Australian National University

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

Positron and Positronium Collision Dynamics Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Decoding Stellar and Galactic Evolution through Star Clusters Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Differentiable optimisation for constrained three-dimensional shape design. Deep learning has revolutionized many areas of machine learning and now stands ready to address problems in science and engineering. This project will apply techniques from deep learning, specifically the ability to solve complex optimisation problems, to the task of constrained three-dimensional shape design. The outcome of the project will be a set of mathematical tools to assist engineers and designers. Such tools will accelerate the design and evaluation of three-dimensional shapes, such as airplane wings and implantable medical devices, that optimise operational performance while meeting manufacturing and structural constraints, significantly reducing development costs and time-to-market. Field of research: 4611 - Machine Learning Sovereign capability in artificial intelligence (AI) assisted tools is critical now more than ever. Investment in this project will further build Australia's deep expertise in foundational AI technologies, specifically deep learning and optimisation, to ensure competitiveness in the global AI market. The project establishes new and advanced mathematical techniques for constrained three-dimensional shape design building on recent advances in deep learning. It focuses on the application of these new techniques to the design of airfoils, such as airplane wings, and implantable medical devices to optimise performance and cost while meeting complex manufacturing and operational constraints. While the techniques developed will be more broadly applicable to other products and industries, these two examples---airfoil and medical device design---closely align with Australia's national research priorities delivering critical research to build a secure and resilient nation and help transition to a net zero future through advanced product design.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

How do cosmic rays shape the ecology of galaxies? Cosmic rays -- charged particles traveling through space at nearly the speed of light -- are an important constituent of galaxies, but we do not fully understand how they interact with galactic gas. This project will clarify that interaction by applying new computational techniques to predict emission from cosmic rays to observations from a new generation of Australian and international radio, gamma-ray, and neutrino telescopes. The improved understanding will in turn reveal the role of cosmic rays in shaping the formation and evolution of galaxies like our own Milky Way. This will have the cultural benefit of clarifying our cosmic origins, and will enhance Australian leadership of and science return from major international facilities. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences One of the oldest and most basic questions asked by all human cultures is "where did we come from?" In Australia today, this question drives public interest in astronomy and inspires new generations to pursue studies in science and engineering. This project will help answer a part of that question, by revealing the part in this origin story played by the mysterious particles known as cosmic rays -- particles that zip through space at nearly the speed of light, filling every part of our galaxy. The answers we obtain will be of broad interest to the public, and we will publicise them through venues such as The Conversation and other science magazines, and lectures aimed at the public. The process of obtaining the these answers will also provide training in fundamental research techniques that will prepare students for careers in a wide range of private- and public-sector professions that rely on mathematical and computer modelling, and where demand for skills is high. Students and postdocs trained by this project will be well-equipped for roles in areas such as data science, financial modelling, and space and defence applications, and our research group has a long history of training students to do into these fields. The project will also build on Australia's traditional strength in astronomical sciences, and help the country play a more prominent role in a number of major international scientific collaborations.

