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 • 12 Mar 2023
Associate Professor Matt Dun named Lake Mac Ambassador for 2023
University of Newcastle cancer researcher, Associate Professor Matt Dun, has been selected as Lake Macquarie’s Ambassador of the Year for 2023.
News • 08 Mar 2023
Celebrating women ‘Cracking the Code’ this International Women’s Day
This year, on International Women’s Day, we are celebrating 11 female staff, students, and alumni who are ‘Cracking the Code’ and paving a way towards gender equality.
News • 08 Mar 2023
The University of Newcastle first NSW university to achieve Cygnet Award
The University of Newcastle is the first NSW university to be awarded a Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Cygnet Award, recognising its work to boost career development support for academic and professional women.
News • 07 Mar 2023
Beginning teachers deliver same quality of teaching as experienced teachers
Early career teachers deliver the same quality of teaching as their more experienced colleagues, new research from the University of Newcastle’s Teachers and Teaching Research Centre (TTRC) reveals.
News • 06 Mar 2023
Catholic women’s cries for change to be heard at the Vatican on IWD
The most extensive global survey of Catholic women ever undertaken, detailing experiences of women in the church, will be presented by Australian researchers in-person at the Vatican this International Women’s Day.
News • 02 Mar 2023
HMRI Poo Palace puts digestive issues conversation on the menu
A giant, inflatable and explorable digestive system will be unveiled for the first time at the Newcastle Show.
News • 01 Mar 2023
Explore how Delprat Garden sprouts new life on contaminated land
The Hunter community will have a chance to experience and explore an award-winning ‘living phytoremediation lab’ as Delprat Garden and Cottage opens its doors for a family-friendly event this weekend.
News • 28 Feb 2023
$1.7million ARC Linkage funding to engineer sustainable solutions
Holding promise to drive sustainable solutions to deliver better outcomes for Australia, three University of Newcastle engineering research projects will share in $1.7million funding awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Program.
News • 23 Feb 2023
10th Newcastle Writers Festival Program Out Now
Newcastle Writers Festival has launched its 10th anniversary program featuring some of Australia’s most respected and loved authors. For the first time, the festival will be staged in the University of Newcastle’s NUspace building.
News • 23 Feb 2023
National University Teaching Awards recognise outstanding University of Newcastle educators
Two outstanding University of Newcastle academics have been nationally recognised for their outstanding contributions to student learning.
News • 22 Feb 2023
Funding flags hope for MS treatment and prevention
A Newcastle researcher is among 22 Australian scientists who will share in $3m of MS Australia funding, designed to boost the fight against the increasing and accelerating disease multiple sclerosis (MS).
News • 22 Feb 2023
I2N Accelerator returns to help bring big ideas to market
The University of Newcastle is calling on innovators across the Hunter region to take part in its I2N Accelerator program, which takes curious problem solvers and skills them up to become budding entrepreneurs.
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.