¼ Sydney researchers were awarded more than $4.6 million in Linkage Project grants, with the University topping the nation for the number of successful projects – nine in total.
On 25 June 2025 the Australian Government announced 75 new research grants under the scheme for 2024, with a total of $46.6 million awarded. ¼ Sydney researchers were awarded more than $4.6 million in Linkage Project grants, with the University topping the nation for the number of successful projects – nine in total.
Head of School of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CVEN) Professor Nasser Khalili was delighted to announce that four CVEN research projects had been successful in this round. “This is a remarkable achievement,” he said, “with the School accounting for 45% of the University’s newly awarded LP grants.”
$1.74 million has been awarded to researchers from two of our powerhouse multidisciplinary research centres; the Centre for Infrastructure, Engineering and Safety (CIES), and the Water Research Centre (WRC).
Huge congratulations to Emeritus Professor Stephen Foster; Associate Professor Wengui Li, Professor Michael Manefield, Professor Bing-Jie Ni, Professor Hamid Valipour; and Dr Haoran Duan who are working with colleagues from other institutions and nine partnering organisations.
Professor Taha Rashidi from our (rCITI) has also been successful in a Linkage grant led by colleagues from the University of Sydney.
Reflecting the broad reach and deep expertise of the School, the Linkage project topics include:
¼’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise, Professor Bronwyn Fox, congratulated the researchers for receiving the highly competitive grants.
“ARC Linkage Projects play an important role in supporting national and international strategic partnerships that translate research into practical benefits, strengthening Australia’s innovation pipeline and boosting capabilities across sectors. …it’s wonderful to see ¼ at the forefront of innovative research partnerships that will drive benefits for all.”
Researchers:Professor Stephen Foster; Professor Hamid Valipour (CIES); Professor Evan Bentz; Mr Anthony Ng; Mr Graeme McGregor
The Australian standard for concrete structures was updated in 2018 to allow the limited use of steel bar reinforcement with a strength of 600 MPa. However, reliable crack width prediction models are not yet available to allow their use as shear reinforcement. Now, even stronger bar products, with strengths of up to 800 MPa, are available but are not used in construction due to insufficient understanding of crack mechanics under service conditions.
This study addresses this knowledge gap and will provide crucial data to engineers and standards bodies for the use of these products. This research will create a pathway for the use of more sustainable, higher-performance materials, providing substantial benefits to the Australian economy.
Partnering Organisation: INFRABUILD AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Amount Awarded: $306,134.
Researchers:Associate Professor Wengui Li (CIES); Associate Professor Wensu Chen; Mr Victor Wu; Mr Frank Del Borrello
Vehicle-emission toxicity is more severe in indoors than outdoors, but photocatalysts could efficiently mitigate harmful pollutants emitted by vehicles. The project aims to develop a highly effective and reliable cementitious photocatalytic materials as coating layers on indoor surfaces to reduce harmful gases in enclosed car parks and building-ventilation costs.
The expected outcomes will significantly improve air quality, decrease maintenance costs, and reduce the risk of illness, enhancing strategies for controlling air pollution for the enclosed environments. This is expected to strengthen Australia’s competitiveness in environmental purification, bringing sustained economic, environmental and social benefits to the construction sector.
Partnering Organisation: Shining Global Construction Pty Ltd; Komemo Constructions
Amount Awarded: $286,052
Researchers:Professor Michael Manefield (WRC); Professor Naresh Kumar; Professor Leo Lahti
Our environment is heavily contaminated. We aim to develop chemical catalysts to accelerate the degradation of toxic contaminants in water and use computer models to predict contaminant degradation rates. This approach to cleaning up contamination is a world first and could lead to global applications cleaning up contaminated environments.
We expect to deliver an innovative market ready technology for use by the contaminated land and groundwater industry. This industry is crying out for such innovations and widespread deployment will reduce clean-up costs, duration and impact resulting in improved human and environmental health.
Partnering Organisation: Orica Ltd
Amount Awarded: $653,379
Researchers:Professor Bing-Jie Ni (WRC); Dr Wei Wei; Dr Haoran Duan; Mr Buddy Jilwan
This project seeks to pioneer a circular economy-driven greening wastewater treatment process for efficient resource recovery. It brings together a multidisciplinary team to develop an innovative system that integrates anaerobic with microalgae-bacteria process, aiming to achieve near-zero greenhouse gas emissions while producing valuable bio-stimulants for agricultural use.
Through extensive laboratory studies and pilot-scale testing, the project will refine this approach and demonstrate its potential in real-world conditions. In collaboration with industry partners, this initiative promises substantial benefits for Australian industries and research communities, advancing sustainable practice in wastewater management and resource recovery.
Partnering Organisations: Sustainable Eco Projects Pty Ltd; South East Water Corporation; Standard Botanic Pty Ltd
Amount Awarded: $494,978
Elsewhere, our transport research centre rCITI’s Director Professor Taha Rashidi, is part of a successful ARC Linkage Project – LP240200617 led by Professor (University of Sydney), with industry partner Transport for NSW.
Titled ‘A Modular and Open Testbed for Next-Generation Strategic Travel Models,’ this project responds to the increasing momentum across Australia to modernise transport forecasting frameworks. As governments and agencies shift toward more person-centric and behaviourally realistic tools, activity-based modelling (ABM) has emerged as a leading approach to better reflect the complexity of daily travel patterns and the impacts of land use, infrastructure, and policy.
This project will develop a transparent and modular ABM platform, integrated with dynamic traffic assignment, to support strategic transport planning for the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area. It aims to serve as a national benchmark for how ABM can be practically applied in policy-relevant contexts.
Congratulations to all involved!
