THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Computational Framework for Fabricating with Sustainable Living Materials. Fungi and their root network mycelia are our planet’s mass-recycling system and provide a unique, carbon-neutral approach to recycling organic waste into useful products. However, the current approaches used in mycelium-based manufacturing significantly affect scalability and reproducibility, deterring widespread adoption. This project aims to develop a computational fabrication framework that leverages mycelia's living characteristics, particularly hyphal fusion, to enable scalable re-manufacturing with organic waste. The outcomes of the project will lead to significant scientific advances and new methodologies in utilising living materials, along with applied implications for informing processes and tools used in bio-manufacturing. Field of research: 4608 - Human-Centred Computing It is estimated that increasing Australia’s organic waste recycling rate by 16% could generate A$771 million in sales and add A$274 million value to the industry. Fungi are our planet’s mass-recycling system. Fungal mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, consume organic waste and can transform it into useful materials (similar to wood or leather), organically remanufacturing waste into commercial products. This project aims to advance our understanding of how mycelium-based materials, or myco-materials, can be used in manufacturing at a scale that enables adaptation in applications such as furniture, construction, and architecture. The project addresses significant problems arising from mycelia's slow and inconsistent growth that hinder the broader adaptation of myco-materials in the industry by using their growth characteristics to make computational design and fabrication processes faster and more consistent. The knowledge and technologies generated by the project will enable Australia to utilise the local waste streams in manufacturing, improve organic waste management, and develop new, carbon-neutral, local manufacturing capabilities to support a circular economy that will create new business and job opportunities. Research outcomes will be published in scientific literature, press releases, and social, print, and audio-visual media. Target audiences are organic waste management and manufacturing stakeholders, including the local and federal government.

