CAASTRO members’ contribution to MWA research honoured

The IP & Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today is honoring 43 Australians and eight institutions leading scientific research and innovation in Australia at the 2015 Thomson Reuters Australian Citation & Innovation Awards. The event is taking place at the University of Melbourne and recipients will receive the latest Thomson Reuters paper on innovation and science in the region: “Australian Research & Innovation”.

Research recipients span myriad areas including astronomy, the environment, oncology, technology and others. Institutional honorees fall within seven categories, separated into large and small-to-medium sized organizations, government institutions, universities and most collaborative organizations. The awards are based on a proprietary methodology and analysis of Thomson Reuters data that recognizes domestic innovation and significant research contributions originating in Australia.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to honor the individuals and institutions making significant contributions in Research & Innovation,” said Jeroen Prinsen, senior director for Australia and New Zealand, Thomson Reuters. “Australia plays an important role in the global scholarly and commercial ecosystem and it is through the use of Thomson Reuters data that we are able to qualify and quantify this contribution, and give credit where credit is due. Congratulations to all of today’s honorees.”

The scientific research awards are part of Thomson Reuters Citation Awards and are determined by analyzing the volume and impact of a researcher’s contribution to his/her subject area. The recipients were selected using a quantitative process identifying the average number of citations their research generated over a period of time, as indexed in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science®. This covers all articles, reviews and proceedings papers with at least one Australia-based author. The average citation, in turn, reflects its impact and influence on the given subject and the importance attached to it by subsequent research.

The fields from which the Citation Awardees were drawn represent national strengths, either because of the size of the Australian contribution to the global body of knowledge or because of its impact. The wide range of subject areas covered – from astronomy & astrophysics, ecology, and environmental studies to economics, neurosciences and psychology – is an illustration of the strength and diversity of academic research in Australia and a reflection of the innovation inherent among the country’s scientists.

Research Theme: Space Science

Topic: Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)

Honorees:
Professor Frank Briggs, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, Australian National University
Professor Bryan Gaensler, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, Now at University of Toronto
Dr. Daniel Mitchell, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, CSIRO
Professor Steven Tingay, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, Curtin University
Mr Mark Waterson, Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy, Curtin University
Dr. Randall Wayth, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, Curtin University
Professor Rachel Webster, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, University of Melbourne
Professor Stuart Wyithe, CAASTRO, ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics, University of Melbourne