THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Fate of PAPs and short-chain PFAS in biosolids amended soils. Biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off and pose unknown potential risk to soil health, crops and beneficial biota. This study aims to generate novel knowledge on the PFAS fate in biosolid amended soils, crops and toxicity to key soil and aquatic biota at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study is supported by Australian water and its allied industries, as it is important for them to ensure that biosolids application to agricultural land is an environmentally sustainable solution to the Australian farmers and communities. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering Biosolids are an important source of nutrients supporting the agricultural industry. However, biosolids generated during wastewater treatment contain PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances) which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. Application of biosolids to agricultural land may result in soil, groundwater and surface water PFAS contamination via leaching and run-off. PFAS in biosolids are from diffuse sources, and with 370,000 tonnes generated annually requiring management, it is necessary to understand risks to Australian agroecosystems. Furthermore, PFAS have increased environmental regulatory obligations, and will shortly have world trade obligations. This study will provide necessary data on PFAS accumulation and toxicity to crops, soil and aquatic life. This study is supported by Australian water and its allied industries, as it is important for them to ensure that biosolids application to agricultural land is an environmentally sustainable solution to Australian farmers and communities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Infrastructure on reactive soils: fundamental advances and validation. This project aims to advance fundamental knowledge on the complex behaviour of reactive soils in the context of resilient geotechnical infrastructure. This research falls within the research priority “Environmental Change”, as geotechnical infrastructure need to sustain the impact of ever more frequent and more intense climatic actions. Attention will focus on the effect of suction on volume change and shear strength of reactive soils, two poorly understood features, and will produce a swelling model and a soil-deformable structure interaction model. After validation by a case study, the models will have the potential to empower industry to produce geotechnical infrastructure that can better sustain climatic actions. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering This project will aid the design of resilient buildings on expansive soils. These soils cause millions of dollars of damage every year and cover a large portion of Australia. We will address how expansive soils and infrastructure interact to better understand how water movement, due to climatic events, affects soil strength and volume change; the two key elements of resilient infrastructure design. The outcomes will be new models for use by industry in the design of bridge abutments, retaining walls, road pavements or building foundations; knowledge currently not available to industry for the design of structures on expansive soils that can withstand future climatic events. This knowledge and the models will be shared with industry via seminars, publications and user-friendly tools to facilitate translation. This will empower the infrastructure and construction industry to produce resilient and more economical designs, generating clear economic and social benefits to Australian communities. Potential savings for projects like the Torrens to Torrens Project in Adelaide are in the order of $20 million.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A novel whole-process analysis method for fractured rock slopes . Aims: The project aims to develop a discontinuous deformation and displacement analysis method to study the jointed rock slope instability. Significance: The proposed method verified by experimental tests will be inherit the advantages of finite element method and discontinuous deformation analysis and is able to provide an entire and unified description of rock deformation and failure. Expected Outcomes: The results of this integrated study will provide a new method for engineers who wish to characterise and predict the stability of rock/tunnel slopes in Australia and worldwide. Benefits: Australian society will benefit from new tools to facilitate more reliable assessment of risks associated with instability in rock slopes. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Locally and globally rock falls and landslides represent major challenges, both in terms of financial cost and potential loss of life. It is evident from the often-unexpected nature of these issues, that current technologies fail to accurately predict rock slope failure events, thus hindering implementation of preventative measures. This project will develop a novel whole-process analysis method combining the advantages of both continuous and discontinuous methods, to accurately predict potential rock slope instability resulting from micro-scale damage to macro-scaled failures in rock slopes. This technique will provide geotechnical and mining engineering firms in Australia with a competitive edge in ensuring the safety of rock slopes locally and nationally. The use of this technology to accurately identify new sites where construction can take place, will open up new development avenues, enhanced environmental protection, and increased construction and manufacturing opportunities. Australian mining and transport infrastructure will benefit from more reliable design of underground openings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Biosynthetic Hooks for an Enigmatic Marine Toxin. This project aims to characterise the genetic basis for the production of tetrodotoxin; a potent neurotoxin of ecological and biomedical significance. We hypothesise that tetrodotoxin is produced by microorganisms and transferred via the food web to fish, molluscs and other marine animals. Our integrated genomic and synthetic biology approach, targeting key biosynthesis genes, will reveal pathways for the production of tetrodotoxin and other potentially valuable compounds. In addition to providing unprecedented insight into the ecology and biosynthesis of this enigmatic toxin, the data generated will enable improved management of seafood safety and provide a foundation for the future development of novel neuroactive compounds. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Tetrodotoxin is a potent neurotoxin infamously associated with pufferfish and blue-ringed octopuses. It is responsible for death and illness in humans, but also has significant potential as a long-lasting pain killer. However, the genetic basis for tetrodotoxin production remains a mystery. We will use the latest genomic technologies to discover and characterise tetrodotoxin biosynthesis genes in the marine food web. This will enable the development of rapid PCR tests for monitoring food safety and water quality, resulting in reduced cases of poisoning and reduced losses to the seafood industry. Building on our successful collaborative translation pathway (for toxic algae tests), these tests will be manufactured and marketed by an Australian biotechnology company, and used by their global clientele of fisheries and water quality managers. Understanding tetrodotoxin biosynthesis will also provide a foundation for the future development (beyond this project) of chemical probes valuable for understanding pain.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Diamane: A New Frontier in Materials Science. Single-layer diamond (‘diamane’) is a new frontier of material research although its preparation is still in infancy with many structures predicted possible but have not been made experimentally. Built on a new chemical route for 'graphite to diamane' transformation, this project will address a research gap towards synthesising new diamane(-like) nanostructures and developing an in-depth understanding of the chemically induced phase transformation and structure-property correlations, which will have far-reaching impact on scientific fields beyond carbon research. Preliminary data points to both feasibility and impact for discovering new materials and technologies, which will bring foreseeable scholarly, economic, and social benefits. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology Advances in quantum computing, quantum communication (critical for data security), and semiconductors rely on materials currently in their infancy or yet to be developed. This project directly addresses the design, synthesis and material supply by developing highly specific chemical pathways to create novel quantum property materials, such as atomically thin diamonds. Incorporation of these materials into next generation electronics will produce devices that can perform calculations in seconds, that today’s supercomputers would need decades or millennia. They will enhance data encryption, optimisation of supply chains and weather forecasting. All critical global and Australian issues. This project offers significant manufacturing, technological and economic benefits, new workforce possibilities and technology opportunities to the Australian community. It aligns directly with the National Science and Research Priorities in Advanced Manufacturing for high-performance materials, and will result in Australia becoming a global intellectual driving force in the future use of advanced materials and technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A New Nano Tip Fabrication Technique for Atomic Force Microscopy. This project aims to develop a new fabrication technique for high-aspect-ratio (long and sharp) tips for atomic force microscopy. The technique is expected to overcome the current fabrication limitation, that is fabricating one tip at a time which is unsuitable for batch fabrication. The proposed technique can be scaled up to mass produce nano tips. The technique is expected to create new commercial products and intellectual property. This innovation will lead to the emergence of breakthrough technologies in nanofabrication and nanomaterials synthesis. The benefits to Australia include new job opportunities and the development of local expertise in the field. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Atomic force microscopes (AFM) work by moving a “nano fingertip” along a sample surface, touching each atom one-by-one, and jiggling as it moves over the surface like the arm of a record player. This movement is then translated into a surface image of the sample. For semiconductor devices that have steep sidewalls and narrow trenches, a long and sharp tip is required to reach the bottom of these trenches to generate the image more faithfully. Current tip fabrication techniques are time consuming and unsuitable for production in bulk. This project aims to develop a new technique that can be scaled up to mass produce long and sharp tips. The project has a unique collaboration with the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) who supports the commercialisation activities of ANFF-enabled projects. The global semiconductor market is a high-value industry with a projected growth from $625 billion in 2021 to $1.1 trillion in 2028 at an annual growth rate of 8.6%. The end point of this discovery project is expected to be the demonstration of a new and cost-effective fabrication system to a semiconductor manufacturer and other atomic force microscope users. This proposal will increase Australia's participation in this high-value market and develop local expertise in an emerging technology sector.