THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Understanding how forced separation disrupts wellbeing Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Observing Water Worlds From Space: New Techniques to Beat the Noise Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Understanding how forced separation disrupts wellbeing Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-06

Observing Water Worlds From Space: New Techniques to Beat the Noise Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-05

Collaborative network trial to optimise nutrition guideline... Category: Health and Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-04

Cultural safety in the Australian health system: Empirical assessment of... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-04

OncoPortal: Community-led development of equitable digital medicine for... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-04

Deadly Dreaming: Indigenous-led, Community driven, and grounded... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-03

New treatments for animal infections, an economic and health imperative Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-03

New treatments for animal infections, an economic and health imperative Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-03

Nature's Remedy: Harnessing Plant Proteins to Mitigate the Impact of... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Photosynthetic Production of Valuable Microbial Biochemicals Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2026 · 2026-02

Photosynthetic Production of Valuable Microbial Biochemicals Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

My Mother's Polio: Australian Experiences of Poliomyelitis, 1950s to 1960s. This project will reveal the health and illness experience of poliomyelitis (polio) in Australia in the mid-twentieth century, especially for families, and with attention to regional histories. Polio’s grim history remains largely hidden from narratives of Australian life in the postwar period. This research aims to model historical research into the common and divergent experiences of illness by using collections of oral memories of polio alongside archival records such as welfare organisational records, published and unpublished memoir, fiction, and medical writing. Drawing valuable connections between cultural and historical collections held in libraries, archives, and museums, it will raise awareness of the public memory of polio. Field of research: 4303 - Historical Studies This project uses existing oral history recordings held in libraries and repositories, combined with a range of archival records, medical writing and public health data, to expand our historical understanding of Australia’s experience of poliomyelitis (polio). The new knowledge produced by this research is valuable and relevant as polio makes a return in some places in the world: it will remind us how virulent polio was, and of its effects on members of our present aged population living with post-polio illness. Polio affected thousands of people in Australia between 1950 and 1970. The project will help to explain the impact of polio on families during major outbreaks of infection. Australia's health system can learn from the social and community responses to polio before vaccines took effect in the mid-twentieth century and led to the end of polio in Australia. For example, research into the extent of our public memory of polio, and events such as the past public health promotion of the Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) from 1967, are important to current vaccination debates. This research will benefit students, researchers, medical professionals and the public through peer-reviewed research articles, an edited book collection, a Polio Archive Mapping Site to make historical memories of polio accessible via digital humanities techniques, and PhD research into public health measures and vaccination promotion in the 1950s and 60s.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Theory-based solutions for the pervasive problem of response bias. Self-report data inform basic research and applied studies across many fields including psychology, economics, and medicine. Response bias poses a fundamental problem: what different people mean by "strongly agree" is not the same. This project aims to develop psychological theory to understand and measure response biases in self-report. By understanding the decision-making process that converts internal states into external responses, this approach identifies biases directly from data without relying on assumptions about response styles. This advance is significant for improving the truthfulness of self-report data, while also providing a theoretical understanding of how people use think about and communicate their internal preferences. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology Self-response surveys are a key tool in psychological, economic, and social research and can provide insights into human thoughts and feelings. Important decisions in health, business, and public policy rely on self-response survey data to measure internal attitudes and preferences, but response bias distorts the results. Response biases are things such as how different people interpret words like "Strongly Agree". This research aims to develop a deeper understanding of self-reports based on a mathematical model of human decision making. This will improve the reliability of research across multiple fields, with clear paths to direct impact on policy. For Australians, this means a potential for better evidence-based policy choices in business, healthcare, and public decision-making, based on more accurate data. The benefits extend to industries such as health, economics, and consumer research, where precise insights into people’s preferences and behaviours can lead to improved decision-making. To maximise impact, we have developed a clear pathway for promoting our findings beyond academia, including working to de-bias and improve self-report measures which are regularly used to inform policy. Our project will produce easy-to-use software tools and provide training materials and workshops targeted at a very general audience.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Bioengineering Salt Tolerant Proteins: Crop Solutions from Wild Plants. Salinity affects 30% of global agricultural land, with climate change exacerbating the issue and leaving many crops unproductive. Wild plants like Salicornia (Samphire), which thrive in salty environments, provide valuable insights into building crop resilience. This project focuses on understanding how Salicornia protects its protein production machinery under high salinity, particularly through a newly identified RNA-binding protein. By uncovering these unique mechanisms, we aim to bioengineer salt tolerance into crops. The outcomes could enable sustainable farming on degraded lands, allow irrigation with saline water, and provide high-value crop options for farmers, addressing both economic and environmental challenges. Field of research: 3108 - Plant Biology Salinity is a growing challenge in Australian agriculture, reducing usable farmland and threatening food production. Climate change is causing freshwater shortages and expanding land and water salinity, making it harder to grow essential crops. This not only affects farm profitability but also the mental health of farmers who are struggling with these challenges. This research aims to develop technology to build resilience into the DNA of high-value food crops, allowing farmers to maintain productivity and future-proof Australian agriculture. Next generation technologies will harness the natural tolerance of salt-thriving plants to equip high-value horticultural crops with the ability to withstand salinity, increasing crop yields, securing Australia’s food supply as well as developing its export potential. This will boost the national economy by making productive use of land that is currently too salty for farming and create opportunities to repurpose unused saline water from the Murray-Darling Basin. It will support industry through partnerships with grower groups, Hort Innovation and private enterprises and outcomes will be promoted through targeted media engagement. This research will support sustainable land use, ensuring that even degraded and marginal lands contribute to food production. By investing in resilience today, we can secure a stable and sustainable food future for generations to come.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Performance Optimisation of Pulley Lagging in High Capacity Conveyors. Every bulk material (eg Iron Ore, Lithium, Copper) is transported by belt conveyor at some point during production. As global demand for bulk materials increases, conveyor drive systems are failing at an increasing rate. These failures result in lost production, high costs, and contribute to 80,000 tonnes of rubber waste each year. This project aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of conveyor drive systems by studying the friction, wear, and fatigue of drive pulley lagging materials, and developing new design methods to reduce failures. The outcomes will improve productivity and sustainability of material handling, and be translated into new International design standards through existing channels. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Australia’s economic wealth is driven by resource-based industries, particularly mining and energy. In 2023, the resources sector contributed $455b in export revenue to the Australian economy or 66% of the total exports. As global demand for bulk materials increases exponentially (900% for Lithium by 2040, 200% for Copper by 2040), efficiency improvements across material handling and transport chains are critical. One integral area for improvement is belt conveyor design. Every ton of bulk material, such as Iron Ore and Copper, is transported via belt conveyor at some stage in its production, with more than 50% of mines having 25 to 100 km of belt conveyors within them. But the current design of belt conveyors is outdated, cannot meet the required demand, and have high failure rates of its constituent pulleys, lagging and belts, resulting in considerable production downtime, high costs, and excessive rubber waste (up to 80,000 tonnes every year). This project develops a new model for conveyor drive system design, replacing the current industry standard from 1769. This model focuses on the three primary sources of failure; traction, fatigue and wear, using verified experimental data to optimise drive design. Outcomes of the research will be translated to industry through short courses and industry-based conferences, prior to being integrated into conveyor design standards.

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

Advanced Geotechnical Strategies for Safeguarding Coastal Cliffs Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Is bad stronger than good when it comes to youth experiences in sport? . “Bad is stronger than good” reflects a broader psychological phenomenon where negative events or experiences have a stronger impact on individuals than positive ones. This concept has been explored in various contexts, including education, relationships, and media consumption. This innovative project aims to investigate this phenomena in the context of youth sport and explore strategies used by sport coaches that may support or thwart young people’s wellbeing. Expected outcomes of this multidisciplinary project include a tool for measuring the observable characteristics of sport that influence wellbeing. It will also generate new knowledge to inform international guidelines about how to ‘optimise’ sport to enhance wellbeing in youth. Field of research: 3901 - Curriculum and Pedagogy This research has been designed to understand the observable characteristics of community sport that may optimise or undermine adolescents’ wellbeing. More specifically, this study will explore whether and how supportive (i.e., good) and unsupportive (i.e., bad) coach behaviours affect adolescents’ wellbeing and sport dropout. This project will involve the development of a new measure for observing coach behaviours that support and thwart wellbeing in the context of community sport. This research will have social and economic benefits for Australia by generating new knowledge that may be used to improve adolescents’ experiences in community sport and reducing the substantial costs associated with physical inactivity and poor wellbeing. A range of strategies will be used to maximise the reach of the project findings beyond academia. These include publications in open access journals, a public forum held at the University of Newcastle, media articles, animated videos designed for social media dissemination, and regular presentations. Non-government and government stakeholders (e.g., Australian Sports Commission) will be invited to contribute to the development of a brief video-based coaching module for community coaches that will be disseminated using the purpose-built learning management system based in the Centre for Active Living and Learning at the University of Newcastle.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Asia-Pacific Perspectives on Homelessness and Climate Change. Employing an Asia-Pacific perspective from Cambodia and India, this project aims to understand how homeless people, as the most vulnerable segment of society, have also been the hardest hit by ongoing climate disasters. The research is significant for the comparative regional lens it will offer on the lived experiences of homeless people during times of acute and systemic vulnerability. The study will explore how and why people continue to slip through the cracks, particularly during climate crisis scenarios, and into life on the streets as a result of inadequate social supports that could be afforded to secure livelihoods. Field of research: 4406 - Human Geography All countries are susceptible to the effects of climate change, making it a shared global responsibility. The ability of neighbouring countries to support marginalised communities during times of climate crisis has significant implications for Australia in terms of both foreign policy and social consequences. This project looks at homelessness in the Asia-Pacific region to understand how grassroots organising is used by marginalised communities when faced with climate-related disasters. By studying how homeless communities cope without formal state interventions during climate disasters, we can develop the insights needed to strengthen regional capacity in securing housing for vulnerable populations. As Australia itself faces increasing environmental threats and climate-related disasters, this research offers valuable insights into how grassroots community organising can result in more effective crisis management. Understanding how to better respond to the increasingly combined experiences of homelessness and climate disaster fills a critical knowledge gap. With most refugees arriving in Australia from the Asia-Pacific region, this project helps to position Australia as a supportive international neighbour by developing research expertise that aims to empower local agency among vulnerable people. A series of workshops in both field sites as well as in Newcastle will help to promote this research beyond academia, maximising the potential for understanding and future uptake.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Advancing direct electrolytic iron production in molten salts. This project aims to advance direct electrolytic iron production in a molten salt environment using high temperature electrochemical and materials analysis techniques. This project will enable advancement of green iron by demonstrating effective operation on real iron ore inputs while achieving a high purity iron product using stable low cost materials. Outcomes of this project will include quantification of molten salt treatment and recovery, electrochemical techniques to control iron formation, and excellent materials stability within the salt system. This will provide significant benefits through demonstration of a viable, cost effective route for making iron from medium-grade Australian iron ores without greenhouse gas emissions. Field of research: 4019 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy The production of green iron results in significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional iron-making processes. One promising method uses electricity to extract iron from iron ore, instead of relying on coal or natural gas. This process is called direct electrolytic iron production. There are several different approaches being tested, from low-temperature water-based systems to ultra high-temperature methods. The method used in this project involves molten salt, which allows iron and oxygen to be separated from common types of iron ore in a single step. It doesn’t need hydrogen or water inputs, making it especially useful in dry regions like the Pilbara in Western Australia, where there are large iron ore deposits. This project focuses on using medium-quality ores, specifically goethite-hematite ores, which are the main types exported from Australia. Currently these ores can only be processed using traditional blast furnaces that burn coal and release a lot of greenhouse gases. This new method will offer a zero-emission alternative. The resulting green iron, manufactured in Australia and exported, would help reduce the carbon footprint of iron production and support the shift away from fossil fuels. Boosting economic benefits from iron production without causing greenhouse gas emissions is a key goal of the project. With support from industry partners, this research will lead to real-world solutions and a more sustainable future for Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Autonomous Robotic