New Curtin research will be carried out by some of Australia’s finest early-career researchers thanks to more than $2 million in funding awarded by the Federal Government’s Australian Research Council today.
The five research projects will investigate transforming Australian cities through net-zero transit activated corridors, the intergalactic exploration of the Earth’s first dawn, using renewable energy to improve the economic growth and sustainability of Australia’s hydrogen industry, informing human rights responses for young people in police custody, and breaking though quantum studies to better understand electron molecules in fusion energy and astrophysics.
The Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award recognise Australia’s best early career researchers, providing focused research support for them in both teaching and research, and research-only positions.
The Curtin researchers that have been awarded funding in today’s round include:
• Dr Nichole Barry (Measuring the glow from our Cosmic Dawn): $381,237
• Dr Giles Thomson (Transforming Australian cities through net-zero transit activated corridors): $394,830
• Dr Shelley Walker (Police custody and young people: Informing human rights responses): $455,310
• Dr Xiaomin Xu (Using renewable energy to improve the economic growth and sustainability of Australia’s hydrogen industry): $435,237
• Developing new mineral oxide materials for high-current-density water electrolysis): $435,237
• Dr Liam Scarlett (Quantum studies of dissociative electron attachment to molecules): $349,987
Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Melinda Fitzgerald congratulated the Curtin researchers on being recognised among the nation’s brightest early-career researchers.
“The Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award has unearthed some of Australia’s best researchers in the early stages of their careers and I’m absolutely delighted that five Curtin researchers have been acknowledged in this way,” Professor Fitzgerald said.
“This research, led by some of our finest early-career researchers, will work to expand the country’s research and innovation capacity by generating new knowledge, technologies and systems that ultimately seek to improve our quality of life.”
For more information on the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme, visit