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Ensemble modelling of space-weather drivers. This project aims to develop methods for forecasting the evolution of magnetic fields on the Sun's surface, and to use the results to drive an ensemble of numerical simulations of the evolution of the magnetic field in the overlying atmosphere. The project expects to create a new framework for forecasting the evolution of solar active regions, applying, for the first time, methods established in Numerical Weather Prediction. The expected outcomes are physics-based prediction of solar atmospheric magnetic field evolution, including explosive eruptions. The results should have significant benefit in improving prediction of extreme space weather events, which pose an increasing threat to our technologically-dependent society. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences This project will develop methods to computationally model the time evolution of the magnetic field at the surface of the Sun and in the Sun's atmosphere, exploiting methods currently used in numerical weather prediction. The expected outcomes are an ability to predict when the magnetic field will erupt into interplanetary space, and the prediction of key parameters of the eruption. We currently lack the ability to forecast solar eruptions, which is an important gap in capabilities because these events drive space weather storms at the Earth – threatening critical communications and power infrastructure and presenting hazards for manned space flight. The research is fundamental, but with later developments (beyond this project) could provide a basis for improved operational methods for space weather forecasting by the Bureau of Meteorology's Space Weather Services. Australia’s rapidly expanding space industry will directly benefit from this improved forecasting, and the researchers that are trained during the project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Design of 2D Soft Plasmonic Photocatalysts for Artificial Leaves. The project aims to fabricate 2D soft plasmonic photocatalysts with leaf-like structures and functions for solar-to chemical energy conversions. The proposed 2D photocatalysts expect to change the traditional way of designing artificial photocatalysts. Expected outcomes of this project include fabrication of 2D soft plasmonic photocatalyst with large-area, ultrathin thickness, and high flexibility, understanding their plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis mechanisms, and construction of artificial leaves to perform the solar-to-chemical conversions, which can provide significant benefits, such as creating new-generation of soft energy devices and advancing Australian expertise in photochemistry, self-assembly, and functional nanomaterials. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology This project aims to design and fabricate a new generation of artificial leaves which are thin, soft and flexible for efficient solar-to-fuel conversion. Traditional solar harvesting materials are typically rigid, which greatly hindered their ability to mimic the structure/functions possessed by natural leaves. For example, the widely used roof top solar panels can only receive sunlight from a certain angle, and its efficiency drops off tremendously once the sun moves to a different spot. To tackle this challenge, this project will design soft artificial leaves which are expected to be able to install on almost any type of surfaces and harvest low intensity sunlight to convert chemical reactions efficiently. This will deliver a new market in the chemical manufacturing sector powered by abundant Australian sunlight and minimise global carbon emission, contributing to the net zero goal by 2050. These developments will benefit Australia through creating next-generation soft and sustainable energy devices that will ultimately bring economic and environmental benefits to Australian renewable energy industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A Holocene history of rainfall extremes for the South Pacific . The project aims to generate the longest ever record of rainfall extremes in the Southern Hemisphere (11,700 years) that will be used to update probabilistic recurrence intervals and inform future risks in a warming world. We will apply a palaeoclimate approach to the science of extreme events by using proxy data from stalagmites to investigate natural rainfall variability during the Holocene. Combined with state of the art Global Climate Model simulations for three major climate events of the Holocene, we will identify mechanisms of long term shifts in heavy rainfall events. The project will provide significant benefits for Australia and the Pacific islands in terms of prediction and preparedness for deluges like we experienced in 2022. Field of research: 3709 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience The devastating Lismore floods in February 2022 were a stark reminder of the economic and social costs of extreme rainfall events. In order to adapt, we need to know how common and severe these events are, and how they will evolve in the future with Climate Change. This project will extend the short instrumental rainfall records in Australia and the South Pacific by thousands of years using the climate history recorded in the layers of cave stalagmites. The data will be used to calibrate Global Climate Models to assess how extreme rainfall may change in size and frequency, providing the information decision-makers need to prioritise planning for regions most at risk. These new insights will assist our communities to develop future-proofed resilient cities and towns to reduce economic loss and improve the quality of life in a changing climate. To facilitate uptake, we will make the analysis-ready data publicly available and work closely with stakeholders in government and industry to translate this knowledge into impactful outcomes, including updated floodplain risk management plans and policies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Anisotropic behaviour of natural soft soils. This project aims to improve current engineering analysis methods, which often fail to predict the performance of infrastructure built on natural soft soils. This project expects to develop a theoretical and mathematical framework to describe the response of soft soils to complex loading patterns imposed by transport and energy infrastructure. This will be informed by advanced laboratory experiments that transcend the capabilities of routine testing methods. The expected outcome of the project is a series of tools for the engineering analysis of earthworks and foundations built on soft soils that will underpin the construction of civil infrastructure on ground often too poor to be considered for other use. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Transport corridors and energy infrastructure are often built on floodplains and soft ground since this land is of low value. However, the initial expense is often overshadowed by higher-than-budgeted construction and maintenance costs and longer-than-predicted timelines. Reliable engineering methods for predicting how soft ground deforms during and after construction are required. This project will unravel the science underpinning the deformation of such soils and develop computer-based methods for predicting the performance of earthworks and the structures built on them. The outcomes will be converted into practice for engineers in charge of the design of road, rail and energy infrastructure and are expected to facilitate better design and construction methods. Reduced construction uncertainties and lower costs of future civil infrastructure projects built on soft ground will be achieved as a result of this project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Australian clays as raw materials of slow-release phosphate fertiliser. Phosphorus (P) fertiliser input in Australia is a significant problem for its inefficient plant uptake, leaching to natural water bodies and stocking of insoluble P in soil. The project aims to develop activated clays using Australian raw clay minerals to formulate effective slow-release phosphate (P) fertilisers (SRF) and delivery material for P-solubilising bacteria. Composite of these will supply P controllably even amid environmental fluctuations but when a plant needs as it grows. Development of multifunctional, nontoxic and plant growth-driven P fertiliser would benefit improve soil fertility in a sustainable way where efficiency of P input is maximised with a minimised environmental burden. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering While Australia is the largest phosphate fertiliser user in the world, current products are inefficient. Only up to 20% of any fertiliser is absorbed by plant roots; most ends up in our waterways, causing algal blooms in rivers and bleaching of coral reefs. Additionally, the world is facing dwindling phosphate reserves. Our project will develop a slow-release fertiliser that prevents the loss of phosphate into soil and makes use of soil bacteria that naturally regenerate phosphorus for crops. This new fertiliser is produced using clay mineral, an abundant Australian resource. Economic and commercial benefits include reduced farming costs, as less phosphate is needed to achieve similar crop yields, and stronger export markets for a new fertiliser that will be of international interest. Environmental benefits include less pollution in lakes, rivers and coastal environments. Technology transfer will be straightforward given our collective national experience in agriculture.  Adoption of the product will be fostered by the farming sector, as well as mineral and resources industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Towards 2050 - managing recovery of Australia's coral reefs. The coral reefs of Australia contribute over $6 bn each year to the economy. However, the reefs of Australia, in addition to those worldwide, are threatened by coral bleaching driven by anthropogenic climate change. If we are to preserve the economic, social and ecosystem value of these environments, it is essential that we are able to better manage the recovery of reefs from bleaching events. This project will utilise a variety of multi-disciplinary approaches, ranging from future climate models, historical satellite data to in-field experimentation to fill fundamental knowledge gaps in our understanding of coral bleaching recovery and delivery a variety of management and stakeholder relevant outputs. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology The Great Barrier Reef and reefs worldwide are threatened by coral bleaching driven by human derived climate change. Bleaching events are increasing in severity and frequency and, if we are to preserve the economic ($6.1 billion per annum), social and ecosystem value of these environments for Australia, we must understand the factors that impact bleaching events and, more importantly, reef recovery. This project will provide information on how historical temperatures and bleaching severity impact reef recovery. With increasing ocean temperatures predicted for at least the next 30 years, this information is essential to support the future management of reef systems. Results from this project will be incorporated into bleaching predictions, such as those at the Bureau of Meteorology and the U.S government Coral Reef Watch, and will provide coral reef managers in Australia and internationally with improved predictions of bleaching recovery in real time to inform management decision-making to mitigate long term impacts.