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

Understanding the interplay between chromatin architecture and DNA... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Understanding, Identifying, and Mitigating Vulnerabilities in LLMs. Large language models (LLMs) are widely used but still suffer from jailbreaking attacks that can elicit harmful responses, raising broad society’s concerns about LLMs’ risks. This project aims to enhance the security of LLMs by understanding, identifying, and addressing the fundamental weaknesses that make them susceptible to such attacks. Expected outcomes include theoretical analyses of LLMs’ weaknesses, developing a universal jailbreaking attack to detect diverse vulnerabilities, and facilitating a reliable defence to mitigate them. This will benefit society by ensuring AI technologies align with human values and uphold positive impacts, enabling a safe deployment of LLM systems with public trust in critical sectors. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science Australia’s growing reliance on LLMs across sectors such as education, law, finance, and public services brings significant opportunities but also critical safety risks. This project will directly strengthen Australia’s capacity to safeguard digital infrastructure by developing foundational knowledge and practical tools for understanding, identifying, and mitigating vulnerabilities in LLMs, with a particular focus on jailbreaking attacks. These attacks pose a real threat to AI safety, enabling malicious actors to bypass safety guardrails and generate harmful, biased, or unethical content. By advancing defense strategies and safety evaluation, this research supports national objectives around responsible AI deployment, cybersecurity, and digital trust. The outcomes will benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including government regulators and industries integrating LLMs into decision-making pipelines. Furthermore, releasing open-source tools and datasets will enhance transparency, encourage collaboration, and create safety standards aligned with Australia’s AI Ethics Principles. This project will also help build sovereign capabilities in AI safety by training the next generation of researchers in trustworthy AI. By strengthening Australia’s expertise and leadership in this emerging field, the project supports job creation, enhances national resilience to AI risks, and ensures Australia remains globally competitive in secure and ethical AI innovation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Early Career Experiences in Frontline Occupations: A Gender Lens. This project aims to examine how early-career experiences shape workers’ career intentions in frontline occupations. Poor working conditions, including excessive workloads, underpayment, and harassment, reinforce gendered employment patterns and contribute to persistent labour shortages that undermine Australia's economic productivity and growth. Studying 4 occupations with distinct gender compositions, this project provides novel insights into how entry-level conditions influence career retention, progression and gendered labour-market segmentation. Benefits include evidence-based strategies to guide policy and practice to improve job quality and safety in frontline occupations, reducing turnover and strengthening workforce sustainability. Field of research: 3505 - Human Resources and Industrial Relations Australia’s frontline workforce is essential to economic stability and social wellbeing, yet chronic shortages in key occupations—nursing/midwifery, electrical trades, retail, and hospitality—threaten critical services. High turnover and entrenched gender segregation worsen these shortages, reducing economic productivity and increasing costs for consumers, businesses, and governments. There is limited research on how early-career experiences and gender dynamics shape career intentions and retention. This study addresses this gap by examining entry-level workers’ experiences in four occupations with distinct gender compositions. This research will benefit Australia by informing strategies to improve job quality and safety, and foster workforce sustainability in these crucial frontline roles. It will also equip policymakers and industry stakeholders with evidence-based recommendations to reduce turnover, enhance recruitment and training, and improve job security. Strengthening workforce retention will lower replacement costs, support long-term workforce planning, and safeguard essential services. To maximise impact, research outcomes will be widely shared through public reports, policy briefings, and media engagement. Investing in this research ensures a more stable, diverse, and resilient workforce, ensuring the viability of frontline occupations that underpin Australia’s economy and social fabric.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Are histones or transcription factors the codemasters in gene regulation? All organisms switch thousands of genes on and off in a precisely orchestrated manner, but through mechanisms that are still mysterious in many ways. This project aims to redefine our understanding of the regulation of gene expression in complex organisms by defining the molecular choreography executed by three essential classes of proteins working in concert. The project will leverage our recent discoveries and use advanced approaches in cellular, molecular and structural biology to challenge existing dogma. The outcome will be a deeper understanding of a process conserved over hundreds of millions of years, which will significantly benefit future efforts to modulate gene activity in fields such as agriculture and medicine. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This application investigates one of the most fundamental and long-standing questions in biology – how does an organism ‘read’ the right parts of its genome at the right times and in the right places to develop and thrive? The answers to this question are largely shared by all complex organisms, ranging from fungi to plants and animals and beyond. The delineation of the mechanisms by which the genome is interpreted will have significant implications across medicine, agriculture and biotechnology. As well as providing a deeper understanding of life on earth, determination of these mechanisms will potentially enable the Australian agricultural industry to deliver more efficient and higher-quality agricultural production and provide new avenues for the Australian biotechnology sector to develop innovative approaches for the treatment for a range of human disorders. Important examples already exist of such applications and a stronger grasp of the underlying mechanisms will significantly expand opportunities to have economic, therapeutic and agricultural impact. As one example, the outcomes of this project will be used as the foundation for translational research projects aimed at modulating gene expression patterns in agricultural pests, through engagement with Rural Development Corporations and their stakeholders.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Causal Representation Learning for Controllable Text-To-Image Generation . This project aims to improve the controllability of existing text-to-image generation models. It expects to generate new knowledge for multimodal generative models by leveraging causal representation learning and contributes to the development of more trustworthy, interpretable, and controllable generative AI. Expected outcomes include the creation of a new large-scale multimodal benchmark dataset, the development of multiple practical controllable text-to-image generation models, and the establishment of theoretical guarantees for these models. This research will provide significant benefits by enabling safer AI applications across different domains and mitigating risks associated with unreliable or biased AI outputs. Field of research: 4603 - Computer Vision and Multimedia Computation Australia’s rapid adoption of generative AI presents both opportunities and risks for industry, society, and government. This project will directly strengthen Australia’s role in the global digital economy by developing safer, more interpretable text-to-image AI capable of generating coherent and accurate imagery. By ensuring images align exactly with user intent, these advancements benefit sectors such as design, advertising, healthcare, scientific visualization, and accessibility technologies, enhancing productivity and lowering costs for local businesses. In doing so, the project meets national objectives around fostering innovation, growing advanced technology industries, and ensuring responsible AI development. Further, the research addresses key concerns around AI reliability and trustworthiness by embedding causal reasoning into generative models, making them more transparent and predictable. This aligns with Australia’s commitment to ethical AI, reducing potential biases and misinformation. By building essential expertise in causal representation learning and training the next generation of AI researchers, the project solidifies Australia’s reputation for leading-edge AI innovation. As a result, it attracts international collaboration, supports skilled job creation, and contributes to the broader public interest, ensuring Australia remains competitive and secure in an evolving global digital landscape.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Unravelling the Internal Physics of Stars that have Rotational Twists. This project aims to study a newly discovered class of astronomical objects — stars with rotational 'twists', whose insides and outsides rotate around different axes. These stars remain poorly understood, as they have only just been discovered. This project expects to observationally characterise and search for more such rotationally twisted stars, to describe their physical features, and to study the astrophysical implications of their internal rotational misalignment. In order to do so, this project will develop and deploy novel analysis techniques for measuring the internal structure and rotation of stars. This will qualitatively advance the state of the art in both the theory and observations of internal stellar rotation. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences All stars spin; this drives their magnetism and shapes their internal structure. Astronomers measure this spin using starquakes, just as seismologists use earthquakes to study the Earth's interior. Using this, we have found that the insides of some stars not only spin more quickly than their outsides, but might even be "twisted": their insides and outsides might rotate around different directions altogether. Because we have only discovered one instance of this in the wild, we do not know for sure how this physical situation might come about, or how common (or rare) it might be. It could signify that stars like this may have previously eaten their planets, experienced severe tides from stellar companions, or been influenced by close gravitational encounters with interstellar objects. Alternatively, it may suggest that certain kinds of waves may behave more violently, deep in the interiors of stars, than previously imagined. This project will study unusually rotating stars of this kind. It will search for more specimens of core-envelope rotational misalignment using measurements from space telescopes of thousands of these stars, and study the physical consequences of this misalignment using state-of-the-art computational hydrodynamics. It will qualitatively advance our understanding of stellar astrophysics, and cement Australia's global research leadership in it.

