ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Saline Water Electrolysis via Catalyst Ion-Selective Interface... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

TARGETING HIGH-RISK MICROBIOMES TO PREVENT COLORECTAL CANCER Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Higher order symmetry, prolongation, and parabolic geometry Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

A Nanoplatform for Lipopolysaccharide-independent Immune Hyperactivation . This project aims to develop a new class of bioactive nanoplatform for immune hyperactivation, a recently identified highly proinflammatory state of the immune system that drives long-lived immune protection. Materials engineering and immune signalling modulation will be leveraged to achieve optimal hyperactivation outcome without the reliance on bacterial toxins. Expected outcomes include new insights into the nanomaterial-mediated biochemical cues on inflammatory signaling and the establishment of a patentable immunostimulatory nanoplatform with enormous potential for next-generation immuno-adjuvant technology, strengthening Australia's vaccine manufacturing capability and offering ennomic benefits to pharmaceutical and veterinary fields. Field of research: 3106 - Industrial Biotechnology Immune system inherently possesses sophisticated defence mechanisms, acting as a “doctor” to diagnose and eliminate invaded pathogens and dysregulated cells. T cells play a central role in immune defence by directly targeting these foreign or abnormal substances. However, a biocompatible strategy for inducing robust T cell immunity and memory that offer long-term protection against the reinvasion/recurrence of pathogens/dysregulated cells remains a significant challenge. This project will develop a novel technology to trigger a long-lived T cell response. This will be achieved by using tiny particles (1000 times small than the width of a human hair) to reprogram the central immune system into a “hyperactive” state that release multiplex signals to activate T cells. The technology platform developed in this project will hold great potential for advanced vaccine formulations for protecting human and livestock and could transform Australia’s capacity in public health and agriculture, especially for enhancing Australia’s preparedness against epidemic disease. The technology will generate IPs that spur the growth of human/veterinary vaccine companies and enable economic benefits. The knowledge and tools generated in this project will be shared through the research team’s active involvement in international biotechnology associations, including with leading experts, not-for-profits and conferences, and shared with various stakeholders and the public by media communications.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Saline Water Electrolysis via Catalyst Ion-Selective Interface... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Practical Mechanisms to Improve the Efficiency of Land Assembly. One of the best ways to increase housing supply in Australia is to promote urban infill and enabling higher density housing. Unfortunately, urban infill often requires the assembly of land and strata titles, which is known to be a hard economics problem. This project will develop and experimentally test practical mechanisms that can be used to assemble properties. A first project explores how to modify traditional property auctions and enable the consolidation of lots for medium-density townhouse projects. A second project explores how to modify strata rules to ensure that medium-density projects built today can be redeveloped in the future. Field of research: 3801 - Applied Economics Housing scarcity is a fundamental issue in Australia and urban infill, a preferred method of increasing housing supply, often falls short of targets set by the government. We believe that one contributing factor to this shortfall is that increasing density often requires the assembly of adjacent lots, a process that is inherently difficult. Part 1 of this project aims to develop practical ``add-on'' auctions and a web based app that promotes small-scale assembly of lots that are suitable for townhouses and small-scale apartment complexes. These types of projects tend to be faster to build than large-scale apartments, and are feasible for small-sized builders who are responsible for the bulk of Australia's housing construction. Part 2 of the project explores modifications to Strata laws that can ensure that medium-sized Strata projects built today can be redeveloped in the future. In many jurisdictions in Australia, the government has introduced en bloc rules that allow a supermajority of owners in a Strata complex to approve a sale of the entire complex. These rules improve efficiency but potentially cause some complexes to be redeveloped when it is inefficient to do so. Our research explores whether it is possible to introduce additional rules that offer greater protection for owners who do not wish to sell without blocking efficient sales. Our ``add-on" auction app and the efficient en block mechanisms will be explained and promoted in a stakeholder workshop.