI)
WAMSI is a collaborative joint venture, with major partners being the Government of Western Australia, CSIRO, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Curtin University of Technology, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, the University of Western Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Chemistry Centre of WA.
Funding is provided to pursue world-class marine science practices to support the conservation, sustainable management and utilisation of WA’s unique marine environment.
WAMSI will undertake research into six interlinking research nodes:
- Strategic Research on WA’s Marine Ecosystems
- Climate Processes Predictability and Impacts in a Warming Ocean
- Managing and Conserving WA’s Marine Environment
- Sustainable Marine Ecosystems
- Marine Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Aquaculture
- Ocean Science for Offshore and Coasting Engineering.
For more information visit www.wamsi.org.au/.