Safer car seats for children, better solar cells, high-performance batteries for electric cars and disease resistant crops could be in Australia's future as researchers get government funding.
The Australian Research Council on Tuesday unveiled the almost 1000 projects that will share $416.6 million in grants for research from next year.
Projects that received funding include an Australian National University bid to create the first laser system to track satellites and deter space debris and a Curtin University examination of how smartphones can help people with a disability navigate urban environments.
Another study will look at the relationships male sex workers have with their clients in a bid to stop the spread of HIV and illicit drug use.
Researchers will use the federal funding to look at the best ways to support children during times of transition such as going to high school or changing foster families, how the Geelong community coped with the withdrawal of car manufacturers, the effectiveness of measures to combat multinational tax avoidance, and building a database the help with the repatriation of indigenous remains.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the funding across five types of grants was a crucial investment in growing a smart Australia, driving innovation and delivering benefits for everyone.
"This funding represents a significant investment in a wide variety of fundamental and applied research projects, growing Australia's research capacity and infrastructure, and supporting the next generation of researchers," he said.
