University of New South Wales

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Forever Chemicals Accidentally Produced in a Modern, Cleaner Atmosphere. Fluorinated gases used for heating/cooling are becoming more important as they are compatible with renewable energy. In the past, unexpected chemistry has caused ozone depletion and global warming. Contemporary gases, e.g. hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), are reported to have no ozone or climate impact. However, their atmospheric chemistry is not fully understood. Decisions are based on areas with high nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels. Australia is low NOx. The rest of the world is also reducing NOx. HFO chemistry is unknown under these conditions. Modern HFO emission has rapidly accelerated the accumulation of phytotoxic "forever chemicals" in other countries. This project will determine the HFO chemistry relevant to Australia and avoid this fate. Field of research: 3406 - Physical Chemistry The use of polyfluorinated gases (F-gases) in heat pumps and air conditioners is accelerating with the roll-out of renewable energy. Modern F-gases such as hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) reportly have little ozone or climate impact because they degrade rapidly. However, the accumulation of phytotoxic "forever chemicals", attributed to F-gases, has been noted in other countries. Decisions on F-gas use are based on polluted areas with high nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels. The rest of the world is reducing NOx, while Australian air has always been low NOx. HFO chemistry is unknown under these conditions. In this project, we will determine the fate of HFOs under low-NOx conditions and determine whether they lead to forever chemicals.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Co-Catalysis for Energy Conversion Reactions. Higher performing catalysts for energy conversion are critical for solving the world’s energy crisis. Catalysts are typically made of active metals on a support. To make more effective, lower cost catalysts the performance of every metal atom must be optimised. This will be achieved by using a new concept of co-catalysis to create active sites, where both the active metal atoms and support atoms are directly involved catalysis. Synthesising and producing these catalysts will enable an understanding of how co-catalysis can enhance chemical bond breaking and formation in fuel cell reactions. This knowledge will create the highest performing catalysts that will shift our dependence away from fossil fuels and help enable a hydrogen economy. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Hydrogen, methanol and ethanol fuel cells are critical technologies in Australia’s shift to clean and renewable energy sources. One of the major barriers to the efficient and sustainable production of renewable energy is the lack of effective catalysts; materials that can help make and convert hydrogen, methanol and ethanol fuels by efficient and low-cost processes. Our innovative approach will design catalysts that harness the concept of co-catalysis where both the catalytically active metal, typically platinum, as well as the support, made of a far cheaper metal, are both involved in making chemical reaction to go faster and more efficiently. Making catalysts with single-atom precision that optimise co-catalysis at every active site will create a new generation of innovative catalysts that are low-cost and maximise performance. For Australia, these smart catalyst materials will lead to the development of efficient and green fuel cells, enabling the attainment of our net-zero emissions goals. Commercially, Australian companies will gain a competitive edge from this critical research in clean energy technologies, boosting clean energy industries and creating job opportunities. Socially and environmentally, this research will contribute to cleaner and sustainable energy solutions, reducing pollution and safeguarding our environment.

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

Boosting heritage languages: multimodality in urban and digital spaces Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Estimating Australian school commutability for improved workforce planning. This project aims to develop ground-breaking insights on the intersection of the teacher shortage and housing crisis to improve workforce planning. Combining education, data, and urban sciences, this project expects to provide new capacity for rapid integrated modelling and assessment of complex problems, dramatically reducing time to deliver robust evidence to inform decision making. Planned outcomes include: 1) new estimates of workforce distribution and school commutability, and 2), state-of-the-art models of the commutability of Australian schools. This research has the potential to reduce the substantial costs of staffing issues and provide more certainty and efficiency in the design of interventions to attract and retain teachers. Field of research: 3902 - Education Policy, Sociology and Philosophy Australia is experiencing a housing crisis and a teacher shortage. Attempts to attract and retain teachers mean little if they cannot afford to live near work yet little is known about the impact of housing affordability and commuting on the school workforce. Despite a $328M National Teacher Workforce Plan and National Cabinet's target of 1.2M new homes by 2029, governments lack the evidence and tools to address a >4,100 teacher shortfall in 2025 and 70 per cent of areas being unaffordable on a teacher salary. This project responds, linking previously separate data and machine learning to offer predictive models of where teachers are experiencing commuting (time & cost) stress and impacting school staffing. These models are critical to government, local councils, and developers looking to deliver housing that ensures the efficient and effective functioning of government services and the social and economic prosperity of communities. Engaging with end-users throughout the project to test the viability of different policy interventions, the project aims to create a significant shift in the way government integrate data, implement, and assess teacher housing decisions with many applications across the public services. A critical contribution of this project is building public facing data infrastructure to better prepare Australia's planning and development sector, and the public, to tackle current and future housing and commuting challenges for the school education workforce.