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Re-storying Arnhem Land's Aboriginal Knowledge Holders Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Reclaiming and Activating Australia’s Modernist Print Heritage . This project aims to develop an innovative account of Australian print cultures in relation to international developments in Modernism (1900–1970), generating new knowledge about the forms Modernism took in Australia and the networks that facilitated production and circulation of its material cultures. Expected outcomes include a digital archive of previously inaccessible materials and scholarly work critically evaluating their significance. The project advances Australian research in the field internationally, builds capacity for future research, and contributes to public debates about national identities and regional literary histories with the potential to inform cultural policy. Field of research: 4705 - Literary Studies The study of periodical and magazine production has become an influential framework for understanding the rise of national literary cultures, but many of the publications central to the development of a distinctly Australian literary culture from 1920-1970 are inaccessible and little understood, while research continues to privilege Northern-hemisphere perspectives. This project explores the distinctive Australian innovations in cultural expression to be found in these sites, putting them in dialogue with global cultural movements, especially the key artistic movement of the period, Modernism. We will digitise and make these publications accessible to scholars, artists, writers, and the public, transforming how we are understanding the impact of Australia on significant international trends in the literary and visual arts. Our project situates contemporary negotiations of national identity, including in relation to Indigenous knowledges and cultural expressions, within a revised national story. By generating new resources and histories, we also advance Australian research on the international stage and build research capacity through mentorship for 2 PhD students. Social benefits accrue from making these ground-breaking publications available to creative practitioners and the public. Public-facing exhibitions and events complement academic symposia as we seek to challenge the notion of Australia as a backwater and a consumer, rather than producer, of cultural innovation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Buidling Generative Models for 3D Reconstruction and Visual Perception. This project aims to develop frameworks that interpret images by generating them. The project expect to create a domain-specific geometric knowledge base to ground image generation process, using large number of videos and minimal annotations. The generation will allow for meaningful interventions, such as changes in the location, orientation, and shape of objects within a scene. This will enable robotic agents to plan and execute desired actions with precision. The focus on in-situ learning to build low-cost generative models will strengthen Australian AI sovereignty. The project is expected to aid efficient 3D asset creation, enhance virtual reality applications, and accelerate adaption of generative models in autonomous decision making. Field of research: 4602 - Artificial Intelligence Modern visual intelligent systems are being increasingly used in decision making to solve complex problems and enhance productivity. AI is widely predicted to add AUD 25 trillion (14% of GDP) to the global economy by 2030, making it the biggest opportunity in today’s rapidly changing economy. Building foundation models for image understanding is a key factor in realising this potential. However, due to significant computational requirements to train these models, a handful of organisations like Google (Gemini) and OpenAI (ChatGPT) hold a differential advantage so far. This project proposes to leverage Australian capabilities in building geometric inference systems to economically train 3D vision foundation models. By lifting vast amounts of readily available 2D images and transforming them into 3D, this project aims to develop domain-specialized visual perception systems with minimal annotations. Bringing cost economics and geometry to the fore, the proposed project has the potential to make a differential shift in making AI more accessible, affordable, and scalable. Shifting visual perception to 3D will enable future robotic agents to better understand and manipulate their environments. This will strengthen Australian Sovereignty in deploying AI in critical domains such as robotics, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and defence. Outcomes of this project will be communicated to the broader public through social media and technical demonstrations.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Biomolecular engineering of bioinspired stimuli-responsive particle... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Revealing the yolk sac as an essential source of insulin for fetal... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Biomolecular engineering of bioinspired stimuli-responsive particle systems. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) play a vital role in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, yet face a challenge with only 1-2% escaping endosomes, urging the development of new nanoparticles for improved delivery. Drawing inspiration from bioinspired nanotechnology, this project aims to create virus-mimicking nanoparticles with dual stimuli-responsive properties for efficient endosomal escape. Anticipated outcomes include a novel concept inspired by virus escape mechanisms, a new class of bioinspired nanomaterials enhancing delivery efficiency, and deeper insights into endosomal escape mechanisms. The initiative promises high-value materials for drug delivery, bolstering Australia's standing in Advanced Biomanufacturing, Nanotechnology, and RNA therapies. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology The success of COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA loaded into lipid nanoparticles highlights the crucial role of nanotechnology in therapeutic applications. These lipid nanoparticles not only shield mRNA from degradation, but also act as carries to deliver mRNA into cells. But despite the approval of mRNA lipid nanoparticles for vaccines, their delivery efficiency remains very low. In contrast, many viruses have evolved more efficient ways to enter into cells. Taking inspiration from how viruses deliver their cargo across the cellular membrane, this project aims to develop novel virus-mimicking nanoparticles as a bioengineered, frontier technology. We will develop new delivery systems that respond to stimuli and enhance mRNA delivery, investigating their properties and functions. These new virus-mimicking particle systems will offer advanced, customisable materials for future drug delivery and enhanced pharmaceutical applications of benefit to Australians. Additionally, this project will strengthen Australia's research leadership in engineered materials, paving the way for future capitalisation on the multi-billion-dollar industries in RNA therapeutics and drug development. Our findings, which will contribute valuable insights into the rational design of bioinspired nanoparticles, will be shared with the public through web posts and media engagements, disseminated in academic publications, alongside the protection of valuable intellectual property for future commercialisation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Metamaterials for Vibration-Induced Health Issues in Heavy Vehicles. This project aims to address the critical issue of whole-body vibration in heavy vehicles, particularly mining trucks, by integrating an innovative, passive damping system using metamaterials into driver seats. The project expects to advance knowledge in the field of vibration attenuation through the novel use of metamaterials, which offer unique properties for optimised vibration control. Expected outcomes include superior vibration attenuation compared to traditional rubber or active systems, enhancing driver comfort and safety. The project offers significant benefits by reducing health issues, such as neck and shoulder problems due to damage of bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons from prolonged exposure to whole-body vibration. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Whole-body vibration in heavy vehicles (~4 million in Australia), particularly mining trucks, significantly impacts the occupational health and safety, productivity, and comfort of Australian heavy vehicle drivers. These harmful vibrations can induce driver fatigue, musculoskeletal disorders, and cognitive impairments. This research will develop a fundamental understanding of metamaterials and explore metamaterials as an effective vibration mitigation strategy to solve the problem, while building Australia’s capacity as a global leader in automotive metamaterial research and innovation, and fostering long-term benefits for industry and research. The knowledge generated will help improve industry health and safety standards, reduce costs due to worker injury (musculoskeletal disorders cost Australia $9.2 billion of direct health costs), and improve workforce retention in key Australian industries such as mining and logistics. Not only will the project provide the scientific foundation for future ergonomic innovations in transport safety, but the knowledge developed can also be applied to other vibration mitigation applications. Through scientific journal publications and conferences, news outlets, social media, and collaboration with industry stakeholders, the project will raise awareness about the harmful effects of whole-body vibration while sharing key insights on metamaterials as the next generation of vibration dampers.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Biomolecular engineering of bioinspired stimuli-responsive particle... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Enhancing Vision-Language Models with Game-Based Reasoning and... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Constraining the Standard Model with precision simulations of Kaon... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Neighbourhood and Community Houses and Centres (NCHCs) and Social Inclusion. This project aims to investigate the role of Australia’s Neighbourhood and Community Houses and Centres (NCHCs) in fostering social inclusion, reducing isolation, and building social capital to create more resilient communities. It builds on the CI’s previous research that established a successful community intergenerational arts program in NCHCs. Expected outcomes include identifying the underlying mechanisms associated with creating social capital and a framework to inform the nation’s 1,069 NCHCs to prioritise evidence-based and community-centred design, management, and operation. Expected benefits include fostering healthy, cohesive communities where creative practice strengthens societal resilience and government functionality. Field of research: 4702 - Cultural Studies The Australian Government’s Cultural Policy 2023-8, Revive, acknowledges that cultural institutions including Neighbourhood and Community Houses and Centres (NCHCs) play a vital role in developing national identity, social unity and economic success. The policy reaffirms the importance of cultural institutions and seeks to reposition them as central to Australia’s