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Time Layered Cultural Map of Australia: Advanced Techniques and Big Data. The aim of the project is to understand Australian history and culture better through the perspective afforded by large data sets with spatial and temporal coordinates. To this end the project aims to build open-access infrastructure to create and analyse large spatio-temporal data sets, and to provide new map layers to serve as context for multiple research projects. Users would be able to deal with spatio-temporal data sets as dynamic systems and create multi-layered maps with them. The benefits would be a marked increase in the ease of humanities research using digital mapping and clear pathways to big data, high-end projects combining structured space and time data with traditional humanities insights and approaches. Field of research: 4303 - Historical Studies This project provides stronger historical and cultural mapping capabilities for Australian researchers, for staff in galleries, libraries, and museums, and for the public. It adds new computational and AI-driven tools to the existing Time-Layered Cultural Map of Australia platform, to map the movement of people and objects, to automatically detect place names in documents, and to identify clusters of events. The benefits include new and more accessible ways of understanding Australian culture and history for both scholarly and general audiences. Wide adoption of the platform by researchers and target groups, like library and museum staff, would be enabled by providing online training sessions, as well as embedding the platform in existing archives and research projects. The platform will be open for use by all Australians and beneficiaries would be wide-ranging, including for example, local historians who want to make a map from the places mentioned in early documents, and tourist organisations aiming to gather information about an area from various sources and present it in an interactive online map.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

4D Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry for Multiphase Flow Measurement. The overarching aim of this project is to establish a state-of-the-art facility for measurement of multiphase flows that are of significant importance in the extraction and processing of energy and mineral resources, environmental remediation of pollutants, water and health. The proposed facility will offer unique enhanced capabilities in flow field characterisation and dispersed phase visualisation, supporting a diverse range of ARC and industry funded research projects within multiple research centres and, in particular, an ARC Centre of Excellence with a national and global focus. The knowledge gained should lead to technological advances and economic benefits for Australia in the field of resources. Field of research: 4019 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy Found throughout industry, multiphase flows are the simultaneous flow of more than one material phase (e.g. gas, liquid, solid). This project will establish a state-of-the-art facility for measuring multiphase flows that can be used in the extraction and processing of energy and mineral resources and, in treating water and environmental pollutants. This, in turn, will enable the development of more efficient, cost effective, and sustainable processing technologies that have direct relevance to the national economy, especially the resources sector worth hundreds of billions of dollars per annum. The proposed facility will significantly enhance Australia's competence in the field of multiphase flows and provide the tools necessary to foster innovative engineering solutions. For example, old tailings dams might be reprocessed to recover minerals for valuable metals and rehabilitate the land. The knowledge generated will improve the energy footprint and environmental impact of our current multiphase process systems, delivering economic and environmental benefit to Australia and globally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Deconstructing the brain circuits of reward-seeking. This project aims to deconstruct the brain circuits that shape reward-seeking behaviour in different environments. The anticipated significance of this project is to provide mechanistic insights into why we choose to seek rewards in safe, but not dangerous environments. Expected outcomes include answering fundamental questions about how the environment shapes our behaviour by identifying projection cell subtypes important for reward-seeking, characterising their neuronal activity and precisely defining their molecular phenotype. The benefits of this project are expected to provide a new knowledge base for understanding decision-making in a constantly changing world. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences Every day we make choices (decisions) that are influenced by our external environment. A safe environment generally promotes rational decision-making whereas a threatening environment may promote irrational decision-making, with irreparable consequences. This project will use leading-edge molecular technology to understand how our brain circuitry controls reward-seeking behaviour across different environments. This will enhance our understanding of decisions made under pressure, providing a tool to, for example, improve national responses during critical emergency situations (health outbreaks, defence threats), bringing major industry, environmental and societal benefits. More broadly, understanding how decisions are made at a molecular level will provide new insights that could be used by many other industries. For example, the food and beverage sector, a national priority under the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy, could develop new food additives that target those molecular mechanisms to increase consumption of healthier products, leading to health, economic and commercial benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A novel quantitative risk assessment framework for fractured rock slopes. Rock slope instabilities present grave risks to life and to the serviceability of major Australian infrastructure such as mines, roads and railways, and to coastal recreation areas. This project aims at developing tools for the quantitative risk assessment of fractured rock slopes based on rigorous rock mechanics, numerical methods and probabilistic methods. The research outcomes will improve our understanding of natural and engineering rock slopes, reduce the uncertainties in the prediction of the safety of infrastructures, and thus minimize the loss and damage. The research outcomes can also be used to maintain workplace safety in mining environments and avoid disruptions to production. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Rock slope instabilities present grave risks to life and to the serviceability of major Australian infrastructure such as mines, roads and railways, and to coastal recreation areas. This project will develop a rigorous framework for the characterisation and the risk assessment of fractured rock slopes. Immediate benefits of this project include increasing the safety level of infrastructures, maintaining workplace safety in mining environments, and maximising the return on Australia’s financial investment in natural resources. The research will have broader impacts in geotechnical science and engineering through improved understanding of the behavior of fractured rock mass, and development of more scientific methodologies for dealing with uncertainties and risks associated with fractured rock slope instabilities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Cold catalysis for water splitting. This project aims to develop photocatalysts via AC magnetic field through nanoscale heating for efficient H2 generation. This project is to introduce cold catalysis concept, which heats catalysts only but not solution, thus called cold catalysis, in the area of production of renewable energy. Expected outcome is the creation of clean and low cost catalysts to effectively harvest the chemical energy from the sun via splitting of water into H2 and O2 without causing any environmental damage. This unique technology will also help to address clean energy generation, which is in line with H2 economy plan by Australia government, and provide opportunities for new industries that will benefit Australian economy. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Hydrogen technologies are possible non-polluting energy sources that represent a major opportunity for Australia’s energy sector. Conversion of water into hydrogen using renewable solar energy has the potential to achieve the Australian government net zero emission target before 2050. However, the low efficiency and high cost of currently available solar conversion technologies limit the potential for commercialisation. If such technologies are developed with low cost and high efficiency, we can achieve the Australia government goal of producing hydrogen under two dollars per kilogram, with an anticipated contribution of $10 billion to the Australian economy every year until 2040. This project will develop highly efficient photocatalytic materials using nanoscale heating. Practical application of this technology will advance solar assisted hydrogen production technologies to address the Australia’s net-emission strategies and energy challenges. The outcomes of this project will deliver industrial, economic, and environmental benefits to the Australian community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Intelligent Incident Management for Software-Intensive Systems. This project aims to develop intelligent incident management methods for software-intensive systems. Incidents are unplanned system interruptions or outages that could affect the normal operations of an organization and cause huge economic loss. This project expects to develop innovative, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based methods for automated incident management, including incident detection, incident identification, and incident triage. Expected outcomes of the project include a set of novel methods and tools that can facilitate incident diagnosis and resolution. This project will provide significant benefits, such as improving the availability of software-intensive systems and reducing the economic loss caused by the incidents. Field of research: 0803 - Computer Software A large number of Australian business and government organizations rely on services provided by software-intensive systems. Due to the complexity of these system, incidents are almost inevitable. Detecting and resolving incidents in a timely manner is important for reducing economic loss caused by the incidents. In this project, we aim to develop a set of novel, artificial intelligence based techniques for effective incident management. In particular, we will propose new techniques to automatically detect incidents, analyse the root cause of incidents, and assign teams to troubleshoot the incidents. These techniques can significantly benefit a wide variety of software-intensive systems in Australia, and in turn benefit the entire society including government, business, defence, and emergency services.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Enhancing marine bathymetry using new generation satellite sensors. Highly accurate marine bathymetry are currently lacking in 72% of the global ocean including around Australia, particularly in shallow seas and near-shore coastal zones, contributing to various navigation and marine safety accidents. Ship surveys of the seafloor are time-consuming and expensive. Satellite altimetry data provide an alternative solution. This project will improve Australia’s marine bathymetry by using spatially comprehensive and unprecedented data from new radar and laser satellite sensors. We aim to develop techniques for integration of the new data with other independent data sources, producing the most precise marine bathymetry for coastal terrain mapping, marine transport and safety management. Field of research: 0909 - Geomatic Engineering This project will contribute to the national interest in three ways. Firstly, through improved knowledge of the marine gravity and bathymetry with significantly improved accuracy and spatial resolution over the Australian waters, it will allow us to considerably reduce costs and needs of shipborne (or airborne) gravity and shipboard depth surveys for resource exploration and coastline bathymetry determination - bringing clear benefits to the Australian economy. Secondly, with improvement in Australia’s marine bathymetry, it will enable identification of the largely unexplored frontiers and geomorphic features for offshore basins, such as paleo-submarine canyons, faults and seamounts - bringing new knowledge for better management of resources. It will also provide a safe navigation map for ocean transportation, both ships and submarines, and diverse engineering activities, including petroleum exploration. Thirdly, techniques developed for analysing the metadata from new satellite altimetry will enhance Australia’s global position as a leader in innovative remote sensing technologies and marine geosciences.