The Australian Public Policy Institute has awarded six new Policy Challenge Grants in its 2025 round, supporting policy development research to boost productivity, accelerate the energy transition, and identify early intervention opportunities in health, justice and education.
Each year, the Policy Challenge Grants are awarded to projects tackling key government priorities, providing funding and policy engagement support for research teams across the Institute’s university partners. The program fosters collaboration between researchers and government stakeholders to identify practical, evidence-based solutions with long-term social benefits.
The recipients of the 2025 Policy Challenge Grants are:
- Modular construction for affordable housing: Boosting housing supply, productivity and workforce diversity in NSW, Lead Researcher: Associate Professor Saeed Banihashemi (University of Technology Sydney)
- Co-designing a roadmap to establish NSW as a sustainable data centre hub, Lead Researcher: Dr Bronwyn Cumbo (University of Technology)
- A system dynamics tool to inform a falls prevention strategy for NSW, Lead Researcher: Dr Marina De Barros Pinheiro (University of Sydney)
- Addressing the social determinants of justice for criminalised children, Lead Researcher: Associate Professor Ruth McCausland (University of New South Wales)
- Safety inspection reform for household and SME energy upgrades, Lead Researcher: Distinguished Professor Vivian Tam (Western Sydney University)
- From data to action: Frailty Index to guide Australian aged care policy, Lead Researcher: Professor Ping Yu (University of Wollongong)
The successful teams were announced and celebrated at a special event at The Mint in Sydney on 5 November, which featured keynote address from The Hon. Steve Whan MP, NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education.
“The Institute has invested $2M in applied research grants that support government with timely, practical policy opportunities to its most pressing policy priorities,” said Professor Libby Hackett, CEO of APPI. “These grants aim to translate research into real-world results, ensuring greater impact of our world-leading research for the public good.”
Speaking to an audience of researchers and policymakers, Minister Whan added, “The Policy Challenge Grants program is a great example of the power of collaboration between universities and government. By working together and drawing on the best available evidence, we can deliver targeted policy solutions and stronger outcomes for the people of NSW.”
The Policy Challenge Grants program is an annual initiative that supports evidence-based policy innovation and collaboration across universities, research institutes, and government agencies. The next grant round will open in early 2026 to APPI’s university partners.
