ARC Centres of Excellence

Centres of Excellence are prestigious hubs of research expertise supported by the Australian Research Council. Centres are selected to further Australia’s research in areas of national priority, and help develop successful collaborations between universities, research organisations, government and industry.

In 2020, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) provided co-investment support to two Centres of Excellence based in NSW:

Centre of Excellence	University	Grant	Description
Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals	The University of Newcastle	$800,000	The Centre aims to ensure the sustainability of the minerals industry in Australia, through a significant reduction in cost, environmental impact, and through lower energy and water usage. The Centre will also establish a new generation of scientists and research leaders in minerals beneficiation (transformation to a higher product value) to support the innovation needed into the future.
Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology	Macquarie University	$1,000,000	The Centre will provide the technical innovation critical for Australia to develop a vibrant bioeconomy building on Australia’s strengths in agriculture. The Centre will pioneer new approaches to the design of synthetic microbes, enabling the development of custom-designed microbial communities, synthetic organelles and new to nature biological pathways and enzymes.