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
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News • 06 Nov 2019
Biomedical scientist’s mission to conquer cancer recognised at NSW Premier's Awards
Dr Matt Dun was named the Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow at this year's NSW's Premier Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research.
News • 04 Nov 2019
New monitoring technique lets your Remotely Operated Device do the snorkelling
Researchers at the University of Newcastle and Macquarie University have found a novel way to remotely track fish in shallow water environments.
News • 01 Nov 2019
New partnership encouraging innovation and regional economic growth takes flight
The University of Newcastle and Newcastle Airport have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that seeks to maximise opportunities to …
News • 30 Oct 2019
University of Newcastle part of ground-breaking NSW study to grow medicinal cannabis industry
The NSW Government is investing in pioneering research into the medicinal cannabis industry, with Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshall unveiling a new $10 million study from a top-secret cannabis research facility in regional NSW, last week.
News • 30 Oct 2019
Pre-schoolers, teens and Indigenous women the focus for heart health research funding
Three Hunter researchers will focus on helping Australians have better heart health by investigating the causes, treatment and prevention of heart disease, after securing more than $385,000 in funding from the Heart Foundation.
News • 25 Oct 2019
Vale Professor Daphne Keats
The University community is saddened to acknowledge the passing of distinguished staff member and psychology trailblazer, Professor Daphne Keats.
News • 24 Oct 2019
University of Newcastle commits $5 million to attract top research talent
Budding research students aiming to make a meaningful impact with their studies are to receive significant funding support, thanks to a new $5 million scholarship fund from the University of Newcastle.
News • 21 Oct 2019
Prioritising our planet
The University of Newcastle has launched Environmental Sustainability Plan 2019-2025. The plan is a roadmap to operating in a sector leading, environmentally sustainable way.
News • 18 Oct 2019
New funding will see University of Newcastle students study across Indo-Pacific region
More than 400 students from the University of Newcastle will have the opportunity to work on projects across the Indo-Pacific region, thanks to the latest funding announced under the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan.
News • 17 Oct 2019
Estimating calorie content not clear-cut for all
We make food decisions several times a day – from what time we eat to how much – but a new joint study by the University of Newcastle and the University of Otago, New Zealand study has found we are not very good at judging the energy-density of what we consume
News • 17 Oct 2019
Cloud Immersion Day to unlock innovative use of the technology in the higher education sector
Businesses and organisations wanting to unlock the value of cloud technology are being urged to attend a free event on Thursday (17 October).
News • 11 Oct 2019
Laureate honour for epidemiology leader
Professor John Attia from the School of Medicine and Public Health in the Faculty of Health and Medicine, has been awarded the title of Laureate Professor, in recognition of his remarkable research career and outstanding contributions in clinical, molecular, and genetic epidemiology methods, as well
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.