We acknowledge the Kaurna people, the original custodians of the Adelaide Plains and the land on which the University of Adelaide's campuses at North Terrace, Waite and Roseworthy are built.
"The ISER team is pleased to share recent achievements and our continuing commitment to our FAME Sustainability Strategy through this inaugural newsletter.
We watch on with great pride and anticipation, as our University of Adelaide researchers take unprecedented steps towards developing and accelerating solutions that deliver sustainability, equity and prosperity for the planet and its people. The ISER team wholeheartedly support their initiatives which encompass the core objectives of our institute through collaborative research excellence.
We hope you enjoy our newsletter. We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming initiatives, and welcome your feedback and submissions for future editions of our newsletter.
Thank you for your support on behalf of ISER's administrative team."
Prof. Michael Goodsite and Prof. Melissa Nursey-Bray
Director and Deputy Director
Recent highlights
On Monday 5th of February, our ISER team co-hosted the International Energy Intelligence Roundtable with His Excellency Mr. Gabriel Safta, Ambassador of Romania to Australia, and Dr. Mireille Rădoi, Professor at the University of Economic Studies in Bucharest.
This successful forum has sparked interest in developing research initiatives to address the techno-socio-economic aspects of energy planning and strategy, and the use of data related to energy for the benefit of consumers and society.
'Here for Good' strategy update
In 2023, The University of Adelaide released its Sustainability Strategy “Here for Good" outlining our commitment to a sustainable future and our ambition to lead and deliver positive and sustainable change for good. The aim is to solve known and emerging problems of today and preparing future leaders for tomorrow. Across every element of our Sustainability Strategy, we seek to make positive change with an ethos of Caring for Country and culture in our heads and our hearts. Access the progress reports via Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) .
In the news
Professor Michael Goodsite and Professor Carl Spandler were recently featured in an article published by Innovation News Network on Australia's nickel production capabilities. They explored how nickel is essential to the global transition to a renewable and sustainable future.
Professor Kannan Govindan was on air for ABC SA Afternoons hosted by Nikolai Beilharz, discussing the tea shortage faced by the UK, ways to improve the supply chain and how businesses and suppliers can adapt to change. Listen at 1:48:09 for his interview.
Impact story
Prof. Joanna Howe’s current research project is focused on undocumented migrants in Australia‘s horticulture industry and how migration and employment laws and regulations may be modified to gain better support of farm labour supply.
This research aligns itself with ISER’s key principle of supporting sustainability and equity across all industries.
Out and about
APPF and Waite Research Institute Tour
Recently, members of our ISER team toured the facilities of APPF (Australian Plant Phenomics Facility) and the Waite Research Institute on the University of Adelaide Waite campus. Dr Lieke van der Hulst showed us the greenhouses and labs that are also shared with SARDI (South Australian Research Development and Institute). The facilities include climate control options of growth rooms and greenhouses, labs for usage by the food sciences program and analytical labs for testing in a traditional molecular microbiology.
Business Manager of APPF, Kerry Lee Bormann, showed us the High-throughput Smarthouses and greenhouses, the largest high-throughput phenotyping facilities in the southern hemisphere. The Smarthouses are fitted with conveyor systems and imaging stations for the non-destructive phenotyping of plants. On the tour we were also able to view the growth chambers and rooms, as well as the X-Ray CT phenotyping system.
Australia - Japan Symposium on Plasma Catalysis
The University of Adelaide Australian Plasma researchers began discussions with their catalyst counterparts to form a national initiative.
This event was hosted to inform any Australian business or organisation that want to further understand what challenges and opportunities are present in a clean economy. Key themes that had a focus were Energy Now, Energy Next, and Energy Future.
FAME Sustainability Education Workshop
This hybrid workshop organised in November 2023 by Dr. Thomas Wanner (School of Social Sciences), explored ways to integrate sustainability into teaching pedagogies and practices. University of Adelaide academics learned about sustainability education and shared experiences, while established collaborations with peers from Deakin University, University of Southern Queensland, University of South Australia, and James Cook University.
FAME Strategy Sustainability Launch and Meet & Greet
In December, this event was held to bring together the FAME Sustainability Mission Leads and the researchers conducting the projects that are funded under the FAME Sustainability Strategy.
The Energy and Mining Premier's Awards
This ceremony showcases South Australia's brightest and most innovate leaders within the energy and mining sectors.
Focusing on scope 3 Supply Chain Emissions, the SA Zero Workshop was held to assist members to better align their own emission reduction goals with State and Commonwealth targets, along with the Paris Agreement. An exchange and collaboration of knowledge was conducted to enhance the scale and pace of decarbonisation and circularity.
Upcoming events
ISER is pleased to announce our first FAME* Sustainability Strategy event, Research Mission 1, for 2024 – “Why addressing the climate crisis offers enormous public health opportunities”, presented by Professor Jonathan Patz at the University of Adelaide. Thursday 29 February, 4pm to 5pm, Hughes Building, Room 322 , North Terrace Campus. Register now.
The Centre for Sustainable Operations and Resilient Supply Chains (CSORSC) headed by world-renowned supply chain researchers, Prof. Kannan Govindan and Dr. Devika Kannan. Planning is underway for a launch during May.
Useful resources
In addition to the Sustainability Experts Portal, ISER has released the Sustainability-related Course Portal. This portal assists finding a course or program related to any of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from undergraduate programs to postgraduate coursework.
Find a University of Adelaide expert to help you reshape technologies, products, policies and practices that support sustainable development goals, locally and globally.
Register here to be added to the portal.
Find a University of Adelaide course or program (based on the previous year course planner) related to any of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and your preferred area of knowledge or expertise. If a sustainability-related course is not featured on the list, please contact us to update.
For staff of the University of Adelaide who are not part of our mailing list yet, click the button below.
Resources for UoA researchers
Pivot-RP is a comprehensive, searchable database of international research funding opportunities and collaborators across all disciplines and funding types.
Find out how to use the tool and register your EOI to request individual or group training sessions.
Submission opportunities
All ISER affiliates are encouraged to contact us to provide feedback; propose an Impact Story; submit any upcoming events in alignment with Sustainability, Energy and Resources areas; or request support in these research fields.
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