$37.5 million in ARC Future Fellowships for University of Melbourne researchers
Thirty-two University of Melbourne researchers have been awarded Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships, receiving a total $37.5 million to fund research projects over four years.
The fellowships will cover a broad range of research challenges, from advancing gender equality in the workplace to using 3D printed concrete to build safer and more affordable infrastructure.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Mark Cassidy AM said the funding was a vital boost for research to tackle some of our region’s most complex challenges and opportunities.
“This investment in university research demonstrates a strong commitment by the government to supporting excellence in Australian research,” Professor Cassidy said.
“It will enable both fundamental and challenge-led research across many disciplines, providing mid-career researchers with the backing they need to advance the boundaries of knowledge in areas of national interest.”
One project will examine the relationship between extreme speech and politically motivated violence in Australia. Dr Philip Pond from the Faculty of Arts will lead a project tracing the escalation from text and images to violent action, seeking to contribute to both public and policy debates on free speech.
In another, Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher from the Faculty of Science will investigate how Indigenous-led approaches to land management can help address catastrophic wildfire and biodiversity loss across southern Australia, aiming to improve ecological restoration in the face of climate change.
And in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Dr Enid Yi Ni Lam will study how blood stem cells can become different types of T cells, creating new knowledge about how immune cells form.
The Australian Government is investing a record total of $344 million through the 2026 Future Fellowships scheme to support over 290 interdisciplinary projects spanning clean energy, health and wellbeing, food and agriculture, environmental protection, housing and AI innovation.