QUT researchers have been awarded six grants under the 2025 Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Program, supporting innovative research from antimicrobial materials and bio-inspired 3D-printed bone implants to AI, clean energy and next-generation construction.
The program, jointly funded by the Queensland Government and the Bavarian State Government, aims to foster international research collaborations and translate new discoveries into industry, environmental and societal benefits.
Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President Research, said the projects highlighted QUT’s research depth and strong global partnerships.
“By working with leading universities and industry partners in Bavaria, our researchers are creating practical innovations that address global challenges,” he said.
QUT secured three Development Grants of $110,000, and three Seed Grants of $8000.
Development Grants
Personalised news: balancing editorial and audience values in AI alignment
Left to right: Dr Aaron Snoswell and Distinguished Professor Jean Burgess.
QUT and Technical University of Munich, with ABC and Bayerischer Rundfunk
In partnership with Australia’s ABC and Germany’s BR, Dr Aaron Snoswell, from the School of Communication’s GenAI Lab and ADM+S Centre, has been awarded $109,933 to develop new AI tools that align news personalisation with editorial integrity, helping public service media deliver trusted, values-aligned journalism in the GenAI era. Distinguished Professor Jean Burgess will also form a part of the project team.
Seed Grants
Interrogating the AI turn in search: pilot studies comparing AI summaries in German and Australian search
Clockwise from top left: Kateryna Kasianenko, Professor Axel Bruns, Brett Tweedie, Shir Weinbrand, Dr Ashwin Nagappa and Professor Daniel Angus.
QUT and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Professor Axel Bruns, from the School of Communication and Digital Media Research Centre, and his team will analyse how AI-generated Information Summaries (AIIS) in search engines shape public understanding of key issues, comparing results in Germany and Australia to inform responsible AI governance and information quality online.
Professor Bruns is a project lead for the Australian Search Experience 2.0 (ASE 2.0) signature project in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society. The ASE 2.0 project examines the influence of search engines on society. Through the Queensland-Bavaria Seed grant, Professor Bruns, along with his colleagues Professor Daniel Angus, Dr Ashwin Nagappa, Kateryna Kasianenko, Shir Weinbrand and Brett Tweedie, extends the scope of ASE 2.0 into an international context.
Media contact:
Lauren Baxter
QUT Media
media@qut.edu.au
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)