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

Making the Modern Middle East: The New Artist-Illustrators, 1842-1890 Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Reducing Otherness: Blurring Category Boundaries to Decrease Prejudice. People tend to believe that members of social groups share an underlying essence or nature that makes them who they are. This essentialist thinking often shapes how we navigate our social world, with research identifying a host of (mostly harmful) attitudinal and behavioural outcomes (e.g., prejudice, stereotyping). The proposed research examines the discreteness bias, a neglected aspect of essentialist thinking, to improve our conceptual understanding of its role and modify destructive perceptions of groups stigmatised on the basis of sexuality, mental health, and race. The proposal offers a promising new approach to reducing prejudice and maladaptive, internalised self-beliefs by blurring group boundaries and promoting continuum thinking. Field of research: 5205 - Social and Personality Psychology Psychological essentialism is a group of cognitive biases that lead people to believe that members of a social category (e.g., race) share a basic nature that makes them who they are. Much research indicates that these biases predict mostly deleterious interpersonal (e.g., prejudice) and intrapersonal (e.g., self-rejection) outcomes. Whereas attempts to reduce essentialism as a whole show limited efficacy, the proposal aims to directly target a specific essentialist bias, the discreteness bias, which has been largely overlooked despite evidence identifying it as the most detrimental one. This bias revolves around erroneously perceiving the boundaries of social categories as fundamental and rigid – amplifying alienation from outgroup members and prejudiced beliefs. Recent research demonstrates that challenging the premise of the discreteness bias is possible and can lead to improved outcomes; this proposal will extend this research conceptually, geographically, and temporally. Attenuating the discreteness bias and its unsavoury effects can reduce tensions between different social groups in Australia and save billions of dollars annually in health and productivity enhancements from improved social cohesion and well-being. Thus, the project’s findings will be shared directly with the public using both traditional and new media; it will also be shared with relevant stakeholders (e.g., advocacy groups) directly to initiate real-world implementation in a timely manner.

