The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space and MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled the results of the 15th round of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF).

The successful projects that have been awarded funding under the prestigious program were announced today through a press note.

The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) is a bilateral program that supports collaborative research projects between Australia and India. It aims to strengthen the scientific relationship between the two countries and address common challenges through joint research efforts.

This year, the AISRF has awarded funding to five projects across various disciplines, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology, urban mining and electronic waste recycling, ultralow-cost solar and clean hydrogen technologies. These projects were selected through a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring they meet the highest standards of scientific excellence and have the potential for significant impact.

The selected projects reflect the diverse and cutting-edge research being conducted by Australian and Indian scientists. These initiatives are expected to yield valuable insights and solutions that will benefit both countries and the wider global community.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space and MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised the importance of international collaboration in research and innovation. He said, "I feel collaboration is crucial in this modern era to address critical global challenges and in fostering sustainable development. The AISRF is a testament to the enduring partnership between India and Australia. I am sure the projects which emerged out of collaboration would result in significant scientific discoveries and technological advancements in areas of mutual interest. While reinforcing our commitment to build a vibrant innovation ecosystem with Australia, I congratulate all the researchers involved with these projects for a prosperous and sustainable future."

Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science, Australia added, "The world isn’t short of complex issues, with collaboration between nations playing an essential role in delivering scientific breakthroughs that will make a difference. From tougher strains of bacteria to e-waste and AI, our bilateral research partnership puts Australia’s brightest minds to creating better solutions for the world’s ongoing and emerging challenges. The Australia-India Strategic Research Fund has delivered more than 360 collaborative research projects in the past 18 years, ensuring our nation’s universities and research institutions have remained at the forefront of global research."

Funding for this year focused on:

1. Creating an AI-driven platform for monitoring soil carbon sequestration.
2. Eco-friendly recovery of essential metals from obsolete mobile devices.
3. Cost-effective solar thermal desalination by systems design with nanomaterials.
4. Harnessing the immune system's power to combat antimicrobial resistance.
5. Advanced diagnostics and innovative therapeutics to detect and combat microbial infections.

The Indian recipients are the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana; IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore and AbGenics Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. Pune.

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PK/PSM