future. Despite their broad community reach, a significant knowledge gap remains; we do not know how NCHCs develop social capital or positively impact social cohesion and resilience. This project will fill this gap. This project will develop an empirically derived framework and resources to help NCHCs maximise their effectiveness and impact in locally appropriate ways, increasing social inclusion and reducing isolation, and will significantly benefit Australia across social, cultural, and environmental dimensions, focusing on fostering healthy, inclusive and cohesive communities. The project outcomes will have NCHCs better placed to play a direct and meaningful role in enabling all community members to participate in and actively contribute to society, social inclusion, and to economic wellbeing of the families and the nation. Outcomes will be communicated by direct community outreach including media, industry symposia, and a dedicated website to share key project recourses, facilitated by a formal communication strategy to influence national policy and operational standards in partnership with key stakeholders.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Unlocking the detrital feldspar archive. This project aims to address preservation and fertility bias in the detrital geochronological record by developing in-situ detrital feldspar Rb-Sr geochronology in tandem with Pb isotopic tracing. The integration of these novel in-situ isotopic systems, applied to the most common minerals on Earth, can revolutionize provenance studies and inform mineral exploration. The Rb-Sr-Pb method will be applied to feldspars stored in offshore sediments to probe into subglacial Antarctica and the Himalayas, and tested in the Australian regolith as a vector to mineral deposits. The project will thus use isotopic analysis to unlock geological history from areas that are difficult to access and provide direct benefits to mineral exploration under cover. Field of research: 3705 - Geology Feldspars, the most common minerals on the Earth`s surface, are time-capsules of the evolution of the Earth and its mineral resources. They are first-cycle minerals that provide a unique fingerprint of the evolution of landscapes and mineralisation processes, but that information cannot easily be accessed with current analytical methods. This project will develop a novel and rapid analytical method to unlock the feldspar archive for deep-time landscape and climate reconstructions and as a new tool for mineral exploration. The scientific outcomes that will be generated will contribute to Australia`s standing as a leader in geochronology and will enhance our fundamental understanding of the evolution of the Australian landscape. The project outcomes will also provide direct economic benefits to Australia through revealing geochemical signatures of regional background and fertile domains in the Australian regolith that may provide mineral vectoring information to reduce mineral exploration search space. Another economic/commercial benefit for the Australian community is the training of students in highly specialised skills (geochemical analysis, team work, critical thinking) that are transferable to the national mineral exploration job markets. The research team will make the analytical tools and research outcomes directly available to the Australian mineral exploration industry via open-access platforms, fostering collaboration to support uptake in exploration programs.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Exploring Rural Women's Needs for Creative Spaces Through Co-design Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Advancing the Integration of Greenery and Solar Energy for Buildings. Trees reduce urban heat but can block rooftop solar panels from direct sunlight, resulting in less electricity generated. This project aims to advance the integration of greenery and solar energy for buildings under different scenarios by employing urban analysis and building performance monitoring with simulations. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the interactions among urban greening, building energy consumption, and solar power generation. It will produce Australia’s first greenery-solar integrated utilisation guidelines for built environment. This should help governments in formulating better urban designs addressing greenery-solar trade-offs, improve thermal comfort and foster better living environment for Australians. Field of research: 3301 - Architecture Urban developments everywhere face a dilemma: the trade-off between urban greening and solar panels. While trees help mitigate the urban heat-island effect by shading buildings, this shade reduces the electricity generated from rooftop solar panels. We will develop Australia’s first guidelines for integrating greenery and solar utilisation in the built environment, by innovatively combining various simulations with real-world monitoring. This project will reveal, for the first time globally, the complex relationships among urban greening, indoor-outdoor thermal conditions, building energy consumption and electricity generation of solar panels. In Australia, about 35% of households have solar panels, and on average, 30% of urban areas are covered by tree canopies. This project enables Australians to benefit from the cooling effect of trees without compromising their rooftop PV performance, thereby maintaining low energy bills. It enables local councils nationwide to better select and place trees in public spaces, minimising the impact on residents’ solar panels. Globally, this research will position Australian cities at the forefront of liveable cities by showcasing how conflicting sustainability pathways can be effectively coordinated in urban developments. The guidelines will be shared with urban planners and developers, city councils, homeowners, architects, landscape architects, garden nurseries, and researchers to upskill relevant stakeholders and educate customers.