THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Scale invariance: A new paradigm for particle physics and cosmology. The origin of mass and mass hierarchies remains arguably the major unresolved problem in particle physics. This project aims to introduce and explore a conceptually new paradigm to address this problem by promoting scaling invariance as a fundamental symmetry of Nature. Namely, we will establish an entirely new realisation of quantum scale invariance within a theoretically consistent picture of the relativistic theory of gravitation and explore its phenomenological, cosmological and astrophysical implications. The anticipated results will likely lead to transformational advancements in particle physics and cosmology and serve as an important theoretical guide for new physics searches in ongoing and future experimental programs worldwide. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics Particle physics seeks to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our universe and unravel its mysteries, such as dark matter and the Higgs boson particle’s mass. This project aims to develop new theories of particle physics and the evolution of the universe based on the paradigm that physical laws at large distances and at microscopic distances are the same. From these theories, we will design experimental tests for new fundamental particles as well as advance our understanding of the early universe. With the considerable public interest and opportunities for educational programs fundamental physics discoveries inspire, this project brings benefits to the Australian community by promoting an innovation culture. It will enhance Australia’s future workforce by developing the critical thinking, analytic and computational skills industry and policymaking demand. Finally, strong international exposure will reinforce Australia's standing among the leading scientific nations, and assist decisionmakers in government in formulating Australia’s role in international scientific projects.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Simulating and verifying quantum circuits. This project aims to develop new theoretical and numerical tools to simulate intermediate-scale quantum computer circuits using today's existing computers. Such simulation tools are critically important to verify the performance of the next generation of quantum computing devices. Expected outcomes of this project include efficient algorithms to predict the outcomes of intermediate-scale (50 to 1000 qubit) quantum processors, and a clear identification of the essential ingredients in a circuit that can allow for 'quantum advantage'. These tools will be used by quantum industries to benchmark quantum devices, certify their performance, and develop new efficient architectures for practical quantum computers. Field of research: 0206 - Quantum Physics This project will strengthen Australia's leadership in the research and development of commercialisable quantum technologies. As more complex quantum computer technology is developed, research labs will require new methods to check if a quantum circuit is operating correctly, and if it is capable of performing a uniquely 'quantum' computation. This project will produce these new tools to simulate intermediate-scale quantum circuits, and verify the results of such circuits. Such tools will be of immediate interest to Australian and international quantum industries, developing and commercialising quantum computer technology. It will also provide unique training of highly-qualified researchers who can contribute to, and lead, a burgeoning quantum economy in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Singular solutions for nonlinear elliptic and parabolic equations. The analysis of many models fundamental to physical and biological sciences is obstructed by singularities. This project aims to discover and classify the singular solutions for two important types of nonlinear equations: elliptic and parabolic. The project expects to generate novel methods to decipher singularities by using innovative approaches from geometric analysis and dynamical systems. Expected outcomes of this project include new and powerful tools to advance a more general theory of singularities. This should provide significant benefits, such as new mathematical knowledge on key issues on singularities lying at the forefront of international research and enhanced expertise in an area of worldwide recognition for Australia. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Mathematics is the backbone of our civilization. It underpins the great technological and scientific advances to date. Countless phenomena arising from physical and biological sciences are modeled by nonlinear equations. But their understanding is often hindered by singularities. This project will unveil the nature and type of singularities for many nonlinear equations stemming from applied mathematics and life sciences. The new methods originating from this project will help develop a more inclusive theory. The research outcomes will enrich other areas where singularities play a pivotal role such as geometry, probability theory and mathematical physics, with potential applications in other fields such as fluid dynamics, mathematical finance, population dynamics, and image processing. The project will train early career researchers and graduate students in cutting-edge research in an area for which Australia is widely acclaimed. The skills and expertise resulting from this project will be readily transferable and highly sought after by industry such as IT, financial, engineering and educational sectors.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A coordinate-independent theory for multi-time-scale dynamical systems. Biochemical reaction networks operate inherently on many disparate timescales, and identifying this temporal hierarchy is key to understanding biological behaviour. Currently, the existing dynamical systems theory is not able to rigorously analyse many important biological systems and networks due to this inherent non-standard multi-time-scale splitting. This project aims to remove these stumbling blocks and develop a coordinate-independent mathematical theory that weaves together results from geometric singular perturbation theory, differential and algebraic geometry and reaction network theory to decompose and explain the structure in the dynamic hierarchy of events in non-standard multi-time-scale systems and networks. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics This research will develop a new geometric theory to analyse multi-time-scale models of biological systems and networks. The understanding of temporal hierarchy and the formation of temporal aggregates on different timescales has relevance in multiple areas ranging from metabolic engineering to understanding disease processes in humans. We will design diagnostic tools to identify the underlying multi-time-scale structure and key parameters that control and cause dynamic interactions and temporal organisation in such applications. As such, we will deliver powerful mathematics for detecting and understanding temporal hierarchy of multi-time-scale biological systems and networks. The mathematical insights thus gained will greatly support the cross-disciplinary flow of ideas leading to novel insights into biological systems behaviour and their failure.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Adaptive and Ubiquitous Trust Framework for Internet of Things interactions. The aim of the project is to address the Trust challenges in Internet of Things (IoT) environments, thus enabling the wide deployment of potentially billions of IoT devices. This project will generate new knowledge in the area of IoT Trust by developing novel techniques to establish trust in highly dynamic crowdsourcing IoT environments. The project's main outcomes include the development of a ubiquitous and adaptive multi-component trust framework reflecting trust perspectives. The developed solutions will allow the establishment of trusted interactions among crowdsourced IoT devices and wider deployment of convenient and just-in-time services, thus enabling the development of novel applications, such as the crowdsourcing of green energy. Field of research: 0805 - Distributed Computing This research will provide an environment for the rapid uptake of the sharing economy , thus enabling the fast and wide deployment of crowdshared digital services. The Internet of Things (IoT) will be the backbone and enabling framework for the crowdsharing of digital services.Having a trusted framework is at the heart of any solution enabling the rapid and successful deployment and wide adoption of these emerging services. Examples of crowdsharing services will include the sharing of such services as WiFi, computing resources, wireless green energy generated by IoT powered smart devices and smart wearables. This project will contribute to the acceleration of and innovation in the digital sharing economy by providing a trusted framework for crowdsharing IoT-based digital services. Outcomes from this project have the potential of creating a new and vibrant market for IoT crowdsharing of digital services, allowing Australia to be the first to establish a novel framework for the free and trusted sharing of emerging digital services.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Shared-space interactions between people and autonomous vehicles. This project aims to understand how autonomous vehicles in urban environments need to interact with the people that they share those spaces with. Autonomous vehicles that are able to operate in shared spaces, such as campuses and pedestrian zones, promise to improve urban life. However, their uptake depends heavily on public acceptance as they operate in close proximity to people. The project investigates whether people are more likely to trust the technology and feel safe if they are able to understand how the system makes decisions and to directly influence its behaviour. Outcomes are expected to promote safe behaviour around urban robotic applications and accelerate the uptake of autonomous systems in Australia’s cities. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems The project delivers a key component for the success of robotic applications in cities: It develops critical understanding about how autonomous vehicles in urban environments need to interact with the people that they share those spaces with. Australia’s world-leading position in mining robotics offers a unique first-mover advantage for Australia to lead the development of autonomous vehicle technology, a market estimated to increase to $348 billion globally within the next 10 years. Beyond the domain of driverless cars, autonomous vehicle technology enables new applications, such as transport pods, delivery droids and maintenance robots. The benefits of these kinds of vehicles, which can operate in spaces, such as pedestrian zones, include mobility for people with disabilities, delivery of goods in areas that are not accessible by cars and more efficient maintenance of urban infrastructure. The project contributes to Australia’s Smart Cities Plan, which outlines the transformative impact of autonomous vehicles, and the Transport for NSW Future Transport 2056 Strategy, which prioritises “places for people”.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The university and the city. This project aims to investigate the changing relationship of the university with the contemporary city. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how the spatial management of the university interfaces with urban economic development, students, and business and philanthropy. Examining how prevailing concepts such as the neo-liberal and civic university apply on the ground, it will develop a framework and a qualitative dataset for analysing the development of university space that can be used by a range of stakeholders in Australia and internationally. This should benefit urban policy makers, university management, students and the general public in understanding the place of the university in the contemporary city. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography Universities have become an important driver of the Australian economy, and their campuses are an important part of civic infrastructure. The project will discover the governance and financial arrangements behind campus masterplanning strategies. This is important because university campus space is expected to support a wide range of activities. This includes providing research infrastructure that is part of the national innovation economy, providing a productive workspace, and catering to both international and domestic student learning demands. These activities sometimes conflict, and the project will identify some of the key challenges facing university management and the higher education and urban policy community. It will also seek to explain how the mix of public funding and private investment drives specific campus development outcomes, researching Australian and international case studies as illustration.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Transfer Learning Handling Causally Bilateral Shift . Transfer learning is a core step for machines to transfer knowledge. This Project aims to equip machines with the ability to harness complex causal structures for transfer learning. The Project expects to produce the next great step for artificial intelligence – the potential to explore and exploit complex causal information to better understand, reason, and trust transfer learning. Expected outcomes of this Project include theoretical foundations for transfer learning utilising causality and the next generation of intelligent systems to accommodate data with complex causal structures. This should benefit science, society, and the economy nationally and internationally through the applications to analysing their corresponding complex data. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing The proposed research aligns with Australia’s national research priorities for improved accuracy and precision in predicting and measuring the impact of environmental changes caused by climate and local factors in environmental change, building Australia’s capacity and leadership to respond to environmental change. High-performance maintenance of this proposed classification system will enable us to quickly respond and adapt to variations of environment, e.g., species distribution changes. By applying the research results to social networks, we could discover the causal information within social networks and recommend potential friends and social communities to users with proper reasoning rather than simply fitting statistics. This will improve recommendation quality and contribute to the growth and development of social networks. Additionally, this project will provide a fertile environment for participants to gain advanced research experience, and therefore advance Australia’s skill base.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Resurrecting Ancient Proteins to Unlock New Catalytic Activity. This project aims to study the proteins that nature uses to make penicillin and related antibiotics, and their prehistoric ancestors. By doing so, the project expects to deepen understanding of these important processes, open up ways to make new antibiotics, and generate new knowledge about protein evolution. Intended outcomes include new biocatalysts based on the ancient ones, new antibiotic compounds active against resistant bacteria, and a richer understanding of how these proteins have evolved over the last 4 billion years. This promises significant benefits in the form of new ways to address the challenge posed by antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics, which is a serious threat to the continued effectiveness of current antibiotics. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics is a threat to our way and quality of life. This project will study the proteins that are used to make antibiotics, and prehistoric ancestors of these proteins, to develop new ways of making new antibiotic compounds in the fight against resistant bacteria. This work promises significant economic and commercial benefit in the future, as we uncover new compounds for application as antibiotics and resistance inhibitors. This proposal focuses on the fundamental enabling science, but the longer term goals of the wider project have significant potential for commercial application and economic benefit, as well as the social benefits associated with improved health outcomes. This research sits at the interface of chemistry and biology. This project will provide valuable training opportunities for young researchers in this interdisciplinary space, and increase Australia's international research reputation in chemical biology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A Stress-relax Model for Stellar Flares. This project aims to improve our ability to predict solar and stellar flares by developing a theoretical model for the build-up and release of magnetic stress in stellar atmospheres. Solar flares are the most energetic events in the solar system, and together with associated coronal mass ejections can create hazardous conditions in our local space environment. Stellar flares are thousands of times more energetic and produce dangerous space weather for exoplanets orbiting flare stars. Expected outcomes include insight into the flare mechanism, and new approaches to flare prediction. The major potential benefit is improved solar and stellar space weather forecasting to protect human safety and infrastructure. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Large solar flares and coronal mass ejections cause dangerous space weather conditions, which pose radiation risks to astronauts and crew on polar flights, damage satellite electronics, interfere with short-wave radio communication, and trigger widespread electrical power outages. The Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM's) Space Weather Services deals with space weather monitoring and prediction. Results of the research, especially improved approaches to flare prediction, will be communicated to the BoM regularly. More accurate operational flare forecasts will save money and potentially lives. The project will train early career researchers in cutting-edge science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), strengthening Australia's knowledge economy and society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Plasma-catalytic bubbles for sustainable ammonia. Ammonia is one of the world’s most important chemicals directly sustaining over 50% of our food supply. But the current means of its production is highly eco-destructive and responsible for over 1% of global CO2 emissions, a similar value to global air travel. This project aims to produce ammonia from renewable sources of water, electricity and air, which can provide farmers with a zero-carbon fertilizer under a decentralized and even farm-level approach. Moreover, if driven by renewables, ammonia offers an effective means of exporting hydrogen from Australia. Hydrogen has been highlighted by the federal government as a priority technology in its Technology Investment Roadmap with ammonia seen as the best approach for its exportation. Field of research: 0701 - Agriculture, Land and Farm Management Ammonia is one of the world’s most important industrial chemicals, directly sustaining over 50% of our food supply. However, the current means of producing ammonia is energy intensive and highly pollutant, responsible for a similar amount of CO2 emissions as air travel. This project aims to produce ammonia from water, renewable sources of energy and air using plasma-driven catalytic reactions. The proposed breakthrough technology for ammonia production is a key driver in creating a clean hydrogen industry with significant environmental and economic benefits to Australia’s agricultural, energy and transport sectors. As well as providing farmers with a zero-carbon fertilizer, it would provide a means to reduce emissions from shipping and other diesel-powered heavy vehicles as a replacement fuel, and an efficient and economical means of transporting and exporting ‘green’ energy. The knowledge and innovative technologies this project will develop directly support Australia’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and combating the industry’s effects on climate change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

High Predictive Performance Models via Semi-Parametric Survival Regression. This project will develop novel statistical models for high prediction performance. When applied to help doctor to treat patients, these models allow the users to include gene or other biomarkers for predicting effectiveness of a treatment. When applied to risk management in finance, these models are capable to include an organization's or individual's ongoing finance status to predict, for example, the probability of or time to loan default. Innovative computational methods will be developed for fitting these models. Compared to traditional prediction method, this approach allows greater flexibility while being superior in terms of statistical accuracy and bias. Extensive analyses of healthcare data from diverse fields will be undertaken. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics This research will make strong contributions to our nation’s research ability in biostatistics by proposing new and improved statistical methods for fitting multiplicative, additive and generalized hazard models. These methodology researches are extremely important for survival analysis. In fact, the idea of this MPL approach is more general than the cases examined in the context of this grant and could well be extended to semi-parametric models. Many research fields can benefit from the results of this project. Semi-parametric hazard models are widely used in many other areas, such as biology, insurance, economics, traffic and mechanics. Our research will contribute to the “Promoting population health and well being” Strategic Research Priority. We will contribute to this priority by making methodological advances in the interpretation of health data, particularly in relation to methods for identifying the determinants of longer survival. Finally, this research project will help to train junior researchers in theoretical and computational skills in statistics and in STEM in general.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Elucidating the molecular basis of plant potyvirus resistance . Plant viruses are responsible for a large proportion of crop losses, and genetic resistance is currently the most effective means to control viral spread. This project investigates, on a molecular and structural level, host factors that plant viruses hijack during infection, and in particular, the mutations in these factors that confer resistance. We further aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which plant viruses overcome resistance mediated by these host factors. A detailed understanding of the molecular interactions between plant viruses and their host will enable new, robust and more effective forms of resistance to be engineered. This work therefore has economic and environmental implications for agricultural productivity in Australia. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Global food security is a critical issue, and the development of effective strategies to reduce crop losses are of immediate importance. Plant viruses are responsible for >$30 billion in annual crop losses globally. This study looks at a group of viruses called potyviruses, which account for more than 30% of all known plant viruses worldwide. In Australia, potyviruses cause significant damage across the agricultural sector including grains, vegetables and feedstock. In 2016, potyviruses were listed as a high priority group that cause significant economic impact to the Australian vegetable industry. This project investigates how key host factors in plants are hijacked by potyviruses during their infection cycle; variants of these host factors have been identified in naturally resistant crops. This project aims to understand the molecular basis of how potyvirus resistance is conferred by host factor variants. This understanding will expedite the identification and rational design of new and robust forms of potyvirus resistance in crops of agricultural importance to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Triangulations: linking geometry and topology with combinatorics. Triangulations are the method of choice to represent geometric objects given by a finite sample of points. Prominent examples include the pictures produced by the finite element method, polytopes in optimisation, or surfaces in computer graphics. Knowledge about the triangulations of an object and how they relate to each other is essential for these applications. Seemingly canonical and straightforward methods perform well - or not at all, depending on intricate and highly involved mathematical properties. In this project we combine geometric and topological viewpoints to tackle high-profile questions about triangulations. This will unlock the full potential of combinatorial methods and practical algorithms in applications. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Triangulations are a key tool in allowing for computational methods from geometry and topology to be applied to data sets, with applications in computer imaging and graphics, signal processing, and optimisation problems. This project will produce new knowledge in pure mathematics by bringing experts in Australia and Europe together to tackle computational challenges in geometry and topology using triangulations. The research will deliver practical computational tools to study geometric shapes and their more abstract topological counterparts that will benefit industrial applications across many sectors, such as imaging, signal processing, robotics, mining and manufacturing, data analysis, and genetics. These outcomes will boost Australia's research capacity in these important areas and provide exceptional opportunities for training the next generation of Australia's workforce in mathematics at the highest level.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Channel Coding for Beyond 5G. Significant improvements are required for ICT services if they are to meet the needs of rapid urbanization and industrial transformation while also addressing the current digital divide, which sees half of the world's population currently without sufficient access to the internet. The 6th-generation (6G) of mobile standards will be a key solution to the constantly increasing demands on our communications infrastructure. This project will develop novel communication strategies for 6G to service new applications with requirements way beyond what 5G can achieve. The outcomes of the project are expected to significantly improve users' data rate and enhance the reliability and coverage of mobile networks. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format Significant improvements in ICT services are required to meet the needs of rapid urbanisation and industrial transformation and to address inequalities in access to digital infrastructure and communication technologies. Half the world's population does not currently have sufficient access to the internet, including more than 2.5 million people and nearly 1.3 million households in Australia. The 6th-generation (6G) of mobile standards will be a key solution to the constantly increasing demands on our communications infrastructure. This project will develop novel communication strategies and algorithms, including new coding and retransmission techniques, for wireless communications and future 6G. These advanced communication strategies will be critical for providing all Australians with the resilient, reliable and highly efficient wireless communications essential for critical infrastructure, business, industry and accessing services such as education. The technological advances will have substantial social and economic benefits for the Australian community, government and business.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Advanced Combustion Modelling for Scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines. This project will develop new fundamental knowledge and engineering models underpinning air-breathing high speed propulsion engines employing complex hydrocarbon fuels. Extensive data and new physical understanding will be garnered through analysis of direct numerical simulations of supersonic reacting mixing layers including impinging shock waves. That data will be employed to isolate, test and develop computationally efficient engineering models that are accurate and efficient for high speed combustion in rotating detonation engines and scramjets. Expected outcomes are knowledge and tools needed to develop practical and effective supersonic propulsion engines for access to space, defence and high speed point-to-point flight. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering Current models for fluid mixing and reactions are unable to simulate mixing and reactions in high speed flows such as found in supersonic and hypersonic propulsion systems. This is especially critical when using complex fuels, needed to realise applications in responsive access to space and defence in particular. This knowledge gap impedes the design and optimisation of these propulsion systems and is an obstacle which must be overcome to realise this sovereign capability. Through a unique set of high-fidelity simulations, this project will produce fundamental knowledge and accurate engineering models suitable for design and analysis. This project supports the evolution of key sovereign defence and industry capabilities in responsive access to space and high speed weapons, and is aligned with major government strategic directions including the 2020 Defence Strategic Update, the Defence, Science and Technology Group StarShots, sovereign industry capability and the National Civil Space Strategy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Tailoring metal-organic framework catalysts for carbon dioxide conversion. Reducing the greenhouse gas, CO2, into valuable fuels would be beneficial for relieving energy shortage and improving global sustainability. This project aims to synthesise high-performance heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 conversion by periodic ordering photo-redox metalloligand and thermal-catalytically active metal oxide clusters in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This approach is expected to deliver a unique single-site metal-organic framework catalyst with high reaction-activity and chemo-selectivity in converting CO2 into valuable chemicals. This advancement will provide significant benefits for Australia’s emerging chemical manufacturing industry, and ultimately leading to a carbon-neutral energy economy and environment. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology Transforming the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable fuels, such as methanol and formic acid, would be beneficial for relieving energy shortage and improving global sustainability. This project advances the prospect of design and synthesis of high-efficient metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts and environmentally-friendly approach for the CO2 conversion. The new knowledge gained from this project will advance our mechanistic understanding of this environmentally and industrially important reaction and provide a pathway towards the groundbreaking technologies that would benefit in a carbon-neutral energy cycle, whilst also maximising Australia’s competitiveness in sustainable manufacturing as well as the growth of jobs, economic benefits, and sustainable society .

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

An anti-senescence nanoplatform and its underlying mechanism. The project will bring together complementary expertise and skills by combining biomaterials, cell and molecular biology, and engineering, to develop a novel nano-biomaterial platform for anti-senescence and gain an in-depth understanding of its underlying mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms of senescence remain elusive and bone substitutes with anti-senescence property have not been explored and becoming a growing field of interest in bone regeneration. The project will develop a well-defined and efficient nanomaterial platform with optimal combination of nano-surface features and chemistry for cell rejuvenation, and it will give unprecedented depth of interdisciplinary understanding of senescence rejuvenation mechanisms. Field of research: 0903 - Biomedical Engineering Globally the number of persons aged 80 years or over is projected to increase more than threefold between 2017 and 2050, rising from 137 million to 425 million, and the brittle bones of Australians aged 50 years+ had cost $3.1bn in 2017. The main goal of this study is to develop a nano-platform with optimal nanotopography/mechanical property/compositions capable of controlling cell ageing process, and gain an in-depth understanding of its mechanisms underlying. The results will provide a novel and smart biomaterial platform that specifically and efficiently enhance bone regeneration capacity in aged people, and the deciphered underlying mechanisms for cell rejuvenation by nanomaterial will add enormously to the knowledge base of geroscience. This will significantly benefit millions of elderly as well as alleviating national health care burden. This project will contribute to the goals of the ARC Discovery Programme and the Australian Government’s Science and Research Priorities in health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Developmental trajectory of tongue control for speech with real-time MRI. This project aims to evaluate the developmental trajectory of tongue control during speech, relating dynamic 3D vocal tract modelling to the acoustic signal. By optimising real-time MRI technology to capture and model articulatory movements, the project expects to accelerate understanding of how tongue control for speech is developed, mastered, and perturbed by factors such as rapid growth and foreign accent. Expected outcome is a new understanding of how different speakers' vocal tracts change and how speech is reshaped, informed by real physiological data. Significant benefits will be realised through refined methods and theory development for diverse fields e.g. linguistics, speech science, and automatic speech recognition/synthesis. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences Evaluating the entire vocal tract during speech production has become possible only relatively recently. This has enabled the high sampling rates needed to capture articulatory movements across the length of the vocal tract in real-time. In international labs, this has been achieved through specialised hardware. Our group have worked with Siemens MRI to develop a no-cost software solution that will allow Australian researchers to rapidly accelerate research into this most fundamental of human traits. Applying our new methods for dynamic imaging and 3D vocal tract modelling, we will discover how the tongue controls vocal tract shape and resulting acoustic speech signal. We will document how this skill changes through adolescence, a period of dramatic physical growth, and with the expanded phonetic inventory of bilingual speakers. Outcomes will benefit research into speech variation in culturally and linguistically diverse populations, speech disorders in children and adults, and AI/machine learning to enhance performance of speech-controlled and speech-generating devices and for consumer electronics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Unlocking the anchors of soil organic carbon to manage climate change. Soil is the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon. Most of the organic carbon in soils is preserved by association with minerals, however, the composition and stability of mineral-associated organic carbon remain poorly understood. The project will use novel and emerging techniques to discover the composition of organic carbon and stability of organic carbon present in mineral-organic associations in representative Australian soils. Expected outcomes include new knowledge necessary for emerging global carbon cycling models and improve future climate projections. Field of research: 0503 - Soil Sciences This project will generate novel results for soil organic carbon preservation and enhancement that will provide economic and environmental benefit to the $62 billion agricultural industry. The results from the project will help in achieving the UN initiative of increasing soil organic matter stocks by 0.4% per year to compensate for the global emissions of greenhouse gases by anthropogenic sources. Novel data from the research will help in formulating management strategies to increase organic carbon in crop- and pasture lands across Australia. The project will generate novel data for emerging carbon models for improved predictions of carbon cycle. These outcomes have the potential to inform government policies in relation to climate change and agriculture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Investigating memory reliability in intoxicated witnesses of crime. Eyewitness testimony is a crucial piece of evidence for solving a crime. Inaccurate testimony leads to miscarriages of justice such as failed prosecutions or false convictions. Many witnesses and victims are affected by alcohol or other drugs during the crime. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team aiming to improve understanding of how intoxication with different substances affects the reliability of victim and witness memory accuracy. Crucially, crimes are frequently distressing; therefore the interaction between intoxication and stress urgently requires exploration. This project will significantly advance our understanding of key mechanisms behind drug effects on memory, and support fairer judicial outcomes for all. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology The majority of crimes involve a victim or witness and their testimony has the potential to help solve a crime or lead an investigation in the wrong direction, wasting time and resources. Crucially, substance use is a key factor in many violent crimes, with over 50% of assaults involving alcohol. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the degree to which intoxication impacts victim/witness memory reliability, especially for stressful events. Findings from our project will contribute to improved procedures for several aspects of the legal system: police interviewing and case development, trial strategy, and judicial instructions to jurors regarding substance use, trauma, and memory. Preventing false convictions and failed prosecutions due to erroneous testimony also contributes to a safer society where the true offender is held accountable for their actions. In these ways, the project will contribute to a more just society by ensuring policy and practice decisions about the collection and use of evidence from intoxicated and traumatised witnesses and victims is informed by sound scientific research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Fast flexible feature selection for high dimensional challenging data. The project aims to provide new frameworks for fast flexible feature selection and appropriate modelling of heterogeneous data through structural varying-coefficient regression models. The outcomes will be a series of new statistical methods and concepts enabling more powerful modelling of complex bioscience data. The project will create the science for building reliable statistical models taking model uncertainty into account, impacting how results will be interpreted, and with accompanying software. This will be a significant improvement in the assessment of model confidence in the food and health research priority areas including areas such as meat science, Huntington’s disease, and kidney transplantation. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics New statistical modelling technologies are required to accurately learn with confidence from ever changing and complex data sources. As information is collected and available in unprecedented volume, so too must new statistical methodologies be continually developed to ensure that the predictions and conclusions drawn from the data are correct. The benefits of the project to Australia are in three main directions: First, our research will greatly benefit Australia ranging from the Meat and Livestock industry, Australian decision makers who rely on accurate forecasts to decide on challenges in economy and health. Second, we will train researchers to make a difference for our future society. Third, we will enhance Australia's international standing through collaboration and by creating statistical technology that benefits the world. Ultimately, our research will contribute to Australia's economic growth, protection of natural resources and improved health outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

New constructions and techniques for tensor categories. The goal of this project is to make fundamental advances in the structure theory of tensor categories. Such categories play crucial roles in numerous fields of mathematics, physics and beyond. New methods, theory and examples will be developed, inspired by algebra, representation theory and geometry. These will then be applied in the foundational study of tensor categories for (dis)proving several of the most important open conjectures in the field. This will open new perspectives for applications in other areas, most notably in representation theory. Other benefits include enhanced international collaboration and scientific capacity in Australia. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Direct impact outside academia from mathematical research is not always obvious, but advances in mathematics have almost entirely underpinned the essential competences that enable our technology driven world. Beyond our usual reliance on wireless communication and internet availability, the mathematics of this proposal - representation and category theory - is enabling the next generation of computing (such as quantum computing, machine learning, signal processing, sensor development and neuroscience). Unseen by the broader world, representation and category theory contribute everyday to keeping Australians connected, informed and safe and ensure Australia remains globally economically competitive in key sectors. It is impossible to overstate the value of fundamental research in mathematics for the world we want to live in today and tomorrow. This project will also help maintain Australia's prestigious international standing in category and representation theory, strengthen the ties to a vibrant international community, attract top international researchers and train a new generation of mathematicians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Additive combinatorics of infinite sets via ergodic theoretic approach. The proposed project will utilise innovative ergodic theoretic approaches to enable us to address important questions in Additive Combinatorics (Number Theory) and Fractal Geometry. In particular, we will resolve long-standing inverse additive problems for infinite sets, discover sum-product phenomena in Number Theory, and find a plethora of finite configurations in fractal sets. We will also extend the structure theory of one of the most popular mathematical models of quasi-crystals to a more extensive class of groups. This project will make significant contributions to Additive Combinatorics and Ergodic Theory and will bring the Australian research in these fields to ever greater heights. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics The contributions of this project to the cutting edge research in Number Theory and Dynamics will be invaluable; for instance, connecting these two fields will not only enable significant advances, but will also greatly enrich one of the most prominent areas of Number Theory - Additive Combinatorics. It is impossible nowadays to imagine our lives without such basic things as online banking, online shopping, or simply using your phone; all would not have existed if not for the Number Theory discoveries. The role of Dynamics on advances in modern technology is hard to underestimate. For instance, it plays a vital role in our understanding of fluid and aerodynamics as well as modern forecasting and climate science. This project will advance knowledge and will raise the profile and international reputation of Australian research in Ergodic Theory (Dynamics) and Additive Combinatorics (Number Theory). It will also contribute to educating new generations of Australian researchers by attracting masters and postgraduate students to modern fascinating areas of mathematics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dynamics on space-filling shapes. Modern science derives its power from mathematical models and tools that enable us to predict their behaviours. The project aims to construct new models given by dynamical systems that move consistently from one tile to another in a lattice of higher-dimensional shapes called polytopes. The construction is expected to lead to new functions with properties that will provide extensions of current models of growth processes. The intended outcomes of the project include predictive tools that describe nonlinear special functions and information about their symmetry reductions. This should provide significant benefits, such as new mathematical knowledge, innovative techniques, and enhanced scientific capacity in Australia. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Mathematics is essential to our society. It provides a logical, quantitative and analytical basis that underpins advances in science, engineering, medicine and technology. The benefits of the project to Australia lie in three directions. First, it will add to Australia's achievements in excellent, internationally-competitive research. Second, it will increase research training and career opportunities for our future society. Third, it will enhance Australia's standing internationally through collaboration. The specific outcomes of the project will increase future tools available to model areas such as electricity supply and predicting epidemics. Such improvements in decision-making will also contribute to Australia's economic growth by ensuring stable energy supply and improving health outcomes.