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

Handwritten: scribal culture and the early modern woman writer,... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

A platform for protein design and evolution in mammalian cells Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Handwritten: scribal culture and the early modern woman writer, 1500-1700. This project aims to transform our understanding of handwriting, uncovering early modern women's engagement with scribal cultures to investigate how, why, when and by whom handwriting was acquired and used. Almost nothing is known about this process, despite its critical contribution to women's education, literacy and textual agency. The cross-disciplinary team expects to develop new methodologies transferable to other material forms, technologies and periods, and share cutting-edge resources through digital methods and public outreach. This should build capacity in a new generation of researchers, open up the period to new publics, and change how we think about the significance, value and power of writing by hand, then and now. Field of research: 4705 - Literary Studies The practice of handwriting is crucial to literacy, communication, self-expression, and offers a direct window into human experience in the past. But handwriting in Australia is disappearing as keyboards replace the hand on the page. As our dependence on handwriting diminishes and our reliance on digital media increases, we risk losing this core skill connecting the past and present. The profound impact of this loss for Australians today - and how to counteract it - is yet to be understood. This project turns to the past to illuminate the enduring value of handwriting in the present. It will uncover a rich trove of handwritten documents by English Renaissance women, including those in Australian collections, to write a new literary history of writing by hand. This will unlock new knowledge about literacy, education, expression, creativity and labour, transforming understanding of this foundational skill. Using this new evidence, the project will develop innovative digital techniques and resources that emphasize human, embodied qualities over machine learning, and will share its findings through an open-source digital index of hands, public handwriting and transcription workshops, and outreach events with schools and national and state libraries. The project will allow a broad range of Australians to reassess the value and power of handwriting in the past and present, and will change how we understand and practice writing by hand in twenty-first century Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Bismuth-Powered Peptides and Proteins: A New Frontier in Drug Discovery. This project explores a new class of peptides and proteins by incorporating the non-toxic element bismuth. While bismuth is increasingly important in medicine, bismuth-containing peptides and proteins remain an emerging area of research. Utilising advanced technologies such as phage display and X-ray fluorescence microscopy, the project aims to design next-generation peptides and proteins and examine their interactions with cells. A key outcome of this project is to better understand the potential of bismuth-based peptides and proteins as future drug candidates. This research is expected to offer significant benefits to Australia's pharmaceutical and chemical industries by advancing drug discovery. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry Recent global health challenges have highlighted the importance of Australia being able to manufacture medicines and diagnostic tools locally—especially those based on peptides and proteins, which are essential for treating and detecting many diseases. However, creating these molecules is currently a complex and time-consuming process, which makes it more challenging for our pharmaceutical industry to expand. This project aims to address this problem by developing a novel method for modifying peptides and proteins using bismuth—a safe and environmentally friendly metal. Researchers will study how these bismuth-modified proteins interact with cells and use the findings to develop a powerful new technology that enhances the production process, making it faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. The project will not only help Australian biotech and pharmaceutical companies compete globally and bring new products to market more quickly, but also support strong collaborations between scientists in Canberra, Adelaide and around the world. It will also provide valuable training for future researchers. The project’s outcomes will deliver significant benefits to Australia, enhancing global competitiveness and economic growth while strengthening health security through reliable onshore production of drugs and diagnostics for managing human, animal and plant diseases. Outcomes will be promoted through mainstream media outlets and reputable social media channels.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Mapping dark matter and testing gravity with galaxy surveys. This project aims to map the motions of vast numbers of galaxies to precisely measure the amount and distribution of dark matter and test Einstein’s theory of gravity. It will apply an innovative analysis to a major new galaxy survey using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and to other ongoing surveys. The outcome will be the most comprehensive and precise map to date of galaxies and their motions over most of the sky, tracing the growth of massive structures in the Universe and probing how gravity works on a cosmic scale. The project will leverage Australia’s investment in radio telescopes, address key priorities of the Astronomy Decadal Plan, train young researchers in data science, and enhance scientific links with Europe. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences This project will use the Universe as a laboratory for revealing fundamental new physics. By surveying the motions of many galaxies over most of the sky, it aims to answer unsolved questions about the laws and contents of the Universe. To achieve this ambitious goal it will leverage the government’s $188M investment in the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), a unique radio telescope for surveys. ASKAP features advanced technology developed in Australia for imaging large areas of sky at high speed with great sensitivity. A key product of this project will be a spectacular map of the nearby Universe that will provide a compelling demonstration of Australia’s world-leading technology for radio detection and imaging. The project will also harness major National Collaborative Research Infrastructure investments in high-performance computing. It will develop innovative techniques for rapidly and efficiently extracting information from ASKAP’s massive datasets that can be applied to any Big Data requiring complex modelling, such as satellite imaging and weather prediction. The scientific results from this project will have international impact and enhance Australia’s global research reputation. Sharing the project’s map of the Universe on social media will capture the public imagination, increase popular interest in science, and inspire young people to pursue STEM careers, while promoting the outcomes of this research and showcasing Australian technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Disentangling the Drivers of Australian Animal Diversity . This project aims to complete the construction of powerful comparative and replicated data sets to determine how historical climatic shifts and competition impacted the evolution of size and shape across 16 groups of Australian animals. Expected outcomes include complete and evolutionary trees for all of Australia’s frogs and reptiles and sophisticated tests of hypotheses concerning the origin and diversity of our wildlife. The project will develop and share novel analytical methods and approaches that others will use. Practical benefits include generation of comprehensive trait data for the government’s flagship and publicly available Atlas of Living Australia for biodiversity analyses by diverse stakeholders. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Australia is home to some of the most unique and diverse wildlife on the planet, but many of these species face significant threats and require urgent conservation action. To protect and preserve these iconic species, it is essential to understand their evolutionary and natural history. This project focuses on completing comprehensive genetic and natural history data sets for two of Australia's unique vertebrate animal groups: frogs and reptiles. By doing so, we will be able to address key knowledge gaps in our understanding of these species and improve conservation efforts. Our work will generate evolutionary trees that illustrate how all Australian frog and reptile species are related, offering important insights into the diversity of these groups and the drivers of their evolution. The data we collect will help us understand the processes that have shaped Australia's unique fauna, providing a broader understanding of our biodiversity. Our publicly available data sets will provide an invaluable resource for future conservation programs and can be used as a model for other systems globally. Ultimately, this project will contribute to a greater understanding of Australia's biodiversity and inform future conservation efforts for these unique and threatened species.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Does metamorphosis facilitate or constrain adaptation to new environments? Improved understanding of what facilitates and constrains rapid evolution is essential to predict how organisms will respond to environmental change. This project investigates how evolution is influenced by genomic conflict occurring between life-stages in animals that undergo metamorphosis. It uses an ecologically important group of Australian beetles to measure larval and adult traits that are key in adapting to climate change. This project will lead to an improved ability to predict how insects and other animals with metamorphosis will adapt to climate change. Further, this project will provide fundamental knowledge that will impact how we manage of a wide range of economically important insects. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Species with separate juvenile and adult life-stages (e.g. catepillars and butterflies, tadpoles and frogs) make up 80% of the world’s animals. Yet we have virtually no understanding of how having separate life-stages affects the ability of animals to adapt to new environments, including changing climates. Australian leaf beetles are a group that is important for the functioning of forests and woodlands, but in large numbers they can be a pest of eucalypt plantations. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap by studying the evolution of juvenile and adult traits that are important for adapting to different temperatures in Australian leaf beetles. Improved understanding of how thermal traits evolve in animals with multiple life-stages will allow improved predictions of climate change impacts on the distribution and survival of native species and the establishment and spread of foreign pest species thus leading to better management of vulnerable species, pests and diseases.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

