More than 500 basic and applied research projects will begin exploring areas like cloud computing encryption, AI in the workplace and clean-energy technologies after sharing in more than $370 million in federal funding.
The projects secured long-term research grants from the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) 2026 Discovery Projects round, announced on Tuesday.
The highly coveted funding of up to $500,000 a year for five years per project helps Australia’s top researchers generate new knowledge and technologies across science, engineering, social science and the humanities.
Among the funded work is a Macquarie University project that will receive $461,000 to design algorithms for advanced homomorphic encryption. It could help secure computation on encrypted data and strengthen Australia’s data-privacy capabilities.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales will use a $482,000 grant to study AI-driven workplace design, addressing cognitive fatigue and mental health impacts as automation changes how people work.
A$455,000 clean-energy project at the University of New South Wales will develop more stable perovskite solar materials to improve renewable-energy efficiency and durability.
A University of Tasmania project will receive a $401,000 grant to develop new methods for modelling Antarctic glaciers, improving global sea-level rise predictions.
The 2026 Discovery round continues the two-stage application process introduced last year to reduce administrative burden for applicants and focus reviewers’ attention on research merit and collaboration potential.
ARC chief executive Professor Ute Roessner said the scheme allows researchers across all disciplines to “pursue bold ideas, foster collaboration and generate knowledge that strengthens Australia’s prosperity, resilience and wellbeing”.
Every $1 invested in Discovery Projects produces an estimated $3.32 in economic output, with flow-on benefits in workforce training, international collaboration and research capacity building, according to the ARC.
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