Griffith University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Water for culture and nature in a future of climate change uncertainty . Water management is a crucial challenge as climate change intensifies, but unsustainable groundwater use is growing. This project aims to distinguish the impacts of climate change from those caused by water extraction and investigate the effects of altered groundwater levels on culturally significant wetlands. The project brings together a group of wetland ecologists, modellers and groundwater experts, partnering with Minjerribah-Moorgumpin Elders in Council, to assess whether current water extraction practices are sustainable. Using an innovative approach, combining First Nations Knowledge, groundwater analysis and paleoecology, the project should provide significant benefits by guiding future water use that supports nature and culture. Field of research: 4101 - Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation This project addresses a major national challenge: how to manage groundwater sustainably while respecting cultural values, protecting ecosystems, and supporting local economies. The project fills a key research gap by combining hydrology, paleoecology and biogeochemistry with Traditional Owner Knowledge to understand groundwater systems, which remain poorly characterised. Co-led with the Minjerribah-Moorgumpin Elders in Council, the research will support sustainable water planning, protect groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and strengthen Indigenous leadership in environmental management. Benefits include improved water security, protection of cultural and ecological values, and a model for respectful co-design with First Nations. To maximise impact, the project will deliver workshops with community Elders, high-impact publications, seminars and online material for the general public co-developed with partners. Findings will be shared with the Queensland Government and open access outputs to ensure broad uptake across communities, agencies, and other coastal regions facing similar challenges.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Spatiotemporally Correlated Population-based Structural Health Monitoring. This project aims to advance infrastructure health monitoring by using sensor data from a structural population, focusing on the collective behavior of similar structures to enhance the accuracy and reliability of condition assessments. The project will generate new knowledge by developing novel transfer learning methods across structures and assessing structural conditions without monitoring systems. Expected outcomes include improved safety and lifespan of structures and establishing a new standard for infrastructure monitoring. This research should provide significant benefits, such as enhanced safety, extended lifespan, and reduced maintenance costs, leading to more efficient resource allocation in infrastructure management. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering This project will revolutionize how we monitor and maintain infrastructure by developing a population-based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system. Traditionally, SHM focuses on individual structures, but this project considers the collective behavior of similar structures, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of condition assessments. This addresses a critical research gap in effectively managing long-service structures, which often lack SHM systems. By leveraging measurement data and effective knowledge transfer methods, the condition of structures without SHM systems can be predicted, reducing the need for frequent inspections and extending their lifespan. Economically, the project reduces maintenance costs and inspection frequencies, leading to significant savings. Socially, it ensures the safety and reliability of infrastructure, minimizing disruptions for building occupants and communities. Environmentally, the project aligns with Australia's goal of transitioning to a net-zero future by reducing energy consumption associated with extensive sensor installations. By demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed methodologies, the project aims to set a new standard in SHM practices, both in Australia and internationally, enhancing the safety and longevity of infrastructure systems worldwide.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Beyond Symmetry: Unravelling glyco-modulation of the immune system. This project aims to use state-of-the-art biological and chemical approaches to unveil how antibody glycosylation modulates the immune system. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the mechanisms modulating the immune response not yet addressed by current research. Expected outcomes include the identification of relationships between specific glycosylation states and certain immune responses. Benefits should include new knowledge improving our fundamental understanding of the antibody-mediated immune response. The outcomes will lead to future economic opportunities by tailoring monoclonal antibody production towards better efficiency. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The human immune response is essential for survival, yet a critical knowledge gap remains in understanding how its type and magnitude are modulated. While specific modifications known as glycosylation of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are known to regulate the immune response, it is not yet fully understood how individual glycosylation features influence response type and magnitude, shaping immune reactions to threats. This project addresses this gap by applying a combination of advanced biological and chemical techniques to systematically study how IgG glycosylation modulates the interaction with their receptors and their functional consequences. The knowledge developed in this project will not just generate novel insights into the glycosylation-dependent regulation of the immune response but will also expand our fundamental understanding of human biology. The knowledge and outcomes of this project will benefit fundamental immunology research as well as biotechnology industry applications and will find future applications in precision medicine and treatment. These outcomes will further strengthen Australia’s leading global role in fundamental and applied glycosciences and their role within the immune system. The knowledge from this project will be shared with the wider scientific community and to the public through social media and explanatory articles in The Conversation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Cross-Institutional Anti-Money Laundering Autonomous AI Agents. This project will address the growing threat of money laundering, which costs Australia billions annually and weakens financial integrity. Current systems fail to track illicit funds across multiple banks, allowing criminals to exploit gaps. This project uses autonomous AI agents in a federated large language model framework to track suspicious transactions and enable secure collaboration between banks. Using privacy-preserving techniques, such as searchable encryption, AI agents will detect the transactions and send alerts across institutions without compromising sensitive data. Expected outcomes include efficient detection, reduced compliance costs, improved financial security, and stronger international anti money laundering efforts. Field of research: 4602 - Artificial Intelligence Money laundering costs Australia ~$60 billion annually, fueling crimes such as drug trafficking, terrorism and human trafficking. A critical vulnerability in anti-money laundering systems is banks' inability to share information effectively while maintaining privacy, allowing criminals to move illicit funds undetected across multiple institutions. This project will develop groundbreaking AI agents that will enable secure cross-bank collaboration to detect and prevent money laundering operations in real-time. Australians will benefit through significantly improved detection of illicit financial activity. Immediate benefits include reduced false positives, streamlined compliance processes saving the financial industry millions, and significantly lower operational costs. Long-term benefits include protecting Australia's banking sector from international sanctions, enhancing our global competitiveness in financial services, and creating a more resilient financial system. This research directly supports Australia's Financial Crime Strategy 2023–2025 and Digital Economy Strategy 2030. Griffith University will lead the AI framework development with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ensuring practical application in Australia's largest bank. Collaborating with Symphony AI, a world leader in financial technology, the project will develop sovereign Australian IP that can be applied internationally, positioning Australia at the forefront of financial crime prevention globally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Facilitating Effective Conversations to Make Children’s Voices Heard. This project aims to determine how trusted adults can learn ‘best-practice’ communication skills on a wide scale, through innovative web-based skills-enhancement activities. Improving these adults’ ability to elicit children’s insights and concerns in conversations will help address the crisis of children’s declining wellbeing. This project should provide new knowledge about effective learning activities for improving everyday communication, and flow-on effects of skills improvement in adults and children. Expected outcomes include enhanced capacity for community organisations to support children and families. This should provide significant benefits including improved socioemotional wellbeing and reduced risk of harm for children. Field of research: 5201 - Applied and Developmental Psychology In Australia and internationally, poor mental health has become a crisis among children (people up to age 18). Research shows that children need to feel listened to and not judged by adults in their lives. Effective communication can be a game-changer for resiliency and mental health, but little is known about how to optimise adult-child everyday communication so that children’s voices are genuinely heard. This project tests the effectiveness of interactive online learning activities that are adapted from child forensic interview training—a field that has provided evidence-based methods on how best to support children to tell their stories. When important adults in children’s lives understand children’s concerns and needs, problems can be recognised early, before they escalate. This has economic and social benefits for Australia by reducing the multi-billion-dollar burdens associated with maltreatment and mental health intervention and improving wellbeing of families. Our team offers a rich network of relations with family service, education, and research organisations, allowing for the research outcomes to be widely adopted and translated for direct use in the community. Knowledge dissemination events will be held in the final year to develop in-house leadership capacity in communication practices within community services. The created learning resources will also be made available on those services’ websites.