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

Mechanistic and Epidemiological Evaluation of Long-Term Complications in... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Symbiotic Synergies: How the Body Became a Chimera (1950-2000) . This project aims to investigate how central concepts in today’s revolutionary microbiome paradigm formed in earlier microbiology. We seek to study how the microbes inhabiting us came to be seen as symbiotic, and how certain concepts of symbiosis led to a new view of human bodies as multi-species chimeras. The project aims to generate historical and philosophical knowledge that can inform the metamorphoses biomedicine is now undergoing in the light of discoveries showing that health and disease depend on our microbes. Expected outcomes are novel interdisciplinary insights into the conceptual transformations that led to microbiome science. Benefits include a public-facing combination of scientific, historical and philosophical knowledge. Field of research: 5002 - History and Philosophy of Specific Fields Microbiome science is expected to bring great health benefits to Australians, which is why the nation has invested so heavily in this research area. This project will help bring about those benefits by addressing conceptual problems that leading scientists of the field have identified as obstacles to achieving microbiome discoveries and applications. These obstacles have arisen from the interaction of foundational concepts with research approaches. Project researchers will apply a novel historical and philosophical analysis of how microbiologists have used key concepts such as “homeostasis” and “normal” in their work on the microbes of human digestive systems over the past three generations. By showing how these focal concepts have shaped technologies and theories, the planned research will reveal the origins of current problems and how to untangle them. The project will also bring Australia cultural benefit by building on its already prominent scholarship in history and philosophy of science, especially around microbiology, by generating a node of expertise in the humanities to match Australia’s world-class microbiome science. In addition to contributing to long-term health benefits through advances in microbiome science, the researchers will engage in multimedia outreach with the broader Australian community by advancing critically informed discussion of the health and environmental implications of microbiome knowledge.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The multiscale, adaptive brain: neuromodulatory control of information flow. This project will investigate how the brain coordinates its activity across different scales to support flexible cognition and behaviour. By integrating physics-inspired analysis, biophysical modelling, and existing cross-species imaging datasets, this research will reveal how neuromodulatory systems regulate information flow and neural organisation. These insights will advance our understanding of the fundamental principles governing brain function. Expected outcomes include next-generation multiscale models, high-impact publications, and international collaborations. This research will strengthen Australia’s leadership in computational and systems neuroscience while providing advanced training for the next generation of neuroscientists. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology How does the brain coordinate its own neural activity, from individual neurons to whole-brain systems, to support flexible thinking and behaviour? This project will combine theoretical models, empirical data, and physics-inspired analytical techniques to uncover the fundamental principles of brain function. These insights have broad societal implications, including innovations in brain-inspired artificial intelligence and enhanced understanding of behaviour and problem-solving. By strengthening Australia’s global leadership in neuroscience and biophysical modelling, this research will also contribute to the nation’s high-tech and data-driven industries. Additionally, the project will train highly skilled scientists, foster international collaboration, and drive technological advancements that support economic growth.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

From Diversity to Disease: Viral Ecology, Evolution and Persistence in Bats. Bats are a source of diverse viruses that can be fatal in humans, yet we know little about how this diversity is maintained. This project aims to determine how ecological stress and immune strategies in colonial-living bats generate diverse viral communities. We will use phylodynamic and community ecology approaches to construct a novel framework explaining how these ecological and immune factors facilitate transmission of new viruses to humans. Our ecological framework will help shift the paradigm of pandemic prevention research from single viruses to real-world viral communities. This will provide benefits through targeted pathogen surveillance, enhanced global pandemic prevention strategies and stronger One Health capacity in Australia. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Bats host viruses that can be fatal in humans and other animals. Generally, we expect that closely related viruses compete, with one or the other emerging as the dominant circulating strain. We saw this in COVID-19 as delta, then omicron, overtook the original outbreak strains. But in bats, many closely related viruses can circulate within populations—or even the same individual—at the same time. Our research examines how diverse viral communities are maintained in bats and the implications for spillover to other species. Australia is uniquely positioned to lead this work, using Hendra and related viruses in flying foxes as a model system. Our project builds on a foundation of nearly 30 years of ecological, environmental, climate and virological data and insights that have enabled successful prediction of spillover events. Understanding these processes will underpin development of ecological interventions that could prevent spillover of multiple viruses simultaneously—a fundamentally new approach to pandemic prevention. This will protect Australia's public health, livestock industries, and economy from costly outbreaks while preserving essential bat ecosystems. We will translate our findings into practical tools for disease surveillance and prediction for high priority bat pathogens globally, through collaborations across human, animal and wildlife health government departments, supporting Australia’s strategic positioning as a global leader in One Health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The Maslov Index for non-Hamiltonian systems. This project will uncover how the shape and structure (geometry) of solutions to partial differential equations influence how they change over time. By focusing on the inherent geometry of these systems, the project will deepen our understanding of how non-conservative systems behave dynamically. Key outcomes include: insights into the behavior of stable, coherent patterns; a clearer understanding of how spatial patterns interact with time-based changes in systems; and innovative applications of classical mathematical methods to complex systems involving multiple scales. These findings will advance modeling and analysis, with practical applications in fields such as nanotechnology, superconductors, and non-linear optics. Field of research: 4904 - Pure Mathematics Partial differential equations are used to model a vast array of processes in almost all areas of science and engineering, from cancer growth to how fibre optic cables work. However, there is still much that is not known about the solutions to these equations and how they behave. Developing new methods for determining stability of solutions will have a major impact on understanding the behaviour behind these models. The geometric ideas emerging from this research will give new insight into how systems evolve in space and time, with potentially far-reaching implications. Aspects of this research already have clear applications to the superconductor and nano-material industries.