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

Lunar Navigation Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Understanding effort motivation, a cornerstone of success Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Hybrid Value-Added Electrolyser for Green Hydrogen and Methanol Production. The recent breakthroughs in electrocatalysis have opened an opportunity for value-added green hydrogen production by coupling it with the electrochemical transformation of methane into high-value chemicals. This project aims to establish the basic knowledge to realise selective electrocatalytic oxidation of methane to methanol through a novel integrated multidisciplinary approach. New bio-inspired single-atom catalysts will be developed and incorporated into a tailored membrane electrode assembly for the co-production of green hydrogen and methanol. The significant benefits will be revolutionary green hydrogen and methane conversion technologies that will help to alleviate the urgent climate challenges facing Australia and the world. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering A key commitment of Australia’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 is to use hydrogen as a clean (non-carbon) fuel. However, current technologies to produce hydrogen are too costly and not commercially viable. To achieve Australia’s ambitious goal, low-cost and clean hydrogen-generating technologies must be developed. This project proposes a new high-efficiency hydrogen electrolyser by replacing the production of low-value oxygen with the production of high-value chemicals from waste methane. This research will generate new fundamental knowledge, advanced materials, and innovative hydrogen production and methane conversion technologies, thus contributing strongly to Australia's 2024 National Hydrogen Strategy and the 2024 Global Methane Pledge. This project will lower the hydrogen production cost by developing hydrogen electrolysers to co-produce high-value chemicals such as methanol, promoting Australia’s hydrogen economy and the decarbonisation of Australia's industry. The project will generate an exceptional training platform for Australia’s future scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to collaborate across disciplines by preparing them for leadership roles in hydrogen technologies and pursuing scientific and commercialisation avenues in Australia and overseas. Through industry partnerships and the licensing of intellectual properties, this project will develop new capacities for Australia’s hydrogen industry and advanced manufacturing.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

