The University of Sydney has secured close to $4 million in funding for eight new research projects with industry to create medical devices, protect seaweed forests from climate change and improve transport policy decisions and infrastructure planning for Sydney. 

This outstanding result places the University second among the Group of Eight (Go8) universities for the number of projects awarded, with a success rate of 40 percent, significantly above the national average of 30.6 percent.

Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Julie Cairney congratulated the successful researchers and their industry partners.

“These Linkage grants are a testament to the strength of our collaborative research. By working closely with industry, government and community partners, our researchers are co-designing solutions to current business and societal problems and developing new technologies to expand revenue and deliver long-term benefits for communities, the environment and the economy,” she said. 

The ARC Linkage Program supports projects that foster strategic partnerships between researchers and external organisations, encouraging the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas.

The eight successful University of Sydney chief investigators and their projects include:

• Associate Professor Zihuai Lin, from the Faculty of Engineering and Sydney Nano, with Roobuck and HI-Q Computers ($692,000): Developing a system to enhance energy-efficient connectivity in mining, smart cities, and logistics, reducing electronic waste and promoting renewable energy use.

• Dr Charlotte Feakins,  from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Brain and Mind Centre, and Sydney Environment Institute, with the Director of National Parks ($196,779): Re-storying Kakadu National Park by integrating archaeological, ethnographic and cultural landscape approaches to tell inclusive stories of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal lives, enriching national heritage narratives.

• Professor Zdenka Kuncic, from the Faculty of Science, the Centre for Complex Systems, the Charles Perkins Centre and Sydney Nano, with CCLabs ($717,366): Creating a neuromorphic interface to translate digital data into brain-like signals, unlocking the potential of biological neurocomputation and advancing Australia’s leadership in computational intelligence.

• Associate Professor Ezequiel Marzinelli, with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and Gamay Rangers ($359,407): Establishing a biorepository program to protect seaweed forests from climate change, preserving biodiversity and supporting coastal ecosystem services.

• Professor Chiara Neto, from the Faculty of Science, the Net Zero Institute and Sydney Nano, with Dulux Group Australia ($742,525): Designing polymer nanodiscs to enhance paint durability and sustainability, reducing the need for reapplication and reliance on non-renewable pigments.

• Dr Shuying Wu, from the Faculty of Engineering, the Net Zero Institute and Sydney Nano, with Santevation ($475,702): Developing soft, self-adhesive conductive polymer composites for long-term skin electrodes, improving the accuracy of continuous biopotential monitoring in healthcare.

• Professor Michiel Bliemer,  from the Business School and the Net Zero Institute, with Transport for NSW ($432,040): Building a modular, open-access strategic travel model for Sydney to improve transport policy decisions and infrastructure planning through advanced forecasting methods.

• Dr Jing Qiu , from the Faculty of Engineering and the Net Zero Institute, with My Energy Group ($373,000): Creating a network-aware electricity market trading tool for distributed energy resources, enhancing efficiency and sustainability in Australia’s energy sector.