World Court? Globalising & Judicialising the International Court of Justice. This project aims to investigate the evolution of the International Court of Justice into a “World Court” by examining the “internationalisation” and “judicialisation” of the Court. Using interview and archival data, the project will generate new knowledge about the world(s) within the International Court of Justice and their influence on its capacity to grapple with global challenges. Expected outcomes include new knowledge about the International Court of Justice as a “World Court” and refined methods and theories to study the internal life of international organisations. The project’s benefits include empirically-based policy recommendations to support Australia’s strategic engagement in global institution-building in the future. Field of research: 4803 - International and Comparative Law The International Court of Justice (‘ICJ’) has long been thought of as a ‘World Court’. The Australian Government, along with Australian academic and professional bodies, have invested significant resources into influencing the work of the ICJ, including by selecting and electing Australians to hold positions at the Court. However, despite this significant investment, little is known about the role and impact of having Australians and other nationals working at the ICJ. Understanding the internal life of the ICJ, how states try to influence it, and its wider impact on the global stage is crucial to informing how Australia engages with the making and practice of international law at this key global court. The project will investigate these questions using empirical methods and will produce policy guides that can be used to make better nominations to the Court, run well-informed campaigns, and secure the appointments of chosen candidates. As a result of this research, international lawyers, academics, and policy makers in Australia and abroad will be better equipped to evaluate and implement effective strategies to engage with the ‘World Court’. In doing so, the project will build Australia’s capacity to achieve impact on the world stage and enhance its capacity to design international organisations reflecting both Australian and international strategic goals, interests and values.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Non-Canonical Amino Acids for Protein Analysis in vitro and in Cells. This interdisciplinary project aims to develop new tools for the rapid and easy investigation of proteins at low concentrations and in their natural environments, such as within cells. By combining innovative biochemistry, modern spectroscopy, and AI-based molecular modelling, the project will explore the structure and dynamics of proteins as well as protein-ligand interactions. The goal is to create new integrative approaches and test them on established drug targets. Expected outcomes include tools that quickly provide insights into how drugs interact with their targets in cellular environments, thus assisting researchers in their future discoveries in health and life sciences and supporting the growth of Australia's biotechnology sector. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Proteins are large complex molecules essential for all life processes. They play many critical roles, including signalling to other molecules, providing structural support in cells, and functioning as key components in molecular machines that maintain and replicate genetic information. Whether embedded in membranes or floating in solution, proteins have a defined structure, but it is their motion which often dictates their function. This project aims to develop new approaches to observe structure changes and dynamics of proteins in their physiological environment, such as in cells, using inconspicuous reporter probes. By leveraging innovative biochemistry, modern spectroscopy methods and high-performance computing, we aim to gain detailed knowledge on protein-ligand interactions and the motion of important disease-related proteins. This knowledge will help with the design of new pharmaceuticals and quickly inform medicinal chemists with rapid insights on how to enhance drug formulations. By strategically engaging with media channels through the ANU media team, we will aim to spark public interest and enhance industry awareness of our approaches, ensuring research outcomes reach beyond academic circles. Our methodological advances will particularly benefit small biotech companies, and enhance Australia's capacity to respond to existing and emerging diseases, ultimately improving health and welfare outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Responsible Statistical Learning: Uncertainty, Fairness and Transparency. This project seeks to create a new framework for statistical analysis that improves prediction accuracy, fairness, and transparency, while also accounting for uncertainty in data over time and space. It focuses on improving statistical methods for complex data, particularly in addressing the challenges of climate change’s impact on insurance pricing. The goal is to develop fairer, more reliable methods for pricing life insurance and planning for retirement, with a focus on ensuring better outcomes for all. The research aims to reduce inequalities and improve public health and social services, ultimately helping Australians adapt to climate change. Field of research: 4905 - Statistics Australians rely on life insurance and superannuation to protect their financial wellbeing in retirement. However, growing uncertainty-driven by climate change, rapid advances in AI, rising inequality, and an ageing population-threatens the sustainability and fairness of these systems. This project develops new statistical tools for responsible retirement risk management, supporting both fair insurance pricing and sustainable superannuation portfolio investment. By modelling how climate risks affect mortality across regions, genders, and age groups, the research will improve how risks are measured, priced, and managed across the retirement system with greater fairness and accountability. It will also support superannuation fund managers in constructing ESG-aligned portfolios. Outcomes will benefit retirees, regulators (APRA, ASIC), policymakers (Treasury, DSS), insurers, fund managers, and actuarial professionals, while advancing fairer outcomes for the general public-especially vulnerable communities. To maximise adoption, the project will engage closely with industry through workshops, public reports, and open-source software tools for training. Findings will be communicated through public-facing media, toolkits, and targeted stakeholder engagement. This research supports national priorities in Supporting Healthy and Thriving Communities and contributes to Sustainable Development Goals including Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, and Climate Action.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