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Structural safety and reliability of unreinforced masonry shear walls. This project aims to investigate and quantify the role of spatial variability of material properties in the failure behaviour and safety of unreinforced masonry shear walls. In masonry buildings, shear walls provide the primary means for safely resisting lateral loads due to wind and earthquake. Failure of the shear walls can result in building collapse causing injuries and death and significant economy losses. Through experimental testing and numerical modelling the project will enable improved techniques for the assessment and design of masonry walls which account, for the first time, for the influence that spatial variability of material properties has in determining the failure behaviour and capacity of masonry shear walls. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Reliability-based assessment of existing structures is increasingly being used to extend their useful service life. The ability to more accurately evaluate the safety of existing masonry structures will likely allow authorities to avoid unnecessary demolition or rehabilitation of such structures, or to correctly identify when such measures are essential. For new construction, a more efficient use of structural masonry will mean that less material will be used when compared to masonry structures designed to existing design specifications. This will result in lower construction costs and could help contribute to an increase in building approvals. Moreover, a 5% improvement in efficiency of use for masonry walls used by 10% of the market will produce ongoing savings to the Australian economy of over $20 million per annum. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3-5% and enhance the sustainability of construction.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Large Markov decision processes and combinatorial optimisation. Markov decision processes continue to gain in popularity for modelling a wide range of applications ranging from analysis of supply chains and queueing networks to cognitive science and control of autonomous vehicles. Nonetheless, they tend to become numerically intractable as the size of the model grows fast. Recent works use machine learning techniques to overcome this crucial issue, but with no convergence guarantee. This project aims to provide theoretically sound frameworks for solving large Markov decision processes, and exploit them to solve important combinatorial optimisation problems. This timely project can promote Australia's position in the development of such novel frameworks for many scientific and industrial applications. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics The intellectual benefit underlying the proposed work will have a two-fold focus: first, it will develop new practical and theoretical methods to solve large Markov decision processes; and second, it will implement these results to develop efficient solution algorithms to solve a celebrated combinatorial optimisation problem, the so-called the traveling salesman problem. Since the development of approximate solution algorithms for large Markov decision processes is a subject of ongoing intense study in both Operations Research and Machine Learning communities, this timely project can promote Australia’s position in the development of novel frameworks for large MDPs for many scientific and industrial applications. This project will enhance Australia’s research profile in the areas of operations research and applied probability, while also offering training for one Research Associate and one PhD student. The results will have the potential to be exploited in several areas including (but not limited to) engineering, sustainability, health systems, economics, and military.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Investigating the direct and indirect effects of a student leader program. This innovative project aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of a school-based leadership program for primary school-aged children. Schools are ideal settings for developing children’s leadership effectiveness, but there are few examples of evidence-based programs guided by leadership theory. This project will generate new knowledge about the importance of leadership skills for students’ self-efficacy, classroom behaviour, and teachers’ well-being and work-related stress. Expected outcomes of this inter-disciplinary project include a framework for understanding how children’s leadership behaviours shape school culture and an evidence-based program for dissemination in Australian schools. Field of research: 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy The proposed project will have benefits for the Australian community across multiple domains. First, providing children with opportunities to develop their leadership skills may have short-term benefits for their confidence and classroom behaviour. It may also have medium- and long-term benefits for students’ academic performance and employability, respectively. Second, providing teachers with innovative methods to manage student behaviour may help reduce the burden of teacher burnout. Australian teachers report high levels of work-related stress and nearly one in three consider leaving in their first five years of employment. Finally, the economic burden of physical inactivity in Australia is estimated to be $805 million per annum. The majority of young Australians are not sufficiently active and while schools are ideal venues to address this challenge, schools are not fulfilling their potential. This project will provide opportunities for children to be active at school and equip them with the movement skills needed to be active across their lifespan.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Understanding selfie-editing apps in youth visual digital cultures. This project aims to investigate how young people navigate identity and body image concerns online through new digital editing tools provided by selfie-editing apps. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the literacies young people use in reading, evaluating and editing images of themselves, and the role of digital technologies in forming young people’s embodied identities, using an innovative participatory methodology. Expected outcomes include a new evidence base and youth-centred conceptual framework on the connections between youth selfie-editing, body image, and wellbeing. This should provide significant benefits in helping young people to better navigate body image and wellbeing in online cultures. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology Young people must navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape of self-presentation and appearance. Images of ‘perfect’ beauty are presented as normal and everyday in social media. New apps enabling professional-quality editing tools now enable a user to ‘perfect’ their own faces and bodies. The new capabilities provided by these apps emerge at a time when body and image-based appearance pressures are a pervasive and enduring issue of concern for Australian youth. This project employs a youth-centred methodology to create a new framework to address key issues of identity and wellbeing in digital visual cultures. This evidence will support the development of policies and resources to respond to young people’s wellbeing needs in relation to body and image-based pressures and peer cultures online.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Mining voids and just transition: reimagining post-mining landscapes . This project aims to address the complex problem of how to deal with the long-term legacies of coal mining. Through a combination of ethnographic and Arts-Based Methods, the project will advance insight into how local communities in the Hunter Valley, NSW, experience socio-cultural impacts of environmental disturbance and mining legacies, particularly where final voids are present. It will generate new knowledge into potentials for reimagining post-mining landscapes and how such landscapes can support a just transition towards a post-mining future. Expected benefits include advancement of public discourses around mining legacies, research capacity building and theory development to support multi-stakeholder engagement and dialogue. Field of research: 1601 - Anthropology As Australia transitions away from coal, the question of how to address the long-term legacies of coal mining is becoming increasingly pertinent. Of particular concern is the question of how to deal with the ecological, social and cultural legacies of mining and the repurposing or rehabilitation of former mine sites. This project will offer an intergenerational and intercultural analysis that explores the possibilities of transforming past mining sites to support social cohesion, cooperation and dialogue in transition towards a post-mining future. Community input is recognised by industry and governments alike as an essential step in developing final land use objectives for closed mines yet alternative modes of knowing and understanding landscape are often ignored in policy and planning. This project will have social and cultural benefits for the Australian community by collecting and analysing diverse community voices and presenting recommendations for revisioning mining legacies and, specifically, final voids in a way that seeks to build community cohesion, dialogue and hope.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A novel drug class for the effective treatment of Giardia infections. Companion animals play a pivotal role in the lifestyle of the average Australian family. The 9 million cats and dogs, residing in >65% of our households, have provided significant health and well-being benefits to owners, especially during COVID. Ensuring pet health is a primary obligation of pet ownership. Giardia infections (Giardia duodenalis, with 94% of infections in dogs identified as Assemblage A) is the most prevalent enteric parasite identified globally in dogs. Infection rates can be as high as 75% in puppies. Current treatments are failing due to poor efficacy, resistance and poor adherence to treatment schedules. We have identified a novel, extremely rapid acting series of compounds capable of single shot eradication of Giardia. Field of research: 0304 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry Cats and dogs, our closest companion animals, are integral members of over 65% of Australian households, with ownership rates increasing dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. Cats and dogs provide comfort, affection and assistance to their owners. A significant number of pets develop debilitating gastrointestinal infections, with Giardia infection amongst the most common in dogs and cats. Paradoxically, this is the most difficult infection to treat using current medications. Our multidisciplinary Australian team has developed a unique approach capable of rapidly eradicating Giardia whilst maintaining gut health. This proposal leverages the synthetic chemistry, parasite biology, and pharmaceutical technologies only available in our laboratories to rapidly progress our novel drug towards local Australian production of an animal-specific Giardia treatment, fulfilling a clear market need recognized by the pharmaceutical industry. Success in this companion animal focused project has huge potential to offer solutions to similar infections in the cattle industry, enhancing Australia’s food security.