Five Joint Projects Finalised Under Australia-India Strategic Research Fund

India and Australia have finalised five joint research projects under Round 16 of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF), reinforcing bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation.

Key Areas Covered by the Projects:

The five projects span strategic and future-oriented domains including:

Critical minerals processing

Quantum technologies

Advanced manufacturing

Climate-resilient agriculture

Cellular immunotherapy (health and biotech)

Policy Emphasis:

Dr. Singh highlighted India’s “mission-mode approach” towards frontier technologies such as advanced materials, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled research, clean energy transitions and critical minerals, tying research with industry participation and scalable outcomes.

About Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF)

AISRF is a bilateral research partnership between the Government of Australia and the Government of India, established in 2006 to promote collaborative scientific research and innovation.

It is Australia’s largest bilateral science and research programme, and by 2026 it marks its 20th anniversary.

The Fund supports collaborative research grants, researcher fellowships, personnel exchanges and joint innovation initiatives between Indian and Australian institutions.

Funding and Focus in Round 16

Round 16 allotted approximately US $3.8 million in funding, with project grants ranging from about US $200,000 to US $1 million per project.

Specific research collaborations include:

•Development of thermal insulation panels from recycled photovoltaic (PV) panel waste (sustainable remanufacturing).

•Use of AI and genome editing to enhance thermotolerance in staple crops like rice.

•Eco-friendly recovery of critical battery materials using advanced green chemistry techniques.

•Quantum machine-learning research for autonomous systems safety.

•Novel anti-viral cellular immunotherapy technologies.

Strategic Relevance

The AISRF supports both nations’ commitments to clean energy transitions, supply-chain resilience, biotechnology breakthroughs and emerging technology development.

It strengthens India–Australia scientific ties and contributes to global challenges such as climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and health technologies.

Research cooperation fosters long-term people-to-people and institutional linkages, reinforcing joint innovation ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific region.

AISRF in Government Policy

The AISRF aligns with India’s broader Science, Technology and Innovation Policy goals, supporting industry-linked research and mission-mode approaches to emerging technologies.

The Fund also complements India’s participation in other international science partnerships and enhances its global R&D footprint.