In-situ optical characterization platform for emerging energy materials. This project aims to establish an in-situ optical characterisation platform to study the nucleation, crystallisation, and phase transitions of emerging energy materials. Understanding these processes is crucial for improving the stability, efficiency, and manufacturability of next-generation solar technologies. This facility will enable real-time monitoring of material transformations, providing key insights into halide segregation, 2D-3D phase evolution, and degradation mechanisms. The expected outcomes include valuable intellectual property on more stable and commercially viable perovskite solar cells, which will directly support Australia’s renewable energy goals, strengthening its leading position in clean energy innovation. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering To accelerate the development of next-generation advanced solar technologies, this project aims to establish a specialized in-situ optical characterization platform to address key challenges in stabilizing perovskite solar cells. Perovskite solar cells hold great promise for high efficiency and low-cost renewable energy, but current limitations in understanding their material formation and degradation hinder their commercial readiness. This platform will enable researchers to study these processes in real-time, directly informing the development of scalable, stable, and efficient perovskite solar cells. This aligns strongly with the Australian Government’s priority of transitioning to a net-zero future by supporting innovation in clean energy technologies. By supporting collaborative research across Australia’s leading universities, this infrastructure will contribute in generating new knowledge and practical pathways for the commercialization of advanced solar technologies. These outcomes will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits by lowering the cost of renewable energy, enabling local technology development, and reducing carbon emissions. This research will strengthen Australia’s position at the forefront of global solar innovation, while helping to ensure a sustainable, low-carbon future that benefits all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Understanding and managing uncertainty. People’s capacity to differentiate between unknown and known sources of uncertainty – such as between natural variations in day-to-day temperatures and the effects of climate change – is essential in dealing with many of today’s greatest challenges. This project aims to understand the role that explanations play in how people understand and manage uncertainties in their everyday lives. Using state-of-the-art psychological theoretical, empirical, and modelling tools, the project is expected to generate new knowledge on the psychological processes that underpin the way people think about and make choices under uncertainty, and consequently, on the potential ways in which their decisions can be improved. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology How people understand uncertainty in their everyday experiences – whether they explain the variability in day-to-day temperatures, or in the value of superannuation investments, or in the severity of the symptoms of an infection in different people, as the result of random variation or the consequence of climate change, economic slowdown, or vaccines – determines the course of action they take to manage potential negative outcomes. Appropriate understanding and management of such uncertainties is essential to deal with many of today’s greatest challenges facing Australians, from responding to the effects of climate change, to making financial decisions, to dealing with pandemics. This project aims to understand how people explain uncertainty in their experiences and how they make choices to manage its potential negative outcomes. Addressing this knowledge gap can help us understand why people might underinvest in mitigating the risks resulting from climate change, avoid getting vaccinated or follow public health guidance during a pandemic, or undersave for retirement – and so benefits Australians by suggesting potential ways in which their decisions can be improved. To maximise the impact of this research, the findings will be disseminated to policymakers and industry professionals to assist the development of practical tools that people can use to make better choices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscopy Facility. This project aims to establish an ultrafast transmission electron microscopy facility that will enable direct visualisation of the charge creation, migration and combination in materials at the atomic scale within materials. This facility will achieve this by synchronising ultrafast pulsed laser and electron beam with high speed detector, retrofitted to an existing $7M ARC invested aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. This Ultrafast Facility, the only one in Australia, will lead breakthrough outcomes for research and industry sectors in key national priorities of materials for quantum technologies, renewable energy harvest and storage, clean fuel production and biomedical diagnostic and therapy technologies. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology The ultrafast transmission electron microscopy facility will revolutionize our ability to track the migration of charges in materials and is vital for quantum sensing and information technologies, clean and renewable energy production and biomedical diagnostics and therapy technologies. This urgently needed facility will enable Australia to take a leading role in all of these key research areas and industries. The project aligns and underpins with Australian government’s National Science and Research Priorities of Transitioning to a net zero future, Building a secure and resilient nation and Supporting healthy and thriving communities , as well as National Reconstruction Fund priority areas of renewables and low emissions technologies and enabling capabilities. The supported research outcomes will impact in next generation materials for those above mentioned key technologies. The proposed facility will support > $115 million investment in research centres and industry-linked grants. The research supported by the facility will be used from the exploration of fundamental phenomena which will generate new knowledge, advancing science all the way to the understanding of commercial industrial samples. This facility will cultivate future industries, stimulate growth, create jobs, and lift productivity and maximising Australia’s competitive advantage in new materials. The facility also provides excellent training opportunities for the students, fostering Australian new workforce.

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

Decoding defects - unveiling photon-emitting defect structures in... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Preserving trust when communicating uncertainty about rare events . Communicating explanations of how complex environments work is difficult because even our best scientific models are uncertain. When predicted events fail to eventuate, such as catching a disease during a pandemic or your house being flooded, public trust can easily erode reducing subsequent reliance on scientific explanations in decision making. This can lead to both individual and societal problems, such as decreased compliance with public health orders or reduced climate action. Using state-of-the-art psychological theoretical, experimental, and modelling tools, this project aims to understand how to communicate uncertainty while preserving (and/or regaining) people’s trust, and consequently to improve decision outcomes. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology Rare events are, by their very nature, hard to predict. Knowing when the next pandemic might strike, a cyclone might make landfall, or another global financial crisis might unfold is very difficult. It is difficult because these events involve many factors that interact in complex ways. In other words, they are inherently uncertain. Scientists, and policymakers are often left with an impossible choice when asked to weigh in on such issues: venture a specific prediction and risk losing people’s trust if it turns out to be wrong, or admit to the uncertainty inherent in their understanding and risk losing people’s trust for “not knowing anything” – as happened following the COVID-19 pandemic (Commonwealth of Australia, COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report, 2024). This project aims to understand how to communicate uncertainty while preserving (and/or regaining) people’s trust. It will use innovative methods that identify the ‘sweet-spot’ for maintaining trust while acknowledging uncertainty. The research team will leverage their extensive experience working with government, industry and civil society to ensure widespread engagement with stakeholders and dissemination of results. Finding the optimal balance between uncertainty and trust in communication will lead to a better-informed Australian public who will be able to make improved decisions in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Boosting heritage languages: multimodality in urban and digital spaces. Heritage languages bring significant economic, social and cultural benefits for Australia. However, Australian youth from migrant backgrounds abandon their heritage language at a high rate. This project aims to enhance heritage languages by investigating how they are used in urban and digital spaces. The project uses a novel multimodal design to generate new knowledge about spatial factors in heritage language maintenance and to identify ideological aspects of language choice. Benefits include a better understanding of life, language and community in multicultural urban contexts as experienced by migrants. The project will support migrant families, enhance intercultural language awareness and has the potential to strengthen social harmony. Field of research: 4704 - Linguistics The Australian Government recognises that connecting young Australians to their heritage languages is a crucial component of social inclusion and prosperity. However, the Multicultural Framework Review 2024 highlighted the need to create new strategies to improve how we engage multicultural Australia in languages other than English. With over 50% of Australians either born overseas or having one parent born overseas, and families speaking more than 300 languages, there is an urgent need to investigate how young Australians embrace their heritage languages in diverse and rapidly changing social contexts beyond the family home. This project brings social and cultural benefits for Australia by exploring how urban (public) and digital spaces impact heritage language use and how these spaces can foster heritage language learning. Migrant families have the immediate benefit of informed family strategies to boost their heritage language use through new communication channels. Heritage language teachers and communities will directly benefit from newly developed educational resources accessible from a public website. The project will inform researchers and policymakers about communication practices of Australian youth through a publicly accessible report and a corpus of selected language diaries. Ultimately, the project will lead to more equitable strategies for supporting heritage languages and a better understanding of their role in strengthening Australian multicultural society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

3D manufacturing for special silica optical fibres. The project aims to to develop 3D manufacturing technology specifically for special silica optical fibres. Conventional silica fibre manufacturing, e.g. chemical vapour deposition or rod-in-tube, and stack-and-draw, have been successful but are limited to relatively simple structure designs and material compositions. This project aims to develop new and leading capabilities of manufacturing a wide variety of specialty silica optical fibres in Australia. The direct benefits of this project include realising advanced fibre designs and material compositions and allowing fast prototyping and low cost production, with enhanced functionalities, essential for many new and important applications in areas such as medicine, industry and defence. Field of research: 4014 - Manufacturing Engineering Our modern society is underpinned upon advanced photonic networks that connect people, environment, data and things and expand from telecommunication into sensing, testing, monitoring and control in the form of the Internet of Everything. This expansion creates great need for new silica optical fibres of sophisticated structure designs and mixed material compositions for a great variety of functionalities including sensing, testing, computing, processing, storing, retrieving, as well as transmitting, massive data and information. In this project we focus on key material and process problems in 3D manufacturing of silica optical fibres - a new platform technology of great potential to overcome the limitations in conventional silica optical fibre technology. We pioneered and kept leading the R&D efforts and our preliminary work has attracted significant research interest worldwide. In this project we address the challenges in developing enabling cutting-edge photonic 3D manufacturing technology, enhancing the efforts towards a Future Made in Australia – an Australia's National Science Statement by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, 2024 and aligning well with the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priority - ‘Advanced Manufacturing’ that embraces additive manufacturing (3D printing). Australia is expected to benefit from this project through capability in advanced manufacturing, opportunity in job creation, and effeciency in new product development.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Cooperative Virtual Power Plant Scheme for Sustainable Distribution Grids. This project aims to create a new cooperative architecture for virtual power plants (VPPs). It expects to generate new knowledge in smart grids, developing fundamental techniques to enable VPPs to cooperatively support the operation of power distribution systems, contributing to achievement of Australia’s net-zero emission target by 2050. The anticipated outcomes include new science and knowledge of energy data interoperability among VPPs, new cooperation mechanisms for distributed energy sources (DERs) and VPPs, and an open-source framework for prototype evaluation. This research promises significant benefits, such as enhanced grid sustainability, greater capacity to accommodate DERs, and fortifying the security of the distribution grid. Field of research: 4008 - Electrical Engineering The Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2024 Integrated System Plan projects that improved integration of distributed energy resources (DER), such as customer photovoltaics (PV) and batteries, can reduce the investment power grids needed to achieve the 2050 net-zero goals by up to $4.1 billion. To this end, this project addresses a key capability gap in current grid infrastructure; namely, the ability to coordinate DERs, energy users, virtual power plants and electricity distribution networks, and harness their flexibility to reduce costs and provide services to the grid. The project aims to do this by developing a computational energy ecosystem that will be able to coordinate and control large deployments of DERs and share benefits across all participants, taking into account computation, fairness and cybersecurity aspects. The benefits of this technology extend across various dimensions, offering reduced grid costs and end user energy bills, environmental conservation by minimizing carbon emissions, and commercial viability through the development of fundamental computational energy management techniques with international export opportunities. As well as technically innovative, the proposal embodies a paradigm shift in the sector, from a focus on power supply to a consumer-centric energy system. Accordingly, to maximize the impact of research outcomes, dissemination strategies will involve targeted engagement with industry stakeholders, policymakers, and community groups.

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

Autonomous Continual Learning with Minimised Human Intervention Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Battery-free IoT-Based Sensing and Control for Protected Cropping . This project pioneers battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for protected cropping, integrating energy-harvesting sensors, data-driven analytics, and adaptive climate control to optimise plant growth while minimising energy and water use. By enabling real-time, self-sustaining monitoring and automation, it enhances efficiency, sustainability, and scalability in urban farming. The outcomes will reduce operational costs, improve food security, and lower environmental impact, supporting Australia’s Net Zero goals. With strong industry collaboration, this research will position Australia at the forefront of smart farming innovation, driving the global transition to sustainable, high-tech agriculture. Field of research: 4606 - Distributed Computing and Systems Software Australia faces increasing pressure to produce food more sustainably and efficiently amid climate challenges and growing urbanisation. This project addresses these needs by developing battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) technology that integrates energy-harvesting sensors, data-driven analytics, and automated environmental control for protected cropping. By optimising plant growth while significantly reducing energy and water consumption, this innovation will enhance food security, lower agricultural costs, and minimise environmental impact. Beyond research, the project fosters strong industry collaboration, ensuring practical adoption in commercial urban farms. Partnering with industry leaders, we will facilitate large-scale deployment and commercialisation, strengthening Australia’s position as a global leader in smart farming. The technology’s scalability will drive economic growth in agri-tech, create new job opportunities, and support Australia’s transition to net-zero emissions by reducing reliance on conventional energy-intensive farming methods. By delivering sustainable, cost-effective solutions for urban and regional food production, this project aligns with national priorities in food security, climate resilience, and agricultural innovation. Through industry partnerships and licensing opportunities, it ensures long-term economic and environmental benefits, reinforcing Australia’s leadership in high-tech, sustainable agriculture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Pulsed-laser induced delamination for solar panel recycling. This project addresses the growing solar panel waste challenge by developing a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective controlled pulsed-laser recycling technology. Unlike existing methods, it enables high-purity material recovery without chemicals or high temperatures, making it better suited for Australia’s environmental and economic needs. The team will combine advanced experiments and modelling to uncover the mechanisms behind laser induced delamination, which are currently poorly understood and limits scalability. A universal process will be developed and validated through pilot trials. The project supports National Waste Policy Action Plan, Circular Economy Framework, Future Made in Australia, and Net Zero by 2050. Field of research: 4009 - Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware Australia is facing a growing solar panel waste problem, with over 1 GW of panels expected to reach end-of-life each year by 2035, resulting in a total recoverable material value exceeding $1 billion. Current recycling methods are either too expensive, polluting, or fail to recover valuable materials like silver and silicon. As a result, precious resources are lost to landfill and Australia misses a major economic opportunity. This project will develop a breakthrough laser-based recycling process that separates materials without chemicals, crushing, or heat—making it cleaner, safer, and more suitable for Australian conditions. While laser recycling holds strong potential, a limited understanding of laser-material interactions currently makes the process slow and difficult to scale across different panel types. This project will close that gap by uncovering how lasers interact with panel layers and using that knowledge to build a universal, cost-effective recycling process. It will be validated through pilot and industrial trials with industry partners. This research will enable high-value material recovery, reduce landfill and emissions, create jobs, and support regional recycling. This project supports Australia’s Waste Action Plan, Circular Economy Framework, Net Zero by 2050, and Future Made in Australia. Industry partners will trial and deploy the technology, establishing Australia as a leader in solar panel recycling and generating technology export opportunities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Maximising Renewable Liquid Energy Production from Sewage Sludge. Transforming sewage sludge into valuable products presents a significant opportunity to enhance sludge treatment and unlock Australia’s resource potential. This project builds on our recent groundbreaking discoveries to develop and demonstrate revolutionary biotechnology that overcomes key barriers in waste-to-resource conversion, maximising renewable liquid energy production. This technology leverages anaerobic fungi from cow manure to specifically deconstruct the complex extracellular structure of sludge and reestablish metabolic networks towards high-value liquids. Intended outcome will deliver new scientific insights and technological solutions, upgrading sludge treatment platforms to benefit both the environment and the water industry. Field of research: 4011 - Environmental Engineering Australia’s wastewater treatment plants produce 372,000 tonnes of dry sewage sludge annually, with disposal costs making up 60% of operational expenses. Conventional sludge treatment is costly, inefficient, and only recovers a small fraction of the available energy. This project will develop a new biotechnology that enhances bioenergy recovery from sewage sludge while reducing waste disposal costs, directly benefiting the water industry and Australia’s transition to a circular economy. By using naturally occurring anaerobic fungi from cow manure, this project will break down the complex structure of sewage sludge, making more organic carbon available for conversion into valuable liquid biofuels. These biofuels have multiple industrial applications, including bioplastics, bio-lubricants, and sustainable aviation fuels, offering economic and commercial opportunities for Australia’s growing bioeconomy. This research will also contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional methane recovery and lowering reliance on fossil-based energy sources. A pilot-scale demonstration at a wastewater treatment plant will ensure that the technology is practical, scalable, and ready for industry adoption, supporting a cost-effective, low-carbon wastewater treatment future for Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Genomics & Culture: Blood Group Diversity in Aboriginal Australians. This project addresses a 60-year research gap in understanding blood group genetics in Indigenous Australians. Due to historical underrepresentation and outdated reagents, individuals requiring transfusions face a higher risk of immune reactions. Our pilot study identified distinct blood group gene variations, highlighting the need for deeper investigation. Through culturally safe engagement, we will collaborate with Indigenous communities before conducting large-scale genomic analysis on 1,000 individuals. This research will improve blood matching, enhance transfusion safety, and establish a culturally informed framework for genomic studies, contributing to a broader understanding of human genetic diversity. Field of research: 4504 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing Indigenous Australians are a genetically diverse community with unique blood group variations that are not well-represented in current genetic data. This lack of information makes it challenging to find suitable blood matches for transfusions, leading to increased risks and complications. This project aims to uncover the genetic diversity of blood groups in Indigenous Australians, filling a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of human biology. By generating detailed genetic data, we will improve the accuracy of blood matching, ensuring safer transfusions. Beyond enhancing transfusion safety, this research advances fundamental science by revealing new insights into human genetic diversity. It fosters inclusive, culturally-informed research practices, building trust with Indigenous communities and supporting their participation in addressing unique health challenges. Reducing complications from blood mismatches will also benefit Australia’s healthcare system by lowering costs and improving outcomes for diverse populations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Performance and Integration. The Centre for Quantum Computer Performance and Integration aims to solve the scientific challenges that hinder the development of useful quantum computers. The Centre will synergistically develop high-performance quantum hardware, operate it in a resource-efficient way, and integrate diverse physical platforms across solid-state, optical and atom-based devices. Collaboration between world-leading researchers, emerging talent and global industries will unlock the full potential of quantum computer technologies, with an expected economic value of over $1 trillion across chemical, life sciences, finance and mobility industries. The Centre will be the key research vehicle to enable workforce growth and Australian leadership in this field. Field of research: 5108 - Quantum Physics Quantum computers are a radically novel technological paradigm, projected to generate a global economic value of US$0.9 – 2.0 trillion by 2035, through their impact on chemical, life sciences, finance, and mobility industries. However, such value cannot be unlocked by simply scaling up current prototypes, which are exceedingly error-prone, lack integration, and demand exorbitant hardware overheads to calculate reliably. The Centre for Quantum Computer Performance and Integration will address these challenges by injecting scientific discoveries targeted at producing high-performance quantum hardware, integrating its components, and inventing quantum computer codes that minimize the manufacturing and energy consumption costs of devices capable of performing useful calculations. The Centre will be the key vehicle to link all stakeholders involved in delivering the National Quantum Strategy. Its impact will be realized in synergy with world-leading industries – many of them based in Australia – which will translate our discoveries into valuable products. The Centre will be a strongly outward-facing hub of research and education. We will train the next generation of skilled workers for the fast-growing quantum industry, engage and inform government and community stakeholders on the impact of this revolutionary technology, and ensure that our Country is prepared to harvest the maximum economic and social benefit from being a quantum computing pioneer.

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

The mechanics of quiet ducted propellers in distorted inflows Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Monge–Ampère equations and optimal transport: geometry and regularity. Monge–Ampère equations and optimal transport are important fields which have played defining roles in 21st century mathematics. These topics have applications to diverse areas like fluid flow, meteorology, neural networks, and economics and also have applications in pure mathematics, for example to geometry and functional inequalities. This project will develop regularity theory for the Monge–Ampère partial differential equations (PDE) as well as investigate both the geometry and economic applications of optimal transport. This project aims to generate new mathematical theories relevant to these applications and will have significant impact and benefit on elliptic PDE, optimal transport, and Australia's global reputation in mathematics. Field of research: 4904 - Pure Mathematics This project develops new tools in the mathematical fields of optimal transport and elliptic partial differential equations (PDE). These are important and active areas of modern mathematics for which improving our understanding will help us better understand problems in meteorology, economics, and machine learning. By advancing these mathematical foundations, this project could lead to more efficient models and solutions for challenges in areas like resource allocation, weather forecasting, and economic modeling. In addition, pure mathematics research benefits Australia by enhancing our national mathematical expertise and international standing. Australia will experience cultural and economic benefits through this enhanced global reputation, attracting top international researchers and fostering new collaborations, all of which improve the educational opportunities available to Australians in the area of mathematics. The results obtained in this DECRA will be shared open access to ensure this research is available to everyone including those outside academia such as industry partners, peak bodies or other consumer/stakeholder groups. Monash has strong networks with industry partners which may assist with research translation by making the highly applicable components of this project available to users.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

A novel integrated chemical solution for water purification. This project aims to develop a novel treatment solution to remove key contaminants prior to water reuse. This solution simplifies conventional water purification processes and enables coagulation, adsorption, disinfection and removal of micropollutants in a single treatment unit. This will reduce the complexity and cost of water treatment, making it more accessible for regional and remote communities. By combining laboratory studies with testing in real-world conditions, the research will enhance efficiency, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This project will benefit water utilities, industry and communities, strengthen Australia’s leadership in water research innovation and contribute to global efforts in sustainable water management. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering This project will develop a transformative water treatment technology that enhances Australia’s water security, public health, and environmental sustainability. By introducing an innovative single-step chemical treatment process that integrates coagulation, adsorption, disinfection, and the removal of micropollutants, the research will provide an efficient and cost-effective solution for water purification. This is particularly critical for regional and remote communities where conventional multi-step treatments are impractical. Access to clean water is essential for economic growth, agriculture, and public well-being. This project strengthens Australia’s long-term water resilience by reducing reliance on complex treatment processes, lowering operational costs, and minimising chemical waste. Collaboration with industry partners will ensure rapid translation of research outcomes into practical applications, reinforcing Australia’s position as a global leader in sustainable water treatment. By aligning with national priorities in environmental protection, regional development, and technological innovation, this project will create new opportunities for local industries, reduce pressure on public water infrastructure, and contribute to Australia’s commitment to securing safe and sustainable water supplies for all communities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2026 · 2026-01

Modeling the impact of online social information on judgments and decisions. Our most consequential decisions are chiefly informed by sampling views from our offline and online social networks. This project aims to uncover the cognitive processes that underlie how we make such decisions. We will develop and test a new computational model of social sampling. We will also examine how the sampling process is affected by age and social media access. The expected outcomes are advances in our understanding of how adults and adolescents use social sampling to make decisions, and the relative impacts of offline and online information. By identifying which information sources have the most influence on people’s beliefs, our project will guide the formulation of policies for combating misinformation and youth radicalisation. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology From health to voting, our most consequential judgments and decisions are shaped by the views of people in our personal social network. Little is known, however, about how online social networks influence decision making. This issue is especially acute for teenagers, who are peak users of social media and whose decisions are readily influenced by others. This project will address this knowledge-gap by developing a mathematical model that characterizes how adults and adolescents make judgments and decisions based on online social information. The model will be applied to study the impact of online networks on adolescents’ decision making under the forthcoming social media ban. This policy change offers a unique opportunity to compare decision-making in adolescents with (UK) and without (Australia) social media access. The project will deliver social benefit by advancing critical insights into how Australians can be protected from harmful effects of social media. The project will deliver economic gains by informing means to combat misinformation, thereby asserting Australia’s world-leadership in developing enforceable IT industry standards. Our findings will be submitted as policy briefs to the eSafety Commissioner to ensure evidence-based policies that address some of the most pressing issues of our digital age, from digital literacy education to combating misinformation campaigns with the potential to sway voters.