University researchers’ success in ARC Linkage Projects scheme round two

A project testing “power windows” which could make household windows generate solar power is among 20 collaborative research initiatives that will benefit from $11.7 million in funding.

The funding is part of the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage Projects 2025 Round 2 scheme, which supports university researchers to work with industry partners to deliver innovative solutions.

University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Mark Cassidy said the 20 projects reflect the University’s research excellence, collaboration and impact.

“The University collaborated with more than 1380 partner organisations in 2025 to translate our interdisciplinary research into real-world impact,” Professor Cassidy said.

“Congratulations to the researchers and industry partners who have secured this critical Australian Government funding, bringing our expertise together for the benefit of society.”

These 20 projects were funded, with University of Melbourne researchers working in collaboration with other researchers and partner organisations:

1. Professor David Ackland, Professor Richard Sinnott, Professor Saman Halgamuge, Dr Hans Gray and Mr Stuart Douglas will develop a tool for high-accuracy, joint motion assessments at scale by a non-expert. This technology has the potential to aid in future biomarker discovery for movement disorders, surgical planning joint implant development, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and film and animation for education.
2. Professor Simon Bailey, Professor Martin Sillence, Dr Nicholas Bamford, Associate Professor Melody de Laat and Dr Patricia Harris will investigate how the misfolded protein, alpha synuclein, causes muscle atrophy in a common disease affecting one in five older horses and ponies, using in vitro and clinical studies. The project should position Australian equine researchers at the global forefront while addressing a critical research gap and delivering benefits to the Australian horse industry and improving equine welfare.
3. Associate Professor James Bullock, Professor Leonardo Sciacca, Professor Stan Skafidas and Mr Costanzo Luccitti will develop novel laser power converters for use in wireless power transfer systems.
4. Dr Vito Colella, Dr Cameron Raw, Associate Professor Anke Wiethoelter, Professor Susana Vaz Nery, Ms Kristy Crooks, Dr Jessica Hoopes and Dr Phillip McDonagh will use advanced diagnostics to create the first genetic database of parasites and vector-borne pathogens in dogs and cats in Indigenous communities. Companion animals share strong cultural and familial ties with Aboriginal people. However, their health is deeply affected by parasitic diseases, overpopulation, and limited access to culturally appropriate care. This project aims to reshape how animal health is managed in Aboriginal communities and support the delivery of long-term, culturally appropriate strategies by governments and service providers.
5. Professor Kenneth Crozier will work develop a compact, low-cost, low-power mid-infrared microspectrometer to detect and measure air pollution gases. The device will help users reduce health risks from air pollution, linked to an estimated 3200 deaths annually in Australia.
6. Professor Jane Davidson, Dr Gillian Howell, Dr Anthea Skinner, Associate Professor Jo Raphael, Ms Cat Sewell and Ms Michelle Hovane will address the persistent exclusion of children with complex disability from full cultural participation by investigating how to create and sustain high-quality performances for and with this audience. The project will produce sector events, practice guidelines, and an evidence base to inform future investment.
7. Professor Patricia Eadie, Professor Zelinna Pablo, Associate Professor Clare Littleton, Dr Sarah Young, Mrs Jessica Langford, Mrs Carolyn Dawkins and Mrs Jenny Foley will work to address stress in the Australian aged care sector caused by an aging population, developmentally vulnerable children and workforce shortages. The project will build evidence on how co-locating older adults and young children creates cohesive care and thriving communities, leading to social, cultural, and educational benefits.
8. Dr Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, Associate Professor Anna Arstein-Kerslake, Associate Professor Erin O'Donnell, Professor Tiffany Morrison and Ms Maddison Miller will investigate the potential for Australia’s major reef systems—the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Great Southern Reef—to be recognised as legal entities through environmental personhood.
