Budget pushes AIMS, JCU collaboration

Australia's deepest pool of tropical marine scientists will receive $AUD5 million in fresh funding thanks to this week's federal budget.

The money is earmarked for a new collaborative entity, AIMS at JCU, to be jointly operated by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University (JCU), both based in Townsville. According to the head of AIMS, Prof Stephen Hall, the new entity will facilitate the importation of top-flight marine science researchers and students to Australia.

In a statement, Hall predicted it would become known as "the Harvard Business School of tropical marine science education and research training".

"This new vehicle will provide a formal affiliation with the university that will allow us to greatly enhance the levels of collaboration and increase Townsville's profile as Australia's pillar of strength in marine science research and education," Hall said.

He said it would also enhance the capacity of both organizations to attract research funding and help deliver marine science outcomes identified by the Government as national research priorities.

The new funding is following a strategy of reinforcing success.

AIMS and JCU already jointly deploy more than 100 marine scientists, which they claim is the largest single grouping of marine scientists anywhere in the world. They have been cooperating closely in marine science since 2000 when they signed a formal memo of understanding.

The fruits of their collaboration include at least one outcome with commercial potential in the form of a natural herbicide whose development has attracted millions of dollars worth of industry investment, notably from ASX-listed agrichemical company NuFarm.