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Amplifying creative connections in cross-sector efforts to combat isolation. This project will forge Australia’s first arts–social–health sector alliance to tackle the escalating crisis of isolation and loneliness, especially in marginalised Australians. Responding to a critical need for equity-driven solutions, it will examine how the creative arts can be embedded in frontline community services to enhance the impact of these cross-sector efforts. Outcomes will include new interdisciplinary insights, multi-sectoral strategies, policy resources, and knowledge translation that will fuel more integrated and creative responses to this urgent issue. Benefits will span stronger socio-cultural connections for Australians most severely impacted, cost savings, and deeper embedding of the arts in national wellbeing policies. Field of research: 3603 - Music Over five million Australians face isolation and loneliness, impairing health, shortening lives and costing billions in lost productivity and care. These harms fall hardest on people facing marginalisation: those living in poverty, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic and family violence and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—who report loneliness at up to twice the national rate. Exclusion tied to homelessness, mental ill-health, and trauma compounds disconnection, framing loneliness as a social equity challenge requiring urgent coordinated action. Creative Connections answers this need by uniting Australia’s arts, social and health sectors to examine how service-embedded creative arts programs can reduce isolation and rebuild socio-cultural ties. It will align with National Research Priorities by fostering healthy, thriving communities, elevating First-Nations-led program design, and building social resilience through cross-sector partnerships. Operationalising the Commonwealth’s Revive cultural policy and Measuring What Matters wellbeing framework, it will deliver policy-ready data to enable governments, service organisations and Creative Australia to integrate creative arts in isolation-reduction strategies and direct arts investment for maximum social return. Coupling innovative interdisciplinary research with knowledge translation, it charts a path to turn Australia’s creative strengths into social-health gains that support a more connected nation.

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

Securitising China through Comprehensive Social Governance Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

The laws of war and the use of decision support systems in targeting Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Transforming disaster resilience through a community collaborative model Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Building climate resilience with Pacific Island tourism destinations. This project aims to strengthen climate resilience in Pacific Island destinations by supporting locally driven adaptation actions and using tourism as an innovative entry point. The project advances adaptive capacity by centring Pacific knowledge, cultural values, and local ecosystems to co-design adaptation pathways. Expected outcomes include a Community of Practice that enables shared learning, strengthened destination resilience, and practical tools for scaling adaptation across the Pacific and beyond. The research will provide significant benefit by fostering stronger partnerships between Pacific nations and Australia, informing climate policy, investment and planning, and nurturing inclusive approaches to tourism resilience. Field of research: 3508 - Tourism This project addresses a significant gap in knowledge by applying Ecosystem Socio-economic Resilience Analysis and Mapping, Community of Practice models, and Indigenous knowledge to address climate adaptation, while directly supporting Australia’s national interest in strengthening climate resilience and economic development in the Pacific. Through this locally co-created approach to building adaptive capacity in tourism, the project advances all four objectives outlined in Australia’s Pacific Regional Development Partnership Plan: a united Pacific family, climate and disaster resilience, inclusive economic growth, and improved well-being. Tourism is a key sector for Australian and Pacific economies, yet it faces escalating risks from climate change. This project will provide economic and commercial benefits by addressing climate risks to tourism destinations. It also offers social and cultural benefits in supporting thriving communities through tourism and protecting key cultural and natural sites of significance. The project aligns with national science and research priorities, including the net zero transition and thriving communities, and also advances methods that are scalable and transferable to Australian contexts. Partner organisations will assist in communicating the project outcomes to key communities, government departments, and local researchers. The Guide to Strengthening Adaptive Capacity and a micro-credential learning module will ensure a broad impact.

