New collaborations are helping researchers across Australia harness advanced computing, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies to tackle complex challenges in science, health, climate and industry.
Some of Australia’s most ambitious research questions require more than traditional approaches. Understanding how galaxies form, predicting climate change impacts, designing new medicines and accelerating renewable energy innovation all depend on the ability to analyse vast amounts of data and run increasingly sophisticated computational models.
Through Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre’s PULSE collaboration scheme, researchers from across Australia are working with Pawsey experts to optimise workflows, explore emerging technologies and unlock the potential of advanced computing for discovery.
The latest round of PULSE collaborations has commenced, supporting 12 projects spanning supercomputing and quantum computing applications across universities and research organisations, including The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, CSIRO, The University of Queensland and the University of Sydney.
Together, these projects demonstrate how national research infrastructure enables Australian researchers to push the boundaries of what is computationally possible.
Accelerating discoveries across science and technology
In astrophysics, researchers at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have been granted Pawsey expert support to investigate the physics of galaxy formation through the SolAs Simulations Suite.
By improving the computational performance of these simulations, the project aims to help researchers explore the complex processes that shape galaxies and better understand the evolution of the Universe.
PULSE projects are also supporting advances in Earth and climate science.
The Pawsey team is working with researchers from The University of Western Australia to improve computational approaches for modelling subglacial sediment processes, helping advance ice-sheet models that contribute to our understanding of changing environments.
Supporting health and biotechnology innovation
High-performance computing is becoming increasingly important across health and life sciences, where researchers are using computational approaches to accelerate discovery.
A number of PULSE projects are applying advanced computing and machine learning techniques to biomedical challenges.
Researchers at the University of Western Australia are exploring quantum computing approaches for high-dimensional decision-making problems related to personalised cancer therapy, investigating how emerging technologies could contribute to future treatment strategies.
Other projects are applying computational modelling and machine learning to drug discovery and molecular design, including work by researchers at the University of Sydney that predicts protein stability and supports the design of mRNA and miniproteins.
By helping researchers optimise their workflows and access advanced computing environments, PULSE supports the translation of complex biological questions into computational problems that can be explored at scale.
Exploring the future of quantum computing
PULSE is also helping Australian researchers investigate practical applications for quantum computing.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia, The University of Queensland and CSIRO are exploring hybrid quantum-classical approaches, combining traditional supercomputing with emerging quantum technologies.
These projects are investigating potential applications in areas including molecular modelling, quantum chemistry and complex optimisation problems.
This work contributes to Australia’s growing capability in quantum technologies by building expertise, developing workflows and identifying where quantum approaches may provide future research advantages.
Building national capability through collaboration
Beyond individual scientific outcomes, PULSE plays a critical role in strengthening Australia’s national research capability by improving how researchers use advanced computing infrastructure.
A core focus of the program is supporting researchers to optimise their workflows for high-performance computing environments. This includes improving code efficiency, adapting algorithms for GPU and multi-core architectures, and redesigning computational pipelines to run more effectively on national supercomputing systems such as Setonix.
These improvements do more than accelerate individual projects. They also make research more computationally efficient, enabling researchers to achieve more science within the same allocation of compute time. In practice, this translates into greater scientific output per unit of energy and infrastructure use — improving both sustainability and the overall return on Australia’s investment in national research infrastructure.
Projects supported through this round include researchers working on:
- climate and Earth system modelling
- astrophysics and gravitational wave science
- medical research and biotechnology
- computational chemistry
- renewable energy modelling
- maritime archaeology
- advanced engineering simulations
The diversity of these projects reflects the foundational role of supercomputing as a critical national infrastructure that underpins scientific discovery across Australia’s priority research areas.