The psychology of perceiving artificial people. Artificial intelligence is creating highly realistic people that deceive humans. This project aims to advance psychology theory by investigating how the human social cognition system, shaped by evolution, adapts to the novel challenge of detecting AI people. By leveraging foundational theory and rigorous methods, the project expects to uncover new insights into human person perception and develop best practice for AI detection through combining human and machine strategies. Expected outcomes include the first psychometrically valid tests for AI person detection and capabilities to identify human experts and improve AI detection. This should provide significant benefits such as fraud prevention, strengthening Australia’s national security. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology The generation of images and text by artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming digital interactions, yet research on their psychological and societal impact lags behind. Our pioneering work reveals that people frequently mistake AI-generated faces for real ones—and are not aware they are being deceived. This human vulnerability has profound implications for digital security and misinformation, with synthetic identity fraud projected to have an annual global cost of $40 billion USD by 2027. This project unites cognitive and social psychology with computer science to develop robust AI detection strategies and redefine human face perception theory. Using behavioural experiments and deep neural networks, we will model how people mentally represent real and AI-generated faces and create the first psychometric tests to measure AI-detection ability. By integrating human perceptual strengths with machine learning, we will optimise AI-detection accuracy to safeguard digital identities, combat misinformation, and protect individuals from exploitation. Understanding how AI disrupts social cognition will not only mitigate its risks but also unlock new insights into human perception. This research will provide policymakers, educators, security agencies, and forensic professionals with science-backed strategies to counter AI-driven fraud and misinformation, ensuring a safer and more resilient society in the age of artificial identities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Malo to Mabo: A community-led archaeological history of the Meriam people. This community-led project aims to archaeologically assess Malo Ra Gelar, a politico-religious system that empowered the Meriam people to challenge terra nullius. It seeks to redefine a nationally significant narrative by focusing, for the first time, on its deep historical roots. Expected outcomes include new insights into the peopling of Torres Strait through groundbreaking ancient DNA analysis, as well as a deeper understanding of agricultural emergence in Australia. Research should offer substantial benefits, deepening Meriam's connection to their heritage while broadening public understanding of First Nations religions and the development of Meriam culture from ancient times to a key moment in our nation's history. Field of research: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History The High Court’s landmark Mabo v Queensland (1992) ruling was the first successful acknowledgment of Australian Native Title, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's reconciliation journey. Despite this, there remains limited awareness about the history of the Indigenous Meriam community who, led by Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo, undertook this transformative legal action. This project will bridge that gap by combining community-led knowledge and archaeology to document the Meriam people's deep connection to their land and sea. It will support the drafting of a Meriam-led National Heritage Listing – the first for this region – and the development of a documentary that will be shared with the Australian public, deepening understanding of Torres Strait Islander cultures and celebrating Indigenous knowledge systems. The project will protect invaluable and endangered cultural heritage, preserving the community's connection to important spiritual locations, ensuring site stabilisation, and co-developing a conservation management plan, which will be executed by the Meriam Rangers. Protecting and preserving these traditions and values will benefit Meriam while also encouraging public engagement with our critical heritage. Through its contribution to public knowledge about the Indigenous systems that underpin Native Title, the research will enhance understanding of the Torres Strait's dynamic history, build community resilience, support reconciliation and further a cohesive national identity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Goal-oriented semantic wireless communications for 6G era. This project aims to develop groundbreaking theories and signal processing solutions for goal-oriented semantic communications in the sixth-generation wireless era, by exploring the often-ignored semantic and effectiveness properties of information. Expected outcomes are new communication frameworks, analytical