From extracting critical minerals to curbing invasive cane toads, Macquarie University researchers will lead five industry and community-partnered projects backed by more than $3.1 million in the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects 2025 Round 2 scheme.
The projects pair Macquarie University researchers with partners to tackle practical challenges in sustainability, biodiversity, early childhood participation, fisheries management and public health.
"These projects are about taking excellent research and working side-by-side with partners to deliver outcomes that matter for Australia," says Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius.
"These five projects show how Macquarie researchers are applying new methods and technologies to address national priorities – from strengthening critical mineral supply chains and protecting biodiversity, to supporting sustainable industries and improving community health and education."
Professor Rick Shine.
Successful Macquarie University projects
Critical minerals recovery from steelmaking slag using non-thermal plasma
Investigators: Professor Vladimir Strezov; Dr Phong Vo; Professor Simon Clark; Professor Patrick Cullen; Dr Tianqi Zhang; Dr Timothy Evans
Funding awarded: $569,387
Partner organisation: Hamersley Iron Pty Limited
Summary: This project will develop a cold (non-thermal) plasma leaching process to recover critical minerals from steelmaking slag, creating a more economical and environmentally sustainable pathway to extract valuable by-products from industrial waste and strengthen Australia's critical minerals supply.
Controlling invasive cane toads at a landscape scale
Investigators: Professor Richard Shine; Associate Professor Maciej Maselko; Dr Chris Jolly; Dr Georgia Ward-Fear
Funding awarded: $856,639
Partner organisations: Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions; Watergum Community Inc; Department of Lands, Planning and Environment NT; Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Summary: This project aims to develop gene-knockout methods to help control cane toad abundance across their Australian range, including remote areas where direct management is difficult, supporting recovery of native wildlife threatened by toad invasion.
Resourcing educators to support participation in early education and care
Investigators: Professor Fay Hadley; Associate Professor Rebecca Andrews; Professor Rebecca Bull; Professor Linda Harrison; Ms Shae Haylen
Funding awarded: $339,281
Partner organisation: Early Childhood Australia
Summary: This project will deliver and evaluate professional learning and mentoring for early education and care educators to better understand local barriers to participation for vulnerable children and to design strength-based, locally meaningful initiatives to support attendance and inclusion.
A climate-aware future for sustainable sea cucumber harvesting
Investigators: Professor Jane Williamson; Dr Vincent Raoult; Dr Stephanie Duce; Associate Professor Karen Joyce; Professor Rod Connolly; Dr Jessica O'Hare; Dr Ian Knuckey
Funding awarded: $749,827
Partner organisations: Geonadir Pty Ltd; Fishwell Pty Ltd; Seafresh Operations Pty Ltd; Tasmanian Seafoods Pty. Ltd.
Summary: This project will future-proof Australia's sea cucumber fisheries by developing scalable stock assessment technologies that combine remote sensing, machine learning, fisheries metrics and population dynamics to address critical data gaps and support sustainable management under a changing climate.
Blood, sweat, and peers: Employee blood donations through the workplace
Investigators: Professor Debbie Haski-Leventhal; Dr Kathleen Chell; Dr Irit Alony; Professor Barbara Masser
Funding awarded: $631,518
Partner organisation: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Summary: This project will investigate workplace blood donation as a way to help address Australia's supply-and-demand gap, using mixed-method research to understand what drives employee donation, how companies can best support participation, and how findings can be translated into effective programs.
Total funding awarded across these projects: $3,146,652.
