Monash’s Faculty of IT receives $2M+ in 2026 round of Australian Research Council Discovery Projects (DPs)
Announced on Tuesday 28 October, researchers in Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology are leading three DPs and contributing their expertise to another in the Faculty of Engineering.
The funded projects led by the Faculty focus on areas integral to the future – learning analytics, quantum-safe cybersecurity and interactive, personalised and safe AI agents:
Enhancing learner feedback literacy using AI-powered feedback analytics – $675,333
Associate Professor Roberto Martinez-Maldonado, Dr Yi-Shan Tsai, Dr Sadia Nawaz, Professor Michael Phillips, Associate Professor Danijela Gasevic, Professor Phillip Dawson, Associate Professor Linda Corrin, Assistant Professor Yizhou Fan, Adjunct Professor Rafael Ferreira Leite de Mello and Associate Professor Lan Yang
Aims to develop a novel approach to enable personalised support underpinned by AI techniques that help learners reflect on feedback critically and take meaningful actions.
This project will advance the understanding of learner feedback literacy in higher education by proposing an analytics-based mechanism to innovatively capture and analyse trace-data-based behaviour when they interact with feedback.
The project addresses a critical challenge in supporting learners to develop the capabilities needed to benefit from feedback, due to an inadequate understanding of how to use it.
Ultimately, this will enhance feedback effectiveness and contribute to improved learning experiences, better graduate outcomes and lifelong learning success.
NextGen Blockchain Privacy & Security: Practical and Quantum-Safe Solutions – $557,398
Professor Joseph Liu, Professor Ron Steinfeld and Associate Professor Tsz Hon Yuen
Aims to enhance blockchain security, efficiency and privacy through new cryptographic tools and protocols that improve confidential transactions, secure digital wallets, create privacy-preserving payment channels and increase trust in digital payments through blockchain.
The outcomes of this project will benefit businesses and consumers by protecting financial activities, conserving energy and fostering innovation. Overall, it will contribute to making Australia a leader in secure, private blockchain technology – with positive impacts on the economy and society.
Towards Personalised, Interactive, and Responsible Avatar Agents – $797,397
Professor Jianfei Cai, Dr Qiuhong Ke, Associate Professor Abhinav Dhall and Professor Tien Tsin Wong
Aims to tackle three main challenges in avatar AI agents – interactivity, personalisation and safety – by combining human understanding with avatar creation and integrating avatar generation with deepfake detection.
The project will advance knowledge in multi-modal human understanding, diffusion-based personalised avatar creation and explainable deepfake detection.
Expected outcomes include cutting-edge tools for avatar generation and deepfake detection, positioning Australia as a global leader in this field. The project will also enable various real-world applications such as virtual companions, elderly care and personalised tutoring, driving significant economic benefits.
The Faculty is also embedding its leading data science expertise into a project led by the Faculty of Engineering:
Unravelling Nucleation and Early-Stage Growth of Colloidal Perovskites – $713,927
Professor Jacek Jasieniak, Associate Professor Tuncay Alan and Associate Professor Daniel Schmidt (IT)
Aims to develop a data-science driven smart colloidal nanomaterial synthesis platform to provide insights into the embryonic stages of Colloidal Perovskites.
Nucleation and early-stage growth processes are crucial in defining the properties of solid materials. However, despite being studied for more than a century, these initial stages of colloidal evolution are still not fully understood – a fundamental challenge.
The platform resulting from this project will harness superior temporal resolution to study the sub-second growth kinetics of perovskite nanocrystals and tailor their structural, optical and electrical properties. The outcomes will directly impact advanced manufacturing technologies in optoelectronic devices, solar cells and catalysis.
“These grant successes reflect the depth and diversity of our research,” said Professor Jesper Kjeldskov, Deputy Dean (Research) in the Faculty of IT.
“The scope of projects funded this round exemplifies the widespread applicability of technology – from education to security – that enables us to continuously and collaboratively deliver real-world impact. I’m proud that our Faculty is one of the key players defining Monash’s research culture.”
In the 2026 round, there have been 78 DPs awarded across the University totalling nearly $62.8 million in funding.