200 mid-career researchers awarded Future Fellowships

The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Senator Kim Carr has announced that 200 outstanding national and international mid-career researchers will be the first prestigious Future Fellows.

“The government established the ARC Future Fellowships scheme to address the gap in opportunities for mid-career researchers in Australia, which forced many of our talented researchers to search for work overseas,” Senator Carr said.

“This first round of the ARC Future Fellowships scheme will see 159 of our best and brightest continue their world-class research at home, boosted by the four-year fellowship worth up to $740,000. Fellows will receive up to $135,000 for each of the four years - administering institutions will receive up to $50,000 a year for associated infrastructure and other costs.

“I am also very pleased to announce that 41 Future Fellows will come to Australia to pursue their research - 19 Australians lured home by the scheme and 22 international researchers bringing their talents to our shores.

“All 200 Future Fellows will conduct research into areas of national priority and will advance Australia’s international research and innovation standing.

Information about all 200 successful Future Fellows and their research projects is at www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/futurefel/ft_outcomes.htm.

The ARC Future Fellowships scheme is administered by the Australian Research Council under the National Competitive Grants Program. The Australian Government has committed funding of $844 million over five years from 2009 for the scheme. More information about the ARC Future Fellowships scheme is available at www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/futurefel/future_default.htm.