Nominations open for 2007 Victoria Prize and Fellowships

The Minister for Innovation, John Brumby has urged leading and emerging scientists, engineers and innovators to nominate for the Victoria Prize and Victoria Fellowships science awards.

"With prize money worth more than $250,000, the awards celebrate scientific discovery and innovation in Victoria and play a major role in rewarding excellence and encouraging research, development and commercialisation," Brumby said.

The $50,000 Victoria Prize recognises a scientist or engineer whose discovery or technological innovation has significantly advanced knowledge or has the clear potential to produce a commercial outcome or other benefit to the community.

The research institute supporting the work of the Victoria Prize recipient will again be recognised with the $100,000 Anne & Eric Smorgon Memorial Award, presented by the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation.

As well as the Victoria Prize, up to six $18,000 Victoria Fellowships are awarded to early career researchers to help them travel overseas and further their research, expand international networks, develop a commercial idea or undertake specialist training.

Applications are open to any young researcher working in private enterprise or a research institution.

Victoria Fellows planning a study mission in France will be eligible to apply for the $5000 AFAS FEAST-France Fellowships, offered by the Australian French Association for Science and Technology (Victoria) and the Embassy of France.

Nominations and applications close on 10 April 2007, with winners publicly announced in August.

Application and nomination forms are available from www.business.vic.gov.au/vicprize/.