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

Extreme Heat in Cities: Co-Developing Just Adaptation for Urban Tourism Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Enriching Madjedbebe: Mirarr, archaeology and Jabiluka's cultural... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Growing food plant diversity in community gardens in Australia . The project aims to uncover the diversity of plants and practices in community gardens for breeding better food plants to respond to food insecurity, emerging diseases and to changing climates. The project will assess the nature and scale of gardens and gardening practices around Australia, and the regulatory landscape impacting their role in conserving valuable food plant diversity. The expected outcome is the first large scale assessment of plants, practices and laws. This will provide significant benefits by valuing garden practices fostering more resilient and connected communities, valorising the store of critical locally adapted food plants and delivering on global justice, conservation and sustainability goals. Field of research: 4804 - Law In Context The conservation of food plants is important for breeding future plants to combat food insecurity, diseases and adapt to climate change. This project will be the first large scale continental inventory and critical assessment of plants, practices and laws about community gardens (>750 gardens and ~50,000 gardeners) in Australia and globally. Data about community gardens from surveys and interviews (where they are, what they grow, how they grow, and how they share) will be combined with available public data (environmental data, council data, Australian Bureau of Statistics census data, and regulation data). Sophisticated big data analyses and visualisation techniques will then be employed to identify and assess the best garden, gardening and regulation practices. This research benefits Australians by identifying and recognising important reservoirs of locally adapted plants for future plant breeding within a national garden network and building community in that network. Best practice guidelines and fact sheets in accessible formats will be created for gardeners, governments and online audiences to disseminate the best ways community gardens can grow, save and share seeds as dynamic food plant diversity banks. Project outcomes will demonstrate Australia's approach to a successful bottom-up (grass roots) strategy for conserving food plant diversity, rather than the traditional top-down approaches, and grow diversity in community gardens in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Attochemistry - imaging valence electrons in motion. This project aims to apply attosecond (a billionth of a billionth of a second) flashes of light (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics) to molecules to photograph the lightest and fastest particles of matter - electrons - in motion. Planned experiments and theoretical modelling will answer important open questions about dynamics of the most basic steps of chemical transformations - quantum tunneling, photoexcitation, electron migration and localisation, bond breaking and formation. The reconstructed detailed snapshots of these ultrafast processes will enhance our understanding of photochemical reactions and open new avenues to efficient control of chemistry with light, putting Australia in the forefront of the emerging field of Attochemistry. Field of research: 5102 - Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics This project explores the ultrafast motion of electrons—the glue of all matter—using attosecond light pulses (1 as = 10⁻¹⁸ s). While attosecond science has grown globally and was recognised by the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, many unanswered questions remain. Our project will provide new detailed insights into real-time electron dynamics in molecules and clusters, a gap this research addresses through cutting-edge experiments at Griffith University’s Australian Attosecond Science Facility and advanced theory at ANU. This work aligns with Australia’s National Quantum Strategy, boosting our photonics and quantum industries by training future leaders—one postdoc, 2 PhD and 3 honours students—for highly skilled jobs in academia and industry. Understanding light-driven chemical reactions could lead to greener technologies, like efficient photochemistry for synthesis of advanced materials. It promises innovations in chemicals, materials and pharmaceuticals by revealing the earliest steps of molecular change, flowing into improved health and industry outcomes. Culturally, it elevates Australia’s global scientific standing. To share these breakthroughs beyond academia, we’ll engage the public through interactive exhibits at science museums, online videos showcasing electron “movies,” and partnerships with industry to translate findings into practical tools. By demystifying attochemistry, we’ll inspire curiosity and drive adoption of this transformative science across society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The laws of war and the use of decision support systems in targeting . Life and death decisions in war are enabled by military decision support systems. They are used to assist with legal tasks like identifying lawful targets or assessing whether legal requirements like necessity and proportionality in attack are met. This project will be the first systematic examination of how the laws of war have been shaped by military decision support systems. Expected outcomes of the project include peer-reviewed journal articles, a monograph, interdisciplinary conferences, and guidelines for how this technology should be regulated in the future. This should benefit lawyers, policymakers, defence personnel, and the public in understanding the legal consequences of using military decision support systems in armed conflict. Field of research: 4803 - International and Comparative Law Decision support technology (DSS) plays an increasingly central role in how militaries engage in war, including in targeting decisions on the application of force. There is no question the technology will continue to be used; the question is how its use should be governed by the laws of war – the body of international rules on how wars should be fought. However, contemporary debates on the legal regulation of its use in warfare do not engage with the decades-long history of the use of DSS in armed conflict, missing the opportunity to learn from the past. This project aims to investigate how the laws of war have been applied to DSS in the past and use the findings of this investigation to propose how it should be regulated in the future. Using legal research methods and supplemented by historical sources and archival research, the project will reckon with the broader social and political context, investigating how the practice of applying the law – essential for the rule of law in armed conflict – is possible alongside DSS, and whether legal reform is required. The research will be disseminated to policymakers and the general public through accessible reports and guidelines for the use of DSS aimed at practising military lawyers, defence industry and policy makers, as well as a podcast series, briefing papers, blog posts and other short-form articles.

