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 • 11 Mar 2022
Researchers awarded nearly half a million dollars to assist in resilience and recovery after Black Summer bushfires
A team of researchers from the University of Newcastle have been awarded $468,000 as part of the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant to assist communities in recovery and resilience in the wake of the 2019-20 fires.
News • 10 Mar 2022
Nutrition on menu to create healthy rural hearts
The NSW New England region has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the state.
News • 04 Mar 2022
University invites community to join collective kindness campaign
The culture of kindness will take centre stage on 9 March when the University of Newcastle rallies the support of its communities for its inaugural Gifting Day.
News • 02 Mar 2022
$1m grant to target depression in heart patients
Cardiologist and researcher, Professor Andrew Boyle, will investigate whether a novel well-being app can reduce depression in patients discharged from hospital with acute heart failure.
News • 28 Feb 2022
The future of plastic pollution in the Pacific
The fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) will begin on Monday, February 28, however negotiations are already underway in the drafting of an international treaty to curb plastic pollution
News • 28 Feb 2022
Inaugural NSW Women in Surgery Leadership award announced
The University of Newcastle’s Associate Professor Amanda Dawson is the first recipient of the prestigious Royal Australasian College of Surgeons NSW Women in Surgery Leadership award.
News • 24 Feb 2022
Top-notch educators claim national University Teaching Awards
Honoured for their teaching excellence, four exceptional University of Newcastle academics have been selected—from a national pool—for a highly coveted University Teaching Award.
News • 22 Feb 2022
The paradox of Australia’s response to COVID-19
A new report has found that the agile stability embedded in Australia’s health care state was ultimately responsible for the nation’s high vaccination rates.
News • 18 Feb 2022
Antarctic ice cores reveal Australian drought risk worse than thought
Antarctic ice core records have shown that eastern Australia’s drought risk is greater than thought.
News • 18 Feb 2022
Researchers get creative to support healthy ageing minds
Researchers will investigate how the creative arts can support healthy brains and heathy minds as we age.
News • 18 Feb 2022
Singapore campus officially opened: University signals Asia-Pacific commitment
The University of Newcastle has officially opened its new campus office at the Singapore National Library.
News • 15 Feb 2022
University of Newcastle signs landmark MOU to strengthen industry collaboration
The University of Newcastle has signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NSW Government to boost innovation and drive research commercialisation.
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.