$10m Funding Boost For UC Research Into Curbing Carbon

The major research programme, led by Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) Civil and Natural Resources Engineering Associate Professor David Dempsey, is one of four UC projects to receive funding in the 2024 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour Fundinvestment round announced today.

Associate Professor Dempsey’s project, De-risking carbon dioxide removal at megatonne scale in Aotearoa, has the goal of removing up to one million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year. It will receive $10 million over five years from the Endeavour Fund.

His research team will investigate different engineered carbon-removal processes, identify the best regions for durable carbon storage, and develop robust environmental monitoring and carbon-accounting frameworks to help Aotearoa New Zealand meet its climate targets.

“We’re aiming to provide a solution for New Zealand that could rapidly cut its emissions, offset resources that require carbon in their creation process such as steel, and begin reversing carbon dioxide levels,” Associate Professor Dempsey says.

Other UC research projects have received MBIE Smart Ideas funding of about $1 million each over three years, including work to develop a virtual reality (VR) training tool for use in early childhood education, a unique, mechanical fatigue-testing methodology for the materials used in cars, ships and planes, and a digital tool to promote climate resilience that focuses on flooding-risk scenarios.

UC Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Peter Gostomski says the Endeavour funding shows the scope and significance of UC research projects. “It’s exciting to see the huge potential of these innovative projects and the positive impact they could have in the future, both here in Aotearoa and internationally.”

UC Smart Ideas projects (each receive about $1m funding):

Enhancing whanaungatanga with infants through immersive VR: Case studies in early childhood education and healthcare – UC Human Interface Technology Laboratory Associate Professor Heide Lukosch and UC School of Teacher Education Professor Jayne White. 
For a VR training tool focused on enhancing relational skills in interactions, particularly between adults and infants, in early childhood learning, health care and social services settings. 

Accelerating lab to market innovation with high throughput fatigue characterisation – UC Civil and Natural Resources Professor Derek Warner. 
An international team pioneering the development of novel mechanical fatigue testing methodology that offers faster and cheaper anomaly detection for materials used in cars, ships and planes. 

Empowering communities for resilience to climate change through novel flood scenario analytics – UC School of Earth and Environment and Geospatial Research Institute Professor Matthew Wilson. 
Developing a novel digital twin for climate resilience focusing on flood risk. The system will facilitate rapid, low-cost risk assessments with on-demand scenario analytics.

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