THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Novel ultraviolet radiation filters from extreme environments. This project aims to exploit uncultured microorganisms to produce and characterise novel ultraviolet radiation-filter biosynthesis pathways. Current ultraviolet radiation-filtering compounds are toxic and persistent. There is a need for biodegradable, ultraviolet radiation filters that are safe for use across a variety of health and industrial applications. Over millions of years, the damaging effect of ultraviolet radiation has exerted selective pressure on organisms that has driven the evolutionary diversity of natural radiation-filtering compounds. This project expects to characterise and harness the microbial diversity of unique high ultraviolet radiation ecosystems via synthetic biology to produce industrially and pharmacologically useful ultraviolet radiation filters. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Time-layered cultural map of Australia. The Time-layered cultural map (TLCMap) of Australia is an online research platform that will deliver researcher driven national-scale infrastructure for the humanities, focused on mapping, time series, and data integration. The TLCMap will expand the use of Australian cultural and historical data for research through sharply defined and powerful discovery mechanisms, enabling researchers to visualise hidden geographic and historical patterns and trends, and to build online resources which present to a wider public the rich layers of cultural data in Australian locations. TLCMap is not a singular project or software application with a defined research outcome, but infrastructure linking geo-spatial maps of Australian cultural and historical information, adapted to time series and will be a significant contribution to humanities research in Australia. For researchers, it will transform access to data and to visualisation tools and open new perspectives on Australian culture and history. For the public, it will enable increased accessibility to historical and cultural data through visualisations made available online and in print. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Predicting the recovery of composite mineral particles in froth flotation. This project aims to provide a new method of predicting the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, gold and lithium from ores using the flotation process. The project will provide new way of modelling the behaviour of individual flotation cells, and banks of cells in series. The project will provide benefits to existing operations such as the minerals and coal industries, which are heavy users of flotation technology. New insights into the behaviour of composite particles will lead to more efficient operations and a new way of scale-up in the design of full-scale plant, which will permit designers to optimise circuits and minimise capital and operating costs. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Novel power system architecture and control for 'More Electric Aircraft'. This project aims to propose a new conceptual design of an internal aircraft electrical system and its control, which minimises the issues of traditional power systems and takes advantage of contemporary control and technology advances to minimise weight/volume and maximise reliability. The project will target a specific design, which includes consideration of novel power electronic topologies, to achieve these goals. The results will be validated through simulation, experiments and field testing. It is anticipated that the ideas developed within this project will have a major impact on More Electric Aircraft technology, as well as on general interconnected energy resource systems, such as DC and AC microgrids. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Modelling and characterisation of biomass materials for pneumatic transport. This project aims to develop a particle scale microprobe to capture the transient dynamics of biomass compaction, dilation and associated airflow for pneumatic conveying and potentially beyond. Low velocity, dense phase pneumatic transport presents the ideal method for transporting delicate biomass feedstocks. However, without the fundamental understanding of the compactive and dilative response of biomass ensembles, pneumatic conveyors will be over-designed and energy intensive. This project will enable accurate measurement of the motion, inertia and force information at the particle scale, to produce more accurate design protocols for dense phase biomass pneumatic transport. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Proteomic and genetic analysis of subfertile bull spermatozoa. This project aims to identify protein changes on spermatozoa that are highly correlated with the fertility status of bulls. Bull fertility has approached an all-time low as breeding practice has focused predominately on milk production and beef tenderness. This project aims to understand the genetic causes that underpin bull and cattle infertility, and investigate better methods to predict the fertility status of bulls. This project expects to contribute to better clinical management of cattle. This information can then be used for the development of a better diagnostic assay for both the dairy and beef industry. Field of research: 0702 - Animal Production

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Probabilistic geotechnical site characterisation. This project aims to develop new methods for integrating geophysical and geotechnical data in a statistically-rigorous framework, to reduce uncertainties in site characterisation and hence enable safer and more cost-effective designs for civil infrastructure. The project will develop new statistical methods and software for reducing uncertainties and managing risk in site characterisation. The research outcomes will not only advance the fundamental science in site characterisation, but also help engineers to deal with uncertainties and risk management. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Increasing advance personal planning by older adults. This project aims to increase the uptake of advance personal planning among people aged 65 years or over in the community by developing, implementing and evaluating a community action model. People have a legal right to engage in advance personal planning, a process that helps them discuss and document their financial, personal and health preferences, in case they later lose the ability to make or communicate decisions. Few people plan ahead, even though it can reduce the likelihood of financial exploitation, family conflict and unwanted medical care. This project aims to provide a model of community action to build capacity and collaboration across social services and improve the wellbeing of older people. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact with each other and their surrounding environment to form blooms and produce toxins and other harmful metabolites. Such knowledge will inform risk assessment and provide strategies for the mitigation of future bloom events, improving the security of our increasingly valuable recycled water resources. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Flooding in Australia – are we properly prepared for how bad it can get? This project aims to investigate how floods have varied over the past 2000 years. Floods are a recurrent and natural part of Australia’s hydroclimate and are influenced strongly by climate variability. However, these influences are not yet completely understood or accounted for. This project will use novel insights from 2000 years of climate reconstructions to generate new knowledge about how bad flooding can get and what causes flood frequency to change over time. A decision-making framework that allows for all the uncertainties associated with managing floods will also be developed. This will provide a critical evaluation of the accuracy of existing flood estimates, and also the reliability of infrastructure and policy based on those estimates. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Enhanced productivity of coal seam gas wells by continuous gas circulation. This project aims to develop foam assisted continuous gas circulation for dewatering new and existing coal seam gas wells. The potential benefits of this new method include enhanced gas production, better well control, reduced costs and better environmental effectiveness. The proposed solution eliminates the need for mechanical pumps which are currently used for dewatering, and which fail regularly due to gas and solids accumulation within the production wells. Continuous gas circulation could achieve significant savings in downtime and maintenance costs. In addition, reducing onsite maintenance will minimise access requirements for maintenance rigs which disrupt rural activities where the wells are located, thus easing local traffic and reduce the environmental impacts that are associated with well workovers. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Parabolic methods for elliptic boundary value problems. This project aims to uncover new results for second order nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations via the use of uniqueness properties of solutions for related nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations. This will build on theory for fully nonlinear equations developed over the last 30 years. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the theory that will guide future research and have direct impact to applications in optimal transport, geometric problems and more applied areas including image analysis and mathematical finance. The project will enhance Australia's international reputation for research in the field and train some of the next generation of mathematical analysts. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Thermal decomposition of PFAS. This project aims to investigate the thermal decomposition of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS). The project will focus on the catalytic destruction of PFAS reactions at elevated temperatures, which is expected to transform PFAS in a controlled and predictable way into benign products. By understanding the fate of these compounds during thermal decomposition, the project will allow the development of a new technology aimed at treating materials which have been contaminated with or have been used as absorbants for PFAS. The project will provide the technical underpinning of a new technology developed to treat fluorochemical-contaminated material and, in doing so, reduce the environmental impact of these contaminants. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

The impact of examiner feedback on doctoral learners and thesis outcomes. This project aims to investigate the final stage of doctoral examination across institutions in Australia, with particular emphasis on examiner feedback, candidate engagement with feedback, and the decision processes involved. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the least visible yet critical end stage of the doctoral examination process and its impact on thesis quality and candidate development. The expected outcomes will inform future examination models and contribute new knowledge on the role of feedback in doctoral examination, and assessment practices more generally. Field of research: 1303 - Specialist Studies In Education

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Tuneable energy dissipation for optimal flotation recovery. This project aims to develop a new way of improving mineral flotation recovery of coarse particles. In mechanical cells, coarse particles can be detached due to high power input needed to suspend the solids. Fluidised beds provide a much gentler environment, but the flotation process cannot be optimally controlled because the bed conditions are determined by the incoming feed. This project will propose the addition of foreign particles that can be tuned to generate optimal conditions within the fluidised bed that maximise rate of capture of selected particles whilst minimising their tendency to detach. This new approach is expected to increase the size range of floatable particles resulting in a major reduction in grinding energy requirements. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Molecular mechanisms of equine fertility and early recognition of pregnancy. This project aims to identify biomarkers of stallion fertility and early pregnancy in thoroughbred and Standardbred horses using biochemistry, proteomics and ribonucleic acid analyses. Responding to industry calls for improved methods of detecting and managing infertility in both stallions and mares, this project will connect Australian horse breeders and international clinical experts with the world renowned reproductive Priority Research Centre with the intended outcome of novel reproductive technologies and diagnostic tests. This should both secure international competitiveness and significantly enhance profitability and employment in this culturally significant industry. Field of research: 0702 - Animal Production

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

The value of time during decisions. This project aims to investigate how people value time during decision making. Using an innovative combination of carefully designed experiments and state-of-the-art mathematical cognitive models, this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding how efficiently people allocate time when making decisions, the factors that allow people to perform optimally and those that lead to suboptimal performance. The anticipated outcome of the project is a new framework for understanding the optimality of human decision making. This outcome has the potential benefit of providing insight into decision mechanisms across a range of contexts, particularly ageing and models of applied decision making. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Large-scale geotechnical analysis of new and aged pipeline infrastructure. This project aims to develop novel computational methods for predicting failure rates in geographically distributed pipeline networks affected by ground movements, one of the main triggers of bursts and leakages in buried pipe infrastructure. The project will be based on a blend of experimental work and development of simulation tools to quantify the coupled effects of pipe deterioration, poor backfilling and ground movements in aged and new pipelines. The results will feed towards the formulation of a framework for the large-scale stress analysis of segmented and continuous pipes, capable of using as input high-resolution geospatial observations and predictions of ground movements. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Uncertainty in the social cost of carbon dioxide: control theoretic methods. This project aims to redevelop the most commonly used social cost of carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) modeling framework using the best available scientific data and state-of-the-art uncertainty quantification techniques, providing government and industry decision-makers with a robust tool to tackle a carbon-constrained future. This project will deliver improved, robust estimates of the SC-CO2, a proxy for a price on carbon emissions that is used by governments, businesses, and financial bodies. This will enable Australia to play a leading and proactive role in the international pursuit of significant and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Stochastic hazard assessment of unreinforced masonry wall systems. This project aims to develop an improved understanding of the effects of wall-ties on structural behaviour and reliability of masonry wall systems. A comparison of structural reliabilities for new and existing construction will provide quantitative evidence of whether or not existing design criteria are inconsistent, too conservative in some cases, or incautious in others. 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. A more efficient use of structural masonry can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the sustainability of construction. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Communications strategies for the internet of things. This project aims to facilitate expanded wireless connectivity by designing novel random access strategies and multilevel channel codes to enable new massive multiple access communication strategies for cellular networks. The internet of things will play a fundamental role in the future of health monitoring and smart energy systems, critical components of human health and carbon emission reduction. Other domains including agriculture, manufacturing, home automation and smart cities will be revolutionized by embedded devices communicating wirelessly. This project aims to redesign cellular networks to accommodate billions of embedded devices and thus play an important role in facilitating the internet of things. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Hydrophobic particle recovery using permeable hydrophobic media. This project aims to solve an intractable problem in froth flotation. Bubbles will be replaced by permeable, hydrophobic media, minimising the viscous hydrodynamic resistance that limits ultrafine particle recovery. The project expects to generate new knowledge relating the efficacy of the novel media to its underlying physical structure, composition, geometry, and interfacial structure. Expected outcomes include a framework for developing alternative, highly permeable, hydrophobic media, and new high performance separation technologies. This is expected to benefit large scale, low-cost, ultrafast processing of particulate suspensions in mineral processing and waste water treatment. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Micro-dissection of clathrins role in mitosis via chemical biology probes. This project aims to contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms of the role of a key protein, clathrin, in cell division. In doing so it expects to reveal new approaches to stop uncontrolled cell division and proliferation, the hallmarks of cancer. The outcomes could in the long term inform breakthroughs in cancer treatment, significant enhancements in life quality and a reduction in cancer death rates. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Remediation of PFAS in current and legacy biosolids application sites. This project aims to develop novel immobilisation, adsorption and/or thermal destruction methods for biosolids, soil and groundwater in current and legacy per- and poly-fluroalkyl substance (PFAS) sites receiving biosolids. Biosolids generated during waste water treatment carry an unknown potential risk of soil and groundwater PFAS contamination, through their application in agriculture and rehabilitation sites. This project will provide the first major investigation of the release, fate and remediation of perfluorinated compounds in relation to their environmental pathways through wastewater treatment plants in Australia. The data will be evaluated to determine if perfluorinated compounds should be further incorporated into Australian soil and water quality monitoring programs. The project will provide evidence of research advice and methodologies being successfully adopted by water industry end-users, government regulatory agencies and private remediation industries. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Low carbon transition in the Australian energy sector. This project aims to investigate the Australian energy sector’s responses to low emission pressures, comparing the role of different actors in the transition, and developing a model explaining the political dynamics of the transition. The project will provide policy-makers and industry leaders with the means to develop innovative policies and support best practice to assist Australia’s transition towards energy competitiveness. This project expects to provide significant benefits such as new insights into the potential for a low emissions future for Australia. Field of research: 1503 - Business and Management