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Monash University > News and Events > Monash Memo
Top research commercialisation students recognised
2 December 2009
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| Jack Noonan, Teck Jung Wong, Rick Sawers (NAB) and Cathy Ko. |
Three Monash postgraduate students have received 2009 National Australia Bank (NAB) Science in Business Awards.
Teck Jung Wong, Jack Noonan and Cathy Ko each received $10,000 in recognition of research commercialisation projects completed as part of a Master of Business (Science and Technology) degree program at the Monash Asia Pacific Centre for Science and Wealth Creation.
The program aims to expose students to the pathways available to the commercialisation of leading-edge medical, scientific and technology research projects.
The students collaborated with industry and Monash researchers to develop two projects:
- Sino Australian Stem-Cell Therapeutics investigated the opportunities for new ventures based on an already-established joint venture between Monash and Peking Universities: the Sino-Australia Centre of Excellence for Stem-Cell Sciences. The students investigated the size of the potential market, explored the regulatory and foreign investment issues, and developed a detailed business plan.
- An Extended Marketing Plan for the Scaled-up Antibody Facility (SURF) examined business models for a facility that would produce proteins for use by academic researchers and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Facilities such as SURF are building blocks for Australia to realise the full economic benefit from its world leading medical research.
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Edwina Cornish said it was clear the students had used the extensive knowledge gained in the course to develop projects that had real-world potential.
"The outcomes of research can be wasted if they remain within the University. The community should benefit from research by making it accessible in the marketplace," Professor Cornish said.
NAB Group Executive Wholesale Banking Rick Sawers said the research highlighted important collaboration between science and business and helped turn scientific innovation into commercial reality.
"NAB invests in more Australian businesses than any other bank so we understand the critical importance of attracting financial support to get an idea off the ground," he said.
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