Led by Professor Kevin Pfleger, the iPREP Biodesign team includes Dr Sandra Medic, Chloe Goodred and Ruth Seeber.

This award recognises their innovative and transformative engagement between higher degree research candidates and industry partners in the biomedical and health sectors.

Established in 2020, the iPREP Biodesign program is a joint initiative between Perth Biodesign and the Industry and PhD Research Engagement Program Western Australia (iPREP WA), funded by a competitive XTEND WA grant from the WA Government’s New Industries Fund. The program offers three-month and seven-week projects focused on providing innovative solutions to real-world problems across various industry settings. Since 2020, 155 PhD students have worked on 61 projects with 30 industry partners through the iPREP Biodesign program.

The iPREP Biodesign program stands out for its flexible approach, accommodating international and domestic candidates, part-time and full-time arrangements, and remote or in-person participation. It emphasises learning from industry mentors, financial compensation for candidates and effective collaborations that benefit both industry partners and HDR candidates.