Research and Development
The Institute and its members have been associated with a range of R&D to improve resource use and reuse. This reflects the Institute's view that people are part of the ecology of the planet, not an outside agent. The action of people is both positive and negative. IID is interested to minimise the former and maximise the later with the small resources it has available to support research.
These ideas were explored in relation to salt in 2001 when John Leake was contracted as a panel speaker at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas on the subject "Salt of the Earth-Salt, Water and the Limits of Growth" which uses the Gaia hypotheses as a paradigm to explain human activity and salt and water. The text of this speech can be found here.
Examples of these research activities include
IID has facilitated and coordinated a number of grants for research on behalf of NyPa Australia between 1998 and 2011, more details are available at NyPa's website.
Since 2007, IID has facilitated the following grants and activities:
These ideas were explored in relation to salt in 2001 when John Leake was contracted as a panel speaker at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas on the subject "Salt of the Earth-Salt, Water and the Limits of Growth" which uses the Gaia hypotheses as a paradigm to explain human activity and salt and water. The text of this speech can be found here.
Examples of these research activities include
IID has facilitated and coordinated a number of grants for research on behalf of NyPa Australia between 1998 and 2011, more details are available at NyPa's website.
Since 2007, IID has facilitated the following grants and activities:
- An AusIndustry Start Grant to facilitate import, growing out and early observations of salt tolerant plants §A Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDIC) grant, see www.rirdc.gov.au/publications. Leake J.E., Barrett Lennard E.G., Sargeant M, Yensen N.A. and Prefumo J. NyPa Distichlis cultivars: Rehabilitation of highly saline areas for forage, turf and grain. RIRDC (with DAWA, SARDI and NRE support) 2002.
- An AusIndustry/BioInnovation Fund of SA grant to investigate a halophyte grain for a new human food crop. NyPa Wild Wheat Proving Trials to show wild wheat grain can be a commercial crop for Australian conditions. The final report of the evaluation of the wildwheat flour for human consumption, and for different products can be found here.
- A series of projects in collaboration with La Trobe University and an Australian Research Council grant, to investigate the ability of the NyPa forage to rehabilitate soils degraded by salt. This was undertaken by Mark Sargeant as part of our mentoring program, a key report identifying carbon sequestration and other soil chemical and physical changes after 8 years under NyPa forage can be found here.
- A collaborative project With AGWA to investigate the NyPa Turf to utilise saline ground water to water amenity areas as part of the Rural Towns Program in Western Australia.
- A collaborative program for Western Australian Aquaculture researchers including the Murdoch University Veterinary school to investigate the NyPa forage as a wetland species able to extract the nutrients from saline aquaculture effluent and turn this into a useful feed for livestock. The final report of these trials are available here.
- IID has continued to support commercial trials of NyPa forage in 3 Australian states, in USA, in Spain, in China.
- IID has continued to support the publication of papers related to halophyte use in Australia, in the UAE, USA and most recently (2017) in Iran funded by the Iran National Science Foundation (Grant number:91000806)
- In 2015 NyPa and IID jointly presented a paper entitled "potential for carbon sequestration through grassland restoration: a South East and East Asian Perspective at an FAO regional consultation held in Gansu in 2015 a copy of the presentation at the Lanzhou conference can be found here.
National Action Plan
- A grant from the National Action Plan (2007) to develop a case for private investment to rezone land resources to suit new more valued uses in light of climate change, changed markets and new markets for ecosystem services and to develop an information memorandum to raise private funds for these purposes. More details are available here.
Horticulture Australia (HAL)
- A grant from Horticulture Australia (HAL) to trial a palletised system to transport perishable products around Australia Qpod (2007-2011). More details are available at QPod's website.
Disaster Risk Science
- In 2006, IID through Ken Granger completed a R&D project with SMEC Australia Pty Ltd for the Australian Local Government Association to investigate and report on trends in Disaster Risk Science in Australia. This has been a contribution to the industry following a significant body a consulting work through our Disaster Risk Science Group
GEA Timber Ventures
- Beginning in 2007 and ongoing, IID Director David King and a group in the Philippines raised funds to develop a forest products and bio sequestration system with indigenous partners to provide forest products and carbon credits for external investors, for which a new company, GEA Timber Ventures was formed.