THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

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

Applying needs-based workforce planning in primary care Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Using systems science to secure the health workforce against climate change. The widespread maldistribution of the Australian health workforce is creating significant health human resource shortages in non-urban areas of need. Climate-related extreme weather events (i.e., heat, droughts, fires, floods) are projected to exacerbate workforce deficiencies in rural regions. This project aims to explore how climate change will impact the future of the rural health workforce through a novel integration of computational systems science methods. The project expects to discover new policies to correct the maldistribution and strengthen the resilience of the rural health workforce against climate change impacts. Benefits include a sustained and more adaptable workforce leading to improved health for vulnerable communities. Field of research: 3505 - Human Resources and Industrial Relations Australia is facing a critical health workforce maldistribution and shortage crisis. The lack of access to, and provision of, health services is significantly affecting the health of the seven million people who live and work in regional, rural and remote areas. These are the same 7.1 million people who contribute two-thirds of Australia’s total export earnings, including $400 billion in resources and agricultural exports. To make matters worse, the risks posed by climate change, the greatest global health threat of the 21st Century, are exacerbating the socioeconomic and health inequalities that disproportionately impact rural communities. This computational modelling project will help to identify new health workforce policies that account for the impacts of climate change on the future supply and retention of workers which will benefit vulnerable communities. Knowledge from this research will inform novel decision-support tools that enable policymakers to better manage uncertainty and proactively build adaptive capacity and climate-related disaster resilience into Australia’s rural health workforce system.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Causal relationship between taste and smell perception and eating behaviour. Around half of all Australians have a poor diet, which is a leading cause of many chronic conditions costing over $70 billion annually. This project aims to develop and apply novel statistical methods for determining the genetic basis of human taste and smell perception and its causal effects on eating behaviour. Expected outcomes include delivering new insights into such underlying individual differences for a wide range of taste and olfactory traits; advanced analytical methods to assess causality; and a causal network of these sensory traits across over 100 consumable food items. From these outcomes, the benefits will be new strategies for improving food flavours and eating behaviours to enhance agri-food industry growth. Field of research: 4905 - Statistics Poor diet is a leading personal, social and economic burden affecting Australia at a cost of over $70 billion annually. Taste and smell perception are a fundamental driving factor in such dietary behaviours. This project will determine underlying differences across individuals and the impacts of these perceptions on dietary preferences and food consumption. This knowledge will be shared with the food and flavour industry to enable manufacturing advances that deliver healthier consumer choices that meet smell and flavour preferences. The benefit to Australia – where around half of the population currently have a poor diet – will be food choices that meet nutritional requirements with enhanced flavour. This will have major implications for improving public health and reducing the economic burden associated with unhealthy diets. This project is directly aligned with the Australian Government’s National Food and Beverage Manufacturing Priority to support targeted research on innovative foods/beverages and increase the product value-adding capability of established agri-food industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Rigorous Privacy Compliance in Modern Application Ecosystems. Modern network applications such as mobile applications and browser extensions have become the primary gateways for consumers to access the Internet in today’s digital landscape. This project aims to address privacy issues in these ecosystems by developing a new privacy-compliance assessment framework. The framework will evaluate the current privacy practices of application ecosystems, enabling users and developers in Australia and worldwide to reliably identify potential privacy risks and issues on their applications. The intended outcomes should endow data controllers with the capability of evidencing their compliance of data protection legislations such as Australia Privacy Act 1988 and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy The Australian government is committed to establishing a thriving digital economy as a means of facilitating economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. Networked applications, as the primary gateways to this digital economy, play a critical role in the modern internet. The stringent data protection regulations around the world, such as the EU GDPR, present a challenge for Australian businesses that handle user data. This project aims to develop science and technology to address the core challenges of privacy-compliant data handling in various application ecosystems. It will deliver innovative approaches that satisfy the requirements of privacy, resilience, and energy efficiency, while ensuring data utility. This effort will contribute to Australian Science and Research Priorities by providing highly secure and resilient communications, as well as data acquisition, storage, retention, and analysis for government, defence, business, transport systems, emergency and health services. This endeavour will significantly enhance the field of privacy compliance and fully unlock big data-powered applications for Australian businesses.