Where will your Extended Essay take you? For QAHS Class of 2025 graduate, Harima Ali, her research investigation in an innovative biodegradable water filtration system has taken her to the national stage of recognition as Australia's Grand Award winner for Innovation 2025/26 in the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) iCubed Science Awards. She is also a nominee for the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science 2026, and has been invited to the presentation dinner to be held on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at the Great Hall, Australian Parliament House in Canberra.
Harima's investigation looks into a novel, biodegradable and economically feasible water filtration method for communities living in underdeveloped countries who do not have the financial infrastructure to fund expensive filtration methods. Harima had also received a Gold CREST award, 1st Prize in the Gold Coast Science Competition, and 1st Prize in the Science Teachers Association of Queensland Contest for this project. Appreciation and thanks go to her supervisor Mrs Kahlia Baker and mentor Dr Darren Grice of Griffith University for their support on this investigation.
Harima is also a published researcher with her Extended Essay on Tartrazine azo dye adsorption published in the 2nd edition of Make A Mark Journal of Aimers Foundation. Make A Mark Journal has been deposited and accepted at the National Library of Australia repository.
Congratulations Harima. We are enormously proud of Harima's research and its potential for global impact being recognised.
Anir Lal
Head of Department Science