AUSTRALIA-INDIA STRATEGIC RESEARCH FUND (Syllabus GS Paper 2 – IR)
Context: Recently, India unveiled the results of the 15th round of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF).
Australia-India Strategic Research Fund
- About: The fund facilitates collaborative research projects between Australia and India, enhancing scientific ties.
- Jointly Managed Platform: Managed and funded jointly by the governments of India and Australia, it serves as a platform for bilateral collaboration in science.
- Objectives:
o Promotion of Leading-edge S&T: Increase the uptake of leading-edge science and technology by fostering collaboration between Australian and Indian researchers in strategic areas.
o Enhancing Strategic Alliances: Strengthen strategic alliances between researchers from both countries through collaborative scientific research and technology projects.
o Global S&T System Access: Facilitate India's and Australia's integration into the global science and technology system through shared research initiatives.
- Priority Areas: Focus on collaborative research in AI and machine learning to harness cutting-edge technologies, Emphasis on ultra-low-cost solar and clean hydrogen technologies to address energy challenges sustainably, Research projects aimed at developing solutions for urban mining and recycling of electronic waste, contributing to environmental sustainability.
- Focus Areas for 2024-25:
o Creating an AI-driven platform for monitoring soil carbon sequestration.
o Eco-friendly recovery of essential metals from obsolete mobile devices.
o Cost-effective solar thermal desalination by systems design with nanomaterials.
o Harnessing the immune system's power to combat antimicrobial resistance.
o Advanced diagnostics and innovative therapeutics to detect and combat microbial infections.
