November 2024

Hundreds of scholarships awarded to build STEM skills and grow sector diversity

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) is pleased to announce more than 200 scholarship recipients of the nationally recognised Elevate: Boosting diversity in STEM program for 2025. Elevate scholars for 2025 from around the country will receive support to access science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) university education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. They will directly contribute to growing the diverse STEM workforce needed to deliver on Australia’s national priorities over coming decades, including the renewable energy transition, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said with more than 1,500 applications competing in a rigorous selection process, the highly motivated 2025 scholars will no doubt make waves as they move into STEM industries in coming years. “ATSE is incredibly proud to welcome the 2025 Elevate scholars. We’re ready to invest in their personal and professional growth and support them to thrive in STEM-powered careers as they become Australian innovators and make vital contributions in critical sectors.” Elevate launched in 2022 with a foundational investment of $41.2 million from the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR). It has since grown to welcome new partners including the Defence Science and Technology Group and Snowy Hydro. The partners are recognising the value of the direct engagement they enjoy with scholars as part of their investment in these critical scholarships. Elevate’s unique wrap-around support includes financial assistance, 24-hour psychosocial support, networking, mentoring and skills-building workshops. It sets up scholars to thrive throughout their studies, ensuring that they are ready to take on complex challenges. One hundred and sixty scholars have already benefitted from the unique offerings of the Elevate scholarship, with a retention rate well above the industry average, and glowing reviews about the opportunities it provides. A new scholar in the Leadership Category, Professor […]

Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels continue to increase

Global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024 but total emissions from fossil fuel and land use changes over the last decade have stabilised, according to the Global Carbon Budget. The report is produced by leading research international organisations, including CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, as part of the Global Carbon Project. It provides an overview of the global carbon cycle, including both natural and human-induced emissions. CO₂ is a long-lived greenhouse gas, and along with methane and nitrous oxide, it leads to human-driven climate change. It can persist for hundreds of years in the atmosphere. CSIRO’s Dr Pep Canadell, Global Carbon Project Executive Director, said the report shows global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise despite significant increases in the adoption of renewable energy. “We have seen a 0.8 per cent increase in global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels in 2024, compared to 2023,” Dr Canadell said. “This equates to a total of 37.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ projected to be emitted in the atmosphere from fossil fuel use this year alone.” Key findings: · The growth in 2024 fossil emissions comes on top of a 1.4% growth in 2023 emissions. · CO₂ emissions from land-use changes such as deforestation have on average declined over the past decade. This means total emissions from both fossil fuels and natural sources have stabilised over the last decade. · Globally, fossil fuel CO₂ emissions come from coal (41 per cent), oil (32 per cent) and gas (21 per cent). · China contributed 32 per cent of total global CO₂ emissions, followed by the United States (13 per cent), India (8 per cent) and the European Union (7 per cent). · By the end of 2024, CO₂ concentrations are projected to reach 422.5 parts per […]

Science breakthrough using plants as fuel without impacting food security

CSIRO’s Dr Thomas Vanhercke, has been working on the project for more than a decade, An Australian-led scientific breakthrough to increase oil yield from plants will help advance the production and use of biofuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel. Developed over a decade by scientists from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, the technology was acquired by Australian agricultural innovation company Nufarm. The Biomass Oil Project has Nufarm leading a new global research partnership to further develop the technology. Oils from plants are produced by specialised seeds and fruits, but CSIRO scientists looked at extending that to the biomass of the plant, including the leaves and stem. CSIRO’s Dr Thomas Vanhercke, who has been working on the project for more than a decade, said the technology would have the potential to create an important new global energy source. “We were inspired to develop this technology in response to the world’s need for increased production of plant oil without impacting on food security,” Dr Vanhercke said. “With CSIRO’s existing expertise in the area and the partnership with Nufarm on the Omega-3 canola project, we started thinking about how to extend that to the challenge of developing industrial scale feedstock oil from plants. “We took the genetics for seed oil production and incorporated them across a range of crops with promising success.” Current project lead, Dr Xue-Rong Zhou, said the world-leading research in boosting oil yield from plants is a major breakthrough for Australia and beyond. “This development of new biofuels and renewable oils will support a sustainable future,” Dr Zhou said. “We are looking forward to working with Nufarm and our global research partners to deploy the technology into high biomass energy cane and sorghum varieties and make it a reality.” Nufarm CEO, Greg Hunt, said the company is now bringing together researchers […]