Five Monash Science researchers awarded $5.7 million in ARC Future Fellowships
L-R top: Dr Maria Ermakova, Dr Mylene Mariette, Dr Karolina Matuszek; bottom: Dr Kengo Deguchi, Associate Professor Andrew Casey.
Five Monash University Faculty of Science researchers have been awarded prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships, receiving more than $5.7 million to advance research spanning climate resilience, renewable energy, plant productivity, fluid dynamics and stellar astrophysics.
The Science fellowships form part of a major result for Monash University, with 30 researchers awarded Future Fellowships worth a combined $34.67 million in the 2026 round.
Monash Science secured five fellowships worth $5.71 million, the third-highest result across the University by both number of fellowships and total funding.
Faculty of Science Dean Professor Jordan Nash congratulated the five researchers.
“Future Fellowships support outstanding researchers to pursue ambitious ideas at a critical stage of their careers, and these five projects demonstrate the extraordinary breadth and quality of research taking place across Monash Science,” Professor Nash said.
“From understanding how plants and animals can respond to a changing climate, to developing better renewable-energy storage and transforming our understanding of stars, this research addresses questions with significance beyond individual disciplines.
“To secure five fellowships in this highly competitive national scheme is a terrific result, and I congratulate each of our new Future Fellows.”
Faculty of Science Deputy Dean Research Professor Katya Pas said the result reflected the strength of the Faculty’s research community and its capacity to develop the next generation of research leaders.
“These fellowships provide researchers with the time and resources to build ambitious, independent research programs and establish themselves as leaders in their fields,” Professor Pas said.
“I am particularly pleased to see women receive three of our five fellowships this year. Women represented 38 per cent of the Faculty’s applications but 60 per cent of our successful Future Fellows.
“The $5.7 million awarded to Science is also an increase of more than $700,000 on last year, supporting five outstanding researchers to tackle fundamental scientific questions with important implications for Australia and the world.”
The 2026 Monash Science Future Fellows are:
- Dr Maria Ermakova (School of Biological Sciences) – $1,006,904
Illuminating photosynthesis with far-red light
The project will investigate how plants can make better use of far-red light in shaded parts of leaves and canopies, with the potential to increase crop productivity without additional agricultural inputs. - Dr Mylene Mariette (external applicant, School of Biological Sciences) – $1,168,321
Understanding avian heat adaptation and its developmental drivers
The project will investigate how birds adapt to rising temperatures and whether exposure to acoustic signals before birth can influence their capacity to tolerate heat, improving understanding of how animals may respond to climate change. - Dr Karolina Matuszek (School of Chemistry) – $1,166,163
Integrated design approach to advanced thermal energy storage materials
The project will develop new materials for thermal batteries that store heat, addressing a major challenge in renewable-energy storage and contributing to Australia's transition to a zero-carbon energy future. - Dr Kengo Deguchi (School of Mathematics) – $1,082,333
New ways forward in the theory of turbulent heat and momentum transport
The project will develop new approaches to understanding and predicting heat and momentum transport in turbulent flows, with potential applications including more efficient power plants and heat exchangers. - Associate Professor Andrew Casey (School of Physics and Astronomy) – $1,282,807
The faults in our stars
The project aims to make measurements of stellar properties and chemical composition ten times more precise than current methods, improving understanding of how stars, planets and galaxies form and evolve.
The 2026 Future Fellowships round is the largest investment in the scheme to date, with the Australian Government providing more than $344 million for more than 290 research projects nationally.
The ARC Future Fellowships scheme supports outstanding mid-career researchers to undertake high-quality research of national and international benefit and develop their research leadership.
For more information, refer to the Announcement Kit.
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