Affordable and Clean Energy
Local Community Outreach for Energy Efficiency
The University of Newcastle delivers community and school outreach that helps people explore energy efficiency, clean energy technologies and the role of engineering in a lower-emissions future.
Clean energy innovation in the Hunter
On 2 April 2025, the University's I2N Startup Stories program at the Honeysuckle Innovation Hub featured University alumnus Peter Richardson, founder and CEO of Facet Amtech. The public event explored how a Newcastle cleantech startup is making ammonia production cleaner and more energy efficient, using less energy while reducing emissions and manufacturing costs.
The session connected clean-energy research and entrepreneurship with the Hunter's startup community, showing how energy-efficiency innovation can move from the laboratory into practical industrial applications.
Peter Richardson, founder and CEO of Facet Amtech.
Energy learning through the Science and Engineering Challenge
The University's Science and Engineering Challenge is a nationwide STEM outreach program delivered in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors. In 2025, more than 26,800 students from over 873 schools took part, including Challenge and Discovery Days in Newcastle, the Central Coast and other regional communities.
Energy and sustainability are built into the program's hands-on activities. In ElectraCITY, students design an electricity network for a model city and must find the most efficient, lowest-cost way to supply buildings while accounting for cable resistance and infrastructure costs. Other activities include wind-turbine design and environmentally responsive housing.
The 2025 event calendar included Newcastle Challenge Days from 4-10 April and Newcastle Discovery Days from 8-12 September, alongside events throughout New South Wales and every Australian state and territory.
The National Science and Engineering Challenge
Building energy literacy through practical outreach
These programs give school students, community members, innovators and local industry practical ways to engage with energy efficiency and clean-energy solutions. They connect technical concepts with real-world decisions about electricity use, industrial processes, renewable technologies and sustainable design.
2024 Annual Spring School
The University of Newcastle's centre for organic electronics (COE) successfully hosted its 14th annual spring school. In 2024, this three-day event provided undergraduate students from various disciplines, including Science, Math, IT, Engineering, and Medical Sciences, with an opportunity to explore cutting-edge research in organic electronics. The program featured lectures from local and international experts, hands-on experiences in COE labs, and interactive think tank sessions aimed at inspiring students to pursue research careers. Highlights included fabricating organic solar cells, operating advanced microscopes, racing simulated EV cars, and learning about Printed Solar and its recycling. Accredited by CIFAL Newcastle and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), students received formal recognition for their participation. The event, sponsored by Spruson & Ferguson Intellectual Property and the Australian National Fabrication Facility, saw students awarded for solar cell efficiency and EV racing. Following the event’s success, many students expressed interest in continuing their research journey with the COE.
COE, the University of Newcastle Australia 5:43
Learn more
News • 03 Sep 2025
$3 million NHMRC grant to help remove lag in implementing proven, chronic disease programs
The Hunter region will lead a landmark new Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) tackling the debilitating lag in implementing proven healthcare programs and policies designed to tackle the nation’s most pressing chronic diseases.
News • 01 Sep 2025
Newcastle experts to boost Papua New Guinea’s health emergency response capacity
An Australian team of public health professionals and academics based at the University of Newcastle will support Papua New Guinea to build its capacity to respond to emergencies, like pandemics or natural disasters.
News • 29 Aug 2025
Step into your future at Central Coast Open Day
Around 1,000 prospective students are set to visit the University of Newcastle’s Central Coast campus this Saturday 30 August for …
News • 29 Aug 2025
Dr Aleona Swegen named inaugural winner of $200,000 Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program
Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), in partnership with Newcastle Permanent, has named Dr Aleona Swegen from the University of Newcastle as the inaugural winner of the Newcastle Permanent Innovation Accelerator Program. She has been awarded $200,000 to fast-track the commercialisation of her groundbreaking fertility technology, SpermSafe.
News • 29 Aug 2025
National Skills Week: School based traineeship pathway helping boost the region’s future nursing workforce
Through innovative vocational education and training (VET) admission pathways, such as the school-based traineeship to nursing, the University of Newcastle is empowering students to build meaningful careers, particularly in high-demand sectors like healthcare.
News • 21 Aug 2025
University recognised at AFR Higher Education Awards
University of Newcastle’s researcher Professor Matt Dun and the Wollotuka Institute were recognised at last night's Australian Financial Review Higher …
News • 12 Aug 2025
Discover your pathway at Newcastle Open Day
Thousands of prospective university students are set to visit Newcastle this Saturday for the University of Newcastle’s annual Open Day event.
News • 12 Aug 2025
Beanies kickstart new chase for brain cancer treatment options
Funding raised from the 2025 NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer Round will kickstart a big, bold project to develop new treatments for brain cancer patients.
News • 07 Aug 2025
Water worlds and wellbeing: Two projects earn ARC Future Fellowships
Two University of Newcastle researchers have been awarded prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships, a national scheme that supports outstanding researchers to undertake projects of critical importance to Australia and the world.
News • 06 Aug 2025
Newcastle still needs gas to power industry
By Alex Zelinsky. As printed in The Daily Telegraph 6 August 2025
News • 06 Aug 2025
Bright futures backed by Greater Charitable Foundation scholarships
Three students from the University of Newcastle have had a life-changing start to the semester after receiving a scholarship from Greater Charitable Foundation.
News • 31 Jul 2025
National research unit to strengthen sport participation in Australia
The University of Newcastle will join forces with leading sports researchers in the establishment of a new national research unit aimed at driving sport participation in Australia.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.