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

Generation-Z engagement with political parties Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Generation-Z engagement with political parties. Young people’s engagement with political parties is declining, creating risks of them also becoming less democratically engaged. This project will create knowledge about youth political attitudes by examining how Gen-Z in Australia, Belgium, India, and Italy view and interact with parties. To do so, it proposes a typology of ‘party engagement’ and uses surveys, focus groups, and interviews with Gen-Z and party officials. In addition to enhancing understanding of young people and party politics, the project will provide the Australian government, political parties, and the Electoral Commission with recommendations to better involve young people in the political process. Field of research: 4408 - Political Science This project looks at Generation-Z engagement and disengagement with political parties. To understand this phenomenon and how Australia compares to other countries, it focuses on the cases of Australia, Belgium, India, and Italy. Youth engagement/disengagement with parties is a topic researchers know little about; however, it is an extremely important one: surveys in Australia and globally have shown Gen-Z are more lukewarm in their support for democracy and parties than previous generations. If this trend continues, with parties and elections becoming ever less relevant to young people, it will severely undermine democracy around the world. Our research thus has several major benefits for Australia. It directly speaks to the work of the government’s Strengthening Democracy Taskforce, which has pointed to young Australians’ low trust in government and democracy. It is also extremely relevant to the mission of the Australian Electoral Commission, which is committed to increasing young people’s engagement. In addition to a range of media comment pieces for the public, we will promote our research findings to key stakeholders through a series of executive reports and presentations, containing examples of best practices and recommendations. We will also conclude the project with a 2-day workshop for government and youth associations.

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

Developing novel polymer-based haemostatic sealants for trauma and... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Enriching Madjedbebe: Mirarr, archaeology and Jabiluka's cultural heritage. This co-designed project will enrich the heritage significance of Australia's oldest site, Madjedbebe, by contextualising it within the surrounding Jabiluka landscape, NT. In partnership with Mirarr Traditional Owners, we will explore archaeological and other heritage sites, using innovative methods, to reveal cultural connections over 65,000 years. We aim to advance knowledge of this critical site, create new knowledge of the cultural wealth of Jabiluka, and support Mirarr aspirations to tell their own stories in their own ways. Outcomes will include increased awareness of the unique Jabiluka landscape, improved community health and well-being, and generation of content for a planned World Heritage Interpretive Centre in Jabiru. Field of research: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History The detailed, near-forensic analysis of 65,000-yr-old archaeological deposits at Madjedbebe, Australia’s oldest human site, contrasts markedly with the lack of knowledge from its surrounds. This makes it impossible to know whether Madjedbebe is ordinary or an outlier. Located in the Jabiluka Mineral Lease (NT), the broader cultural landscape has been inaccessible for >50 years due to its mining tenure. It is only now able to be investigated due to Jabiluka’s planned incorporation into Kakadu National Park. This partnership with Mirarr Traditional Owners builds on long-term links between the community and researchers. We aim to generate data of national cultural and social significance, enhancing understandings of the recent and deep-time history of Jabiluka. Our work will contextualise, challenge and extend the results from Madjedbebe, and investigate and improve delivery of the promotion, conservation and management of cultural heritage in Kakadu. It will contribute scientific knowledge that is vital to the Mirarr’s long-held aspirations to take control of their own Country, thereby enhancing community well-being. Research findings will thus represent a tangible act of reconciliation and restitution. Knowledge created will contribute to the development of a new World Heritage Centre for Kakadu. Given public interest in Madjedbebe, we will also share our findings in an online website, popular online and print media, and publish detailed articles in open-access journals.