Manipulation of Small and Soft Objects under Constraints. This project addresses the challenge of autonomous robotic manipulation of fragile soft objects in constrained environments by generating new knowledge in real-time perception, tool–object interaction modelling, and constraint-aware control. It will advance understanding of how robots can safely and precisely operate in visually restricted spaces and on deformable materials, using innovations such as shadow-based depth estimation, dual-focus-view learning, and multi-constraint control. Outcomes include new control algorithms, validated robotic prototypes, and transferable perception strategies, strengthening Australia’s robotics capability and industry collaboration. Field of research: 4007 - Control Engineering, Mechatronics and Robotics This project will advance Australia's capability in intelligent robotics by developing new control and perception technologies that enable autonomous manipulation of soft, fragile objects in physically constrained environments. The research addresses a critical knowledge gap in enabling robots to interact safely and precisely with deformable materials, an area of increasing importance across multiple sectors. The outcomes will have significant national benefits. In healthcare, the project will lay the foundation for safer, more accessible microsurgical technologies that reduce operator workload and improve patient outcomes. In industry, the same robotic control strategies can be applied to agricultural robotics for gentle fruit defect detection, or to manufacturing tasks such as quality inspection of soft components, boosting product consistency and reducing damage-related losses. These innovations directly align with Australia’s priorities in advanced manufacturing and medical technologies. The project will be delivered through a strong academic–industry partnership, ensuring practical relevance and accelerating translation. Findings will be disseminated through open-access research, industry demonstrations, and public outreach activities. This project not only contributes to Australia’s research leadership but also equips local industries with tools for global competitiveness in intelligent automation, supporting advanced workforce training and high-value job creation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Nonlinear topology optimisation for stretchable mechanical structures. This project aims to develop a novel computational framework for design of stretchable mechanical structures with tailored, exceptional performance. It will address a critical methodological gap in “inverse design” of novel stretchable structures by advancing numerical modelling, data-driven, and optimisation approaches in a nonlinear regime. Expected outcomes include innovative design schemes and development of a new class of stretchable structures to meet increasingly complex functional demands. This could provide significant benefits for technical innovations in soft robotics, wearable technologies, biomedical devices, and energy-absorbing systems, enabling new applications across engineering disciplines. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering High-performance structures play a crucial role in scientific discovery and technological innovation. Among them, stretchable structures, capable of undergoing large deformations while maintaining structural integrity, have unique mechanical properties that could transform industries such as electronics, manufacturing, and safety. However, growing demand for stretchable structures with sophisticated performance beyond naturally available methods has been hindered by costly and inefficient trial-and-error design processes. Addressing this challenge is essential to sustaining Australia’s leadership in these high-impact and emerging sectors. This project aims to develop new design approaches to enable more efficient and effective creation of stretchable structures While focused on fundamental methodologies, its applications span soft robotics, flexible electronics, stretchable lithium-ion batteries, protective systems, wearable monitors, and soft implants. Findings will be widely disseminated through social media, seminars, and outreach activities. This project aligns with the “Future Made in Australia” strategy, strengthening Australia’s expertise in computational modelling, smart manufacturing, and advanced materials and structures. It will support long-term industrial growth, position Australia as a global leader in technological advancements, and deliver lasting national benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Building the sperm RNA profile: Mechanisms of acquisition and modulation. Paternal non-genetic inheritance has been shown to be driven by changing ecosystems in many species. Although RNAs have been identified as the primary non-genetic factor in sperm, contributing to fertility and breeding success, their modulation within the reproductive tract remains unclear. This project aims to address how environmental exposures alter the RNA profile of sperm prior to conception and impact offspring, generating new global knowledge in non-genetic inheritance. Expected outcomes include insights and biological strategies to respond to and mitigate the impact of our changing ecosystem. In the face of current unprecedented environmental shifts this will provide benefits to animals of conservation and agricultural significance. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology Non-genetic inheritance results from factors other than a change in the DNA sequence of gametes and leads to the transmission of phenotypes to offspring in response to environmental change. Indeed, the paternal environment can have lasting effects across multiple generations, impacting economic factors such as the cost of managing affected livestock, reduced livestock breeding efficiencies as well as ecosystem sustainability. While the non-genetic factors in sperm that affect offspring traits have been identified, how these non-genetic factors are controlled is poorly understood. This project aims to discover how environmental changes in males alter the non-genetic content of their sperm. This research will benefit Australia by making fundamental discoveries that can be applied to male reproductive biology, evolutionary and RNA biology, epigenetics, and environmental exposure impact. Over time this could assist with improved breeding strategies to enhance livestock health and productivity, as well as new biotechnology protocols which will have economical and commercial benefits to Australia. These opportunities will be explored through partnership with agriculture and biotechnology industries. Moreover, by fostering new national and international collaborations, this project will amplify the impact of valuable ARC funding. Research advancements will be shared with relevant stakeholders in the agriculture and biotechnology sectors as well as the general public more broadly.

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

Bioengineering Salt Tolerant Proteins: Crop Solutions from Wild Plants Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research