9. Associate Professor Aaron Jex, Dr Arash Zamyadi, Dr Nicholas Crosbie, Dr Anusuya Willis, Dr Hannah Sassi, Dr Peter Hobson and Associate Professor Zongyuan Ge will develop and deploy rapid diagnostics to improve management of toxic algal blooms in Australian recycled waters. Recycled water provides $19 billion per anum in economic benefit to Australia. Toxic algal blooms regularly threaten recycled water supplies, particularly over summer when they are most needed.
10. Professor Alexander Johnson, Associate Professor Hafiz Ansar Rasul Suleria, Professor Enzo Lombi, Dr Elad Tako, Mrs Lesley Gillespie, Mr Luke Farrell, Dr Jesse Beasley and Mr Richard Devlin will develop high-yielding, nutrient-dense wheat and soybean crops tailored to the Australian food and feed industries. The project aims to boost levels of naturally occurring phytonutrients that enhance iron and zinc uptake through innovative plant breading.
11. Professor Andrew May, Associate Professor Carolyn Holbrook, Associate Professor Deana Leahy, Associate Professor Kellie Burns, Dr Thomas Kehoe, Dr Samuel Teague, Dr Penelope (Penny) Gleeson, Associate Professor Elizabeth Roberts-Pedersen, Dr Liam Byrne, Dr Matthew Allen, Ms Melissa Ledger, Ms Hayley Jones, Ms Laura Hunter, Adjunct Professor Amanda Piper, Professor Susan Evans, Dr Yannick Romero, Ms Kate Whittaker, Adjunct Associate Professor David Smith and Ms Melanie Reid will develop the first comprehensive history of cancer and its control in Australia, 1925-2025 to explore the national response to cancer.
12. Professor Priyan Mendis, Professor Gianluca Ranzi and Mr Michael Feldman will develop a cementless carbon-negative concrete technology that relies on materials widely available in Australia. The technology will be suitable for mass production and for applications in buildings and the built environment.
13. Associate Professor Julie Tian Miao, Associate Professor Viet Hoang Nguyen, Professor Christian Nygaard, Professor Wendy Stone, Associate Professor Laurence Troy, Professor Christian Leishman, Dr Marcus Spiller, Ms Linda Seaborn and Ms Elizabeth Thomas will help tackle Australia’s housing crisis by addressing the financial gaps of the affordable cooperative housing sector.
14. Professor Paul Mulvaney, Associate Professor James Bullock and Dr Mikhail Vasiliev will design, model, construct and test new “power windows” which will be able to generate solar power, while still functioning as windows in buildings such windows could dramatically reduce energy consumption and hence greenhouse gases, allowing buildings to generate their own electricity.
15. Professor Akihiro Ogawa, Professor Charles Sampford, Associate Professor Kenneth Coghill will develop and refine the Asian Parliamentary Transparency Index over three years, to assess parliamentary openness in Asia.
16. Professor Steven Prawer, Dr Moshe Tordjman and Dr Eilon Poem will develop a reliable source of quantum-active diamond membranes to be used as the basic building block for integrated optical quantum devices. Diamond materials are ideal for quantum technologies and are leading the charge in the new wave of real-world quantum industries.
17. Professor Katherine Reynolds, Dr Georgia Dawson, Professor Jon Quach, Professor Sharon Goldfeld, Dr Daniel Steinberg, Dr Claire Tobin, Dr Kate Brady, Dr Meredith O'Connor and Dr Sarah Gray will work to better understand the social determinants for life outcomes through an examination of early and proximal predictors of learning, engagement and well-being. Findings will be translated to support schools in ensuring high impact strategies at critical developmental stages.
18. Professor Alessandro Toffoli, Professor James Bailey, Professor Luke Bennetts, Dr Alexander Fraser, Dr Johannes Lohse, Mr Sean Chua, Dr Won Sang Lee, Dr Clare Eayrs, Dr Salman Saeed Khan, Dr Petra Heil and Dr Marcello Vichi will develop new methods to improve how sea ice is mapped and measured using satellite and ship-based images. These innovations will support safe and efficient navigation for icebreaker crews, improving the efficiency of scientific missions and logistical operations in the Antarctic.
19. Dr Wei Tong, Dr Brett Kagan, Professor Steven Prawer and Dr Yair Prawer will advance synthetic biological intelligence (SBI) by using 3D brain organoids as the basic organic computational unit, rather than 2D neuronal cultures. The project aims to develop a carbon-based technology for long-term, high-resolution 3D interfacing with organoids and use it to demonstrate enhanced computational capabilities.
20. Professor Brendan Wintle, Professor Sarah Bekessy, Dr William Geary, Professor Vikram Bhakoo, Associate Professor Kwok Hung Lau, Dr Matthew Selinske, Dr Ella Kelly and Dr Sasha Courville will develop a biodiversity impact workflow for organisations to evaluate their nature-related impacts and opportunities, both direct and in supply chains, and characterise transformation pathways for achieving nature positive outcomes.