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A $1.2MILLION fellowship to investigate quantum physics was "more like a football star's salary" than an academic's, Queensland University's Michael Nielsen said yesterday.
The nation's youngest academic to secure one of the Howard Government's prestigious Federation Fellowships, the 30-year-old admitted he was looking forward to the freedom of five years to pursue world-class research.
But, despite Education Minister Brendan Nelson's exhortation to value brains as well as brawn when it comes to national heroes, Professor Nielsen said he was happy to leave that job to Ian Thorpe.
"Maybe somewhat unconventionally, I think it's great that we...