THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-05

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to support proof of... Category: Climate Change

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

A primary care multi-disciplinary team care approach, including... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

Implementation of a PAthway of CarE for people with chronic... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

CureMOG: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled multicentre phase... Category: Health and Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

Healthy Back: building capacity and safe access to integrated primary... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

ADAPT-ED: An adaptive trial of emergency department interventions for... Category: Health and Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

SAGE: Safer AnalGEsia Category: Health and Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Multispecies Creativity and Climate Communication. This project advances the role of the arts as the “missing link” in global movements of multispecies justice using innovative musical approaches to communicate the urgency of climate change and lead social change. It will generate new knowledge relating to musical creativity by drawing together multispecies perception, composition, arts-science research, and First Nations knowledge. Outcomes include new conceptual tools for music expressed in creative works, new multi-modal technologies for artistic applications, and a unique program of research training that prioritises First Nations researchers. This provides benefits aligned with the Australian National Cultural Policy—"Revive", growing international markets for Australian music. Field of research: 3603 - Music One of Australia’s foremost challenges is to effectively communicate the climate crisis in ways that prompt urgent and lasting transformation. Creative arts such as music are an under-utilised means for achieving this goal, that allow significant reach of these messages to all corners of society. This project will strengthen Australian contributions to addressing the “one-planet” problem of catastrophic climate change. Investigating multispecies perception through music, the project produces new creative works, new technologies with potential applications for Australia’s burgeoning $115 billion-per-annum creative and cultural industries sector, and a unique training program in music with unprecedented access to international networks. The project promotes excellence in Australian research and creativity beyond academia, aligning with the National Cultural Policy—“Revive”. It provides benefits to the nation by addressing three policy pillars: 1) providing skills training for First Nations researchers 2) paving the way for more sustainable career pathways in the arts, and 3) advancing Australia’s growing access to international markets by creating compelling experiences for people to access and respond to ecological ideas in ways that can provoke social change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

ARC Training Centre for Future Leaders in Quantum Computing. The quantum computing industry is predicted to play a transformative role in Australia’s future prosperity. The aim of this training centre is to identify and train the leaders of tomorrow’s quantum workforce, providing students with capabilities spanning the full quantum computing `stack’ as well as agency over their high-tech careers. This program will reach across Australia’s diverse population and increase access and opportunities for rural and regional communities and underrepresented groups. The expected outcomes are future leaders who will build and grow a quantum computing ecosystem. The benefit is an economic opportunity that is predicted to generate $3.6 billion in revenue in Australia and create 12,700 jobs nationally by 2045. Field of research: 5108 - Quantum Physics Quantum computers will be able to solve problems that are impossible with today’s computers, transforming key sectors including defence, transport, finance, and more. An emerging new Australian industry to deliver quantum computing represents a significant economic opportunity for the nation, but this industry must compete globally for talent capable of delivering on its potential. Our training centre will prepare the leaders of Australia’s future quantum computing industry, and will equip this industry to harness the diverse range of talent and deliver these opportunities to all of Australian society. Research outcomes from the training centre will accelerate the commercialisation of quantum computing hardware and software by Australian companies. Our partners span the full range of research translation, from quantum computing researchers through to end-users and commercialisation partners, ensuring that fundamental discoveries can be rapidly taken up by industry and society to deliver world-leading change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Defining the wild-domestic animal interface and microbial spillover risk. This program aims to generate a state-of-the-art mechanistic understanding of the wild-domestic animal interface to allow advanced assessment of the risk of microbial spillover. Using case studies spanning an array of contexts but with consistent methodology, a new understanding of the building blocks of the interface will be generated and a world-first risk assessment framework created. These gains will address an Achilles heel in mitigating infectious disease outbreaks, to safeguard our native ecosystems, livestock industries and public health. The program will create key interdisciplinary capability at the intersection of animal behaviour and disease emergence, and urgently needed assessment tools adaptable to stakeholder needs globally. Field of research: 3003 - Animal Production The wildlife-domestic interface represents points of contact between wild and domestic animals, creating major risks of microbial transmission and dissemination. Spillover of microbial diseases between these animal populations is well-documented and can have profound impacts: threatening the health and productivity of livestock; undermining ecosystems; stressing food security in remote Indigenous communities; and creating a pandemic threat to society. But our ability to assess the risk of disease emergence is woefully imperfect, as so clearly demonstrated by global pandemics that originate in wildlife. A significantly improved understanding of the mechanisms creating the wild-domestic animal interface is needed to enable assessment of spillover risk in a robust and repeatable manner. My proposed research program addresses just this challenge. By creating resilience to the risk and harm of disease spillover from wild to domestic animal populations, food production, the environment, and rural and remote communities can be supported. Given the importance of the wild-domestic interface and disease emergence, the research will be nationally and globally promoted via a new collaborating centre, which will embed key findings into accessible software, designed in consultation with stakeholders, so they can undertake specific risk assessments of interest easily and validly with their own data. This ground-breaking tool suite will become a new standard in the field.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Sustainable and secure future energy pathways for Australia. This project aims to investigate energy pathways to facilitate Australia’s transition to a net-zero economy, whilst generating jobs and incomes, and building resilience against future geopolitical and climate change. It will generate new knowledge by creating an innovative Integrated Assessment Model for Australia, resulting in a set of sustainable and secure energy pathways. Outcomes include the Australian Energy Transitions Lab, a collaborative research platform for scientists, industry and policy-makers for energy system modelling. This will provide significant benefits, such as to enhance the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ ability to inform national policy, and to position Australia as a global leader in climate change research. Field of research: 4011 - Environmental Engineering The project aims to find future energy pathways for Australia, that provide energy security, jobs and incomes, net zero emissions, resilience under future geopolitical and climate change. The project addresses a gap in our understanding of the opportunities and risks in transitioning to new energy systems. It will investigate questions such as: What does a future energy system look like if it is to supply secure energy to Australians; meet our net zero climate target; create jobs, household incomes and export revenues; and be resilient against increasing political instability, climate change and conflict in the world? By developing an innovative Integrated Assessment Model, this project will create the Australian Energy Transitions Lab, a collaborative research platform for scientists, industry and policy-makers for energy system modelling. The new knowledge generated in this project will show us where to invest in energy infrastructure, how to turn Australia into a self-reliant renewable energy powerhouse, and how to build resilience against future economic shocks, conflict, and supply-chain disruptions. It will enhance the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ ability to undertake research and inform national policy. Designing the new Integrated Assessment Model to align with international standards will enable Australian researchers to develop future scenarios for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and position Australia as a global leader in climate research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Unlocking the helminth ‘early infection gap’ using 3D cell culture models. This project aims to revolutionise the study of critical early host-parasite interactions using innovative 3D cell culture models, reducing our dependence on animal infections. Liver fluke is the most economically important zoonotic parasite of Australian livestock and is a significant contributor to global food insecurity. Due to the reliance of parasites on mammalian hosts to survive, very little is known about the early infection process. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on key migratory stimuli and liver fluke biology. Benefits include the identification of drug targets and vaccine candidates for use in livestock via the development of animal-free in vitro screening platforms that will serve as a prototype for other parasites. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology Minimising the impacts of internal parasites is essential to ensure efficient livestock production that meets the nutritional demands of a growing world. A limited number of drugs to control parasites are available, but they are rapidly being rendered ineffective by the spread of drug resistance. The development of new drugs and vaccines is limited by 1) a lack of understanding about the ways parasites establish infection in mammalian hosts, and 2) a reliance on animal models to sustain parasite infections. These models are expensive, time consuming, ethically undesirable and prevent access to parasites during early infection. This project will revolutionise our understanding of the methods parasites use to infect livestock and cause disease by exploiting 3D cell culture to replicate host tissues in the laboratory. Outcomes include the identification of drug and vaccine targets that are essential to limit the impacts of parasites in livestock, which will benefit Australian farmers. By reducing our reliance on animal testing, this project will establish Australia as a leader in ethical research practices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Elastic Biopolymer for Designing Surgical Sutures . This project aims to address the shortcoming of a class of degradable biopolymers by the application of polymer chemistry and surface functionalisation. It is expected to render these polymers suitable for the creation of sutures using an innovative methodology. Expected outcomes encompass fortifying collaborations with industry, the development of technologies and products for additive manufacturing, the establishment of local sutures production capabilities, and a reduced dependence on the global supply chain. The expected advantages include proprietary products for industry partner, the enhancement of Australian export potential, and a reduced risk of suture failure in future veterinary and medical surgical procedures. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The global pandemic has highlighted the susceptibility of supply chains, underscoring the strategic importance of establishing local manufacturing capabilities. Australia's innovative MedTech industry is well-positioned to take a global lead; however, maintaining competitiveness necessitates the establishment of a reliable local manufacturing facility. This project addresses this challenge by creating an innovative functional suture using locally sourced degradable biopolymers. Employing advanced polymer chemistry and surface functionalisation technology in conjunction with processable biodegradable polymers, the project aims to produce sutures with diverse sizes and desirable properties. This includes introducing customisable absorption characteristics and reducing the risk of infections. The technology holds broad applications across various surgical procedures, encompassing veterinary and medical fields such as cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmic, and wound applications. The outcomes of this project will significantly benefit Australian small and medium enterprises, particularly in the competitive and volatile MedTech sector characterised by narrow profit margins. As the global demand for new health supplies continues to grow, the successful completion of this project has the potential to enhance the competitiveness of Australian research. Additionally, it is poised to contribute to the development of proprietary products with prospects for commercialisation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Micro-structured zeolites for direct carbon capture for high humidity air. This project aims to develop hydrophobic zeolites to prevent water adsorption and selectively capture CO2 from high-humidity air from ventilation and cooling systems in energy-intensive industries. By optimizing zeolite hydrophobicity and designing high-performance carbon capture processes via in situ nanoscale characterization, the project will significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of direct air capture. The outcome will overcome current limitations in carbon capture, reducing investment and operating costs, and facilitating its successful deployment in industrial applications. This research aligns with Australia's 2030 climate change targets by providing a breakthrough solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering This project aims to develop hydrophobic zeolites for enhanced direct air capture in energy-intensive industries, targeting the critical challenge of water adsorption and selective CO2 capture from high-humidity air. The expected outcome is a significant reduction of energy consumption and overall capture costs, making carbon capture commercially viable worldwide. By providing cost-effective capture technology, the project enhances the competitiveness of energy-intensive sectors by reducing their carbon footprint and operational expenses. It supports the growth of clean energy industries, driving economic prosperity. The decarbonization of vital sectors like steel, cement, and chemicals benefits Australia's economy. The energy-efficient CO2 removal supports carbon reduction targets and promotes public awareness of sustainable practices. Industry collaboration facilitates the integration of hydrophobic zeolite based capture process into existing cooling systems, improving carbon capture efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This research has the potential to bring transformative change to Australia's fight against climate change and contribute to a sustainable future. The adoption and widespread deployment of this breakthrough technology will be fostered through collaboration, regulatory support, and knowledge dissemination, supporting sustainable goals and emission reduction targets.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Reprogrammed cyclic peptides as next-generation targeted protein degraders. This project aims to pioneer a technology for the discovery of bioactive peptides called PEPTACs. These innovative circular peptide molecules will be capable of interacting with two proteins simultaneously, leading to the targeted elimination of specific proteins within a cell. Expected outcomes include the delivery of a transformative method for the rapid discovery of bioactive molecules, significant advances in artificial intelligence for medicinal chemistry applications and the training of industry-ready early career researchers. This will provide significant benefits to Australia including strengthening our growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry This project will establish a cutting-edge technology for the discovery of high value bioactive molecules that will have wide-reaching application in fundamental research and in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Many molecules currently used as drugs or pesticides are not as specific as we would like them to be and so have undesirable properties. Our new technology platform will allow the design and discovery of more specific molecules. This platform will also allow new disease causing proteins to be targeted in the future. Our work will be of significant interest to the Australian biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors and will contribute to the advanced manufacturing national science and research priority. It will also establish critical capacity and advanced interdisciplinary skills in the rapidly growing fields of artificial intelligence, bioactive molecule discovery and manufacturing in Australia by training industry-ready early career researchers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Awake animal imaging: A transformative capability for second generation PET. Recent advances in biomedical engineering have led to sophisticated devices for imaging the brains of laboratory animals. However, a major limitation of these devices is that the animal must be anaesthetised to keep the head still which interferes with the chemical signals in the brain we aim to measure. The aim of this project is to overcome this technological barrier by developing a fully enclosed animal cradle with integrated motion tracking and correction, thus enabling awake animals to be imaged in current generation scanners. The technology we create will open up new capability to study chemical signalling in the brain and generate new knowledge about the mechanisms underpinning the brain’s responses to a changing environment. Field of research: 4003 - Biomedical Engineering The Australian Government, in partnership with universities, has made significant investments through the National Imaging Facility (NIF) into the latest, cutting-edge devices capable of imaging the brain at high spatial resolution. It is critical that, as imaging researchers, we maximise the value of the scientific information extracted from these technologies. The NIF small animal PET system at USyd has outstanding performance. However, like all NIF PET systems it requires the animal to be anaesthetised which limits the information we can obtain about the functioning brain when the animal is exposed to changes in its environment (e.g. a drug or environmental stimulus). Our research will create new capability that enables awake animal imaging to be performed on PET systems, thus ensuring their scientific potential is fully realised. This new technology will provide the Australian advanced manufacturing sector with a competitive edge by creating a powerful tool for evaluating neuroactive drugs in animal models. In the long term, it will lead to economic and health benefits for Australians by opening up new cross-disciplinary avenues for understanding the causes and developing novel therapies for mental health conditions, such as dementia, depression and drug abuse. We will promote this research and its long term benefits to the wider community via traditional and new media, public webinars and community forums.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

The Cost of Living (Well): A Sociological Study of Cost, Value, and Care. This project aims to uncover the full extent and consequences of rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs in Australia. Out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) often come as a rude shock and can lead to financial distress, compromised care, increased inequalities, and significant suffering. Taking a person-centred, strengths-based approach, this project will identify how people in need of high-cost care, their carers, and their healthcare providers navigate the difficulties posed by the new OOP economy of healthcare. Expected outcomes include publicly accessible resources and targeted policy and practice advice that will provide significant benefit by reducing the burdens, suffering, and harms caused by high OOPCs in Australia's current healthcare system. Field of research: 4410 - Sociology The problem of out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) in the Australian healthcare system has reached crisis level resulting, most recently, in the NSW Government’s Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding (August 2023) and the Federal Government Strengthening Medicare Taskforce (July 2022). However, to date, economic approaches have predominated and little attention has been paid to the lived experiences of health, illness, cost, and care. Mobilising diverse patient, family, and service-provider perspectives, this project will create a person-centred qualitative evidence base detailing the full extent and consequences of the escalating OOPC crisis. This will underpin the development of publicly accessible and partner relevant resources to advance the cultural conversation about the costs of care and provide crucial input for policy and practice improvement. In this way, the project will directly contribute to Australia’s Science and Research Priority of ‘Health’, which seeks to build healthy and resilient communities throughout Australia by improving outcomes and providing higher value care. The project will yield considerable social and cultural benefits by facilitating more open conversations about the costs of care; informing evidence-based resources to support and guide these conversations, and; reducing the harms and suffering caused by OOPCs in the Australian healthcare system.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Enable Sustainable Chemical Production by Multi-scale Electrode Engineering. This project aims to realise efficient and sustainable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production from decentralised electrolysers by engineering key electrolyser components at different scales. Efficient catalysts will be obtained from innovative chemical and physical methods and fabricated into an electrode with improved mass transfer efficiency. It will couple with a property-optimised solid porous electrolyte to assemble an electrolyser that can produce pure H2O2 solution with high energy efficiency. The project can also provide transferable design guidelines to other similar processes, advancing sustainable chemical production from electrolysers and helping Australia secure a leading position in global sustainable technologies. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The sustainable production of hydrogen peroxide, a green oxidiser and disinfectant, from renewable electricity-powered electrolysers provides an attractive zero-emission alternative to the traditional production method. The electrolysers can be deployed at the end user’s premises to produce hydrogen peroxide of suitable concentration from air and water for direct consumption, eliminating the safety risks of handling traditional concentrated products. However, the electrolyser’s unsatisfactory energy efficiency prevents this promising technology from fast expansion. With the partnership between universities and Australian industries, this project aims to improve the electrolyser performance by engineering key electrolyser components at different scales. An efficient electrolyser will be demonstrated and tested under real conditions. It provides a convenient supply of hydrogen peroxide that will benefit various applications, for example, sanitation in medical facilities and households and water treatment in regional Australia to secure clean water accessibility. The new knowledge generated from this project is transferable to other zero-emission chemical electro-production processes, accelerating the fast expansion of these clean technologies in Australia and, ultimately, boosting Australia’s manufacturing sector and helping Australia become a global leader in emerging sustainable technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Rental vulnerability in Australia. Rental vulnerability means households face difficulties accessing and keeping affordable, appropriate rental housing. The project aims to measure and map rental vulnerability in Australia, and understand its drivers and lived experience. Through innovate methodologies combining narrative-based qualitative data, quantitative rental system datasets, together with digital mapping, this project will generate an Australian Rental Vulnerability Index (RVI) and advance our understanding of rental vulnerability’s complex multi-dimensional nature and spatial distribution. The RVI will provide a powerful publicly accessible tool for partner tenant organisations as they plan and deliver services and advocate for renters across Australia. Field of research: 3304 - Urban and Regional Planning More Australians living in rental housing, and problems of access and affordability are deepening. This research will provide important and timely new knowledge about the vulnerability of households to rental housing problems. For the project's partner organisations - six peak tenants' organisations from across Australia - the research will be a powerful tool for planning and delivering tenants' advice services, and an evidence base for reforming rental housing policy and law. Employing a new methodology that shows the multidimensional nature of rental vulnerability, the project will show how rental vulnerability is constituted in clusters of indicators (such as rental stress, unemployment, and disability), and how rental vulnerability distributed geographically throughout Australia. The currently untapped client data of the partners will be deidentified and drawn on, along with other unpublished tenancy tribunal data, and interviews with local renters and stakeholders, to create a comprehensive new resource on rental housing problems. Published as an interactive online map, the Australian Rental Vulnerability Index (RVI) will be freely available to the public. Detailed findings and implications for rental housing policy will be discussed with service funders and other stakeholders in forums in each partner's state/territory. The project's wider significance as a piece of cutting edge data communication will be discussed at an international workshop and in scholarly outputs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Convert and compress: on-chip photonic processing for resilient RF systems. This project aims to develop a novel radio frequency (RF) photonic signal processor harnessing integrated analogue photonic signal processing to frequency convert and compress any RF signal across the entire spectrum within the receiver amplitude and frequency range. The project will create new knowledge in on-chip nonlinear optics and photonic integration. Expected outcomes of this project are new photonic-chip based systems with unprecedented frequency range, bandwidth, speed, latency and ultra-low size, weight, and power requirements. This compact system will play a vital role for situational awareness, and high data rate communication systems for defence and civilian use-cases. Field of research: 5102 - Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics This project develops critical capability in photonics, radio frequency (RF) photonics, signal processing and photonic chip integration. The key research gap it addresses is the lack of wide bandwidth RF signal processing capabilities covering tens of GHz. Addressing this gap and establishing sovereign RF processing capability is essential for Australia for managing and maintaining the integrity of the electromagnetic spectrum and operating next generation systems for high data rate communication, smart sensor networks and radar systems for situational awareness, to protect critical defence assets and ensure border security. Working with the Partner Organisation will ensure the developed technology is fit-for-purpose with a strong end-user focus. The ubiquitous use-case of the developed technology will be perfectly suited for translation outside of the research lab and grow a sovereign Australian high-tech industry. Translation of the project outcomes aligns with the goal of strengthening sovereign advanced manufacturing and develop on-shore semiconductor manufacturing. Australia has a unique opportunity to become a key player in photonic integration and this project will provide the foundation for an advanced photonic chip-based signal processing architecture ready for commercialisation. This project will train a new generation of photonics experts at the interface of engineering and physics within a strongly growing field.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A systems approach to maximising crop pollination using companion flowers. Planting pollinator-attractive 'companion' plants alongside less-attractive crops has been proposed as a biodiversity friendly way to increase yields in pollinator-dependent crops. However, companion flowers can also have negative impacts on the pollination success of their neighbours. This project aims to determine how flower traits and pollinator behaviours interact to determine whether a companion flower helps or hinders its co-flowering neighbours. Expected outcomes include new techniques for improving pollination success in pollinator-dependent crops. This project will yield significant benefits to food production and food security by developing techniques for safeguarding pollination amidst ongoing pollinator declines. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Planting 'companion flowers' alongside crops has been proposed as a biodiversity-friendly way to attract pollinators into crops. However, companion flowers can also 'steal' pollinators, resulting in lower pollination success for neighbouring plants. At present, the factors that determine whether a companion flower will be a 'good neighbour' are unclear, and, as a consequence, there are no protocols for selecting effective companion plants for target crops. This project aims to close this research gap using a 'systems thinking' approach to understand how the behaviour of pollinators and the traits of flowers impact whether a companion flowers will help or hinder the pollination success of neighbouring crops. This research will yield significant benefits to the $14 billion per annum horticultural industry and will safeguard pollination in the 1/3 of crops which are insect pollinated. Finding ways to maximise pollination by insects is especially important in light of the recent Varroa mite outbreak in NSW, which is expected to kill 95% of wild honeybees (our most abundant crop pollinator) within the next three years in affected areas. The imminent collapse of wild honeybee populations highlights the tremendous risk of following an agricultural pollination strategy based on a single insect species; this project, which focuses on four pollinator species, will help create resilient flower planting strategies that maximise the pollination efficiency of multiple pollinators.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Experimental and numerical studies on internal erosion of granular soils. This research aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in internal erosion in soil that can trigger instabilities and damage in large scale infrastructures. Specifically, influences of morphology features, at both grain and structure scales, and applied stress on the initiation and evolution of internal erosion will be clarified, to predict where and when the catastrophic failure happens. The proposed proposal will not only surely benefit a broad range of science and engineering communities, but also directly address the second most urgent problems, 'soil and water', in Australia, by rephrasing the Australia standards or guidelines for construction, surveillance, and decommissioning of civil engineering structures. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Internal erosion in soils can trigger instabilities and damage large scale civil engineering projects including tunnels, deep excavations, and embankment dams, especially for more frequent extreme weathers, such as heavy rain and floods, induced by climate changes. This research will improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved and how they can be predicted. Specifically, we will clarify the influences of morphology features, at both grain and structure scales, and applied stress on the initiation and evolution of internal erosion in granular media. The project is directly relevant to some critical assets appealed by Austalian government, such as the preservation of the Great Barrier Reef from losing its area/soils, and water retainment of Northern Australia. The outcome from this project with environmental change into consideration is certainly helpful to rephrase the Australia standards or guidelines for underground infrastructure structure construction, surveillance, and decommissioning.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Women Philosophers on Nature & the Human: Toward a New Environmental Ethics. This project aims to investigate the neglected history of women's contributions to the debates concerning nature, the human, and their relation. By exploring how women–who were identified with nature–theorised these crucial categories, the project expects to generate new knowledge of a distinctive strand of ethical and environmental thought and demonstrate its continuing relevance. Intended outcomes include a new understanding of women’s contributions to philosophy, greater access to their works, and increased public awareness and appreciation of women’s role in European thought and culture. This should provide significant social benefits including the promotion of gender equality through the recognition of women’s intellectual history. Field of research: 5002 - History and Philosophy of Specific Fields The categories of “nature” and the “human” have shaped thinking about the world and the human place within it. The same is the case for the category “woman,” which has often been identified with nature. While scholars have critically investigated these categories and their consequences, none has considered how women themselves theorised nature and their distinctive status as both natural and human. This project will produce the first systematic study of women’s contributions to the debates concerning nature and the human and thereby tap into unique resources for thinking carefully and critically about the human place in and responsibility toward nature. In so doing, it will advance Australia’s collective resilience by helping to develop ways to live ethically in challenging times. Through translation, a critical edition, and the development of a digital platform, the project will increase public access to women’s writings and contribute to training a new generation of researchers in Australia. Recent reports (e.g., 2022 SDG Gender Equity Index) have shown that Australia is falling behind other countries in terms of gender equality. Through a museum exhibition and public-focused discussions and articles, the project will increase awareness of women’s contributions to European thought and culture and thereby advance Australia’s effort to achieve equality and inclusivity in society and professional life.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A new paradigm in astrophotonic technologies for exoplanet direct imaging. Understanding our place in the universe, the diversity of distant planets and even the possibility of life are some of the biggest questions in science. While countless planets exist around distant stars, many like our Earth, we have never been able to see them in detail. This project will develop and deploy innovative new astrophotonic technologies at four major observatories. It will allow Earth-bound telescopes to image distant planets and other astronomical objects with unprecedented clarity, and measure the composition of their atmospheres and surface. The project will produce the first images of solar-system scale planets, and the developed technology will greatly benefit other fields such as space communications and remote sensing. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences This project will see national benefit in both scientific and technological domains. It centres on developing a revolutionary new photonic technology to crack one of the biggest problems in astronomy: how to take clear images of distant objects despite having to peer through the Earth’s blurry, turbulent atmosphere, which scrambles the image and corrupts the signal. By addressing this the project will secure Australia’s position as a global leader in astronomy and also photonic technology and machine learning. The scientific outcomes in the domains of exoplanet science will be of extremely high international profile, and answering fundamental questions about the Earth’s place in the universe and the diversity of distant planets has profound societal impact. Moreover, the technological innovation developed to achieve the project’s ambitious science goals will directly transfer to and revolutionise commercial and industrial sectors such as remote-sensing, life-science imaging and, in particular, space communications. Australian astronomy – and our research group in particular – has a strong track record of technology transfer, which will be strongly manifested here. Both astronomical and technical outcomes will be strongly promoted through global networks and high profile international scientific forums.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Expecting the worst: uncovering the psychology of nocebo effects. Nocebo effects – when negative expectancies trigger adverse outcomes – cause enormous personal and societal harm. We have made great progress identifying the basic psychological processes giving rise to nocebo effects. Yet, we currently know very little about how nocebo effects spread, how they interact with decision-making, and whether they can genuinely occur nonconsciously. The current project uses novel experimental methods to uncover the role of generalisation, decision-making, and nonsconsious learning in nocebo effects as well as how to inhibit them. The results will significantly advance scientific understanding of nocebo effects and pave the way for much needed translational research to reduce the substantial harm they cause. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology ‘Nocebo effects’ occur when negative information triggers expectations that cause harmful outcomes. For example, the very act of warning people about side effects can cause them to expect and therefore experience worse side effects. Nocebo effects create an enormous social and economic burden - they cause over 40% of all medication side effects, can lead to poorer decisions (such as people avoiding cheaper but equally effective generic medicines), and spur resistance to lifesaving vaccinations (e.g. COVID-19 vaccinations) and new technologies (e.g. wind turbines). This project will significantly advance global scientific knowledge on how nocebo effects spread, how they influence decision-making, whether they can occur nonconsciously, and how to inhibit them. Expected outcomes include a new evidenced-based model of the psychology of nocebo effects and identification of novel behavioural strategies to combat them. The knowledge gained from this project will pave the way for much needed translational research to reduce the enormous burden nocebo effects cause, leading to more efficient healthcare systems in Australia and beyond. In doing so, the project will also build Australia’s capacity and international collaborations in this vital area. Project findings will be disseminated in leading international journals, presented at major conferences, and communicated directly to relevant professionals, politicians, and the general public to maximise benefits to Australia.