Develop Your Independent Research at WIGL
Bring your ideas. Build your own research program. Access advanced isotope and elemental analysis facilities and expertise.
Build your own research program
WIGL welcomes expressions of interest from researchers seeking to establish or develop an independently funded research program at the University of Wollongong.
Rather than recruiting researchers to work on predefined projects, we encourage prospective researchers to bring their own ideas, questions and research direction.
We are particularly interested in ambitious research that makes creative use of WIGL’s isotope and elemental analytical capabilities, especially where the work has potential impact in areas such as health, medicine, biology, palaeoecology, ecology and conservation.
Research Themes
We welcome researchers developing their own independent research directions. Areas of particular interest are shown below, but we welcome ideas beyond these themes.
Health, Medicine & Biology
Novel applications of isotope and elemental analysis to human health, physiology, disease, nutrition and biomedical research.
Palaeoecology, Ecology & Conservation
Using geochemical records of past environments and ecosystems to understand ecological change and inform contemporary ecology, conservation and environmental management.
New Applications
Creative uses of isotope and elemental analysis to address important biological, environmental or societal questions.
About WIGL
The Wollongong Isotope Geochronology Laboratory (WIGL) is a research laboratory based at the University of Wollongong, led by Professor Anthony Dosseto.
Isochem Solutions works closely with WIGL and and helps facilitate access to its specialised analytical expertise and facilities for research and commercial projects.
Research opportunities advertised on this page are intended for researchers seeking to develop their work at WIGL and the University of Wollongong. This page is hosted by Isochem Solutions to facilitate expressions of interest and access to analytical support.
Analytical Capabilities
Researchers can draw on a broad range of isotope and elemental analytical capabilities at WIGL, including solution and spatially resolved measurements.
High-precision isotope analysis
Multi-collector ICP-MS measurements for a range of isotope systems, supported by specialised chemical preparation and method development.
Solution elemental analysis
Quantitative determination of major and trace element concentrations in dissolved samples.
In-situ laser ablation analysis
Spatially resolved elemental and isotope measurements directly within solid samples using laser ablation.
Clean laboratory & sample preparation
Specialised low-contamination preparation facilities for demanding isotope and trace-element applications.
Support for your research
For suitable researchers and projects, WIGL may provide substantial in-kind analytical support to help establish and develop an independent research program.
This may include up to approximately AUD $50,000 in subsidised analytical costs, depending on the project, analytical requirements and available capacity.
Researchers would normally be expected to have, or pursue, external funding for their salary. We are open to a range of funding models, including research grants, fellowships, institutional or international mobility funding, industry or philanthropic support, and other external sources.
Visiting researchers are also welcome
Researchers who are not seeking to relocate to Wollongong are welcome to contact us about short- or medium-term research visits, from several weeks to several months. Visits may focus on collaborative research, analytical work, method development, training or generation of pilot data for future projects and funding applications.
Have an idea you’d like to develop at WIGL?
A fully developed proposal or confirmed funding is not required at the expression-of-interest stage.