Eight new Centres of Excellence announced by the Australian Research Council on Tuesday includes $70 million for two centres focused on quantum computing research over the next seven years.
The eight new Centres of Excellence will receive $279 million in total to promote the study of disciplines ranging from environmental science to renewables, social inclusion and future digital technology.
The CoEs will be able to authorise research grants of between $1 million and $5 million for up to seven years.
The University of NSW and the University of Sydney will host centres promoting research into scaling quantum computing technology, and countering cybersecurity issues posed by quantum cryptography and artificial intelligence.
The two CoEs will engage over 30 local and international institutions across academia, government and the private sector.
“Collaboration between world-leading researchers, emerging talent and global industries will unlock the full potential of quantum computer technologies, with an expected economic value of over $1 trillion across chemical, life sciences, finance and mobility industries,” UNSW said in its application for CoE status.
UNSW and the University of Sydney are already home to the ARC Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology and the Sydney Quantum Academy respectively.
NSW will host five of the eight CoEs, two each at UNSW and the University of Sydney, and a fifth at the University of Wollongong, sharing a collective $175 million in grants.
ARC chief executive Professor Ute Roessner said the centres would “advance knowledge… strengthen our communities, inform public policy, and help shape a more resilient and prosperous Australia”.
The ARC launched the CoE program in 2003. The program last expanded in 2023, with a $385 million investment across 11 new Centres.
Scientists in recent years have warned Australian research and development is facing a chronic funding shortage.
The full list of new CoEs:
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Our Future Oceans, UNSW
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Performance and Integration, UNSW
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Advanced Peptide and Protein Engineering (CAPE), University of Sydney
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Mathematics for Quantum Era Security and Trust (MathQuEST), University of Sydney
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Renewable Fuels, University of Wollongong
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Transforming Human Origins Research, Griffith University
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Prisoner Reintegration, Flinders University
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Quality Work in a Digital Age (QWiDA), Curtin University
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