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Monash University academic Dr Ben Zala has been awarded a $124,170 grant by the Department of Defence’s Strategic Policy Grants Program to lead a new international research initiative aimed at improving Australia’s national preparedness and resilience.
The project will examine how Australia and its key regional partners – Japan, South Korea and the United States – can better coordinate crisis signalling and deterrence strategies across the Indo-Pacific.
The research aims to strengthen collective understanding of how these nations can respond effectively and cohesively in moments of heightened geopolitical risk.
Dr Zala said the initiative would directly support Defence’s efforts to manage the delicate balance between deterrence and escalation control in an increasingly contested region.
“Our focus is on how countries can send clear, credible signals in times of crisis without triggering unintended escalation,” Zala said. “By mapping areas of alignment and difference in strategic postures, we hope to deliver practical recommendations that improve interoperability and coordination among Australia and its closest security partners.”
The project draws on Zala’s previous research into crisis management and nuclear deterrence and will be supported by three international experts – Ankit Panda (United States), Suon Choi (South Korea) and Professor Yee Kuang Heng (Japan) – who will contribute analysis and take part in a series of policy dialogues hosted by Monash University.
Defence officials said the research will inform Australia’s strategic planning and enhance policy development under the 2024 National Defence Strategy, which prioritises resilience, deterrence and regional stability.
The findings are expected to help shape future defence and diplomatic engagement efforts, reinforcing Australia’s role as a proactive and reliable partner committed to maintaining peace and preventing conflict across the Indo-Pacific.
Dr Sheridan Kearnan, first assistant secretary Strategic Policy, said in January at the announcement of the 2025 round of the Strategic Policy Grants Program (SPGP) that the award is approximately AU$3.5 million in total grant funding.
“In an ever-changing strategic environment, new ideas and thinking are critical to ensuring Defence’s own strategic direction is fit for purpose. The program aims to fund a diverse range of perspectives, from new and emerging voices as well as established Defence and national security experts,” Kearnan said at the time.
The Commonwealth government’s SPGP is an annual, open and competitive grant opportunity designed to provide an external perspective on Defence strategic policy decision making and stimulate public debate on Australia’s strategic and Defence policy choices.