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

Stabilising perovskite photovoltaics by (A,B)-site co-doping Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Statistical methods for the analysis of spatial omics technologies. This project aims to develop bioinformatics methodology to analyse data generated by advanced spatial proteomic and transcriptomic technologies, enabling deep characterisation of cells in their native tissue environment. This project expects to generate multiple quantitative frameworks essential for studying complex cell relationships with these technologies using an innovative combination of statistical and bioinformatics techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced analytical capacity to understand how cells interact with each other and their surroundings. This should provide significant benefits by strengthening Australia’s research capabilities in spatial biology, bioinformatics, and data analysis. Field of research: 3102 - Bioinformatics and Computational Biology This project addresses a critical gap in the ability to analyse complex spatial omics data generated by cutting-edge technologies such as spatial proteomics and transcriptomics. While these technologies provide unprecedented detail about how cells and molecules are organised and interact within their natural environments, existing analytical methods are not equipped to fully harness the richness of these new datasets. This project will create innovative analytical methods that are needed to help researchers make sense of the complex spatial data these technologies are generating and will provide a clearer picture of how different cells and molecules are organised and interact in diverse systems. By creating more powerful and accessible analytical tools, this project will strengthen Australia’s capabilities in data science, spatial analysis, and bioinformatics. The improved methods will help researchers from diverse fields—such as biology, medicine, ecology, and environmental science—better understand how cells in complex systems function and respond to change. The project’s results will be shared through freely available software, training workshops, and collaborations with researchers across Australia and internationally. This approach will ensure the methods developed are accessible to a wide range of users, encouraging innovation and enhancing Australia’s reputation as a leader in advanced data analysis.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Cellular targets and mechanisms of action of C. barnesi Irukandji venom. This project investigates the cellular targets and mechanisms of action of Carukia barnesi venom, the cause of Irukandji Syndrome, a life-threatening condition linked to severe pain and autonomic dysfunction. With warming waters expanding the habitat of C. barnesi toward populated areas, understanding its venom is crucial. Using cutting-edge functional genomic and CRISPR screening technologies, we aim to identify bioactive peptides in the venom and their mammalian targets. This globally unique research combines expertise in venom biology, genomics, and toxin biology to address a critical knowledge gap, advancing venom science and informing strategies to manage and mitigate the impacts of Irukandji Syndrome. Field of research: 4103 - Environmental Biotechnology This project will uncover how the venom of Carukia barnesi—a jellyfish responsible for Irukandji syndrome—affects the human body. This venom triggers intense physiological and psychological symptoms, including extreme pain and a sense of impending doom, yet no specific treatments exist. As ocean temperatures rise, the geographic range of this species is expanding toward densely populated coastlines, increasing the risk to Australians. Using globally unique genomic technologies developed by the research team, this project will identify the biologically active toxins in C. barnesi venom and determine their effects on human cells. It will also identify the specific human genes targeted by the venom, providing the molecular insight needed to guide antivenom development or the creation of new bioactive tools. The research addresses an urgent national need in environmental health and marine toxinology. Findings will support Australia’s emergency medicine and public health preparedness and may also create commercial opportunities in drug discovery. Outcomes will be disseminated via high-impact publications, international conferences, public media, and open-access platforms. Key tools and data will be made available to researchers and industry worldwide, ensuring broad translation, uptake, and long-term benefit.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Uncovering the biochemical basis for age-dependent myelin loss. Myelin is a fatty substance wrapped tightly around our nerves, providing electrical insulation and metabolic support that are essential for nervous system function. Myelin is a pillar of humans’ advanced cognitive abilities but is lost with ageing, causing a decline in cognitive and physical abilities. This project aims to solve the mystery of why vertebrates lose myelin with ageing, using innovative mass spectrometry methods. Specifically, the project will determine if the generation of new myelin decreases and break-down of existing myelin increases with ageing, and identify the cell types mediating normal myelin turnover with ageing. This will create a technical and knowledge platform to fuel advances in healthy and productive lifespan. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences Australia’s population is ageing, increasing the need for aged and health care services while decreasing government revenue. Ageing is associated with a deterioration in nervous system function that reduces our cognitive and physical capabilities. This project employs advanced cell and molecular science to understand why the function of our nervous system declines with ageing, resulting in reduced cognitive and physical capability. Specifically, it will explain why myelin, the fatty substance that provides electrical insulation for our nervous system, deteriorates with ageing. Myelin controls cognition, emotion, and movement, and its deterioration is almost certainly a key cause of declining capability with ageing. Future benefits will include the development of interventions to preserve or restore myelin, thereby improving Australians’ productivity and quality of life as we age, and preventing age-related dementia. Outcomes will be highlighted through social media, media releases, and international conferences attended by industry partners and aged care professionals. Australia must maintain its competitive position in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary brain science to keep pace internationally and create opportunities in the AU$1 trillion neuroscience market. The technological innovation in this project will fuel collaborations with biotechnology partners, and students will receive training in interdisciplinary skills that are highly valued in the biotechnology industry.

