The funding will foster collaboration between institutions and provide world-class infrastructure to advance research.
Four UNSW Sydney projects have received funding totalling more than $3.3 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) grants.
Spread across the Engineering, Science and Arts, Design & Architecture faculties, the funding will support the advancement of quantum technologies, innovation in clean energy materials and improve policymaking in the urban planning and health sectors.
UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise), Professor Bronwyn Fox, congratulated the academics.
"These grants are highly competitive and it's fantastic to see four UNSW projects recognised as they continue to drive innovation and tangible outcomes across a range of disciplines," she said. "The ARC LIEF grants play a key role in shaping both national and international collaborations between universities, governments and industries, amplifying the scale and impact of strategic research areas."
Research infrastructure to advance breakthroughs
Scientia Professor Deo Prasad from the School of Built Environment at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture received $1,209,463 to launch the Australian Smart Environmental Observatory. The project will build national capabilities to address urban heat, air quality, and noise. By deploying a large-scale sensor network in key city hubs across Australia, the project will enable long-term monitoring of climatic and environmental stressors in Australian cities. These insights will help guide evidence-based policymaking in urban planning and public health.
Associate Professor Shery Chang, Associate Director of the Electron Microscopy Unit and from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW Science, received $1,204,160 to build Australia's first ultrafast electron microscopy facility. The cutting-edge microscopes produced in this facility will allow scientists to see what happens inside materials at the atomic scale in real time. It works by syncing super-fast laser pulses with an electron beam and a high-speed detector, retrofitted to an existing $7M ARC transmission electron microscope. The facility will work on innovations in materials for quantum technologies, renewable energy harvest and storage, clean fuel production and biomedical diagnostic and therapy technologies.
Scientia Professor Alexander Hamilton from the School of Physics at UNSW Science was awarded $561,809 for a new hub to advance quantum devices and materials. The new Quantum Science and Industry Laboratory will build on existing ARC and UNSW investments to create a unique capability to measure and classify emerging quantum technologies that support industry and research. Prof. Hamilton will lead a team of experts from academia and industry covering a range of quantum technologies. The hub will work towards the development of new intellectual property, local manufacturing of quantum control hardware, support for Australia's quantum industries and training the next generation of workers for the burgeoning quantum technology sector.
Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW Engineering received $380,000 to establish a facility to advance next-generation solar technologies. The facility will enable researchers to study how emerging energy materials change and perform using real-time monitoring, with the goal of improving their stability, efficiency and manufacturability. It is expected to develop more stable, efficient and commercially viable solar cells, helping Australia to achieve renewable energy goals and strengthen leadership in clean energy innovation.
These grants are highly competitive and it's fantastic to see four UNSW projects recognised as they continue to drive innovation and tangible outcomes across a range of disciplines.
Opportunities for all
ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Ute Roessner said grants would help provide researchers with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, both in Australia and internationally.
"This investment gives researchers access to specialised equipment and large-scale infrastructure that no single institution could reasonably deliver alone. By pooling resources, they create opportunities for progress that would not otherwise be possible," she said. "These new projects will enhance Australia's research capability in areas of national priority, including sustainable manufacturing, quantum technology, and advances in diagnostic tools."
