Media Release Date: 26 June 2025 The Australian Research Council (ARC) is pleased to announce $65.2 million in funding over 5 years for 17 Australian Laureate Fellowships. ARC Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ute Roessner, said the Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme supports outstanding researchers to provide an exceptional research training environment to nurture early and mid-career researchers. ‘The Australian Laureate Fellowship scheme affords researchers the opportunity to establish strong connections with research colleagues, which is an important part of delivering high-quality mentorship for up-and-coming researchers,’ Professor Roessner said. ‘The Laureate Fellows will conduct groundbreaking research across a broad range of areas to produce economic, commercial, environmental and social benefits for Australia.’Approved by the independent ARC Board, the Australian Laureate Fellowships include two prestigious named fellowships for women researchers who undertake an ambassadorial role to promote women in research and to encourage outstanding female early-career researchers to pursue a research career in Australia. The Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship, which supports research in the humanities, arts and social science disciplines, has been awarded to Professor Felicity Meakins from the University of Queensland. Professor Meakins’ research will explore how Indigenous languages encode ecological knowledge and social dynamics. Her work will support Indigenous language renewal, contribute to curriculum development and inform conservation. The Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship, which supports research in the science and technology disciplines, has been awarded to Professor Anya Reading from the University of Tasmania. Professor Reading’s project aims to advance understanding of Antarctica’s subsurface, which plays a critical role in how ice sheets respond to climate change. Her research will improve predictions of ice sheet behaviour and sea-level rise, supporting strategies for environmental risk mitigation. To learn more about the 2025 Australian Laureate Fellows and their research project details visit: Australian Laureate Fellowships 2025 | Australian Research Council Media contact:ARC Communications 0412 623 056 or communications@arc.gov.au