The Australian Research Council (ARC) has today announced more than $38 million in funding for 36 new research projects over 5 years under the 2025 ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) scheme.
Acting ARC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Johnson said the LIEF scheme is an integral part of the ARC's Linkage Program which supports national and international collaboration and research partnerships between key stakeholders in research and innovation, including higher education providers, government, business, industry and end users.
"The LIEF Scheme supports outstanding basic, strategic basic and applied research and research training through the acquisition of research equipment and infrastructure and access to national and international research facilities," Dr Johnson said.
"This funding ensures the transfer of knowledge, skills and ideas as a foundation to strengthen the scale and focus of existing and emerging areas of research."
Some of the 2025 LIEF funding recipients include:
Professor Paul Jackson, The University of Adelaide ($900,000): in collaboration with the European Laboratory of Particle Physics at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) and the KEK Laboratory in Japan, the project will provide continued access to both the high energy and high precision frontier of high energy physics.
Professor Gary Foley, Victoria University ($988,174): 'Aboriginal History Archive 2.0' will expand the Aboriginal History Archive's framework for capturing, contextualising and sharing previously unavailable materials. It will expand historical data available to the research community, enabling researchers to reveal Aboriginal people and organisations as a trustworthy repository.
Professor Damian Candusso, Queensland University of Technology ($261,250): will address critical challenges in the preservation and dissemination of Australia's cultural heritage by augmenting Australia's capacity in 3D digitisation.
Associate Professor Nicholas Deutscher, University of Wollongong ($770,891): will establish a network of sun-sensing spectrometers for detection of changes in atmospheric composition. Application of this equipment will enable targeted, independent, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and support Australia's progress towards a net zero future.
