2021 J G Russell awardees receive funding to further support their research

Four early-career researchers have been awarded a prestigious top-up grant that recognises and supports excellence in science research.

The J G Russell Award provides an additional $7000 to projects funded through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Research Award. It is aimed at helping talented younger researchers as a token of the community’s regard for them. It recognises the costs involved in experimental research, and can be used towards the costs of equipment, maintenance and travel.

The award is made possible by the generosity of the late Miss J Russell.

2021 recipients

Dr Yaoxin Hu

Dr Hu is a chemical engineer who is improving the energy efficiency of heating large structures through the development of new construction materials. She will use the award to purchase an additional air-based cooling apparatus to investigate cooling performance of the materials.

Dr Amandeep Kaur

Dr Kaur develops new chemical tools to provide super-resolution imaging for the study of biological nanostructures and biochemical mechanisms relevant to food security, antibiotic resistance and viruses. She will use the award to establish new capabilities for her research group’s current super-resolution imaging microscope.

Dr Zhiliang Wang

Dr Wang researches ways to improve the generation of energy. He develops materials to convert sunlight into hydrogen-based energy sources, helping to address clean energy challenges. He will use the award to visit a top research group in the United States to discuss ways to incorporate artificial intelligence tools into his research.

Dr Xiaoxiao Zhang

Dr Zhang investigates disease resistance in cereal crops. Her aim is to reduce waste in global food production and address the environmental impact of toxic pesticide use. She will use the award to fund attendance at a conference of synthetic biologists, and to provide additional lab materials for gene editing and protein structure determination.

Applications are not sought for the J G Russell Award. Awardees are chosen from recipients of Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards.