Four teams led by University of Sydney academics have been awarded grants to partner with industry to deliver research-backed, real-world solutions to national challenges as part of the Australian Research Council's (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.
Professor Julie Cairney , interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), congratulated the successful recipients.
"The ARC Linkage scheme recognises the power of collaboration between researchers and the end users of their research in government, industry or the community to address the challenges facing Australia and the world," said Professor Cairney.
"These four projects will be crucial to Australia's transition to green fuels, and to better outcomes for Australian workers, demonstrating the University of Sydney's commitment to research that contributes to the common good ."
2026 ARC Linkage Projects
Tackling wage theft | $239,160
Research lead: Associate Professor Stephen Clibborn , Business School
Industry partner: Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman
This project aims to tackle widespread wage theft by investigating the benefits and challenges of collaboration between the labour regulator, representatives of workers, and businesses. The team expects to generate new knowledge on how to increase employer compliance using innovative mixed methods, engaged research design embedded in a new initiative in state regulation of wage laws. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced and coordinated capacity for increasing employer compliance with wage laws. This should provide significant benefit for state labour regulators seeking to maximise limited resources, workers expecting correct legal pay, businesses desiring a more level playing field, and for the integrity of laws.
Improving career outcomes for frontline workers | $180,000
Research lead: Professor Rae Cooper , University of Sydney Business School
Industry partners: NSW Nurses and Midwives Association , Electrical Trades Union of Australia , Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Union , Powering Skills Organisation , Australian Human Rights Commission , and the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman
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 four occupations with distinct gender compositions, this project provides new 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.
Turning CO2 into green energy | $590,000
Research lead: Professor Jun Huang , School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering ; Sydney Nano Institute ; Net Zero Institute ; Sydney Southeast Asia Centre ; Sydney Environment Institute
Industry partners: Seagull Cooling Technologies Asia Pacific and Jneutech Pty Ltd
The goal of this project is to develop nanostructured catalysts and a catalytic process for converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into synthetic methane, a green fuel produced through selective hydrogenation with green hydrogen. This strategy targets the production of green synthetic methane while using Australia's current liquefied natural gas infrastructure and transportation network to efficiently deliver green fuels to domestic and global markets. Success in this project could revolutionise green fuel manufacturing and significantly contribute to advancing Australia's carbon neutrality objectives. Ultimately, this project holds the potential to drive a significant transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources across the nation.
Designing new materials for hydrogen fuel systems | $685,734
Research lead: Professor Simon Ringer , School of Aerospace, Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering ; Net Zero Institute
Industry partners: Kobe Steel and Carl Zeiss
In the emerging hydrogen economy, addressing hydrogen embrittlement (HE), which causes unpredictable fractures in metallic materials, has become a critical priority for safe hydrogen storage, transport, and use. This project aims to advance the fundamental understanding of the HE mechanism and resolve conflicts in existing theories based on recent breakthroughs. Advanced microscopy methodologies will be developed to achieve multi-scale characterisation of the materials, focusing on crack initiation and propagation, and lattice defect-hydrogen interactions. This project aims to design new HE-resistant, high-strength martensitic steels using a mechanism-based, simulation-guided alloy design approach.