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Buidling Generative Models for 3D Reconstruction and Visual Perception Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Consoling the Self: Historical Grief Strategies and the Healing Arts Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Unravelling the bactericidal biomechanics of nanoengineered surfaces. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics could bring Australia back to the dark ages. The project aims to generate fundamental understanding of surface engineering technology that efficiently kills bacteria upon contact, through rationally designed interactions specifically devised for targeting bacterial weaknesses. This project is expected to discover novel pathways to tackle bacterial infections by preventing surface colonisation and revealing the underlying molecular mechanisms that make bacteria susceptible to antimicrobial compounds. This should provide new knowledge to inform the development of future antibacterial materials and treatments urgently needed in many areas of society, ranging from healthcare to water supply. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology Bacteria are microorganisms with an outstanding toolbox of adaptation mechanisms that allows them to survive and colonise surfaces, from which they can spread and infect individuals. The project will engineer new surface technologies specifically devised for efficiently killing bacteria upon contact, through a bactericidal effect. This project will result in: i) novel antibacterial coatings that prevent bacteria from colonising surfaces, ii) new fundamental understanding of how interactions between bacteria and surfaces can help us design nanostructures with superior killing efficiency through distinct mechanisms of action, and iii) discovery of synergistic bactericidal mechanisms between antibiotics and surfaces that instruct future antibacterial strategies. These technological advances will contribute to high-tech Australian manufacturing in surface technology, and benefit our broad society by providing new opportunities to translate fundamental advances into functional coatings to contain this emerging threat and reduce the economic and public health burden associated with bacterial infections. In the long term, our findings will directly impact applications such as food technology, healthcare, and water disinfection, and antibacterial treatments. To raise awareness about bacterial threat, our findings will be disseminated across the broad Australian society through distinct media platforms.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Constraining the Standard Model with precision simulations of Kaon decays. Recent discrepancies in determinations of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element Vus challenge the consistency of the Standard Model of particle and nuclear physics. Resolving this tension requires a highly-precise theoretical calculation of the semi-leptonic Kaon to Pion form factor, a key input for extracting Vus from experimental data. This project will use Lattice QCD, a first-principles approach to simulating strong interactions, to achieve an unprecedented determination of this form factor which will have an immediate benefit by resolving the Vus puzzle and advancing our understanding of fundamental particle interactions, while enabling Australian scientists to take a leadership role in this area of fundamental science. Field of research: 5107 - Particle and High Energy Physics Fundamental research in particle physics has led to breakthrough discoveries in a wide range of areas, including energy production, medical applications, materials science, and nuclear safety. This project will further contribute to this important area by generating a greater understanding about the most successful theory invented by humankind – The Standard Model. The insights gained from this research will have far-reaching benefits, including advancements in fundamental particle physics, cosmological evolution, and advanced materials science. By gaining a deeper understanding of limits of this fundamental theory, scientists can build a foundation for future discoveries that can be adopted by national priority industries in the energy, security, and defense sectors. This project will also build national expertise in fundamental particle physics, maintaining the talent pipeline in Australia to contribute to the global effort and secure Australia’s reputation in this field. To promote research outcomes in fundamental science beyond academia, this project will actively engage with the public and key stakeholders. This will be achieved by communicating research findings through public lectures and outreach activities in combination with conference presentations and journal publications. By doing so, this proposal help bridge the gap between academic research and real-world impact, while also promoting public understanding and support for science.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Buidling Generative Models for 3D Reconstruction and Visual Perception Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research