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

Inspired climate action through local nature restoration Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Catalytic Refining CO2 and Seawater into Ethylene Carbonate and Hydrogen. This project aims to develop an innovative method to produce ethylene carbonate, a key industrial commodity, using carbon dioxide and seawater under ambient conditions. Traditional production methods rely on toxic materials and high-energy inputs. The project designs novel catalysts to catalytically produce ethylene carbonate and hydrogen using CO2 and seawater as reactants under ambient conditions. This method offers a sustainable alternative to conventional processes, reducing environmental impact and utilizing abundant resources. The expected outcomes include improved efficiency in green chemical production and potential benefits for energy storage technologies, contributing to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Ethylene carbonate (EC) production in Australia has significant potential for expansion due to Australia’s growing automotive, electronics, and energy industries, particularly in the battery production sector. However, the traditional methods of EC production are energy-intensive and environmentally harmful. This project aims to develop a sustainable and decentralised method for producing EC and hydrogen from CO2 and seawater, addressing key challenges in chemical production and CO2 emissions reduction. The project should provide a reliable, cost-effective source of EC which will benefit Australia's growing lithium-ion battery production sector, while supporting carbon neutrality by converting CO2 into useful products, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This should provide significant benefits by reducing dependence on imports, fostering economic resilience and creating new opportunities in the green economy. The project aligns with Australia's commitment to addressing climate change, contributing to job creation in the renewable energy sector and offering new avenues for sustainable industrial practices. The project will form partnerships with the chemicals, petrochemical and battery industries to demonstrate the technology's scalability. The outcomes and findings of the project will be promoted outside academia via public lectures/seminars, workshops and collaboration with industry associations for the widespread adoption and commercial/environmental benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Inspired climate action through local nature restoration. This project aims to leverage the US$3.4 trillion global tourism industry to catalyse climate and biodiversity action by supporting locally-led ecosystem restoration projects. Advancing collaborative governance, this research is significant as it shifts from unreliable carbon credits to tangible, inspiring activities at destinations. By connecting core business values and requirements with the diverse benefits of ecosystem restoration, this project delivers innovative monitoring and engagement techniques, including AI-supported citizen science and storytelling, that drive deeper commitment through active participation. This should establish a practical pathway to accelerate Australia’s ability to deliver net zero, nature positive futures. Field of research: 3508 - Tourism Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten Earth’s life support systems. This project tackles the urgent need to advance climate action and nature restoration together by leveraging Australia’s economically and socially significant tourism sector and its growing role in locally-led restoration efforts. The work directly supports Australia’s science priorities on the net-zero transition and environmental protection, as well as THRIVE 2030, the Government’s long-term strategy for a sustainable visitor economy. By linking smaller restoration projects with tourism-related finance, the project creates new opportunities to scale local initiatives, enhance ecosystem benefits, and deliver value to tourist destinations. Through a reframing of the climate action narrative and developing robust, transparent, and cost-effective ecosystem accounting and monitoring methods, the project fills a critical gap for smaller restoration projects that lack the resources to participate in existing carbon or nature credit systems. Scaling will be achieved by identifying effective governance models, building trust, and inspiring the commitment of tourism stakeholders. Each of the three work packages will deliver a science-based practical guide targeted at tourism businesses, restoration projects, and organisations central to system governance. Scientific outputs, alongside qualitative storytelling, will be central to research communication, ensuring widespread impact in Australia and beyond.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Extreme Heat in Cities: Co-Developing Just Adaptation for Urban Tourism. This project tackles the critical need for heat adaptation in cities. As intensifying heatwaves increasingly threaten lives and economic productivity, this study develops a novel measure to assess future tourism-related heat hazards, examines the added strain on city response systems by tourism, and establishes new insights into differentiated vulnerabilities amongst tourists and workers. By integrating a global analysis with three city case studies, this research co-develops innovative responses to reduce heat risk within urban systems. A new set of adaptation principles will help prioritize low-carbon, just responses, implemented through collaborative governance systems across different scales and sectors. Field of research: 3508 - Tourism This project addresses the pressing challenge of extreme heat risk in Australia’s cities and the lack of understanding of how