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Foundations of a good egg: correctly transitioning from mitosis to meiosis. Production of viable offspring is essential to the survival of any species. In all sexually reproducing species, this requires a unique cell type, the germ cell. Germ cells undergo a special type of cell division, called meiosis, so that they can eventually produce gametes (sperm in males and eggs in females). This project aims to discover how germ cells halt the standard form of cell division, called mitosis, and initiate meiotic division instead. It is important to understand all the fundamental processes that occur during normal germ cell development so that, in the future, we can use this knowledge to support agricultural advances, rescue endangered species and solve human problems such as infertility and genetic disease. Field of research: 3105 - Genetics Germ cells are the precursor cells of gametes (eggs and sperm) and are, therefore, critical for the very survival of all sexually-reproducing species. In this project we focus on the mechanisms that underlie meiosis, a special type of cell division specific to germ cells and crucial for production of the gametes. Currently, we have very little idea what mechanisms trigger the change from mitosis (cell division process used by all cells) to meiosis (cell division that is specific to germ cells). Understanding the mechanisms that control meiosis in germ cells during normal life will put us in a position to reproduce this process in vitro - possibly eventually it will be possible to generating artifical gametes. Expected outcomes will inform future efforts to control fertility and infertility in livestock and other mammalian animals (e.g. pets and endangered Australian species). Outcomes are also likely to advance fundamental knowledge in the disciplines of reproductive biology and developmental biology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A macrophage-centric holistic view of postnatal development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. It is also a time when animals are especially susceptible to infectious disease. This project aims to investigate how cells of the innate immune system called macrophages control somatic growth and development of mature organ function in the early postnatal period. The project aims to build upon investment in new animal models and a novel discovery to generate significant new knowledge that challenges current concepts of mammalian growth control. The outcomes will enhance Australia's international reputation in the fields of physiology, immunology and developmental biology and may translate to improvements in health in animals and humans. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project is concerned with the processes required for a newborn animal to adapt to life outside of the womb. The project is based upon the novel observation that postnatal expansion of the innate immune system is required for normal growth and maturation or organ function. Immune fitness has been recognised as a trait in both humans and livestock, but the link between the immune system and normal postnatal development has not been appreciated previously. We aim to understand precisely how innate immune cells regulate postnatal growth and development. Australia is a major livestock producer and exporter. Genetic and genomic selection has greatly improved the lifelong productivity and efficiency of major livestock species but at some cost to resilience. Postnatal mortality and/or failure to thrive and remains an important issue with significant economic impact as production systems become more intensive in the face of an adapting global climate. Resilience is even more essential in developing countries where small-holder production systems are a key path out of poverty. This project will identify mechanisms and target genes that form the basis for selection for fitness and in humans, for possible interventions to improve newborn livestock and infant health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly due to a re-shaping and narrowing of the target template. These are both ground-breaking discoveries that have not been described before. Work on this project promises to lead to important theoretical breakthroughs, resolve current discrepancies in the literature and advance methods of Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology How do we perform in a visual search? Current theories of attention maintain that we tune attention to the known features of a target object (e.g., to ‘orange’ when we are looking for an orange), which allows us to selectively attend to items with this feature. Moreover, it is currently believed that the visual system inhibits the location of attended items to prevent revisiting already inspected items (‘inhibitory tagging’), and ensure that we will eventually find the target. By contrast, our results show that the visual system rapidly and automatically assesses the dominant features in the visual field to tune attention to either to veridical or non-veridical features of the target (e.g., reddest or yellowest), depending on the context. Moreover, re-visiting already inspected items is prevented by systematic changes in the way attention is tuned to the target, to exclude certain features (e.g., red). These are both ground-breaking findings that have not been described in the literature before and promise to revolutionise current theories of attention and our understanding of visual search. This should be of broad public interest, as visual search is one of the most frequent activities of everyday life. The results of this project will also yield a more accurate description of the factors causing distraction and errors, which are still the most frequent causes for mishaps and accidents. Hence, the project can also help to inform policy-makers to create safer environments.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Next-Generation Solvers for Complex Microwave Engineering Problems. This project aims to design a complementary physics-guided, data-driven method that can accurately solve complex microwave engineering problems in a timely manner. The primary bottleneck so far preventing that approach, which is the disparity between the trained theoretical model and reality, will be overcome using a multi-frequency complex-valued domain adaptation technique. The method will use deep neural networks to reliably learn the physical concepts of microwave engineering problems. This project will have significant economic and societal benefits, such as supporting the efficient design, installation and operation of communication systems, mining, infrastructure inspection, security, remote sensing, and microwave imaging. Field of research: 4006 - Communications Engineering The proposed project aims to develop a solver for complex electromagnetic problems using deep learning techniques. This project is relevant to the national science and research priorities for advanced manufacturing in Australia. The developed solver has the potential to bring numerous benefits to the country, including new knowledge and technologies, economic and social benefits, and promoting national and international collaborations. The proposed solver can be applied to a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defence, communications, surveillance, mining, biomedical imaging, etc. It can help reduce development time, the cost of physical testing, and the risk of not meeting compliance requirements in these industries. Additionally, the project will open a new view of understanding real-life electromagnetic problems and promote Australia's international research competitiveness and reputation. The CIs and PI of this project have established relationships with many Australian and international companies in microwave engineering and have a strong track record of driving research from fundamental to translation. This project has the potential to contribute significantly to the Australian economy and enhance multidisciplinary collaboration between microwave engineering and computer science communities to solve complex real-life challenges.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Privacy, Data Protection and Market Structure. The rise of the digital economy has led to an unprecedented scale of data collection, storage and processing, creating new privacy risks for individuals. This project will provide an economic analysis of the incentives and institutions necessary to ensure data is sufficiently protected while also providing adequate levels of privacy to individuals. It will do this by exploring the optimal design of privacy laws, data breach notification laws, and the relationship between promoting competition and encouraging data protection investment. The outcomes of this research will contribute to the efforts of the federal government to build a secure and resilient digital infrastructure that supports the entire Australian knowledge economy. Field of research: 3803 - Economic Theory Recent high-profile data breaches in companies such as Telstra, Optus and Medibank have exposed the increased privacy risks of data collection and storage in Australia. While the productivity potential of a resilient digital infrastructure is immense, the incentives of providing protection against unauthorized use of data are not well understood. This project aims to fill this gap and proposes an economic analysis of incentives and institutions to protect data and privacy. This research develops novel model frameworks to improve our understanding of the interaction between data protection, breach notification and market structure. Our project will generate new knowledge to design privacy laws and data breach notification laws that foster investment in data protection. The analysis will also identify market structures and industry characteristics in which data protection is more likely to be weak and might require specific regulation. This research will benefit Australia economically and socially, by potentially avoiding huge financial losses caused by data breach vulnerabilities, by encouraging investment in the digital economy, and by promoting the privacy of individuals.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Role of nitrogen-rich compounds for increasing carbon sequestration in soil. This project aims to unravel how increasing concentrations of nitrogen-rich compounds in soils can potentially increase our ability to sequester soil organic carbon. This is significant because long-term agricultural production greatly reduces soil organic carbon stocks and releases carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Expected outcomes of this project include providing information that is urgently needed to develop predictive carbon models for effective policy-making and improved management. This project should provide substantial benefits, including fulfilling the carbon sequestration potential of Australia’s soils, thereby delivering positive economic outcomes through increased farm-gate output and mitigation of climate change. Field of research: 4106 - Soil Sciences This research aims to deliver major conceptual breakthroughs of how soil organic carbon behaves. Soil organic carbon is recognised by the Australian Government as one of six “priority low emissions technologies” for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This project will further encourage Australian farmers, agriculture industries, and agricultural consulting agencies to adopt best-management practices. In Australia’s Long-term Emissions Reduction Plan (2021), ‘soil carbon’ is identified as having the potential to provide at least 17 Mt CO2 equivalent of accredited offsets in 2050 earning landholders $400 million in additional revenue. This proposal will directly address key Science and Research Priorities in the Soil and Water sector through improving the understanding of sustainable limits for productive use of soil. The outcomes of this project can be used to enable better land management to enhance organic carbon storage in soils and mitigate climate change. More broadly, successful realisation of this project will supply options for responding and adapting to the impacts of environmental change on biological systems, urban, and rural communities and industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

From shape to function: how structured RNA defines insect flaviviruses. The goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) utilise viral noncoding RNAs to enable their replication in mosquitoes. These viruses only replicate in mosquitoes, and not in humans or animals. They can be employed as the biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne diseases as they make mosquitoes incapable of disease transmission. However, it is currently unknown how exactly insect-specific flaviviruses affect mosquitoes and this information is vital for informed design of ISF-based interventions. The project will generate new knowledge on functions of noncoding RNAs in ISFs that are hypothesised to have immunomodulatory role in mosquitoes. It will also train students and ECRs. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Flaviviruses transmitted by mosquitoes pose a substantial burden for Australian primary industries. In 2011, over 1000 horses had to be euthanised due to infection with Kunjin virus. Moreover, the crocodile skin industry in Australia is estimated to lose >AU10 million per year in skin value due to the lesions caused by Kunjin infection. In addition, last year 50 pig farms in Australia were affected by the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis. Currently no vaccine or treatment are available for these viruses. However, their spread can be reduced using biocontrol strategies. One of the promising emerging biocontrol methods for flaviviruses employs insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs), that infect mosquitoes, but cannot be transmitted to or replicate in vertebrates. ISFs make mosquitoes incapable of being infected with and transmit pathogenic viruses. However, it is currently unknown why they affect mosquitoes in this way and the mechanisms of their interactions with insect host have been poorly studied. This knowledge is important for the safety and efficacy of ISF-based interactions. While outside of the scope of this proposal, knowledge generated in this study may benefit Australian economy by informing future design of ISF-based flavivirus biocontrol strategies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Practical multi-receiver passive radar with low-cost synchronisation. This project aims to address the current challenges of developing practical multi-receiver passive radar systems, through the development of advanced receiver synchronisation techniques, which do not require the deployment of costly infrastructure. The project will develop novel algorithms and techniques that enable synchronous combining of data from multiple radars, allowing for the detection of smaller targets and significantly extending the radar coverage zone. The expected outcomes of this project include improved performance of passive radar systems and the advancement of radar technology. The benefits of this project include new applications in areas such as traffic monitoring, drone detection and national security. Field of research: 4006 - Communications Engineering Passive radar systems play a crucial role in defence and enable situation awareness while operating silently. Typically, passive radar can have significant cost advantages due to not needing a transmitter. However, to unlock the full advantages, a multi-receiver radar network is required. This increases the coverage and also enables the detection of smaller targets. Due to this reason, multi-receiver passive radar systems are rare and impractical due to the need for distributed infrastructure to unlock the full capabilities of passive radar. This project will focus on developing advanced receiver synchronisation techniques and enabling practical implementations of multistatic radar systems. The potential outcomes of this project include the ability to detect smaller targets, and improved radar coverage, leading to new applications in defense, drone detection and traffic monitoring. The development of receiver synchronisation techniques that do not rely on fixed infrastructure will ensure that they are robust and cheaper to deploy, making the technology accessible to a wider range of uses. Advances will be rapidly deployed through existing industrial collaborations and licensing of emerging technologies, ensuring rapid uptake of new technologies. Hence this will support the growth of the Australian radar industry, both in defence as well as commercial areas. New job opportunities in Australia will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of advanced radar technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

How does embryonic physiology shape the divergence of brain development? . Unlike placental mammals (humans, mice, dogs etc) marsupials give birth to very immature young that finalise development in the pouch. Despite this remarkable distinction in the major mammalian lineages, very little is known about how differing reproductive environments impact development and evolution. This project aims to explore how developing inside or outside a uterus impacts brain development in placental vs marsupial mammals. Expected outcomes include expanding theories of how different body systems are connected in development and evolution, understanding what aspects of marsupial development might be especially sensitive to variations in environment brought about by climate change and enhancing Australia’s research capabilities. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences Almost all of Australia’s native species are marsupials, meaning that they have a unique reproductive strategy of giving birth to remarkably immature young that finalise development in a pouch. In contrast, placental mammals (humans, mice etc) undergo major stages of formation, such as brain development, inside the uterus. It is currently unknown how marsupials manage to develop functional brains after birth. This project aims to address this question, and expects to benefit Australia by achieving a better understanding of our native wildlife, especially how brain development while exposed to the environment might be sensitive to challenges like climate change. This knowledge could eventually help to inform Australian wildlife conservation strategies and policies, as well as diagnoses and treatments of insults such as hypoxia and metabolic disease during human pregnancy, which are known to impact brain development. It should also enhance Australia’s capabilities in this research sector by using state-of-the-art techniques and our unique diversity of native marsupial mammals to advance evolutionary neuroscience research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Mineral Biosequestration of Organic Carbon in Early Pedogenesis of Tailings. Upcycling tailings into soil (technosols developed from technogenic parent materials) offers a sustainable approach to overcome severe topsoil shortage that limits the progress of ecological rehabilitation of tailings across mine sites. This project aims to establish new knowledge on mineral bioweathering, organic carbon (OC) sequestration in rapidly formed mineral phases, and OC turnover driven by colonising microbes and plant roots, in the early pedogenesis of tailings initiated by inputs of organic and inorganic materials. This new knowledge is required for developing eco-engineering technology adaptable to a wide range of tailings of diverse mineralogy, to achieve sustainable tailings rehabilitation and organic carbon sequestration. Field of research: 4106 - Soil Sciences Australian mining industry is facing enormous financial and environmental challenges of tailings rehabilitation. In Australia, more than16,000 ha of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) at operating mine sites require ecological rehabilitation, but it is limited by severe shortage of natural soil resources. Natural soil-based rehabilitation approach to rehabilitate TSFs is financially and environmentally unsustainable, due to expensive costs and limited accessibility to supply soil sources (c.a. $50-120 per cubic M soil) and the need to rehabilitate offsite landscapes excavated to supply large volumes of soil. This project aims to understand the mechanisms of mineral weathering driven organic carbon biosequestration in the early phase of engineered pedogenesis of tailings, in order to overcome the soil shortage barrier. The knowledge about mineral weathering driven organic carbon sequestration enables adaptive integration into ecological rehabilitation of different tailings. This knowledge will help to develop game-changing technology to treat and upcycle ferrous and base metal mine tailings into resilient soil (or technosols) in situ, for sustainable rehabilitation of many TSFs nationwide. This new approach not only offsets the need for natural soil resources, but also offers organic carbon sequestration and storage opportunities through enhancing mineral sequestration and protection in technosols eco-engineered from tailings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Molecular mechanisms that regulate the kinetics of neurotransmitter release. Information processing in the human brain plays important roles in normal behaviour and cognition, most of which require rapid and precisely timed neurotransmitter release. However, the molecular mechanisms that control the speed and timing of this release remain largely unclear. This research project will use a novel mix of electrophysiology, electron microscopy, genetics, biochemistry, and imaging to investigate how the speed of neurotransmitter release is controlled by the most important synaptic protein UNC-13 and its binding partners. This project expects to generate significant knowledge in the area of synaptic transmission. The outcomes will deepen our understanding of neuronal communication and information processing in the brain. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology Timing is everything in the transmission of signals between neurons in the brain. Many behaviours in human would be severely impaired if their neurons could not communicate accurately. Consequently, factors that alter the timing or kinetics of synaptic transmission play a vital role in shaping behaviour and cognition. By investigating the function of the key synaptic proteins in synaptic transmission, this project aims to uncover the molecular code and mechanisms that govern the speed of neurotransmitter release by using the nematode C. elegans as an excellent genetic model. The generated knowledge by this project will help understand how information is processed efficiently in the human brain so that, with time, it can support the treatment of behavioural and physical disorders such as autism disorder and neuromuscular junction disorder. New research models for cell and developmental biology will be developed, opening new R&D opportunities for discovery and application in areas such as research platforms and technologies, therapeutics and diagnostics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Quiet sleep is for repair, active sleep is for learning. Sleep is thought to achieve many different functions, from brain waste clearance to regulating emotions and perception. Understanding sleep functions in animal models has been difficult because sleep has been typically reduced to a single state. Our discovery of distinct sleep stages in the fruit fly provides a powerful way to study how different conserved sleep functions are regulated. This project will use new strategies for manipulating sleep stages in flies to understand their respective physiology and functions. We will test our hypothesis that different categories of sleep functions have been segregated by evolution into different stages: a quiet stage concerned primarily with brain repair and an active stage important for learning. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology Sleep is essential for survival in all animals. However, we do not fully understand why sleep is restorative for the brain, nor why sleep functions seem to be segregated between different sleep stages. This project aims to investigate these questions in a simple animal model, following our discovery that even flies sleep in distinct stages like humans. This is of major relevance to Australia’s national interest because sleep influences most aspects of our lives, including basic health and learning. The economic cost to Australia of inadequate sleep is over $20 billion, not counting the costs associated with loss of wellbeing. Improving sleep based on a better scientific understanding of basic biological sleep functions that have been evolutionarily conserved from flies to humans will lead to novel strategies for improved productivity and healthier ageing. In the longer term, translation of these discoveries into practice could occur through partnering with the pharmaceutical industry to test and develop a new generation of compounds tailored to deliver specific sleep functions, such as those investigated in this project proposal. Our work will also provide a better understanding of how evolution has solved the fundamental problem of simultaneously repairing a brain while maintaining its capacity for learning. This will promote biologically-inspired platforms for designing optimised artificial systems that will increasingly need to work more like real brains.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Connectomes arising: linking structure and function in neocortical wiring. The cerebral cortex underpins human cognition, yet exactly how it becomes connected is unknown due to a lack of live developmental assays. We overcome this using prematurely born marsupials, which allow to study cortical development from embryo-like stages with remarkable resolution. This project will study how neural activity arises as the first connections are formed, and link functional and structural networks across development in vivo. Experimental manipulations of activity, and computational models will discover developmental rules for precise wiring of cortical connections. Benefits include new methods to study cortical development, and outlining electrical, molecular and neuroanatomical signatures of early mammalian brain formation. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology Correct formation of brain connections is essential for a healthy start of life. However, as this occurs prior to birth, very little is known about the mechanisms of healthy or pathological wiring of circuits in the cerebral cortex, since conventional species like rodents cannot survive outside the uterus, and non-mammals like fish do not have a cortex. Here we exploit the extremely underdeveloped birth of marsupial mammals to unravel these questions using advanced methods of gene-manipulation, live microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and computational modelling. Beyond advancing fundamental knowledge in developmental, evolutionary and computational neuroscience, this project will create new capabilities in genetics, optics, instrumentation and computing technologies. Short-term benefits range from new experimental assays to pioneer the study of live cortical formation, developing new computational models and machine learning methods to study the dynamics of complex systems, and establishing new biological signatures of healthy brain development from stages equivalent to mid-human gestation. All experiments of this proposal are designed to generate results that can be used as pilot data to further develop applications of commercial interest. These might include manufacture of advanced scientific software and instruments, and refinement of emerging technologies with a wide range of applications such as network modelling, pattern recognition, and brain-machine interfaces.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Legitimacy and effective policing responses to domestic and family violence. Domestic and Family Violence is a problem of epidemic proportions. This project aims to significantly improve police legitimacy and effectiveness by examining for the first time how capacity, police capability and conducive police culture operate individually and interact collectively to inform practice and survivor outcomes. Expected outcomes include the delivery of robust empirical evidence derived from new theoretical and methodological approaches on how these critical factors intersect collectively, and a comprehensive practice framework that identifies the tipping point of critical components for effective responses. The expected benefit will be improved policing responses to domestic and family violence nationally and internationally. Field of research: 4402 - Criminology This research project addresses a national priority to end violence against women and children in Australia in one generation. Violence in the context of intimate and family relationships can have devastating and long-lasting effects on survivors including death. This crime has substantive social, economic, and cultural burdens and costs Australians over $32 billion annually. Despite academic, political and media attention, efforts to reduce Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) have been largely ineffective. Across the previous two decades, rates of domestic and family violence remain high despite decreases in every other major crime type. As first responders, police have a significant opportunity to prevent and reduce DFV, however police currently lack legitimacy and effectiveness in their response to domestic and family violence. This project aims to deliver robust empirical evidence for how capacity, police capability and conducive police culture operate individually and interact collectively to create effective practice. Findings will include a depth understanding of factors that facilitate effective police responses and will be used to create an evidence-based practice framework for law enforcement, the justice system and support services. Adoption of this framework will strengthen police legitimacy and effectiveness and the justice system’s capacity to deliver comprehensive, coordinated and person-centred responses for the benefit of all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Mechano-Regulation of Stem Cell Fate. Mechanical stimulation plays a critical role in regulating stem cell fate. Nanostructure-mediated mechanical cues can precisely stimulate stem cells, but predicting their impact on stem cell differentiation is challenging. This project aims to engineer nanostructures to regulate stem cell fate and gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanical properties that affect cell function. The expected outcomes and benefits of this project include a new fundamental understanding of the effect of mechanical properties on cell function, novel insights into the regulation of stem cell fate, and the development of a new class of roughness-tunable materials suitable for use in tissue engineering and pharmaceutical applications. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology Nanotechnology and material engineering hold significant potential for Australia's multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the field of stem cell research. By combining nano/microtechnology, material engineering, and stem cell regulation, it is possible to develop particle-based materials with novel properties for the stem cell industry. This project aims to leverage recent advances in bio-mimicking materials to create innovative nanostructures with customisable roughness. The main objective is to contribute new knowledge to the development of safe, cost-effective, and widely available stem cells for diverse biological applications. Moreover, the project seeks to establish new design principles for engineering materials that can regulate stem cell behaviour, while also providing advanced materials for future tissue engineering applications. This project will enable Australia to expand its expertise in bioengineering and biotechnology, positioning itself at the forefront of bionanotechnology. The outcomes of this research will be of significant benefit to the pharmaceutical industry that relies on stem cell research, as well as the broader scientific community. By developing innovative materials for stem cell regulation and tissue engineering, this project has the potential to contribute to the development of new therapies for a range of diseases and medical conditions, which can ultimately improve the quality of life for people worldwide.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. Cannabidiol (CBD) comes from a set of naturally occurring compounds, with a range of applications in mainstream culture. We have recently reported that CBD has excellent antimicrobial properties, with the ability to kill bacteria. This project aims to understand how CBD works by examining CBD-bacterial interactions at a genetic and molecular level. By understanding how CBD acts on and within bacterial cells, we can create fundamental new knowledge that could lead to the design of improved analogs of CBD to that can treat bacterial infections. As a much-needed completely new antibiotic class, this will lead to significant benefits, supporting Australia's National Strategy to combat the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global economic and health threat with substantial impacts on the Australian environment, population, and economy. Through Australia's National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy (2020 and beyond), the Australian Government identified that a strong collaborative research agenda across all sectors is needed, specifically to support the translation of research findings into new approaches and applications. This proposal will address this by expanding our fundamental knowledge of how organisms evade antibiotics and apply this to design a new class of improved antimicrobials for animal and environmental use. This project will develop new tools to investigate mechanisms of action, train researchers on advanced methods including DNA sequencing, potentially leading to new intellectual property, patents, and commercial outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Creating a non-invasive window into the mind. This project aims to create better tools to study the human mind. This project expects to generate new knowledge that can be used to non-invasively image neuronal activity. Expected outcomes include the development of unique new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) instruments to study neuronal activity in both highly controlled laboratory conditions and in humans, with the spatial and temporal resolution needed to study the neuronal circuitry that drives low and high-level brain functions, i.e., creating a window into the mind. In the future, outcomes from this study could improve our understanding of mental disorders, advance computer brain interface technology, and inspire the next paradigm shift in artificial intelligence. Field of research: 4003 - Biomedical Engineering It remains a mystery how the cells in our brain give rise to the human mind. Current techniques lack the precision and speed needed to study the cellular circuitry in the human brain. This project delivers new knowledge of the biophysics of the brain. For the first time it will become possible to see how activity in human brain cells generate signal changes in magnetic resonance images. This new knowledge can be translated to human imaging to study the neuronal circuitry that drives low and high-level brain functions, i.e., creating a window into the mind. The resulting technology will help unlock the full potential of Australia’s most powerful human MRI instruments, provide lasting benefits for neuroscience, and provide training and career opportunities for Australian scientists in an as-yet non-existent technology. Economic and social benefits are expected through translation into new technologies, such as advances in artificial intelligence, improved computer brain interfaces and other potential new high-tech business ventures.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Fyn-STEP-Tau axis: the nanoscale mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. This project investigates how brain cells use their molecular machinery to communicate with one another. At the heart of this process lies the synapses, the contact points that connect brain cells. This project will employ an innovative combination of quantitative microscopy techniques, gene knockout mouse models, and advanced computational and mathematical analyses to generate new knowledge on how a crucial set of proteins organises in space and time to regulate synaptic connectivity. This will provide significant benefits, including molecular-level insight into the inner workings of the brain and interdisciplinary training for students. The expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of brain functions, such as learning and memory. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The precise mechanisms by which the brain processes and stores information remain unclear. However, there is a large body of evidence that the transmission of information across synapses, the connections between neurons, plays a central role in this process. This project aims to advance our understanding of the synapse at the molecular and systems level using an experimental paradigm linked to learning and memory. In doing so, new computational tools for analysing super-resolution microscopy data will be developed, interdisciplinary collaborations will be fostered, students will be trained in quantitative biology, and Australia’s capacity at the interface between mathematics, computation, microscopy, and neuroscience will be strengthened. The project also has the potential to guide the development of brain-inspired artificial intelligence algorithms that could have a significant economic impact. Ultimately, this project has the potential to improve our understanding of what is required for a brain to function in a highly adaptive manner and what goes wrong in diseases that cause synapse degeneration and memory decline, which have a significant impact on society and the economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Safe and efficient eco-driving using connected and automated vehicles. This project aims to solve the paradox of trading off liveability for mobility by simultaneously reducing traffic congestion, vehicle energy consumption, and emission. This project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge and powerful tools on utilising connected and automated vehicles to help individuals become green drivers. Expected outcomes include ground-breaking models capable of holistically optimising traffic efficiency, energy consumption and emission, and innovative control strategies and policies that focus on energy efficiency and environment protection. This research will bring a wide range of substantial national benefits related to mobility, public health, environmental protection, and energy security. Field of research: 3509 - Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chains As the largest consumer of petroleum products, the transportation systems produce over 80% of air pollution in urban areas. Exposure to ambient air pollution increases morbidity and mortality, and is a leading contributor to global disease burden. For the nation’s sustainable economic growth, and public and environmental health, it is imperative to mitigate congestion and to minimise energy consumption and emissions. Ironically, as a society we still constantly adhere to the paradox of trading off liveability for mobility. This project aims to develop novel eco-driving strategies for the current and future transportation systems by integrating advanced driver behaviour models and intelligent traffic control methods. Findings from this research will help researchers, policy makers and transport authorities in Australia to plan for optimal integration of connected and automated vehicles and identify appropriate transport management strategies that maximise the productivity of its transport network while minimise its environmental impact. As a 10-second improvement in delay per vehicle would eliminate more than 1.2 million metric tons of CO2 and save 3.3 million barrels of oil annually, impact of this project will be truly extraordinary in fighting against climate change. The developed eco-driving strategies will be tested at RACQ testing tracks and deployed through existing industrial collaborations (e.g., Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland).

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Defining a new family of sodium channel accessory proteins. Voltage-gated sodium channels are key proteins that function as multi-subunit complexes to regulate neuronal excitability. The project aims to investigate the structure and function of a novel family of accessory subunits by utilizing a class of toxins, derived from the giant Australian stinging tree, that directly binds to these proteins to modulate sodium channel function. The project aims to generate significant new knowledge on the function of sodium channels as multi-protein complexes. Expected outcomes of this project include development of novel channel-modulating molecules that may have applications as neuroscience tools to address fundamental questions about ion channel function and biology. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry This project aims to improve our understanding of a family of proteins called sodium channels and how these can be manipulated using a new class of compounds derived from native Australian plants. Sodium channels are critical for the function of cells such as nerves, muscle and brain and important in development of pharmaceutical and agricultural products, including common insecticides and analgesics. We have made a recent groundbreaking discovery showing that sodium channels form a functional complex with a family of proteins called the dispanins, which in turn directly bind a new class of compounds we discovered in the venom of the giant Australian stinging tree. These venom-derived compounds alter how sodium channels operate in a completely new way, and we seek to understand this mechanism at the molecular level. Understanding how dispanins regulate the function of sodium channels will provide new directions in development of new generations of pharmaceutical and agricultural agents. These discoveries have the potential of impacting the Australian economy by leading to development of a new generations of safer non-opioid analgesics, as well as new generations of insecticides that can target pests that show resistance to existing products. In addition, the proposed work will train future Australian scientists in an area of significant growth and skills demand.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Hyperactive endogenous retroviruses and their impact on the koala genome. Koala populations are in steep decline with the ubiquitous koala retrovirus (KoRV) strongly linked with disease. KoRV and other less studied endogenous retrovirus (ERVs) are extremely active within the genome of koalas to a level never observed in any other vertebrate genome. This study will map ERV integration sites within koalas from across their geographic range country and use long-read genomics approaches to understand the link between KoRV and other ERVs, the impact on koala caused by dramatic genomic rewiring, and the mechanisms of genomic immunity which supress ERV activity and mitigate disease. Findings will provide insights into the ongoing arms race between virus and host and inform conservation of an iconic species. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Koala populations are in steep decline with the ubiquitous koala retrovirus (KoRV) strongly linked with disease. KoRV and other less studied endogenous retrovirus (ERVs) are extremely active within the genome of koalas to a level that has never been observed in any other vertebrate genome. The origin of KoRV, how it is linked to the activity of other ERVs and the impact of dramatic genomic rewiring are all currently unclear. This study will map ERV integration sites within koalas from across the country and use genomics to uncover the origins of KoRV and understand the ongoing arms race between virus and host. Findings will provide insights into retrovirus evolution and inform conservation of an iconic species.