The Australian Research Council’s 2026 Future Fellowships scheme will provide more than $344 million in Australian Government funding for over 290 research projects addressing major national challenges and opportunities.
The investment will support over 290 projects to undertake ambitious research across disciplines, from developing cleaner energy technologies and strengthening Australia’s food and agricultural systems to protecting the environment, improving housing outcomes and exploring the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence.
The 2026 Future Fellowships round represents the largest investment in a Future Fellowships round to date. It will enable researchers to build their research programs, develop new ideas and contribute to Australia’s research capability and future prosperity.
Australian Research Council Chief Executive Officer Professor Ute Roessner AM FAA said the Future Fellowships projects bring together research expertise, leadership and experience to address complex questions.
‘These projects demonstrate the value of investing in research that expand knowledge, address complex challenges and create benefits for Australians,’ Professor Roessner said.
‘This investment reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to research that delivers benefits for all Australians, whether through stronger industries, improved health and wellbeing outcomes, greater environmental resilience or new technologies that help us navigate a rapidly changing world.’
‘The breadth of research supported through this round demonstrates the value of investing across disciplines – from fundamental research that expands our knowledge to research addressing some of the practical challenges Australia faces.’
The funded research spans a wide range of areas of national importance, including research to:
- strengthen Australian agriculture by developing new approaches to protect wheat from harmful fungal diseases and improving the conversion of nitrate pollution into ammonia, a substance essential to Australian agriculture and with potential as a clean fuel
- support the transition to net zero through next-generation solar technologies, new carbon-based energy storage materials made from agricultural waste, solid-state lithium-CO₂ batteries and more efficient catalysts for green hydrogen production
- protect Australia’s environment by investigating how wildlife adapts to increasingly intense fire regimes and developing strategies to improve the resilience of vulnerable species
- strengthen Australia’s economic and social resilience by examining the drivers of housing stress, financial instability and speculative housing markets, and exploring how public policy can improve outcomes for Australian families and communities
- support Indigenous knowledge, languages and communities through research into Aboriginal early childhood education, cultural knowledge and the reclamation and preservation of Indigenous languages
- build understanding of emerging social and technological challenges, including the role of schools in helping young people navigate misinformation and artificial intelligence, and the factors driving sexualised deepfake abuse
- advance Australia’s quantum capabilities by developing new ways to interact with quantum materials using electronics and light, addressing critical challenges in the miniaturisation and optimisation of quantum devices.
As the ARC transitions to the revitalised National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), this investment demonstrates the importance of building a sustainable research system by supporting high-quality research, research capability and leadership. The funded projects will contribute new knowledge and expertise that support Australia’s future research and innovation priorities.
