Researchers gear up as Aus joins Horizon Europe

“Australian academics will be able to access a significantly larger pool of money for research and development after the Albanese government concluded negotiations to join Horizon Europe, the European Union’s $155bn research fund. Australia will have access to Pillar II of the program, Competitiveness and Society, which funds innovation in areas with high societal impact, such as clean energy transition, digital services, healthcare, defence strategies and space travel. Professor of mental health and deputy director of the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute, Luis Salvador-Carulla, has been conducting research through Horizon Europe since 1994. Professor Salvador-Carulla’s research led to the development of Empower , a platform that promotes health and wellbeing in the workplace, which won the 2023 Malaspina award for contributing to the scientific relationship between Spain and Australia. The professor previously had access to a funding pool of $1 million to $2 million a year, but the Horizon Europe partnership means he could participate in projects that receive up to $15 million a year. “This is massive. It’s a game changer … with a scaling up system that’s very different to what we are using in Australia, because its’s for a global market of around 500 million people,” he told Campus Review . “And, these projects have to be developed in partnership with other countries, so it’s also critical for cutting-edge innovation, and it also involves companies and industry. “It’s the most significant initiative in research funding in decades in Australia.” Professor Elaine Wong researches immersive technologies. Picture: University of Melbourne. It’s a similar story for University of Melbourne communications engineer Professor Elaine Wong, who said she has a better chance at securing Horizon Europe research funding now Australia has joined the fund, and is no longer just a third-party member. Professor Wong develops immersive technologies, including virtual reality and augmented reality tech, and is excited by the possibilities of working with a larger pool of researchers. More on this story: What is the future of scientific research? | Innovative Research Universities rebrands | Research rejected for ‘security reasons’ “Imagine at the next World Cup, being immersed on a field with the teams and running alongside the teams, playing a particular game,” she explained. “I can’t do this alone in Australia. I would love to pick the brains of my collaborators overseas. “With Horizon Europe, it’s more about translation and impact … whatever we come up with, there is a pathway for translation, there’s a pathway for impact, because we are partnering up with vendors, operators and industry.” Professor Kishan Dholakia researches light and how it can be used in medicine, energy production and more. Picture: Adelaide University. Professor Kishan Dholakia is an expert in photonics, or the science of light, and leads the Centre of Light for Life at Adelaide University. “Light is all around us, up to one in six jobs directly or indirectly depend on something to do with light,” he said. “It helps with our daily shopping, it helps with solar energy conversion, it also helps incredibly in healthcare, as well as optical communication, like Zoom and Teams, so we can communicate with people around the world. I work in areas related to imaging, or seeing small things that are the size of cells, and I’m interested in using that to give biologists and clinicians better insights into early diagnosis for disease.” Professor Dholakia, who has also worked in Europe at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, said Australia now has access to global knowledge. “Science is highly collaborative, and some of the biggest and most difficult questions can only be resolved by proper collaboration and putting the brightest minds together,” he said. “For things like climate, energy, critical technologies, mineral technologies, health, and agriculture, we can contact the best people in all European countries and work with them for shared success in these areas.”

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