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

Investigating the inclusion of spillover effects in economic evaluation... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Understanding the interplay between chromatin architecture and DNA repair. Chromatin architecture is crucial for many biological processes, the most well described being transcriptional regulation; however, the interplay between 3D chromatin organisation and DNA repair pathway engagement remains to be characterised. The overarching aim of this project is to investigate how chromatin architecture regulates DNA repair. We will focus on the role ATR-activating proteins play in recruiting the nucleosome remodelling and deacetylase (NuRD) chromatin remodelling complex to promote long-range chromatin interactions and homologous recombination (HR)-mediated repair. This project will create new knowledge of how DNA repair pathways are activated, and characterise a level of DNA repair regulation not previously comprehended. Field of research: 3105 - Genetics Accurate DNA repair is of central importance to biology across all domains of life. Cells constantly face endogenous and exogenous threats that can cause DNA damage. To counteract these threats, cells activate a comprehensive and multifaceted DNA damage response. Ineffective or mismanaged DNA repair leads to genome instability. Enacting the DNA damage response requires cells to modify the complex highly-ordered three-dimensional structure of DNA. While we know these modifications occur, we know little about the chromatin remodelling complexes involved. This project will address this critical gap in knowledge through investigating the role of the NuRD chromatin remodelling complex in the DNA damage response. The outcomes of this project will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of the genome repair mechanisms that are essential for maintaining cellular health. This knowledge has wide-ranging benefits, with particular utility in cellular biotechnology and manufacturing, including agriculture, precision fermentation, recombinant DNA, DNA-based data storage, and cellular systems for food manufacturing. Additionally, accumulated DNA damage can impact normal cell function, tissue health, and cellular aging. Knowledge advancement of DNA repair mechanisms is therefore important for understanding how cells preserve genome integrity, and will support healthy aging, longevity, and overall cellular resilience throughout life.

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

Neuroimaging, Neural Models, and Neurobiology: A Fresh Look at Dementia Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Eating with our eyes: How does vision affect food decisions? Poor dietary choices have contributed to a health epidemic in the developed world. Vision plays a significant role in food decisions. This project goes beyond traditional approaches by investigating vision’s active role in food decisions. Utilizing behavioral and brain imaging studies, we will examine how visual processing influences food choices and how plasticity in the visual system shapes our perception of food. Led by a team with expertise in human vision, brain imaging, consumer decision-making, and clinical eating disorders, this research will advance our understanding of vision’s role in food choices while creating opportunities to develop strategies that encourage healthier eating habits. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology Humans make numerous daily food decisions—often based on appearance—yet knowledge of the visual brain’s role in food choice remains limited. This project applies recent advances in visual perception and the neurobiology of vision to gain new insights into food choice behaviour. Such sensory-based knowledge will complement the current understanding of food decision-making, which is largely dominated by higher-level cognitive factors, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive perspective on food choices. This knowledge is essential for addressing societal and health challenges related to food decision-making, particularly in an era of rising obesity rates and eating disorders. The research team includes experts in human vision, clinical eating disorders, and consumer decision-making, ensuring that translational impact is identified and developed for practical application. Potential future applications of the work include marketing strategies to promote healthier eating habits and the development of treatments for eating disorders. The project also fosters collaboration between the University of Sydney’s School of Psychology, Macquarie University’s Performance and Expertise Research Centre, InsideOut (Australia’s leading institute for the treatment of eating disorders), and a distinguished U.S. business school. This partnership promises a synergistic collaboration that will extend beyond the project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Software Exploit Generation. This project will develop an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of autonomously detecting and exploiting software vulnerabilities, mirroring the reasoning of elite human hackers. Existing security methods are slow, expensive and struggle to scale. By leveraging AI-driven reasoning, this research will push beyond pattern-based detection to automated, end-to-end security analysis. Blockchain serves as a testbed due to its transparent attack records. The outcomes will enhance cybersecurity, providing stronger defences for businesses, governments and individuals while positioning Australia at the forefront of AI-driven security innovation. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy This project is of national interest because it addresses the growing threat posed by software vulnerabilities that are exploited by malicious actors. In the 2023–24 financial year, the Australian cyber security centre reported over 87,400 cybercrime incidents — approximately one every six minutes—resulting in average financial losses of 30,700 AUD per individual and 49,600 AUD per small business. These alarming figures highlight the urgent need to bolster our cybersecurity defences. Cybersecurity is a critical national priority given the rising risks from cybercriminals and nation‐state actors. This project aligns with the 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy, which stresses that we must act now, and it demonstrates that Australia has a unique opportunity to lead by developing a generalised security agent. Beyond its technical merits, the project will build national research capability by organising workshops to bring world-leading researchers to australia, fostering collaboration between the australian security community and top international experts. It will also train two phd candidates and two honours students, providing invaluable research training that will prepare them for successful careers in both academia and industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Nanostructured fullerene-like catalytic reactor for solar fuel production. This project aims to achieve net-zero realization by synthesizing high-value solar alcohols, addressing challenges in conversion efficiency and selectivity. A novel fullerene-like nanostructured catalytic reactor, based on strontium titanate catalysts, will be developed to enhance photothermal efficiency and CO2 reduction. The research will establish fundamental knowledge on high-efficiency photothermal catalysts, their nanostructured reactors, and reaction mechanism for CO2 photoreduction. These advancements will drive artificial photosynthesis technology forward, supporting Australia's sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals. Field of research: 4011 - Environmental Engineering This project focuses on advancing the conversion of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, into value-added fuels like ethanol and propanol. It addresses the Australia's research gap in future and green energy, aligning with carbon-neutral aspirations. The project aims to efficiently reduce CO2 emissions and decrease reliance on traditional fossil fuels, addressing both energy and environmental crises—a crucial aspect of the "Australian way" program. By leveraging artificial photosynthesis for enhanced chemical production, the project creates innovation and development opportunities within Australia's energy sector. Moreover, it anticipates generating diverse employment prospects, spanning from non-technical roles to positions in engineering and management. The outcomes will be shared extensively through social media and media channels, maximizing awareness, understanding, and the potential for future research adoption. This comprehensive approach not only contributes to sustainable energy practices but also plays a vital role in advancing Australia's position in the global pursuit of environmentally friendly technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Advancing 3D Generative Foundation Model for Multi-scale Biomedical Images. This project aims to enhance 2D multi-scale biomedical image analysis by leveraging 3D information through advanced generative artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. While 3D biomedical imaging offers detailed insights, its high-cost limits accessibility, making 2D imaging more common. We propose developing a 3D generative foundation model for multi-scale biomedical images (3DGBio), trained on extensive multi-scale 2D-3D images, to generate 3D images from 2D counterparts. Our goals include creating a 2D-3D generative algorithm, fine-tuning it for specific biological scales. This approach will make advanced 3D insights more accessible and practical for various research applications and lead to potential long-term health sector benefits. Field of research: 4603 - Computer Vision and Multimedia Computation This project aims to revolutionise biomedical image analysis by developing a 3D generative foundation model (3DGBio) that leverages advanced generative artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to transform 2D images into 3D image volumes. Given the high cost and limited accessibility of 3D biomedical imaging, the project will democratise access to 3D images that offer detailed spatial insights and make them available for a broader range of research applications. By training the proposed model on extensive multi-scale biological images, the project will create a tool that allows researchers to generate 3D images from 2D scans quickly and accurately for novel biomedical applications. This innovation will significantly enhance the depth of biomedical image analysis research, potentially leading to improved quantification and understanding of biomedical image data. This research brings potential long-term benefits to the health sector including better disease models, improved decision support tools, and reduced healthcare costs. This project promotes Australia’s leadership in AI and biomedical innovation, aligning with national priorities in healthcare and technology. Outcomes will be shared through open-source tools, partnerships with medical and research organisations, and public engagement to support widespread use and benefit across sectors.