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 • 16 Dec 2021
Female-led ventures shine at Demo Day
Nine inspiring female founders pitched their start-ups at the Female Founders Program Demo Day this week.
News • 15 Dec 2021
Researchers on mission to improve cancer outcomes
Three University of Newcastle researchers have been awarded 2022 Early Career Fellowships by the Cancer Institute NSW. Dr Yuchen Feng, Dr Heather Murray and Dr Rebecca Wyse will advance projects designed to improve treatment and outcomes for cancer patients.
News • 15 Dec 2021
NUW Alliance welcomes the evolution of the Greater Cities Commission
The NUW Alliance–a grouping off our leading Australian universities,The University of Newcastle, the University of Wollongong, UNSW Sydney and Western Sydney University-welcomes the evolution of the Greater Cities Commission.
News • 13 Dec 2021
Graduates ready to change the world
Students from across the University of Newcastle will mark the culmination of their studies at the institution’s Callaghan graduation ceremonies this week.
News • 13 Dec 2021
Stellar night for Hunter researchers at 2021 Research Australia Awards
Two University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) researchers received awards at the Research Australia Awards.
News • 10 Dec 2021
University of Newcastle welcomes back first flight of international students
The University of Newcastle has welcomed international students back to campus, with a group of 19 students from 11 different countries – part of the state government’s International Student Arrivals Pilot Plan – making their way to Callaghan campus on Thursday.
News • 10 Dec 2021
Research investigates how the gut wages war on the brains of soldiers
Harnessing the unique relationship between the gut and brain, new research will interrogate Australian soldiers’ gut microbiome to optimise their cognitive and psychological performance in combat.
News • 09 Dec 2021
University welcomes incentives to boost rural, regional and remote health services
The University of Newcastle has welcomed today’s Federal Government announcement of HECS-HELP debt refund as an incentive for healthcare workers to work in rural, remote and regional communities.
News • 07 Dec 2021
NUmates wins Excellence in Student Engagement award
The University's NUmates program has been recognised for their amazing work, taking out the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) Award for Excellence in Student Engagement at the tenth annual Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) awards.
News • 07 Dec 2021
New Colombo Scholars to help strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific
Four exceptional University of Newcastle students are ready to spread their wings abroad in 2022 after being named New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholars through the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the country.
News • 03 Dec 2021
New understanding of sperm offers chance to lift male fertility rates
Research at the University of Newcastle has uncovered previously misunderstood effects that sperm RNA has on an embryo – a development that has the potential to change male fertility treatment and fundamentally shift our understanding of the human reproduction process.
News • 30 Nov 2021
Australian research collaboration to deliver a step change for industry at the coming Western Sydney airport
The NUW Alliance – a grouping of four leading Australian universities, alongside partner, the University of Technology Sydney – will today launch its vision for a research collaboration to be centred on the Western Sydney Aerotropolis at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility.
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.