THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Co-designing Indigenous education policy in Queensland. The aim of this study is to provide an evidence base and framework for the new co-design approach being implemented across State and Commonwealth Indigenous policy domains. This project investigates co-design within the context of Indigenous education policy within QLD to create a large data set on how co-design is conceptualised and enacted. As the concept of co-design is new in Indigenous policy development, this project is expected to generate new knowledges that will directly benefit Indigenous people, schools, policy makers, and governments. The project addresses the critical social justice issue of Indigenous education inequalities through investigating best practices in education policy development and enactment. Field of research: 1605 - Policy and Administration The Australian Government consistently reports the lack of progress in relation to improving educational outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Poor educational outcomes for young people leads to social justice and economic issues for Australia. This project aims to offer new and innovative ways of investigating a persistent problem through unlocking the complex interactions between communities, schools and policy makers with a focus on co-design. Through development of foundational research knowledge the project seeks to provide innovative solutions to address the current barriers for improvement in Indigenous educational outcomes. The research project expects to involve significant engagement and translation activities including community forums and policy roundtables to engage key stakeholders. These activities are expected to lead to the co-construction of new knowledge and ways of working with Indigenous peoples through co-design that can potentially impact on the social, cultural and economic national interest and seek to significantly improve the outcomes for Indigenous young people.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Atomic physics as a probe for fundamental physics and dark matter. The Standard Model is extremely effective at describing the fundamental particles and interactions, but is known to be incomplete. This project aims to uncover new signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model that may be observed in atomic experiments. This project expects to generate new knowledge to help unravel the mystery of dark matter, which accounts for the majority (85%) of the matter in the universe. Expected outcomes include extending theoretical atomic physics methods, calculating new observable atomic effects, and combining these with experiments to probe fundamental physics and search for dark matter. These outcomes would contribute to the expanding knowledge in the fields of atomic and fundamental physics. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics The proposed project explores some of the most important problems facing atomic and fundamental physics today, including the nature of dark matter. Visits from international experts to Australia will be facilitated, strengthening collaborative ties and furthering Australia’s standing in these fields. Development of new methods for calculating atomic structure would provide economic and commercial benefits to Australia through their use in the optimisation of instruments such as atomic clocks (used for precise positioning and navigation), which rely on high-accuracy atomic calculations. This research would also build Australia’s capacity in quantum science, crucial for the development of emerging technologies, such as quantum electronic devices and quantum computing. The project would have a large computational component, expanding Australia’s expertise in software, high-performance computing, and numerical methods. The research is of broad cultural interest, and project outreach will provide social and economic benefits by increasing community participation and engagement in STEM.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The Social Life of Royalties: Plant intellectual property in Australia. This project aims to examine the development of a system of end point royalties for patent and plant variety-protected crop varieties in Australia, wherein royalties are calculated on the harvest. In tracking shifts in the royalty system, the project will provide insight into how emerging modes of plant regulation shape the social, economic, and legal relations of Australian grain and fruit production. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges that have arisen in the adoption of new royalty arrangements. This should provide significant benefits, such as more equitable management of intellectual property and the identification of social arrangements that can improve food production. Field of research: 1801 - Law This project aims to benefit Australia in a number of ways. First, the research has the the potential to be of economic and commercial benefit by enhancing knowledge about the operation and transformation of agricultural supply chains under new regulatory practices. Findings from the project may help identify novel market innovations, technological applications, or social arrangements that will improve food production through enhanced traceability, better quality control, and more equitable accessibility to important agricultural resources. Second, the research has the potential to be of social benefit by providing insight into different people's experiences with end point royalty arrangements, knowledge that could help improve relations between intellectual property owners, farmers, and other end-users. Third, the project has the potential to be of cultural benefit by enhancing understanding of the changing parameters of seed regulation and human-plant relations within Australian agriculture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Taming the light: full control in polarisation, space, and time. This project aims to develop two prototype optical beam shaping systems, culminating in the demonstration of new high-power optical fibre amplifiers. This novel ability to control all the properties of light enables the generation of optical beams that were only theoretical ideas but never previously implemented experimentally. This advanced technology can potentially open new ways in which objects can be probed using light. Expected outcomes include the creation of an optical platform that the optical community at large may utilise for their specific applications. Besides the intellectual property benefits of such optical devices directly, this project should bridge the gap between the developed knowledge and commercial opportunities. Field of research: 0205 - Optical Physics Probing the interactions between light and matter is a powerful tool for the physical understanding of our environment. Over the course of this project, two prototype of optical beam shaping systems will be developed to generate new light beams. Such beams could probe matter in unprecedented approaches, which should benefit the scientific communities at large. Beyond its academic relevance, this project should foster the Australian economy and industry through its promising commercial interest. Indeed, this project aligns with the Australia National Science and Research Priority of Advanced Manufacturing. The prototype devices could be integrated on existing industrial applications within Australia that require accurate light control, such as optical signals for networking and optical machining. This project could also trigger entrepreneurial activities, thanks to the wide applicability of such beam shaping technology. Hence this project would contribute to foregrounding Australia in the global photonics market, which according to the Society for Optics and Photonics, was worth USD 282 billion in 2018.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Discontinued Use of Social Media: Dichotomy of Rational & Emotional Choices. This project aims to gain a better understanding of discontinued use of social media. For businesses and governments, social media serves as a dynamic channel for engagement, value co-creation, and business analytics marketing that is lost when users choose to discontinue its use. This project will generate new knowledge of rational and emotional decision criteria, enabling design features of social media, and their complex effects on discontinued use of social media. The expected outcome of this project is an integrated theory of social media discontinuance. The project findings provide significant benefits, such as strategic capabilities and actionable knowledge for businesses and governments to mitigate social media discontinued use. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems Social media is a dynamic channel for governments and businesses to interact with the public, enabling communication, engagement, value co-creation, and business analytics marketing. When people leave social media, market understanding and innovation potential is lost. This project examines why people leave social media to understand their rational and emotional reasons for social media discontinuance. The outcome of the research will enable platforms, governments, and businesses to better design and use different features of the technologies to improve the complex interplay required to keep people engaged with social media. The project will result in commercial benefits by identifying digital capabilities for technology innovation. It will have economic benefits in the adaption of knowledge for companies to secure and grow their customer base. The project will also have positive social impacts; for example, Australian governments will be able to deploy this knowledge to support public connectedness with policy dissemination and crisis management.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A humanised sensory neuron high-throughput screening platform . Sensory neurons are responsible for converting external stimuli such as touch or temperature into graded electrical signals that allow us to interact with the world around us. However, unlike other cell types, sensory neurons cannot proliferate and thus must be removed from human cadavers, or animals, in order to study their pharmacology and function. This limits our ability to understand neuronal signalling pathways. This project aims to use sensory neurons derived from human stem cells to develop and optimise assays that can be used to study the pharmacology and function of human sensory neurons in vitro. This enhances access to critical model systems and technology platforms and removes the need for isolation of cells from cadavers. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project seeks to develop novel cellular systems that permit interrogation of the function and pharmacology of human sensory neurons derived from renewable stem cell resources. Such cellular systems will be of interest to researchers studying sensory neuron function, and thus contribute to new knowledge about this unique cell type. In addition, the findings of this project will accelerate pharmacological studies and will provide information vital for the Australian Pharmaceutical industry. The project will train the next generation of researchers and will contribute to a sustainable biotechnology sector in Australia. Thus, the project contributes to Australia's national interest through its potential economic benefits resulting from translating this research to commercial outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Defect Engineering Enabling Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production. The project aims to achieve efficient renewable hydrogen production through solar driven photoelectrochemical water splitting. As a carbon-emission free process, photoelectrochemical water splitting is significant in solar hydrogen supply. The key idea is to design innovative photoelectrode materials using defect engineering strategy which allows more efficient conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. The expected outcomes include high Solar-to-Hydrogen conversion efficiency on the new materials and cutting-edge knowledge in advanced material design. The success of this project will contribute to the implementation of the Australia's National Hydrogen Strategy and position the nation at the frontier of renewable hydrogen supply technologies. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering This project closely aligns with the Australia's National Hydrogen Strategy which aims to make Australia a global hydrogen industry player by 2030. The project should pave a promising way towards the aim by the development of unbiased photoelectrochemical water splitting system for efficient hydrogen production without consuming external electricity. The hydrogen production process is a carbon-free process that can minimise the environmental burden to Australia. Moreover, since this is an unbiased process, totally driven by solar without consuming electricity, it should help to save a vast amount of energy for hydrogen production. The success of this project will convert Australia’s abundant solar energy into valuable hydrogen. It should position Australia at the front of the increasing global momentum for clean hydrogen production, and bring potential economic benefit and jobs in Australia. The project will also provide professional training to the students which should greatly expand Australia's knowledge and the research and development capability in functional materials for clean hydrogen production.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Model-directed bioengineering strategy for accelerating crop improvement. The aim is to use an advanced mechanistic crop model to investigate the interacting plant physiological processes that define yield consequences, using a sorghum model. This will involve unravelling the complex relationship between leaf gas exchange properties and crop field performance. Through a unique combination of model prediction and gene editing to target the photosynthetic pathway and stomata, the research is expected to gain a deep mechanistic understanding of the underpinning processes and drive the transfer of promising bioengineering targets into crops. The research is expected to discover new avenues for crop improvement, and significantly benefit crop breeding and food production capacity. Field of research: 0703 - Crop and Pasture Production The DECRA will position Australia at the forefront of innovations in crop improvement. The project will significantly advance mechanistic modelling technologies for disentangling the complex interactions between biological processes that underpin crop-yield performance in production environments, and deliver novel gene editing methods for targeted enhancement. Combining novel modelling and gene editing approaches, the new mechanistic-driven bioengineering approach will greatly increase the probability of boosting yields of Australian’s most important summer crop sorghum. The research will discover new avenues to achieve yield improvement and accelerate development of yield-advancing crop varieties. Through the innovations and strong industry collaborations, the advances will enhance the efficiency of Australian sorghum breeding; this will generate substantial positive impacts for the nation’s agriculture sector and economic future, and contribute to safeguarding global food security. The outcomes will open new research opportunities to improve the productivity of other crops.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Quantum control of sound with light. This project aims to build the first photonic architecture capable of controlling the quantum properties of acoustic waves travelling in crystalline materials and quantum fluids. This level of control is expected to herald new capabilities in sensing applications, quantum information and quantum computing. The project seeks to develop a silicon-based photonic platform that enables the preparation of non-classical states of sound within superfluid helium. This new platform will also be used to develop an ultra-compact silicon-chip based laser. The project outcomes should provide a deeper understanding of quantum fluids and quantum mechanics, and enable the realisation of new quantum technologies with substantial commercialisation potential. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology This fellowship aims to develop novel on-chip photonic systems that explore light-sound interactions to advance knowledge in fundamental physics and develop next-generation technologies. The research outcomes of this DECRA are expected to facilitate the development of ultra-compact silicon-based lasers for telecommunications, ultra-precise gyroscopes for navigation, and quantum-coherent microwave-to-optical converters for quantum information processing. As such, this project has enormous potential to generate IP and patents in quantum technology, bringing economic and commercial benefits to Australia’s nascent quantum technologies industry. This project will also result in high-impact publications coupled with broad media coverage, providing cultural benefits to the scientific community and general public. Furthermore, it will train postgraduate students in advanced nanofabrication techniques, contributing to Australia’s advanced manufacturing workforce and fostering the growth of high-tech industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Using toxins to manipulate the gating of voltage-gated sodium channels. The project aims to investigate how sodium channel subtypes contribute to the excitability of sensory neurons by utilising venom-derived peptides that specifically target and alter the function of these channels. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of neuroscience using an interdisciplinary approach including synthetic peptide chemistry, pharmacology and electrophysiology. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of new venom-based research tools and improved techniques for studying sodium channel function. This will provide significant benefits, including advancement of fundamental knowledge in physiology and the development of novel analgesics. Field of research: 1115 - Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences Animals such as scorpions, spiders and cone snails secrete toxic venoms for protection against predators or for immobilising their prey. These venoms have extremely potent biological actions due to the presence of cocktails of peptides, highly evolved over millions of years to selectively interact with ion channels. This research will utilise this diversity to develop new research tools with commercialisation opportunities, enhance ion channel research and improve our understanding of neuronal function, which will overall contribute to the sustainability of Australia’s biotechnology sector. Thus, the research contributes to Australia's national interest through its potential economic benefits resulting from translating this research to commercial outcomes and the training of the next generation of researchers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

What determines your face identification accuracy? Accurate face identification underpins normal social functioning and important identity verification procedures in society, government and the justice system. However, there is little understanding of the cognitive processes that give rise to individual differences in face identification. This project aims to develop a new cognitive model that characterises how holistic and part-based processing combine to determine individual differences in face identification. Expected benefits include advancing knowledge of human face perception, and evidence-based training and personnel selection tools to improve decision accuracy, help police prevent crime and terrorism, and avoid wrongful conviction of innocent suspects. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology It is important to understand face identification because identity crime enables serious offences, including terrorism, financial crimes, and drug trafficking, and is estimated to cost Australia $2.65 billion dollars every year. Accurate face identification is also important for identifying offenders and avoiding wrongful convictions in the criminal justice system. Despite advances in face recognition software, face identification decisions are routinely performed by humans, and humans are surprisingly poor at identifying unfamiliar faces. This project will improve our understanding of what makes some people better than others, and develop new, evidence-based training and recruitment tools for improving the accuracy of staff in government, police and industry. This research is timely given the Identity-Matching Services Bill 2019, which would allow staff from government and private organisations to access facial images and other identity information from passports, police and immigration databases to verify citizens’ identities, and search these databases to establish the identity of an unknown person.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Information Extraction from Large-scale Low-quality Data. Information extraction which identifies entities and relations from data is a key technology that lays the foundation for understanding the semantics of data. This project aims to investigate the problem of information extraction by innovatively exploring the informality and temporal evolution of data. It expects to develop novel techniques for reliable, efficient, and scalable information discovery from large-scale low-quality data. Expected outcomes include a set of collective, contextualised, and temporal-aware algorithms for information extraction and integration, built on top of effective indexing and in-parallel processing. This project is anticipated to benefit a considerable number of data-driven intelligence-based applications. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems Big datasets, particularly those collected from informal mediums like online forums, reviews, social media or search queries, are often inaccurate, incomplete and inconsistent. Extracting reliable information from these noisy datasets is an issue both for Australian researchers and for industry. Current solutions are not sufficiently effective or easily scalable. This project will develop a publicly accessible prototype system capable of extracting reliable information efficiently from big noisy datasets. Given the increasing reliance on information-driven and intelligence-based applications, this study will bring economic, commercial and social benefits to Australia by improving performance of services such as personalised recommendation, event monitoring, transportation management, and response to natural disasters. In particular, the developed techniques could provide greater surety in the accuracy of the discovered knowledge, improving decision-support and service delivery nationally in sectors such as finance, business, emergency response and transport, with smarter prediction, tracking and planning.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The development of cognitive offloading: Children's use of thinking tools. Modern humans routinely use external thinking tools (e.g., calculators, GPS, smartphones) to solve problems that we once solved internally: a behaviour termed cognitive offloading. This developmental psychology project aims to chart the processes underlying children's use of such tools, and to uncover the associated benefits and harms. Using innovative methods specifically designed for children, the project expects to greatly advance scientific understanding of one of the most powerful facets of human behaviour. Expected outcomes include knowledge of critical factors that promote and impede efficient use of thinking tools. This knowledge will provide significant benefits, such as an enhanced capacity to train children to be more proficient. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology The ability to incorporate external tools into cognitive problem solving is becoming increasingly central to modern notions of intelligence. Australian children now routinely use digital devices to assist with academic tasks, and they often also rely on more traditional thinking tools such as pencil-and-paper and maps. This project will determine, for the first time: (1) at what age children initially become capable of using novel external thinking tools, (2) whether children choose to use thinking tools even when their internal abilities are sufficient, (3) whether children are more likely to use thinking tools in high stakes than low stakes situations, (4) how children's use of thinking tools is influenced by confidence in their own internal abilities, and (5) whether over-use of thinking tools can harm children's internal aptitude. The project promises to enhance our capacity to train Australian children to be more proficient in their use of thinking tools, thereby fostering long-term social and economic benefits in a society that increasingly depends on outsourcing of mental work.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

AI-driven Effective Query Formulation for Better Systematic Reviews. This project aims to develop novel AI-based search engine methods to make the creation of systematic reviews cheaper, faster and unbiased. Systematic reviews are the cornerstone for evidence-based decisions in clinical practice and government policy making. Given the pace new research is published at, it is unsustainable to manually conduct systematic reviews in the traditional manner, taking on average 2 years and $350K and becoming already outdated when published. The outcomes of this project will lead to systematic reviews of higher quality, while reducing their financial and temporal costs, providing significant benefits to organisations performing reviews and their funders, and to people impacted by decisions made from the reviews. Field of research: 0807 - Library and Information Studies This project will contribute AI-based search engine technology to reduce the time and costs of completing systematic reviews, while increasing the quality. This will translate into high quality and up-to-date evidence to support accurate clinical and policy decision making, thus improving health decision-making and increasing efficiency. More timely and precise systematic reviews will have a direct and profound effect on healthcare delivery in Australia. In its aims, this project directly tackles two important societal challenges: (1) the promotion of population health and wellbeing -- by providing methods and tools for researchers, clinicians and decision makers that would be able to identify high quality, up-to-date evidence, reliably and efficiently; and (2) the lifting of productivity, by reducing the financial and temporal costs required for producing systematic reviews.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Bringing Archaeal biodiversity to life from native Australian herbivores . The aim of this project is to provide deep functional understanding of our recent discovery of novel microbes from the Domain Archaea that inhabit the digestive tracts of native Australian herbivores. These animals are unique natural resources of great cultural, environmental, and economic significance, but increasingly susceptible to habitat change and degradation. Very little is currently known about the microbes that have co-evolved with these animals, to support their nutrition and health. The project will address these knowledge gaps, and the ensuing discoveries are expected to deliver products and services relevant to environmental health assessment and sustaining the "low methane carbon economy" attributed to these iconic species. Field of research: 0605 - Microbiology Australia’s native herbivores are among its iconic natural resources, which must be protected for the cultural, environmental, and economic well-being of all Australians. A key feature of these animals is their "clean and green" image because of their low methane emissions (per kg of food intake) compared to ruminant livestock. This project explores and characterises newly discovered microbes representing the third Domain of Life (Archaea) from these animals and a critical control point in methane emissions from animals. The project tackles knowledge gaps in understanding how changes in their environment might affect their nutrition and methane emissions from these animals, and how to monitor and correct it. It may also improve how we manage animals after natural disasters (e.g. fires) or relocation for population dispersal and conservation. The knowledge gains from this project can also support new and improved (bio)technologies elevant to minimising the carbon footprint and environmental impacts of our traditional industries, including agriculture. The project's national benefits are both timely and broad.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Mycobacterial Cholesterol Degradation: A Unique Metabolic Weakness? This project aims to understand the use of the steroid cholesterol as a source of essential metabolic building blocks by bacteria. Cholesterol utilisation is a key feature of many bacterial pathogens which have evolved to survive in niche environments. By understanding the initial step in cholesterol degradation and the bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry of the metalloenzymes that catalyse it, this work aims to develop strategies to block this activity. This will turn a key strength of these bacteria into a potent weakness and will generate the proof of principle and knowledge required for the future development of effective strategies to combat pathogenic bacteria. Field of research: 0302 - Inorganic Chemistry This project will explore the role of a set of enzymes in the first key step of the cholesterol degradation pathways in bacteria. These metalloenzymes are widely viewed, and often employed, as excellent biocatalysts for use in fine chemical production; for example, in industrial steroid synthesis. Understanding the bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry and the inhibition of these enzymes is crucial to the development of new chemicals to prevent infection of humans or crops. Several of the bacteria to be studied are potent human pathogens causing Buruli ulcer, a serious skin disease on the rise in Australia, and the global pandemic tuberculosis. Increasing occurrences of drug resistant strains hinders progress in the treatment and eradication of these diseases. Due to the critical role of cholesterol in bacterial growth and the potential for inhibition using analogs of this steroid, the increased understanding of the cholesterol degradation pathway revealed by this project may have far reaching consequences for medical and biotechnology researchers and companies developing applications in the future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Encoding Interactions and Printability into Hairy Colloidal Biomaterials. Printing mixtures of live cells and biomaterials (or 'BioInks') to make bespoke engineered tissues has the potential to enable personalised platforms for therapeutic discovery and organ replacement. Using a novel high throughput approach to materials synthesis, BioInk design and process optimisation, this project aims to discover new biomaterials and printing nozzles to help realise this potential. It will produce new insights in colloid science, cell-laden biomaterials design, and BioInk processing. Structure-property-function guides for colloid-based BioInks and quality-assured bioprinting as outcomes represent significant benefits for researchers and industries alike engaged in biofabrication, cell therapy and biotherapeutics. Field of research: 0903 - Biomedical Engineering The new polymeric biomaterials, printing nozzle designs and processing methodologies produced in this project represent new commercial opportunities for our rapidly growing Biotechnology, Biofabrication and Nozzle Manufacturing sectors. Once translated to these industries and the clinic, there will be flow on benefits for cellular therapy, biotherapeutics and aligned life sciences R&D industries, along with substantial potential to impact and improve the quality of life of people suffering from injury or disease. This research thus has the potential to enable Australia to realise substantial economic benefit, with the global cell therapy and tissue engineering market valued to be ~$170 billion by 2028 (annual growth rate ~26%). These new materials have potential for uptake in other industrial sectors, including as surface coatings and sprays, personal care products (creams, conditioners) or agrochemical spray improvers. The international linkages created in this project will significantly benefit our scientific and industrial communities by stimulating local expertise and enhancing international reputation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dynamic DNA structure states and memory formation. Activity-induced gene expression is central to neural plasticity, learning, and memory; however, the underlying mechanisms of these processes in the brain have yet to be fully resolved. The aim of this proposal is to obtain a deeper understanding of the functional relationship between genes and brain function. By elucidating the full repertoire of epigenetic mechanisms in the brain during learning and the formation of memory, it is hoped that the true nature of brain adaptation across the lifespan will be revealed. Findings which may then provide new opportunities to strengthen, maintain and optimise cognitive function. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences New state of the art approaches will be used in this research project to obtain a deeper understanding of learning and memory and how the brain changes across the lifespan. The mechanisms described represent an entirely new way of thinking about experience-dependent plasticity in the brain, and will impact many fields beyond neuroscience. Conceptual and technical advances will provide Australia a competitive edge in applying and commercialising the discoveries from this project. For example, the design of new tools to manipulate the genome and enhance memory may find broad applicability in the area of cognitive enhancement in the healthy brain, benefitting complex learning and skills acquisition in schools and in Australia’s workforce. It will also enable the design and application of DNA storage devices, representing a new frontier in synthetic biology and DNA computing for Australia’s technological industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Attention vs Perception: When is selection optimal, when relational? This project aims to investigate an important, newly discovered dissociation between early visual selection and perceptual decision-making. Contrary to current theories, attentional and perceptual processes are tuned to different stimulus attributes described in the relational vs. optimal account, which implies that current theories of attention do not describe early attention but later, decisional processes. This project will provide an accurate description of these processes, which promises important theoretical breakthroughs. Work on this project will also significantly advance methods to detect and describe early attentional processes, by identifying error-prone methods of Psychophysics and Neuroscience studies, and proposing remedies. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences The study is of broad public interest, as it promises new insights into visual search, which is one of the most frequent activities in everyday life. Moreover, our discovery that early vs. late selection processes are dissociated opens new ways to study these processes in a more systematic manner, and can be expected to have a large impact on research, which will help maintain Australia’s leading role in research. The results of this project will also yield a more accurate description of the factors causing distraction and errors in decision-making. As these are still the most frequent causes for mishaps and accidents, the project can also help to inform policy-makers to create safer environments. In addition, the project may help create more effective interventions, for instance, by aiding the development of more effective brain-training apps, and allowing more accurate models of clinical disorders such as ADHD, autism and schizophrenia. Work on this project will also provide excellent opportunities for graduate and post-graduate students which will aid Australia to maintain its leading role in education.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Safer gene editing tools for Australian livestock and biotech industries. Editing the genome of an organism in an efficient and safe fashion is critical for the livestock and biotechnology industries. While CRISPR-Cas9 has become the method of choice for genome editing, it is known to introduce unwanted "on-target" and "off-target" mutations, limiting its utility. To address this the CI team created a novel genome editing platform technology termed Crackling-CAST that is almost 100% accurate, while retaining the efficiency of the classical Cas9 system. This project will exemplify the capabilities of the novel gene targeting platform in cell types used by the biotechnology and livestock sectors, ensuring its global uptake by these industries and delivering significant economic benefits for Australia. Field of research: 1001 - Agricultural Biotechnology Gene editing is increasingly used to change the genomes of a range of livestock species, as it can both rapidly achieve the same goals as traditional crossbreeding AND enable the introduction of desired or entirely novel traits.The global gene editing market is conservatively expected to grow to a value of 7.5 Billion (USD) in 2024 and with its new legislative regulatory framework Australia is well placed to capture a substantial slice of this market. Despite its promise there remain intrinsic reservations towards genome editing in both the public and industry sectors alike that are largely and justifyably based on the unknown consequences of introducing unwanted mutations during genome editing. The new Crackling-CAST methodology at the heart of this project directly addresses this concern, as it permits virtually error-free genome targeting. In this project we aim to exemplify the power and safety of the Crackling-CAST platform in a range of cell types that are important for Australia's biotechnology and livestock industries to the benefit of these sectors as well as Australian society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Reducing global tourism carbon emissions . With over 6 billion vacation trips annually, tourism is a major and fast-growing contributor to climate change. To support a climate-centred tourism policy, this Project aims to construct a world’s first global database that answers three key questions: 1) if tourism carbon footprint increases in direct proportion to its consumption, 2) how quickly tourism can decarbonise emissions, and 3) can tourism deliver better carbon performance than other sectors? The outcomes include new theoretical and empirical knowledge about the impacts, drivers, and trade-offs of tourism's carbon emissions. A significant benefit of this Project is to identify mitigation policies that can better balance tourism economic yield and emissions stabilisation. Field of research: 1506 - Tourism Tourism has grown 5% annually, faster than the Australian economy in the past 5 years and is one of the largest economic contributors and employers. At the same time, tourism is the sector most vulnerable to climate change risks, evidenced in the recent devastating bush fires and flood events. Thus, it is of regional and national significance to safeguard Australia’s tourism system through effective carbon management. This Project provides insights to inform the future outlook of tourism’s economic outputs and consequences for the Australian carbon mitigation objective based on the current tourism expansion path. This Project will advise an environmental policy to stabilise and later decrease tourism carbon emissions for Australia without reducing tourism’s contribution to employment and economic yields. This will result in a saving of at least 3.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions, thus achieving sustainable economic growth—an ultimate goal stressed by the National Science and Research Priorities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Interaction of light with tissues: A hyper-spectral approach . This project aims to address an important problem of noncontact assessment of tissue including skin and cartilage. By using extremely wide spectrum – between the terahertz and the near infrared – the effects of scattering and absorption arising from the variation of tissue properties from macro- to nano-scale will be explored. Spatial variations of tissue properties will be addressed in model and experiment by combining spectroscopy with the novel terahertz and mid-infrared Scanning Near field Optical Microscopy. The outcomes will advance fundamental understanding of light interaction with multi-layered tissues. This will provide a tool for advancing bioengineering research, terahertz technology, and development in biomedical devices. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering This project will advance knowledge of light-tissue interaction, with potential applications in biomedical engineering. The outcomes could lead to significant socio-economic benefits to Australia in areas where optical techniques are gaining increasing application, such as medical device innovation and wearable technologies. For example, knowledge created in this project will support Australia’s manufacturing industries to develop and optimise spectroscopy-based medical devices for early detection of diseases. Optical heart rate monitors, present in most smart wearable devices, are based on using light (photopletysmography) to measure blood flow. The technology suffers from poor accuracy with measurements through photodamaged or tattooed skin. This project will contribute to addressing this problem. Australian market for wearable technology is approximately $1 billion, thus a breakthrough solution for addressing the shortcomings of present technology could result in economic benefits to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Improvement of Additive Manufacturing Processability of Alloys and Ceramics. As the current materials that can be additively processed are still very limited, this project aims to increase the additive manufacturing processability of commercial engineering materials through developing effective and practical grain refinement technology so that more engineering parts can be additively fabricated. The project expects to widen the applications of this advanced manufacturing technology in industry productions. Expected outcomes include commercialisation ready grain refinement technologies and breakthrough fundamental understanding of the physical metallurgy of melt pools. This should enhance Australia’s capability to establish world-leading additive manufacturing activities serving to various other industry sectors. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Additive manufacturing is a technology that allows 3D printing of complex shapes from metals and ceramics. Currently, only a very limited number of alloys and ceramics are capable of being printed, limiting applications of this technology and restricts growth of Australia’s manufacturing capacity. This research will develop new grain refinement techniques to improve the printability of materials, significantly increasing the range of materials that can be 3D printed. The approach used in this research will also improve the mechanical performance of 3D printed parts to expand their usability into the defence, aerospace, shipbuilding and biomedical industries. It will therefore increase Australia’s high-value manufacturing capacity, and provides Australia with a competitive advantage and material science know-how to make economic benefit through advanced manufacturing in critical Australian investment areas.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Single molecule sensing on nanopillars: Reading complex molecular circuits. This project aims to develop an entirely new nanotechnology to visualise dynamic molecular circuits in real time, and within any biological sample as small as a single cell. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the field of cell biology and sensor technology, using innovative nanofabrication and nanoscopic fluid flows to advance understanding of the emerging field of single protein molecule interactions in cellular pathways. Expected outcomes include a universal technology platform to detect single molecules in single cells, with potential to deliver valuable intellectual property of commercial interest and economic benefit through technological advancements. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology This project will develop a new nanotechnology to visualise dynamic molecular circuits in real time and in single cells. This will benefit Australia by advancing knowledge in cell biology, material science, and technology development with potential to be commercialised to deliver economic benefits, and be used by materials scientists to develop further technologies to study cellular processes. The expected outcomes will likely be translated into a new sensing platform that in the longer term will enable personalised diagnostics and contribute towards development of next-generation bio-sensing instrumentation. Given the enormous size of the global diagnostics and research instrument market (greater than B$100 per annum), this project also has the potential to lead to significant financial benefits to Australia through potential commercialisation of the novel single molecule technology that will be developed. As such, the proposed research falls directly under the strategic research priority of ‘Health and Economic Growth'.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Macrophage control of mammalian growth and development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. This project is an international collaboration that 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 animals models and a novel discovery to generate significant new knowledge that will challenge current concepts of mammalian growth control. The outcomes will enhance Australia's international reputation in the fields of physiology, immunology and developmental biology. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This project addresses the genetic control of mammalian postnatal development in order to understand survival, resilience and long-term health and productivity in humans and animals. The discoveries will inform the basis of key production traits in livestock animals and will benefit Australia’s international competitiveness in livestock farming by improving individual animal productivity, increased outputs and reduced inputs and losses. The project also has commercialisation potential to develop breeding strategies and animal health products for improved performance and development in livestock. As the first weeks of life are the key period that better determine lifelong well-being in humans, this work will, with time, benefit Australian society as findings could be used to inform the environmental frameworks that support the normal healthy development of human infants.