UQ researchers secure more than $6.5 million in ARC funding

Ten University of Queensland research teams will share more than $6.5 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme.

UQ received the highest number of grants and total funding from the ARC in the funding round.

The projects, in collaboration with industry partners, will support Australian Government research priority areas, across topics from transforming Australian child protection systems to identifying contaminants entering wastewater systems.

The lead researcher and their projects include:

• Professor David Craik - research into peptide-based drugs in plants aimed at producing new-generation drugs with improved safety, effectiveness and sustainability.
• Dr Terrance Fitzsimmons - empowering Indigenous women who are environmental rangers to lead change in the field of land management beyond their communities.
• Associate Professor Celine Frere - research into airborne DNA of one Australia’s most at-risk mammals, northern bettongs, to understand the threats driving their decline.  
• Professor Karen Healy - research to help transform Australian child protection systems by building capability in peer-parent and family advocacy.
• Professor Paul Meehan - research to improve manufacturing technologies to produce stronger, lighter, cheaper and more sustainable steel products across a range of industries. 
• Professor Hongzhi Yin - research into technologies to help address misinformation, privacy, and bias in online media platforms, creating a more reliable information environment and fostering public trust.
• Professor Timothy Mercer - research to improve quality control of mRNA manufacture to produce safer and more effective mRNA vaccines.
• Professor Jochen Mueller – research to identify sources of contaminants entering Australian sewers to reduce releases into wastewater treatment plants and the wider environment.
• Dr Conan Wang - research to develop a molecular platform to enhance the targeted delivery of radiation in medical diagnosis and treatment. 
• Associate Professor Liguang Wang - research to improve production processes of lithium to enhance quality while reducing costs and environmental impacts.

The ARC announced more than $43 million to 72 collaborative research projects across Australia. The full list of projects is available on the ARC website.