Three University of Sydney research teams have been awarded funding through the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre’s 2026 Large Grant Support Scheme, enabling ambitious projects designed to grow into major national and international funding applications.
The funded initiatives respond to some of the region’s most pressing and complex challenges, spanning planetary health data diplomacy, AI and digital governance, and climate and health.
Aligned with SSEAC’s Strategic Plan (PDF, 3.9MB) and Grand Challenges framework, the projects bring together cross-faculty expertise, a regional focus and strong partnerships across Southeast Asia.
“These projects demonstrate the strength of collaboration across the University and the value SSEAC places on building deep partnerships for real-world impact throughout Southeast Asia,” said Professor Tiho Ancev, Deputy Director of Research Development.
“By investing in the development of proposals for ambitious, externally funded research programs, the Large Grant Support Scheme helps our researchers to address challenges of regional and global significance while building lasting collaborations that deliver meaningful impact.”
Large Grant Scheme projects
Data diplomacy for the planet
As climate change intensifies environmental and health risks across Southeast Asia, effective responses increasingly rely on trusted information that can move across borders. This project explores how data, expertise and governance frameworks shape decision-making, while addressing barriers such as unequal power relations, trust and the marginalisation of local knowledge. The team will develop practical approaches to fairer and more reliable data governance, supporting climate resilience, planetary health and sustainable development outcomes.
“In a context of growing climate risk, better data alone is not enough – we need trusted and equitable ways of sharing and using it,” said lead investigator Professor Sonja van Wichelen. “This project brings regional partners together to build more inclusive data practices that can support stronger environmental and health outcomes.”
Is AI good for public infrastructure? Co-designing a Southeast Asian AI Barometer
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of public services and infrastructure across Southeast Asia, but little is known about how people experience its benefits, risks and everyday impacts. Working with citizens in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, Associate Professor Jonathon Hutchinson will lead a team examining how people are living and working with AI. The research will explore employee wellbeing, work design, skills development and human-centred digital transformation, generating evidence to inform more inclusive and responsive AI governance across the region.
Mapping kidney health in Vietnam
Chronic kidney disease is a growing public health concern in Vietnam, yet reliable evidence on its prevalence remains limited, particularly in rural communities. Led by Dr Brendan Smyth, this project will help close that gap by integrating kidney disease and metabolic screening into an existing tuberculosis screening program in Cà Mau Province. The findings will improve understanding of disease burden, inform future research into the links between heat exposure and kidney health, and support interventions to improve cardiovascular and kidney health outcomes in Vietnam and comparable settings across Southeast Asia.
Building the next generation of major research collaborations
Together, the projects highlight the University of Sydney’s multidisciplinary research strengths and the importance of sustained regional relationships in addressing challenges that extend beyond national borders.
Congratulations to the 2026 recipients and their international partners.
Visit SSEAC’s Current research page to learn more about the projects, project teams and partners.