SCIENCE

Entries for the $70,000 The Australian Innovation Challenge awards – aimed at finding Australia’s next big inventions in fields ranging from clean energy technology through agriculture to astronomy – close on Wednesday, September 28.

Run by The Australian in association with Shell and supported by the Commonwealth Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the awards will help drive some of the nation’s best ideas to commercialisation or execution. Details of the awards and the online entry form can be found at the awards website www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge.

The awards, which are open to individuals and teams, recognise innovation purely for the public good as well as breakthroughs with commercial potential. The seven professional categories reflect Australia’s national research priorities. The categories are: environment; health; agriculture and food; minerals and energy; ICT; education and manufacturing and hi-tech design (designs either taken up in Australia or exported). Many of the categories also cover enabling technology, such as nanotechnology, advanced materials and biotechnology. Detailed category definitions are on the awards website.

The winners of the professional categories will receive prizes of $5000. The overall winner will receive a further $25,000. An eighth category, Backyard Innovation, is open to the general public and has a $10,000 prize.

The Australian, Shell and the Federal Government will champion the innovations of the highest scoring entrants. To get the message out, the best entries will be featured in a prominent position in The Weekend Australian over several weeks and showcased on the awards website and in a dedicated Australian Innovation Challenge magazine.

CSIRO deputy chairman Terry Cutler, who led the federal government’s 2008 review of the national innovation system, is chairing the judging panel. Australian Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb and Emeritus Professor Denise Bradley, who chaired the federal government’s 2008 review of the higher education system, are also among the leaders drawn from academe, industry, government and the science agencies to judge the awards.

The judging criteria are: excellence in science, technology or engineering; likely positive economic, public good or environmental impact; originality and environmental sustainability. (Entrants in the health and education categories are asked to explain how their innovation will not give rise to any negative environmental impacts.)

Entries are now open and close at midnight (AEST) on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. 
For entry details visit: www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge