THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Effects of environmental heat stress on male fertility in livestock species. This project aims to address the role of ambient heat stress in animal fertility by examining its mechanisms and developing treatments to alleviate its effects. Using an interdisciplinary approach that brings together veterinary sciences, reproductive biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics, the project expects to improve our understanding of how high environmental temperatures lead to reduced fertility, pregnancy loss and compromised inheritance in large animals, and to develop effective interventions. The resulting benefits include enhanced productivity and resilience of Australia’s livestock industries in the face of a changing climate. Field of research: 0707 - Veterinary Sciences Australia's cattle and horse industries collectively contribute an estimated $17.5 billion to the economy per year, with cattle and beef representing the single largest contributor to the annual value of Australian agricultural production. The ability of bulls and stallions to produce healthy offspring is a cornerstone in both these industries, while rising ambient temperatures pose an imminent threat to male fertility and therefore to the industries' productivity and long term viability. This project seeks to address the problem of heat-induced subfertility in conditions relevant to Australia's livestock industries and develop practical ways to diagnose and prevent fertility losses, thus directly benefiting the livestock industries and the Australian economy by enhancing productivity and resilience in some of Australia's most important agricultural sectors.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Creative ageing through transformative engagement with music. This project aims to evaluate how participation in music activities can foster personal growth, self-efficacy and purpose amongst older adults. Using a novel hybrid theoretical framework, it will generate new knowledge about what elements in music activities deliver such transformative effects and how to widen access. Expected outcomes include a blueprint for transformative music activities, and resources to design them, as well as guidelines and an online, interactive map to make them more widely accessible to our ageing population. Benefits will be improved wellbeing and quality of life for older adults and carers, guidance for music groups, and resources and recommendations for aged-care providers to implement music activities. Field of research: 1904 - Performing Arts and Creative Writing This research will advance Australia’s national interest by contributing knowledge specific to Australia’s older populations and their access to opportunities for a positive ageing experience through creativity linked to learning. The project will document information on music activities nationally and identify what constitutes best practice. Through an extensive survey, it will produce a digital map, using innovative time/location software, to disseminate information on the availability of music activities nationally, a valuable resource for older adults and care providers. In addition, the research will identify elements and practices in music learning that are transformative for participants, promoting positive change. It aligns with the Australian Government’s research priority 9 ‘Health’ for preventative strategies to improve physical and mental well-being for older adults through discovering how engagement with music promotes positive changes and recommending strategies to widen accessibility for demographics including low socioeconomic status communities, ethnic groups and frailer adults.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Banking on spermatogonial stem cells to safeguard Australian native fauna. Spermatogonial stem cells in the testis are an untapped resource for species conservation. This project aims to characterise metabolic pathways that control spermatogonial stem cell function, and define the conserved nature of these pathways between model species (mouse) and vulnerable Australian native fauna. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced capacity to culture koala spermatogonia in vitro, which will be a first step towards using spermatogonial biobanking as a tool to maintain genetic diversity in this species. Outcomes from this study should provide significant benefits in safeguarding our unique Australian native species, which is of particular importance following the catastrophic 2019/20 bushfire season. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This project directly contributes to Australia's national interest through the fortification of conservation strategies that can be applied to our vulnerable Australian native faunae. This research will uncover novel molecular mechanisms that control spermatogonial stem cell function in the testis, in both the mouse (model species) and the koala. Knowledge produced in this proposal will inform pioneering attempts to culture koala spermatogonia in vitro: a first step towards developing spermatogonial stem cell biobanking as a conservation technique. Beyond this, the ability to maintain primary cultures of undifferentiated spermatogonia would provide a seminal experimental resource for future studies into potential threats to koala reproduction, such as chlamydia infection and heat stress (i.e. climate change). Moreover, this project will consolidate the standing of Australian researchers in the field of Reproductive Biology, and will provide outstanding training opportunities for PhD candidates.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Determining the regulation of ovary development with single cell sequencing. This project will greatly advance our understanding of ovary development and mammalian reproduction. I will investigate the process of ovarian primordial follicle activation including its genetic regulation, the importance of supportive granulosa cells and the biological significance of regulatory factors. This will be achieved through the comprehensive investigation of a single cell transcriptomic dataset of ovarian development (Aim 1) in conjunction with functional studies (Aim 2). The outcomes of which will hold significant benefit to animal reproduction through new strategies to improve livestock productivity and control invasive pest species. These outcomes are of economic and environmental and benefit nationally. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology Regulation of fertility of agricultural, feral, and domesticated species remains a crucial component of the economic success of Australia’s agribusiness, conservation, and environmental sustainability. Australia’s agricultural industry is currently worth $61 billion per year with targets to grow this to $100 billion by 2030, with farmed livestock generating more than $30 billion annually. Pest animals cause over $600 million a year in lost agricultural productivity and represent a major pressure on Australia’s threatened species. Optimal animal production drives the financial benefit of agricultural animals and the pervasiveness of pest species. Both of which are ultimately dictated by the reproductive fitness of the species. This project will investigate the regulation of mammalian oocyte (egg) production using novel single cell and transcriptomic technologies to understand and reversibly target the process of ovarian development and ultimately harness our control of animal reproduction.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Differential solidification of steel slag to create a fertiliser co-product. The project aims to develop a process to separate phosphorus from steelmaking slag while the slag is still molten. Changing iron ore grades in Australia, especially increasing phosphorus content, places Australian iron ore products at a competitive disadvantage and attracts a significant financial penalty. The separation process is intended to facilitate recycling of an iron rich stream within the steelworks and production of a phosphorus rich co-product for agriculture. Benefits are anticipated to include increased utilisation of steel slag, creation of a valuable fertiliser co-product, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and a reduction in the penalty applied to Australian iron ores. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy Iron ore was Australia’s top export in 2018-19, with a value of $77 Billion dollars. Changing ore grades in Australia, especially increasing phosphorus content, places our ore-products at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors from Brazil and west Africa. We need to develop a process by which phosphorus can be recovered from the steelmaking process so that Australian iron ore suppliers avoid price penalties for high phosphorus content, which currently stand at $3.47 per 0.01% phosphorus per tonne of ore. This will enable steelmakers to increase the recycle rate of iron and flux currently lost in the slag stream, resulting in decreased cost and greenhouse gas emissions in the iron and steelmaking process, as well as contributing to the circular economy. The process also aims to generate a high value, high-phosphorus fertiliser co-product for use in agriculture, addressing impending shortages in phosphorus based fertilisers, and further ameliorating greenhouse gas emissions through passive CO2 sequestration in soil.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

BioSHeM: A High-Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopic Helium Atom Microscope. This project will build the first scanning helium microscope (SHeM) instrument designed for imaging in the advanced materials, biological and medical sciences. The new technique of scanning helium microscopy (SHeM), which was developed at the University of Newcastle, images structures completely non-destructively by using an extremely low-energy beam of neutral helium atoms to probe sample surfaces. This new instrument will exploit the unique capabilities of the SHeM technique to probe the new science that can be obtained from non-destructive imaging of samples in-situ; including exploring the sub-surface contrast that can be obtained from inelastic scattering processes. Field of research: 0204 - Condensed Matter Physics Imaging is the key to scientific discovery and yet conventional microscopes damage delicate materials and devices; altering the very structures that they are trying to see. However, the scanning helium microscope (SHeM) opens a new window on science; providing completely non-damaging imaging using beams of neutral helium atoms. The development of the SHeM is cutting edge international science, with researchers from the University of Newcastle, Australia and the University of Cambridge, UK collaborating over many years to produce the world’s first atom beam imaging instruments.The BioSHeM is the next generation of atom-beam microscope; delivering a new imaging tool tailored for the biological and material sciences that urgently need non-destructive imaging instruments. The BioSHeM will enable, for the first time, the imaging of delicate materials, structures and devices without the observation influencing their operation or function.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Improving the Sustainability of Australian Livestock Production Systems. The sustainability of livestock production systems must urgently be improved. This Future Fellowship builds upon Dr Zamira Gibb's portfolio of high-impact research to deliver extension and adoption activities which will improve the outcomes of cattle and horse selective breeding programs; allowing the dissemination of low-methane genetics to remote Northern Australian cattle breeding regions, reducing wastage of breeding horses and dairy cattle, and improving foal heath and offspring longevity. This project will address the environmental, ethical, and economic concerns which threaten the sustainability of these culturally significant livestock industries which are the cornerstone of everyday life in regional communities. Field of research: 3003 - Animal Production This project is focused on improving the sustainability and productivity of Australia's livestock breeding industries by bringing cutting-edge technologies and innovative management strategies from the laboratory to the farm. These include a simple device for on-farm sperm fertility prediction, feed supplements to improve fertility and offspring health, and a convenient method for storing semen for 7 times longer than current methods allow, thereby extending the viable time for transporting to farmers in remote locations. Altogether, this project will reduce environmental impact by facilitating access to sperm from bulls with key genetics for reduced methane emissions, increase economic return and food security by maximising the efficiency of breeding practices, and improve animal welfare by reducing the need for invasive veterinary procedures. Established partnerships with industry regulatory bodies such as Meat & Livestock Australia and Agrifutures Australia will ensure that this project's outputs are adopted by primary producers to effectively address key industry priorities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Closing the Solar Cycle. This project aims to decisively settle the debate about the mechanism driving magnetic activity on the surface of the Sun. By drawing on extensive, big-data analysis of solar observations the project intends to use the technique of helioseismology to reveal differences in the statistical evolution of magnetic regions. Expected outcomes of this project will powerfully refine our models of the interaction between convective flows and magnetic fields in the Sun, resulting in a leap forward in solar dynamo theory, one of the fundamental problems in astrophysics. The anticipated benefits include moving from nowcasting to forecasting space weather, mitigating the billion dollar economic effects of geomagnetic storms. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences This Fellowship is directly aligned with Australia’s rapidly growing space physics industry and the national science priorities of “Advancing Space” in the Australian Civil Space Strategy (2019-2028). Space weather concerns the dynamics of the radiation and magnetic fields in interplanetary space, particularly near the Earth. Space weather, and solar storms, are driven by the Sun’s magnetic field. Modern infrastructure, such as GPS, satellite communications, and power grids, face serious damage from solar storms, instigating subsequent economic impacts and breakdown of society. Australia will suffer particularly badly from any interference in communications or power supply, due to the isolation that comes from being an island continent, the large distances between populations, and the increased sharing of power grids across state lines. Given Australia’s rapidly growing space industry and cybersecurity research priority, now is the time to invest understanding the Sun's magnetic field so that Australia can acquire sovereign capabilities in space weather forecasting.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Understanding intergenerational financial assistance with home ownership. Rates of intergenerational financial support with first home ownership have skyrocketed over the last decade. This project aims to understand how this support is negotiated within families. It will use innovative qualitative methods to identify how this form of financial assistance impacts upon families over time, and from the perspectives of multiple family members. Expected outcomes include a new, systematic framework to recognise how families shape young adults’ pathways into home ownership and to develop evidence-based financial policy. This should provide significant benefits including greater protection for both donors and recipients of financial assistance when purchasing property. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology This project will generate crucial evidence to better understand the changing role of families in young adults’ pathways into home ownership in Australia. Over the last 10 years parents have increasingly stepped in to financially assist their adult children with buying their first home, collectively representing the country’s fifth largest home loan lender in 2020. However, little is known about what happens to both parties after the money changes hands. This project provides an in-depth account of how the provision and receipt of financial assistance with home ownership impacts upon both donors and recipients following the transfer. It will benefit the nation by identifying key vulnerabilities and risk factors and will aid in developing evidence-based policy to safeguard the financial wellbeing of the growing number of families involved in this practice.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Advanced multivariable nonlinear control methodology for matrix converters. The aim of this project is to explore a specific multivariable nonlinear control design problem. Motivation for the project arises from the control of Matrix Converters. Matrix Converters are considered one of the key enabling technologies for the electric transport of the future. However, their penetration into practice has fallen short of their promise. This is, in part, due to the associated control design problem which is extremely difficult involving coupled nonlinear dynamics and under-actuation. We plan to address these problems by using modern control system design methods. Our specific goal is to achieve a provably stable, closed loop control system whose performance is independent of unmeasured disturbances and model errors. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering This project is aimed at making a major improvement to the control of direct alternating current (AC) to (AC) energy conversion equipment. These improvements have the potential to significantly increase reliability, reduce size, reduce weight and boost energy efficiency of such equipment. This, in turn, will lead to greater efficiency of electric motor drive technology. Since electric motor drive systems consume more than 50% of the world's electricity, the potential reduction of green house gas emission will be substantial. The ideas are likely to lead to "game changing" improvements in many related areas of national importance including wind power generation, electric vehicles of all types (land, water and air) and all variable speed drives used in manufacturing industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Safe, Plug and Play, Multi Agent Dynamic Systems. From driverless cars, to networks of nano satellites, and complex biological networks, the modern world has many examples of multi agent dynamic systems that need careful coordination and control to perform correctly. In many cases, these systems are built up using designs based on intuition, computer simulations and empirical testing. However, there is a clear need to advance the fundamental understandings of such systems: (i) Verifiable overall dynamic system properties need to be derived to give assurance of performance in situations not previously envisaged; (ii) It is also critical to understand stable system behaviours not just with fixed configurations, but with agile configurations such as splitting, merging, and morphing Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering This research addresses important fundamental questions that underpin computerised systems of multiple interacting intelligent agents, or multi-agent systems. These multi-agent systems need careful coordination and control to perform correctly with a wide range of application areas, including (but not limited to): (i) Understanding of vehicle platoon system (eg cooperative adaptive cruise control between vehicles and autonomous driving); (ii) Distributed electric energy generation (with next generation grids incorporating widely distributed renewable generation); (iii) Swarms of autonomous vehicles (eg drones, unmanned ground/underwater vehicles, groups of nano satellites). The need for multi-agent systems is growing rapidly. This research will provide rigorous, high level guidance for the design of the algorithms needed to reliably and flexibly control such systems across many industries. In practice ensuring that these networks are safe, adaptive and scalable. This will have long term impacts to the reliability and security of advanced network system critical to Australia’s economic future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Femtoliter Liquid Deposition Facility. This project aims to create a research capacity for direct printing of femtolitre volumes of functional liquids onto devices and surfaces. This project expects to enable the development of new sensing and electronic devices that require a novel fabrication step with delicate materials that cannot be deposited using existing processes. Expected outcomes include new chemical and biological sensors created through collaborative research between the partner institutions and researchers. The benefits of this project should include the creation of a new rapid prototyping facility for Australian researchers, and the application of these capabilities for the development of new low-cost sensors for environmental gas sensing and glucose monitoring. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering This research creates new capabilities for Australian researchers to print miniature sensors and electronic devices using tiny droplets of specialized liquids. These sensors are small enough to fit inside a wristwatch, name tag, or mobile phone. The end users of this research could include underground miners who need sensors to detect explosive chemicals in the air; health care patients who need instant blood testing; and consumers of water in areas that need warnings for high levels of dangerous chemicals. These new products are expected to create advanced tech job opportunities and new high value businesses. This new facility would print tiny liquid droplets in close proximity to one another, similar to an inkjet printer, except chemicals are printed instead of ink and the droplet size is one-thousand times smaller. These new capabilities will be the first in Australia and will be readily accessible to Australian researchers and businesses.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Quantitative psychological theories for a dynamic world. . The dynamic world around us means we need to constantly adjust our decisions in light of ever-changing influences, both external (weather, traffic ...) and internal (fatigue, learning ...). This project aims to understand how these changes affect performance. This will have significance for basic science, and also practical benefits for applied psychology. This project will examine the dynamic nature of psychological processes in a range of settings: simple decisions, consumer decisions, human-machine interactions, and team performance. Theory development will lead to improved understanding of underlying cognitive processes, and transforms the measurement of decisions, which is important for applied psychological investigations. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences The dynamic nature of the world today means people need to constantly adjust their behaviour in response to ever-changing influences. Those changing influences can be external (weather, traffic ...) and internal (fatigue, learning ...). This project aims to understand how these changes affect performance in crucial areas of human functioning: simple decisions, consumer decisions, human-machine interactions, and team performance. The project will lead to significant outcomes for basic science, and also practical applied benefits. This research has the potential to directly benefit Australian industry and the wider community with a better understanding of consumer behaviour and improving human-machine interactions. An outcome of the project will extend ongoing work of the research team with existing Australian end-user partners aimed at improving personnel selection and training procedures in cognitively-demanding roles, including with air traffic controllers and RAAF personnel.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The ‘Peace’ of Lausanne (1923): Genesis, Legacies, Paradoxes. This study aims to revisit the foundation of the modern Middle East by investigating the still valid 1923 Peace Treaty of Lausanne. Through a combined analysis of the Treaty's prehistory, protracted negotiations and paradigmatic impact, it will reassess the Conference's and Treaty's role in Modern History. By exploring international diplomacy's endorsement of authoritarian rule, demographic engineering and mass violence, it will problematise the notion of realpolitik and challenge views that the Treaty of Lausanne led to sustainable peace in Turkey and its neighbourhood. This will prompt a re-evaluation of topical questions like border disputes, the Kurdish conflict, post-Ottoman state-building, the caliphate, and the Armenian genocide. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies Australia is involved in military and humanitarian missions in the Middle East, from the ANZAC at Gallipoli to the Yazidis at Mount Sinjar in 2014. It has multiple and strong, at times difficult, relations with Turkey. The Australian nation is comprised of displaced persons, among them many refugees, expellees and genocide survivors whose history of migration dates back to Ottoman Turkey and to the historical context of the Conference of Lausanne. Their experiences contribute to understanding both the history of the modern Middle East and Australian identity. The public benefit of this project lies in providing essential historical background knowledge on crucial aspects of Australian society and policy. It lies also in enhancing the quality and profile of Australia's research in modern Middle Eastern history, peace making and conflict studies. Findings will be disseminated through accessible publications and media interviews which will to contribute to more informed discourses on religion, conflicts, refugees and traumas that are related to the Middle East, Turkey and the Lausanne Treaty.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The pull-out capacity of a newly developed grouted soil nailing system. The project aims to develop a new reliable and efficient grouted soil nail system for improving the performance of loose soft soils. Important applications of the research include the mitigation of landslides, which pose a major threat to communities and infrastructure worldwide. Laboratory small scale experiments and numerical analyses will be carried out to optimize the grouting efficiency and enhance the pull-out resistance between the grout and surrounded soil in the soil nail system. This integrated project will provide a valuable tool for engineers who wish to stabilize loose fill slopes or soft grounds in Australia and worldwide. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering The results of this integrated study will provide a new method for engineers who wish to use soil nails in constructing excavations, retaining walls and stabilising slopes in various types of soils in Australian and worldwide. Based on an extensive suite of experimental tests and numerical results, a series of charts and design recommendations will be developed, which has the potential to result in the reduced infrastructure costs. The results will be published in leading geotechnical journals and conferences, and also presented at seminars/workshops. The proposed research will not only provide a reduction in construction costs, but also provide a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind grouted soil nail. It will also enable geotechnical engineering firms in Australia to gain a competitive edge by applying this method in various countries around the world. Nationally, Australian society will benefit from the reduction in infrastructure construction costs and protection of vegetation brought about by this new technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Bacterial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon transport and degradation. This project aims to investigate the molecular processes underpinning the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by bacteria. PAHs are persistent environmental contaminants linked to several human diseases, including cancer. Bacteria capable of degrading PAHs could be used to naturally and effectively reduce environmental PAH loads to below safe levels. The project will apply techniques in functional genomics and biochemistry to help define the ways that PAHs are taken up from the environment by bacteria, their fate within bacterial cells, and the ways that bacteria overcome the inherent toxicity of PAHs. The knowledge generated is expected to enhance our capacity to rationally deploy bacteria for PAH degradation. Field of research: 0605 - Microbiology Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical pollutants that are found widely within Australian environments and have significant negative human and environmental health effects. PAHs can be generated through events such as bushfires that are common in Australia, and can flow into ground water to contaminate water supplies and fresh water sediments. PAHs are frequent contaminants at current and former industrial sites present throughout Australia and the world, and are chemically very stable, necessitating interventive measures to expedite their degradation. Certain bacterial species are able to naturally degrade PAHs, using them as a source of food and energy. This project will investigate a bacterial strain isolated from a contaminated Australian environment that can degrade a very broad range of small and large PAHs. We aim to generate knowledge that will enhance our capacity to actively deploy this bacterial isolate for PAH degradation at highly contaminated sites and to identify or develop new strains that optimally degrade PAH and other hydrocarbon pollutants.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Understanding the sources of the slow solar wind. This project aims to reveal the origins of the slow solar wind, a continuous stream of plasma emanating from the Sun that fills the solar system and impacts the Earth. This project expects to enhance our understanding of how this solar wind is accelerated and structured using a suite of state-of-the-art computational simulations. In doing this, the project expects to provide critical physical understanding to allow interpretation of data from NASA and ESA's flagship space missions Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter. Benefits should include enhanced physical understanding that will contribute to the international effort to develop reliable space-weather forecasting systems, critical for space exploration and space-based technology. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Eruptive magnetic storms on the Sun regularly reach the Earth's space environment. The economic consequences of this space weather can be severe, and include damage to satellites and power grids, corrosion of oil and gas pipelines and disruption of communication systems. Furthermore, these events may endanger the health of astronauts and those onboard high-flying aircraft. The proposed research seeks to better understand the solar wind - the stream of plasma coming from the Sun in which the Earth is embedded. As such, it will contribute to the international effort to develop reliable space-weather forecasting systems. (Given notice, defensive measures can be taken against the aforementioned effects.) In 2017 The Australian Government recognised the huge economic potential of the space sector through the formation of the Australian Space Agency. More generally, astronomy has a strong cultural impact: through the stunning images being gathered by new satellites solar physics has a great capacity to get young people interested in science, which is essential for contributing to Australia's skilled labour market.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Optimising One-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures. This project aims to develop and optimise a new class of nanostructured materials – One-Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructures. These materials are nanoscale versions of coaxial cables, in that they consist of multiple nanotubes ‘stacked’ inside each other, like Russian dolls. These materials constitute an exciting new frontier in materials science, since their properties and applications are limited only by the types of nanotubes in their structure, and the order in which they are stacked. This project will pair cutting-edge experimental synthesis and molecular modelling to establish how these factors can be controlled, delivering function-designable nanomaterials with wide-ranging electronic, mechanical and optical properties. Field of research: 0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry This project is directly in the national interest, and aligns closely with current National Science and Research Priority of Advanced Manufacturing. To remain competitive Australian industries must harness methods that enable the nano- and molecular-scale manipulation of matter, towards developing advanced nanostructured materials. This project will deliver an entirely new class of advanced function-designable nanomaterials - one-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures - and establish protocols for their routine production. This project will also make fundamental and important contributions extending our ability to synthesise high-quality nanomaterials, beyond the immediate scope of the project, which underpin a suite of advanced manufacturing and alternative energy technologies important to the Australian economy, including electronics, energy generation and storage, greenhouse gas sequestration and catalysis. The project will also deliver social benefits to Australia, through training the next generation of Australian scientists and engineers in world-class Australian and Japanese universities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Efficient geotechnical risk management of rock cliffs . Extreme events will significantly impact the severity of Australian rock cliff hazards in the coming years affecting infrastructure and public safety along major corridors and popular paths. Accurate prediction of their effect is crucial to analyse the associated rockfall risks and design mitigation measures. The project aims to provide a novel approach for the quantification of the rockfall risk by combining proximity remote sensing solutions, probabilistic models and quantitative risk analysis. The primary benefits lie in the ability to optimize protection reliability and costs and to deliver a rigorous method to support practitioners, government and emergency agencies to manage the risk, improve safety and properly allocate resources. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering It has been predicted that exposure to extreme weather events will substantially increase worldwide and associated economic costs for Australia are expected to triple within the next thirty years. Extreme events will significantly impact the rate and severity of Australian rock cliff hazards in the coming years affecting infrastructure and public safety along the densely populated coastal fringes and along popular paths in the most well-known National Parks. The research aims at building and improving Australian’s capacity to respond to environmental change by providing a reliable assessment of the risks associated to natural hazards, such as rockfalls and rock instabilities, and cost-effective mitigation measures design. The study will enhance Australia’s capability to predict and quantify the risk along rock cliffs facing major transportation infrastructures and popular recreational area, increasing public safety and providing fast and reliable decision-making capability for local council, state governments and emergency management agencies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Short- and long-term corrosion of steels in highly calcareous seawaters . This project aims to quantify the development of the long-term (25-100 year) protective effect of calcareous deposits on the marine corrosion of mild steels. This is significant because such steels used extensively in major and very expensive coastal and offshore infrastructure. The project outcomes will improve scientific understanding, including the role of microbiological activity. It will develop and calibrate corrosion prediction models using classical and recently available 100 year data from Europe, the Pacific, Australia and also new project-specific experimental data. These models are expected to be of benefit for Australian engineering consultants in maintain their internationally competitive edge in offshore engineering. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering The corrosion of steels in seawater is a significant problem for coastal and offshore facilities. Protection measures are expensive and not always economic or feasible. In some but not all seawaters calcareous deposits have been observed. These are very protective. The conditions under which they develop, and their long-term (25-100 year) effect on corrosion of steel infrastructure are not known. Their effect on aggressive bacterial corrosion also is not known. The project aims to improve scientific understanding of these issues. This will have practical implications for steel marine infrastructure. It will contribute to keeping Australian marine corrosion research at a leading-edge international position. Importantly, it will continue to help Australian consultants to compete internationally for offshore and coastal engineering work.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Novel Techniques for Uncoordinated Massive Access in the Internet of Things. The IoT (internet of things) is the backbone of intelligent transportation, healthcare, energy and smart home systems. To accommodate the exponentially increasing number of IoT devices, a dramatic paradigm shift towards non-orthogonal uncoordinated (grant-free) massive access is underway, where devices transmit data opportunistically over shared channel resources. This project aims to develop new receivers for such uncoordinated massive access, where the receivers will be trained to identify transmitting devices, recover their data, and resolve any collisions. These outcomes are expected to emerge as a game changer in IoT communications, benefiting national and international industry to meet future telecommunications needs for the IoT. Field of research: 1005 - Communications Technologies The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the billions of devices around the world that connect to the internet to share data. Thanks to inexpensive processors and wireless communications, it’s possible to turn anything, from a pill to an embedded sensor to a self-driving car into part of the IoT. The IoT facilitates applications such as intelligent transportation systems, healthcare monitoring, smart homes, retail, banking, smart grids and environmental monitoring, with embedded devices seamlessly monitoring their environments, processing information and communicating wirelessly with other devices. It is forecast that the IoT-Commerce market could be worth more than $100 billion in Australia, or equivalent to around 20 per cent of consumer retail trade by 2040. To facilitate the massive number new of IoT devices attempting to access limited wireless radio frequency resources new communication technologies are required. This project addresses a key national and international industry need to design the communication technologies required for the future internet of things.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Carbon dioxide in water nanoemulsions for carbon sequestration. The project will address a key objection to geological carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration by removing the risk of long-term leakage to drinking water aquifers or to atmosphere. By injecting a nano-emulsion of CO2-in-water, the project seeks to show complete reaction to permanently stable solid carbonate occurs within weeks, eliminating the need for secure caprock or extended seal integrity monitoring. New knowledge will be generated using innovative approaches to create and stabilise CO2-in-water nano-emulsions and demonstrate the fast conversion of CO2 into stable minerals. The benefits are significant in opening potential sequestration targets to include areas without secure caps, reduced cost and elimination of long-term leakage risk Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering Geologic sequestration is one of the immediate practical methods to stabilise the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in order to address climate change. This provides a method for permanent disposal of carbon dioxide captured from fossil-fueled power stations, cement and steel processing, or directly scrubbed from the atmosphere. Subsurface sequestration faces public concerns regarding the long-term integrity of the storage repository and the risk of the injected carbon dioxide subsequently leaking into drinking water aquifers or back to the atmosphere. This project aims to develop and demonstrate a new low-cost method in which the carbon dioxide is injected as a nano-emulsion in water, which accelerates its conversion into inert solid carbonate rock. The project aims to show that this transformation reaction can be accomplished within weeks, when nano-emulsions are used, thereby eliminating objections regarding potential future damage to fresh water aquifers - an Australian National Science Priority, or leakage back into the atmosphere.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Subsurface Atomic Force Microscopy using Dual Probes. The proposal aims to develop a new microscopy method for imaging nano-scale structures buried below the surface of a sample; for example, metal conductors in a computer processor chip. The expected outcome is a new method for creating subsurface images with an application focus on semiconductor device inspection and quality control. The proposed microscope is expected to create new economic opportunities including new commercial products, intellectual property, and the potential for a start-up venture. The benefits to Australia should include the creation of new job opportunities and the development of local expertise in a high-value market sector. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering This proposal aims to develop a new microscope for measuring the structure of features below the surface of semiconductor devices such as computer processors. The current method for inspecting these devices involves cutting the chip to expose internal structures, which is destructive and cannot be used for mass manufacturing. As the feature size reduces, the demand for inspection methods that provide quality control is rapidly increasing. This proposal addresses the current technology gap and will speed up the development of new products and improve the yield of fabrication processes. The semiconductor fabrication market is a high-value industry with a global sales revenue of $720B in 2019 and annual growth rate of 12%. The market for inspection equipment is $9.5B with an annual growth rate of 14%. Australia has a history of success in niche semiconductor applications but market participation is low compared to our base of expertise. 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 2021 · 2021-01

Novel H2 production technology using brown coal for clean power generation. This project aims to develop a novel technology of poly-generation for the large-scale production of hydrogen and activated carbon materials using Australian brown coal through a high-pressure entrained-flow pyrolysis process, which is combined with a flameless catalytic H2 combustion process. The scientific goal of the project is to gain a detailed scientific understanding of the mechanisms of radical reaction pathways for the high-pressure pyrolysis of brown coal, and the mechanism and kinetics of the catalytic flameless combustion of H2. The project outcomes will meet the needs of Australia's recent national hydrogen initiatives and lead to an industry demonstration to convert Victorian brown coal to NO-free and carbon-free clean power. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering Victorian brown coals represent a large reserve, low-cost energy resource in Australia with the total reserves of 430 billion tons. This project, through an improved understanding of the science underlying the high-pressure pyrolysis of brown coal, will lead to the development of a novel approach through which Australia’s abundant brown coal becomes an essential feedstock for large-scale production of hydrogen energy and porous activated chars. The project delivers fundamental, applied and translational research outcomes for carbon-free power generation Novel H2 production technology using brown coal using Victorian brown coal. This research, upon success, will lead to the development of synergistic and efficient means for the Australian coal and energy industries to transform from the present-day's carbon-based energy systems towards hydrogen-based power generation free of carbon and free of NOx. This will, in turn, bring significant economic, environmental, and social benefits to Australia and create local job positions. The project will further strengthen Australia’s global leadership in clean energy R&D.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Estimating the Topology of Low-Dimensional Data Using Deep Neural Networks. This project will expand on the superhuman visual capabilities of deep neural networks to allow us to analyse the topology of 3- and 4-dimensional manifolds. While these spaces still count as low-dimensional, 4-dimensional manifolds typically are beyond human visual comprehension. The topology of a manifold describes its essential properties such as the number of connected components, holes, tunnels and cavities of various dimensions. Traditional methods from computational topology fail in large practical applications due to computational restrictions. We propose an approximation that overcomes previous limitations and can open new doors to data analysis in material science, medical imaging, dynamical systems and other applications. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing The structural analysis of porous materials such as coke, certain metals, sponges and coral assists in the understanding of how these materials perform and is essential to advances in many industries. This project will provide a new computational approach in analysing the essential geometric structure of materials. The outcome of the project will be of benefit to applications critical to major Australian industries, for example, applications in the coal or minerals industries where the new detailed geometric analysis will allow for better quality control which will help to make Australian exports more competitive. It will also have other national benefits such as improved safety in the transport industries where the method will provide better control of critical material properties such as energy absorption under crash impact.