Otago researchers granted $5m

University of Otago research leader and physicist Richard Blaikie has received a grant of almost $1 million to develop a cost-effective way to produce hydrogen gas, as a potential energy alternative to fossil fuels.

"We're trying to really transform the way we do things," he said yesterday.

Prof Blaikie is the Otago deputy vice-chancellor, research, and is one of five Otago researchers who together gained about $5 million from the Government's Endeavour Fund, a big contestable research fund.

The Otago funding is part of $249 million in Endeavour funding for 69 projects throughout the country announced yesterday by Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods.

Some of Prof Blaikie's research focuses on a form of nanotechnology in which light is controlled at extremely small scales.

His project aims to boost water-splitting efficiency to help produce cost-effective fuels.

Prof Blaikie succeeded late physicist Prof Paul Callaghan when he retired from the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in 2008.

The planned hydrogen approach was "the kind of high-technology project" Prof Callaghan had advocated, he said.

Prof Blaikie is an investigator in the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, and will receive $999,959.

The other successful Otago research teams are led by Sam Lowrey ($999,676.98) and Harald Schwefel ($999,519), both of physics, and by Lynette Brownfield ($999,720) and Andrew Cridge ($964,620), both of biochemistry.

Dr Lowrey will investigate new types of surfaces that prevent ice-formation in heat exchangers.

Dr Schwefel aims to develop the technologies needed to convert individual microwave photons into individual optical photons.

Dr Brownfield is undertaking research that could reduce kiwifruit production costs and increase yields.

Dr Cridge is investigating the use of pollen testing to identify and monitor new plant incursions.