tools and practical designs for developing integrated artificial intelligence and communications -- a domain largely unaddressed in current studies. These outcomes should enable timely and effective execution of tasks in time-critical wireless applications, such as information exchange in robotic control, driving transformation in telecommunications and boosting industry productivity for the intelligent information society of 2030s. Field of research: 4006 - Communications Engineering This project develops new frameworks and signal processing algorithms for goal-oriented semantic communications, establishing the foundation for integrated artificial intelligence and communications (IntAIC) in the emerging 6G. Recognised as a Critical Technology of national interest, 6G is poised to transform Australia’s economy and revolutionise industries beyond telecommunications, such as smart manufacturing, currently unattainable with 5G. To push beyond the limits of traditional bit-oriented communication in 5G, 6G must integrate AI into communications. This integration requires a shift from raw data transmission, as seen in 5G, to semantic and effective communications, which is at the heart of this project. It ensures that the information exchanged between devices precisely conveys meaning and directly aligns with specific tasks. Despite its importance, IntAIC remains a largely unexplored frontier. The project’s anticipated outcomes would enable real-time, intelligent communication among devices, such as robots in smart wireless factories, allowing them to complete time-critical tasks with boosted accuracy and efficiency. These advances will deliver significant benefits to Australian manufacturing by enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and improving workplace safety. Experimental demonstrations will be developed to showcase the research findings and their potential to be translated into tangible applications that advance Australia’s digital and economic future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Urbanism and the Tongan Maritime State. The project’s aim is to investigate urbanism in the Tongan maritime state through a study of its earthwork architecture. An urbanism record for an Archaic state that survived for 650 years will provide significant new insights to the development of an important Pacific population centre. Expected outcomes include a high-resolution chronological record of an ancient neighbourhood in Oceania and quantitative indicators of urbanism at the state centre. Australia is one of the most urbanised societies in the world and historical records of urbanism in our region are important for understanding the factors that contribute to sustainable long-term settlement growth. Field of research: 4513 - Pacific Peoples Culture, Language and History As one of the most urbanised nations in the world – an estimated 90% of Australians live in urban areas – the nation's success depends on the sustainability and resilience of our population centres. While urbanisation brings productivity benefits through energised crowding, concentrated populations are also vulnerable to shocks and stresses caused by climate change, natural disasters, fluctuations to international trade and conflict. The Tongan state has responded successfully to these shocks with an exceptional record of settlement growth spanning 650 years. Using a model of 'urban success', this project will identify factors that supported settlement persistence in the Tongan state and knowledge mapping of urban resilience in human history. Examination of the urban history of the Tongan maritime state through remote sensing, traditional history and archaeological field work will help develop an understanding of the long-term settlement trajectory and adaptive strategies that contribute to urban longevity. Results will be disseminated via expert briefings and community workshops to inform policy makers and planners developing strategies to address urban responses to internal and external shocks and settlement sustainability in Australia and the Pacific through the application of solutions used by past societies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Better childcare policy: parental labour supply and provider responses. Childcare policy is fundamental for women’s workforce participation, gender equity and productivity. Using new, linked administrative data, this project aims to provide novel insights on how childcare policy shapes the availability and utilisation of childcare services in Australia, as well as their effects on parental labour market outcomes. The project intends to propel Australia to the global frontier of research on childcare policy, generating findings that will inform policymakers in establishing childcare subsidy rates that effectively boost workforce engagement and productivity. Ultimately, the project can help narrow the gender pay gap, thus enhancing the well-being of Australian families, and foster a more equitable society. Field of research: 3801 - Applied Economics Productivity, childcare policy, childcare provision, and the prevalence of families with two working parents are intricately linked. Policy settings and their impact on the decisions of parents and childcare providers have serious implications: for the availability, cost and quality of childcare; for female labour force participation, and; for productivity and economic outcomes. Governments are under pressure to intervene further into childcare, and are generating policy without the benefit of sufficient high-quality analysis on the effects, and unintended consequences, of current funding and regulatory settings. Governments are joined by the Productivity Commission and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency in calling for improved understanding of the impact of childcare policy. This project responds to a significant and serious part of that call. It provides novel and innovative analysis on the interplay between childcare policies and provision, and parents’ decisions about care and work. The project applies cutting-edge econometric techniques to previously unavailable, multi-departmental administrative data. Our research is unique in integrating the decisions and actions of childcare providers in response to childcare policy with parents’ decisions about work and care. To maximise impact, research findings will be shared with policymakers directly, and more broadly through workshops, public forums and media.