Latest News, Events And Highlights
Western Sydney University appoints Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research.
30 January 2025
Western Sydney University is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Ian Anderson as its new Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research.
$16.7 million commitment to Western Sydney University’s Agri Tech Precinct.
25 September 2024
Western Sydney University has welcomed an announcement of a $16.7 million investment into the University’s Agri Tech Precinct.
High-tech spy gear to uncover the secrets of Bumble bees in Tasmania.
18 September 2024
Delivered through Hort Innovation’s Frontiers investment program and led by Western Sydney University, the $3.3M initiative will produce a comprehensive large-scale study of the Buff-tailed Bumble bee.
New research reveals plants may have a surprising capacity to absorb more CO2 than previously expected.
20 November 2023
New research, led by Western Sydney University’s Dr Jürgen Knauer from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet.
Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh named as winner of the Dorothy Jones Prize 2023.
17 November 2023
Western Sydney University’s Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment has been named as this year’s winner of the Dorothy Jones Prize for microbiology.
Snails to the Rescue: Linkage Grant funding success.
16 November 2023
Western Sydney University researcher Dr Kate Umbers has secured more than $400,000 for her project ‘Snails to the Rescue: Conservation of Australia’s island invertebrates’ as part of the ARC Linkage Program.
Western Researchers named on 2023 Highly Cited List.
16 November 2023
Western Sydney University researchers have been named on the 2023 Clarivate list of Highly Cited Researchers.
Impact of research highlighted in annual competition.
17 July 2023
Dr Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment has won the 2023 Research Impact Competition.
Experts call for the inclusion of soil microbiomes in One Health policy.
5 June 2023
Distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh from Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment led a global team that calls for the inclusion of soil microbiomes in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) One Health policy.
Western Sydney University researchers recognised for outstanding contribution to science.
25 May 2023
Two of Western Sydney University’s outstanding researchers have been elected Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science in recognition of their exceptional contributions to their fields.
Automating the future of Australia’s indoor cropping sector.
12 April 2023
Western Sydney University researchers will deliver smart new solutions for monitoring and managing horticultural crops in protected facilities ranging from polytunnels, glasshouses and vertical farms as part of a $6.8 million industry-oriented collaboration.
Fiona Backhouse’s journey leads to 2022 John Cairney Award.
11 April 2023
For Fiona Backhouse, a PhD candidate in Behavioural Ecology at Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, receiving the John Cairney Award for Outstanding Student Publication represents the culmination of four years of research into Albert’s lyrebirds.
Western Sydney University to lead NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre.
19 January 2023
Professor Matthias Boer from Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment will head the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre, a new $8 million collaborative research centre.
Western Sydney University to play key role in helping decarbonise NSW.
12 May 2022
Western Sydney University will play a lead role in the NSW Government’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, following the announcement of a $15 million investment in the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub.
Solar panels in Sahara could boost renewable energy but damage the global climate – here’s why.
12 February 2021
The world’s most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power - buit heat impacts from large-scale solar could add to climatic changes.
Western Sydney University to pioneer genetics advances for next generation orchards, as part of $41 million Hort Innovation project.
22 August 2024
Western Sydney University scientists are pioneering the future of genetics for next generation orchards as a node leader of a $41 million five-year funded Hort Innovation project. They will focus on generating new knowledge on complex traits at a crop level, accelerating the development of new varieties of almond, apple, macadamia, citrus and mango for domestic and export markets.
Western Sydney University to lead two ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres.
25 June 2024
Researchers at Western Sydney University have been collectively awarded $10 million grant funding through the highly competitive Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Training Centre’s program to lead two Industrial Transformation Training Centres.
Study finds apple pollination in Australia reliant on introduced species.
30 June 2023
New research led by Western Sydney University, in partnership with Hort Innovation, has delivered the most comprehensive assessment of pollination in apple crops in Australia by exploring pollination services provided by native and non-native bees for apple cultivation in Australia.
Future Makers
Exploring the Microbial World.
Eleonara Egidi discusses her blossoming career in soil microbiology and the importance of advocating for women and underrepresented communities in science.
The Robots That Can Tend to Indoor Crops.
Cultivating food indoors could be made more efficient by incorporating imaging, robotics and data analysis.
Ecology by Numbers: Modelling Changes to Australia’s Vegetation.
An ecological mathematician has built a sophisticated computer model to help researchers...
Measuring Moisture to Predict Bushfire Burn.
Scientists seek ways to forecast the danger of bushfires and wildfires in different kinds of environments globally.
Probiotic Solution to Koala's Woes.
Crucial work to understand the gut bacteria of koalas could enhance survival rates for this endangered species...
Burning Questions.
Drought detectives examine how Australian forests will cope with a hot, dry and fiery future...
The Secret Powers of Wonder Fungus.
Promoting the symbiosis between fungus and tree roots could have big benefits for forestry...
Giving Photosynthesis the Green Light.
Taking the brakes off sugar production in crops could significantly boost food production...
Leaves of Grass.
Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn leads a study into why grass turns brown and what it means for grassland productivity is vital to Australian ecosystems and industry...
Bringing Agriculture Indoors.
Australian-led advancements in indoor cropping technologies provide hope for an increasingly strained agriculture sector...
Answering Burning Questions.
Assoc Prof Matthias Boer and colleagues are developing a computer tool that maps where prescribed burning may be most effective...
Plan Bee.
Prof James Cook is leading a five-year, $19 million research push to better understand bees’ role in crop pollination, so that when Varroa arrives, Australia is prepared to minimise the damage...
Meet Our Distinguished Professors.
“It has been very rewarding to be at the forefront of climate change science and see that this work has been valuable to scientists and citizens alike.” - Distinguished Prof David Tissue
Seeing the Forest Through the Trees.
Professor Belinda Medlyn and colleagues have been developing models of forests that can be used to predict how they will be affected by changes in temperature, rainfall and carbon dioxide...
Microbes at the Root of Sustainable Farming.
Prof Brajesh Singh is developing microbial engineering tools that could sustainably increase agricultural output to produce food for a rapidly increasing population....
Sowing Seeds for the Future of Forests.
Dr Paul Rymer is searching for genetic features that contribute to trees’ adaptation to climate change, so that they can be taken into account for forest management...
QS University Rankings
The international Quacarelli Symonds Subject Rankings are a worldwide ranking of major disciplines. The criteria for designating a ranking are:
- Academic peer review
- Faculty/Student ratio
- Citations per faculty
- Employer reputation
- International student ratio
- A measurement of the diversity of the student community
- International staff ratio
Forestry and Agriculture - Top 150 in the world
Global Rankings And Research Quality
Western Sydney University is ranked in the top 3% of universities in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Our research was rated at 5 Stars for Ecological Applications, Soil Sciences, Ecology, Plant Biology, Forestry Sciences by the 2018 Excellence In Research Australia rankings conducted by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
Western Sydney University is ranked among the top 20 Australian universities for achievements in the prestigious Australian Research Council major grants. Nearly a third of the University's ARC grant income is achieved by the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Find out more...
Researching The Impacts Of Environmental Change
Research Highlights
Soil Biology And Genomics
Our Soil Biology and Genomics theme focuses on how environmental change influences the amazing diversity of life in soils, including its fungi, bacteria and animals... Read more
Plants, Animals and Interactions
Our Plants, Animals and Interactions theme explores how these changes affect the ecology and physiology of plants and animals... Read more
Ecosystem Function and Integration
We explore how changes in climate, land use and cover affect the exchanges of carbon, nutrients, water, and energy. Using models, we integrate processes at scales ranging from leaf to globe. Read more