Funds for fighting MND
Congratulations to Dr Alison Yaxley from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences who has been awarded the inaugural Chris Ross MND Research Grant from FightMND.
Co-awarded with Elizabeth Kapur from the MND Clinic at Flinders Medical Centre, the project – ‘MND Ed – A Toolkit for Nutrition, Hydration and Swallowing Support’ – is developing a user-friendly online toolkit for people with motor neurone disease (MND) and their families. It will provide practical, evidence-based advice to help manage issues like swallowing difficulties and weight loss, challenges that significantly impact the health and quality of life of those living with MND.
A new grant, the Chris Ross MND Research Grant is awarded in consultation with the Run4Rossy Committee and supports care-focused MND research in Australia. The Grant honours the memory of Chris Ross, a passionate MND advocate, athlete and inspiration. Read more at FightMND.
Flinders physicists to lead quantum activities
Flinders physicists Professor Maria Parappilly (project lead), Professor Gunther Andersson, Dr Darryl Jones, and Dr Pankaj Sharma have been awarded an International Year of Quantum (IYQ) grant from the Australian Institute of Physics, a total funding of $15,000.
The Qunatum Year committee has also approved an additional funding of $9500 for the creation of quantum inspired teaching kits to take quantum physics into schools around Australia, with the help of Flinders University’s STEM Enrichment Academy.
These Quantum activities will also be embedded in the upcoming August intake of Flinders University’s the Physics Skills Enhancement course to train the physics teachers in our August 2025 intake of to deliver in their classes. The teachers from VIC, NSW, QLD, WA, SA, and NT already joined the course with confirmed EOI’s from more than 12 teachers just from WA.
Making a difference with Movember
Congratulations to Professor James Smith who has been awarded an ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellowship in partnership with Movember and other organisations.
Professor Smith’s, project “Strategies for engaging vulnerable young men in health and social services”, will receive a total of $1,133,337.
This Fellowship brings together experts from Movember, government, and community organisations to create new and fair ways for young men—especially those facing disadvantage—to get better access to health and support services. Together, they will design practical tools and strategies that respect culture, age, and gender to help these young men engage with care more confidently and effectively.
“This is an exciting new program of work that builds on past projects and I’m very much looking forward to progressing work with marginalised young men,” says Professor Smith.
Open Door to the Finals
Congratulations to Amy Hamilton, Associate Professor Visual Art and Arts Education, College of Education, Psychology & Social Work, for being nominated as a finalist in the 2025 Main Awards!
40 Main Awards Finalists have now been chosen for WA’s premier portrait prize The Lester Prize; with finalists from all across Australia. The 40 finalists’ works will be on public display at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip from 19 September through to 16 November with the main winner announced on the Opening Night on Friday September 19. You can view Amy’s entry, and all the other finalists’ work, here.