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Deeptime History of Climate & Humans in the Most Diverse Ecosystem on Earth. Tropical rainforests are coming under increasing threat from climate change and human population growth. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists to reconstruct the deep-time rainforest history of Australia’s closest neighbour, Papua New Guinea, creating a new framework to understand the interplay between culture and biodiversity that stretch over thousands of years and build capability and understanding for future generations. The outcomes will fill a significant gap in our understanding of a critical part of the global climate system - the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool - that has driven the evolution of complex social-environmental systems in the most diverse ecosystem on earth. Field of research: 3709 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience The effects of climate and biodiversity change places significant pressure on agricultural production and food security, resulting in critical challenges for Australia and its Pacific neighbours. In a world facing the challenges of climate change (drought, floods and fire), continued environmental degradation, and loss of biocultural knowledge, a greater understanding of how biodiversity and humans have responded to both cyclic and abrupt environmental changes in the past is critical to finding culturally appropriate responses. This project will produce a dataset on vegetation changes from the last glacial cycle in the tropics of Papua New Guinea, through analysis of the timing, pattern and mechanisms of climate change and human impacts such as habitat destruction on biodiversity. These findings on past strategies for adapting to climate and biodiversity change will assist in developing an expanding range of possible futures for biodiversity conservation in our region. The findings presented as research papers, policy briefs, and workshops will assist policymakers and community groups in developing effective policy making and strategies through nature-based solutions, including actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore ecosystems. This project will foster greater understanding between the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea through capacity-building efforts and sharing of knowledge in agricultural production.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Fighting Tasmanian devil facial tumours with a virus. The Tasmanian devil is threatened by a transmissible facial tumour. This project aims to leverage the unexpected finding that a poxvirus infects devil facial tumour, but not normal devil cells and in doing so, discover failures in anti-viral pathways in devil tumours that also provide insight into lost anti-tumour mechanisms. Expected outcomes include knowledge of how devil tumour cells shut down immune processes that limit their growth, and the development of poxviruses as a single dose oncolytic therapy for devil facial tumours. The benefits of this project include a new understanding of responses by marsupial cells to viruses and cancer and essential laboratory progress towards a potential treatment for devil facial tumour disease. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology The Tasmanian devil is an iconic Australian animal and the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial in the world. Devil populations have been devastated since the 1990s by a facial tumour that spreads between devils and is almost invariably fatal. This project is based on the unexpected discovery that a virus already in use as a vaccine can infect devil facial tumour cells, but not normal devil cells. The research will test whether this virus can be developed into an effective treatment that can kill or slow devil facial tumours and is safe in devils and the environment by studying the biology of the virus and the way it interacts with devil cells and the cells of other marsupials. A treatment that prolongs the life of devils with facial tumours would be a significant benefit for devil populations and therefore for Tasmanian ecosystems and the environment. Restoration of devil populations may help control feral animal numbers, which can have an economic benefit by reducing stock losses to these introduced predators. Finally, a project that recognises and takes action to save our unique wildlife has cultural benefits, telling a story in which cutting-edge science is used to resist biodiversity loss. This story will be communicated beyond academia, with outcomes going to our key stakeholder via meetings with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, and promoted by media releases, public science events and publishers such as The Conversation.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Effective community solutions to prevent and treat loneliness Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Effective community solutions to prevent and treat loneliness Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Volcanoes on Ice: Mantle Influence on Antarctic Ice Sheet Evolution Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-12

Volcanoes on Ice: Mantle Influence on Antarctic Ice Sheet Evolution Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research