Monash Science awarded over $11 Million in ARC Discovery funding for 2026

Dramatic shot of the Green Chemical Futures building during dusk

Monash University’s Faculty of Science has again demonstrated its research excellence, securing $11,037,548 in funding through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects (DP) scheme for 2026.

This year, the Australian Government announced 526 new research grants, awarding a total of $376.4 million nationally.

Monash University received $62,825,862 across 78 funded projects – the highest number and value of awards in Australia. Of these, 14 successful projects were led by Monash Science researchers, highlighting the Faculty’s strength across disciplines, fundamental research, and real-world impact.

Faculty of Science Dean, Professor Jordan Nash, celebrated the results:

“These awards highlight the depth and diversity of scientific inquiry within the Faculty,” Professor Nash said.

“From climate resilience and sustainable energy to microbial evolution and supernovae, our researchers are tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” he said.

“I’m especially proud of the collaboration and original thinking that underpin these projects. They reflect our commitment to advancing knowledge and delivering real-world impact.”

Among the standout contributors are Early Career Researchers (ECRs) Dr Maria Ermakova and Dr Andrew Gunn, whose innovative projects have earned national recognition. Dr Ermakova’s work on plant heat resilience and Dr Gunn’s research into the evolution of aridity in Australia’s Red Centre are just some examples of the future-focused science emerging from the Faculty. Their success reflects the Faculty’s strong support for ECR talent and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of research leaders.

Highlights in this year’s DP funding include:

  • Climate and sustainability, which remain dominant themes, with projects addressing plant resilience, carbon sequestration, and microbial evolution.
  • Digital innovation, which is emerging, particularly in chemistry, with projects leveraging computational tools for catalyst design.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches, evident across schools, combining biology, physics, and earth sciences to tackle complex global issues.
  • Female-led projects which accounted for 21.4% of science-led awards, consistent with last year’s representation.

Science-led ARC Discovery Projects by School

School of Biological Sciences

  • Cooler leaves: optimising protective heat release by plants – Maria Ermakova – $768,289
  • A New Microbial Model to Study Phage Biology in the Gut – Jeremy Barr, Sam Forster – $988,806
  • Unravelling the mitochondrial role in climate adaptation – Damian Dowling – $869,129
  • The evolution of heat tolerance and life history in the Anthropocene – Craig White, Lesley Alton – $772,301
  • The genetic basis of sporopollenin, the most durable biopolymer known – John Bowman – $662,189
  • Harnessing the Holobiont: Can We Evolve Microbes to Influence Their Hosts? – Mike McDonald, Vanessa Wong – $652,206

Total: $4,712,920

School of Chemistry

  • Low-cost, sustainable hydrides for green energy storage – Alexandr Simonov – $869,954
  • Metal-based complexes and materials that challenge antimicrobial resistance – Philip Andrews – $763,269
  • Digitally-guided catalytic strategies for complex molecule synthesis – Ekaterina Pas, Philip Chan – $1,205,442

Total: $2,838,665

School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment

  • Evolution of aridity in the Red Centre expressed in linear dunes – Andrew Gunn, Kat Fitzsimmons, Andrew Frierdich – $717,587
  • Weathering and geological carbon sequestration – Fabio Capitanio – $637,841
  • Hiding in nooks and crannies: critical metals in mineral-water systems – Joel Brugger – $835,134

Total: $2,190,562

School of Mathematics

  • Fluid dynamical processes in the formation of magmatic ore deposits – Anja Slim – $770,401

Total: $770,401

School of Physics and Astronomy

  • Ascertaining the explosion mechanism of stripped-envelope supernovae – Bernhard Mueller – $525,000

Total: $525,000

For more information on the ARC Discovery Projects scheme, visit the https://www.arc.gov.au/funding-research/discovery-linkage/discovery-program/discovery-projects.

Further information
Silvia Dropulich
Marketing, Media & Communications Manager, Monash Science
T: +61 3 9902 4513 M: +61 435 138 743
Email: silvia.dropulich@monash.edu