4 October 2017: An international award-winning designer, an expert on using gardening to recover from disasters and one of the thinkers behind the bedside care plan process used around the country will all put their pitching skills to the test TONIGHT.
The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s annual Pitch for Funds (P4F) challenges researchers and academics to convince investors to put their money behind their work.
Competitors will have just 90 seconds to deliver their ‘elevator pitch’ and convince a panel of judges and the entire audience to back their project, based on their communication of the concept, how the funding will assist and the impact that success will have on the wider world.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Frances Shannon says delivering a pitch is important for researchers throughout their career and Pitch for Funds helps keep their skills honed.
“It could be a short presentation to a funding panel or a chance meeting with a potential backer in an elevator, but being able to summarise a complex project in less than two minutes could be the difference between receiving funding and missing out,” Professor Shannon said.
The judging panel will include The Hon Brendan Nelson AO - Director of the Australian War Memorial, Mick Spencer - CEO and Founder of On The Go Sports, Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA - ACT Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, and Suzie Hoitink - Founder of Clear Complexions clinics.
The judges and audience will have $12,000 in research funding to award to the presenter or presenters they are most impressed by; audience members will each receive ‘five º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ-bucks’ to hand straight to their chosen pitcher.
Professor Shannon said with 20 researchers pitching on the night the audience will be entertained.
“The very nature of the competition demands that the participants are entertaining and informative. I expect the audience will have a great time and come away feeling enthusiastic about the work that is happening at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to solve many of the problems we face in the world today.”
The event is part of the University’s Pitch and Connect day, which includes a showcase from the first graduates of social entrepreneurial accelerator, the Mill House, and a series of workshops linking academia and research with industry.
2017 º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ P4F competitors
Dr Benjamin Leruth: Together, let's bridge the gap between citizens and political elites!
Dr Fanke Peng: Wearable memory: Let’s keep our older loved ones safe and engaged.
Tayanah O'Donnell: Urban renewal: What's your vision?
Dr Alison McLennan: Let's talk about synthetic biology.
Dr Dalma Demeter: Quo vadis, Domine? Making legal choices easy.
Dr Habib Kahn: Management accountants: Are you ready for big data?
Dr Ann Hill: Learning together to secure our food; growing a global garden of ideas.
David Hinwood: Classification and manipulation of waste with robotics.
Dr Philip Roberts: How NAPLAN creates rural disadvantage.
Abel Zhou: Could patient ionising radiation exposure be reduced 100 fold?
Dr Bernie Bissett: Take my breath away – respiratory muscle strengthening to accelerate ventilator weaning in intensive care patients.
Dr Eamon Merrick: Help! We need somebody – teamwork in emergency.
Hayley Teasdale: Balance buzz ball.
Dr Jane Frost: Walk in someone else’s shoes – improving patient experiences in health care.
Dr Niru Mahendran: The miracle drug – how much is enough?!
Dr Sam Kosari: Reducing medication errors in aged care facilities.
Dr Suzanne Carroll: Where you live matters.
Jenny Duxbury: See and avoid: A politico-legal mystery.
Anthony Davidson: The final puzzle piece.
Dr Wayne Spratford: Can in-shoe orthoses reduce greater trochanteric pain syndrome?
Contact the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ media team:
Claudia Doman: 0408 826 362
Marcus Butler: 0438 447 810