The worlds greatest challenges, solved here
Explore how our research is improving lives and ensuring a thriving future, in Australia and around the world.
Our world-class research
Our research drives transformative innovation and impact. Here, you’ll find passionate researchers working at the cutting edge of their fields, committed to changing lives for the better and ensuring a thriving future for all.
Moving in the right direction
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Extending the odds for racehorses
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How 57,000 women are shaping health policy in Australia
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Driving innovation in the minerals sector
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Learn more about our research impact
Funding success
We're proud to be a research-intensive university. Our world-class researchers continue to attract funding from national and international funding bodies as well as industry and community partnerships. Learn more about latest funding wins.
Teaming up to tackle brain cancer
The Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) has committed $7.5 million to fund a dedicated brain cancer team to drive critical research, education and health care improvements for brain cancer patients and their families.
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NHMRC awards $8.3m to Newcastle researchers to investigate global health problems
Three University of Newcastle researchers are set to analyse some of the world’s most critical health problems, supported by more than $8.3m in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator grants.
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Funding success supports early career research translate to real-world
Five outstanding University of Newcastle early career researchers have been successful in securing more than $2 million in the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme.
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Substantial grant awarded in the fight against ovarian cancer
Professor Pradeep Tanwar and his team have studied women with a family history of ovarian cancer to identify a blood-based protein biomarker that could help save the lives of millions of ovarian cancer patients around the world.
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Securing Australia’s economic future amidst global uncertainty
A significant funding boost for Australian researchers will help secure the nation’s economic future, regardless of the uncertain relations between global powerhouses China and the United States.
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Cancer research gets $7 million boost in NSW regions
The Translational Cancer Research Capacity Building Grant will build an innovative cancer research network in the Hunter, New England, Central Coast and the Mid North Coast, led by Dr Craig Gedye.
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Featured stories
We have a strong track record for driving discoveries across a host of research disciplines. By leveraging the unique history of our region – and our research and academic excellence – we want our university and our regions to be the ultimate test bed for innovation.
Using hemp to remove toxic chemicals from soil
Dr Brett Turner knows that PFAS chemical contamination is a dangerous problem, and a global one. That’s why Brett and his team are developing a groundbreaking new way to remove these contaminants from soil using all-natural hemp proteins. Over 40,000 sites worldwide have been polluted by PFAS. Brett is excited by the initial results of their work in Williamtown, where they were able to remove 99% of the contamination in the samples they tested.
Exploring strategies for lasting climate change solutions
Helping ease cancer’s worst symptoms
Awards and honours
Kelvin Kong
Australia’s first Aboriginal surgeon - the highly acclaimed ear, nose and throat surgeon Associate Professor Kelvin Kong - was awarded the prestigious Menzies Medallion in 2020 for his leadership and advocacy for Indigenous health and research.
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Matt Dun
Dr Matt Dun was named a 2020 Young Tall Poppy for his work with rare brain cancers. He was also named Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow at the 2019 NSW Premier Awards.
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Anna Giacomini
Professor Anna Giacomini and Professor Shanyong Wang won back-to-back John Booker Medals for Engineering Excellence, in 2019 and 2018.
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Nick Talley
Laureate Professor Nick Talley has been named the most cited researcher in his field out of more than 76,300 authors. This is the latest in a string of honours bestowed on Professor Talley, who was named NSW Scientist of the Year in 2018.
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Lyndall Ryan
'The Killing Times' – a collaboration between Professor Lyndall Ryan's Massacres Map team and The Guardian newspaper – won a 2019 Walkley Award for coverage of Indigenous Affairs. The collaboration also won a 2019 NSW Premier's History Prize for Digital Innovation.
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Myles Young
Dr Myles Young was named Outstanding Early Researcher of the Year in the 2019 Bupa Foundation Awards. He has also been named one of the 2021 AMP Tomorrow Makers for his work in men's health.
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Heather Lee
As the top female applicant in the country, Dr Heather Lee won a 2018 Metcalf Prize for Stem Cell Research for her work to improve survival rates of patients with leukaemia.
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Frances Kay-Lambkin
Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin was named the 2019 Researcher of the Year at the annual Hunter Medical Research Institute awards.
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Behdad Moghtaderi
Professor Behdad Moghtaderi received the prestigious ExxonMobil Award of Excellence in Chemical Engineering.
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Clare Collins
Clare Collins received a Laureate Professor distinction in 2020 - becoming the second woman at the University of Newcastle to receive such an honour. In 2019, she was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences for outstanding contributions to her field.
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Nikola Bowden
Pioneering cancer researcher Associate Professor Nikola Bowden was a finalist in the 2019 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards. She’s also the recipient of an unprecedented 10-year Hunter Medical Research Institute Fellowship dedicated to ovarian cancer research.
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Kevin Galvin
Laureate Professor Kevin Galvin was named a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2020 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of mineral processing. The fellowship is one of the highest honours an Australian scientist can receive.
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Join our research community
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.