tourism activity in these urban destinations is affected. This project is about ensuring that tourism in cities continues to thrive and that tourists and tourism workers are safe and protected in ways that recognise differentiated vulnerabilities. This research aims to be the first of its kind globally, developing a tourism-specific heat warning system and innovative heat adaptation measures that consider the needs of tourists and tourism workers, whilst strengthening wider urban and health systems. This project directly advances Australia's science priority of supporting healthy and thriving communities and contributes to the strategic priority of growing the visitor economy, including mass events such as the Olympic Games. This research supports a secure and resilient nation through its significant potential to lower current and future vulnerabilities and maintain economic productivity. The work places Australia at the forefront of tackling a globally significant problem; one that will aggravate with intensifying impacts of climate change and simultaneously growing volumes of global tourism. The research teams’ existing partnerships with both the tourism and health sectors in Australia and globally ensure effective dissemination and uptake of tools produced in this project, such as the Restorative Justice Guide and multi-scale Adaptation Principles.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Securitising China through Comprehensive Social Governance . This project aims to investigate China’s local social governance system, focusing on social governance action plans, pilot programs and plans for data-gathering technology in police-run governance centres. It examines how the Chinese Communist Party integrates police, government and community services to embed its ideology more deeply into citizens’ daily lives. The project expects to generate new knowledge in social governance by analysing the securitisation of grassroots governance. Expected outcomes include a new framework for understanding China’s social governance system and refined analytical methods. This research should benefit the Australian government by informing responses to political challenges from China’s security regime. Field of research: 4499 - Other Human Society This project aims to investigate China’s intensifying efforts to establish a comprehensive grassroots social governance system that integrates Communist Party leadership, advanced technology-driven smart policing and smart courts with ideological imperatives. As China increasingly seeks to export its technology-driven governance model abroad, understanding its design is critical for Australia’s national security and regional interests. This research therefore aims to benefit Australians by directly supporting policymakers with knowledge to assess and respond to China’s expanding governance approach, enhancing Australia’s economic security and strategic positioning. To maximize impact beyond academia, this project aims to conduct workshops inviting security and DFAT representatives, create accessible public education resources and engage with media outlets to inform public discourse. Aligned with the 2023 Australia’s China Knowledge Capability Report, this project will ensure Australia maintains the deep, strategic understanding of China necessary for securing economic and geopolitical interests in an increasingly complex global landscape.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The Voice Gap: Employee Voice Under Threat in a Changing World of Work. Effective employee voice has clear links to fairness, dignity and productive workplace relationships. Yet established voice mechanisms such as unions have declined leaving a gap between desired and actual employee voice. The impact of the COVID19 pandemic on promoting hybrid and remote work has also necessitated new methods of communication, with established voice systems rendered less effective/obsolete. This project will explore emerging voice mechanisms, including digital and social media, and, using innovative research techniques, demonstrate how they are/are not filling voice gaps. In doing so the project will show where voice is most needed, how it can be accessed, and what social and economic benefits are possible for Australia. Field of research: 3505 - Human Resources and Industrial Relations The effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the application of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to employment are transforming workplaces, with increasing use of online/hybrid work arrangements, algorithmic management and the greater prevalence of online/digital communication. These changes are impacting employees' ability to speak up for their rights, and also to support workplace productivity. Recent voice research suggests that management's use of new, online communication tools can stifle employees' ability to speak up. Employees are also now using digital technologies and social media to speak privately (with co-workers rather than to management) about workplace issues and concerns. The implications of these new developments are troubling because ability to voice is associated with employees’ sense of dignity, which triggers improved engagement and lower burnout/turnover. If these are clear benefits to Australian workers of understanding how to optimise voice arrangements, Australian business will also benefit from research that demonstrates how effective voice can encourage employees to speak up to improve work processes and unlock productivity gains. Our project will provide insight into the use of new (as well as traditional) voice mechanisms and determine which of these are optimal for employees and for organisations, and which are not. The findings will be disseminated through media, industry associations and workplace regulating bodies.