Celebrating the award of the prestigious NVIDIA Academic Grant

Media Release | 19 May 2025

Professor Tony Jan and his dedicated research team have been awarded a prestigious NVIDIA Academic Grant for their groundbreaking project, "Physics-Enabled Edge AI for Real-Time Safety Management in Construction Sites”.

The NVIDIA Academic Grant Program advances academic research by providing world-class computing access and resources to researchers. 

This highly competitive grant, awarded to top-tier institutions globally, represents a significant milestone, affirming international recognition of its Artificial Intelligence research capabilities.  

Led by Professor Jan, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimisation Centre (AIRO), the project will receive cutting-edge NVIDIA hardware — including two RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs and two Jetson Orin AGX Developer Kits (valued at over AUD $100,000) to support the research’s development and deployment. 

“This grant recognises our capabilities as a university that is leading the way in looking at the application of AI to important real-world situations," said Professor Jan. “It illustrates our capacity to deliver world-class, innovative research.” 

Using AI to improve safety in high-risk environments

Managing risks in construction is an important part of keeping people safe in a dangerous environment. 

The project aims to revolutionise workplace safety by leveraging physics-informed machine learning and Edge AI technologies to enable real-time hazard detection on construction sites.  

Using NVIDIA’s advanced platforms, the system will proactively identify risks such as equipment collisions, structural instabilities, and worker safety breaches — transforming safety management from reactive to predictive. 

“If we can find ways of using AI to make risk management on construction sites more predictable, we are not only saving time and finding more effective ways of working, we are also potentially saving lives,” said Professor Jan. 

“The Australian construction industry has been facing a crisis in terms of defects in building and labour shortages, all of which have an impact on the housing crisis and the economy. If we can use AI research to improve safety on building sites, this is one way of improving the situation, said Professor Jan. 

Applying AI research to primary industries 

Beyond the construction sector, the research has the potential to greatly enhance safety in other high-risk industries, such as mining and agriculture.  

By deploying real-time, automated safety solutions, the project is poised to significantly reduce accidents, safeguard lives, and improve operational efficiency. 

NVIDA Grant Program 

This collaboration with NVIDIA not only enhances research capacity but also underscores its commitment to harnessing cutting-edge technologies to address pressing real-world challenges. Furthermore, it reinforces the university’s dedication to research excellence, innovation, and meaningful societal impact. 

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