Donors to The University of Queensland support cutting-edge research performed by some of the world's greatest minds. Here is a small sample of the current projects being funded by philanthropic donors.

Queensland Brain Institute

Well over $5.5 million has been raised from private donors in recent years to support research and research infrastructure, among other things at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI). A key research area for QBI is Motor Neurone Disease. Mouse models have provided an excellent opportunity to study the genetic and molecular mechanisms associated with Motor Neurone Disease and QBI is screening specially bred lines of mice for loss of motor function in an attempt to identify genes relevant to Motor Neurone Disease. Four mice have already been identified that warrant additional characterisation. These genetic lines are quite expensive and money must be set aside for husbandry of the mice over a long period.

Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict studies

The largest donation to ACPACS was used to develop a world-class Centre of Excellence in Peace and Conflict Theory, Research and Practice. It has supported the appointment of Professors, Research Fellows, Educators and Trainers and has also been used to subsidise or pay for the participation of scholars and practitioners from the Asia Pacific region in our program. Donations have been used to: subsidise work on violence within and between Indigenous communities and white Australia; fund the publication of Monographs and Occasional Papers; and help seed the development of different types of capacity building and research work in Vanuatu, the Solomons and East Timor. Other gifts have been directed towards the development of multicultural programs in South East Queensland.

Shaken baby research

Researchers from the School of Engineering have conducted tests on a true-to-life model of a baby to show how shaking damages the infant brain. This research will allow doctors to determine whether brain damage in a baby has been caused by shaking and will help in child abuse court cases. The researchers received a private donation ($7000) to continue their research and improve the quality of medical and legal evidence in abuse cases.

UQ Foundation Research Excellence awards

Seven researchers won awards in 2007, with the total pool being more than half a million dollars ($505,000). 

One of these was Dr John Zhu, a senior lecturer in the School of Engineering, who is developing a novel technology to trap large-scale gas emissions caused by coal mining and power generation. He aims to develop a carbon nanotube membrane for gas separation that will work like a sieve to separate high volumes of methane or carbon dioxide from other gases. This method is 100 times faster than other gas separation techniques, allowing it to be used by large-scale plants. His Research Excellence award was for $85,000.

Another Research Excellence award winner was Dr Gary Schenk from the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences. Dr Schenk was awarded $85,000 to study a group of enzymes, including one linked to the bone disease osteoporosis. Dr Schenk will use the award to visit Utah State University, where he will collaborate with Professor Alvan Hengge, a world leader in the field.

Vet school

Donations to the UQ Vet School have been used to support the Small Animal Clinic, which provides a learning environment for trainee veterinarians while providing veterinary services to the local community. Two recent major purchases for the Small Animal Clinic were a CT scanner and new anaesthetic machines.

UQ Library

Donated funds have been used to assist fund the purchase of two important electronic products: The Karl Barth Digital Library, an online collection that will support research into the works of one of the 20th century's most influential theologians; and Eighteenth Century Journals II: newspapers and periodicals, 1699-1812 from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin.