James Cook University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Single cell sequencing facility at James Cook University. Single cell sequencing (SCS) is revolutionising the life sciences and is essential in enabling JCU to maintain its leadership position in aquaculture, coral reef studies and tropical health. SCS is a central component of ongoing projects at JCU, a number of which are supported by the ARC. The current state of SCS technology dictates that the cell sorting and library preparation component be done locally. At present, the closest such facility is located in Brisbane (1300 km from Townsville by road), which means that not only is life sciences research at JCU severely handicapped by the lack of access to the equipment requested here, but the same is true of all Australian institutions north of the 27th parallel (Brisbane). Field of research: 3105 - Genetics Single cell sequencing (SCS) is a procedure that helps us understand how each individual cell works within any organism. For example, how skin cells determine the colour of a barramundi. The only equipment capable of undertaking SCS in Queensland is located in Brisbane. Samples for SCS cannot be transported, seriously disadvantaging research projects in northern Australia. The placement of equipment in North Queensland will benefit researchers in aquaculture, coral reef studies and tropical health across various universities, research organisations, hospitals and other agencies. Australian companies will directly benefit from the improved knowledge that SCS can provide. For example, barramundi with the golden skin colour are highly valued but naturally rare, whereas SCS will enable their routine production. SCS will also support the design of treatments effective against common tropical diseases, and conservation and restoration of coral reefs, thereby bringing substantial benefits to the region.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures. ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures. The proposed Centre aims to generate a new direction in knowledge creation based on Aboriginal- and Torres Strait Islander-led approaches to managing Land and Sea Country. The Centre expects to make a legacy contribution by developing complementary Indigenous and Western knowledge frameworks for modelling environmental, cultural, and historical change in Australia over the last millennium and into the near future. Expected outcomes focus on sustainable Indigenous land and sea management planning for future decades. Benefits include improved forecasting of the trajectory of environmental change, an increase in the capacity of Indigenous research, creation of a pipeline for Indigenous students into research, and evidence-based policy-making. Field of research: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History First Nations people have cared for Australia for over 65,000 years. Building on this history the Centre will bring Indigenous knowledges and Western science together to create better ways of managing the Australian environment and its heritage. It will tackle current challenges such as extreme weather events, climate change, and degraded lands. The Centre will study records of how people have managed landscapes to guide future land and sea policy making. Better management will save more species while protecting cultural heritage. New training and education initiatives will support Indigenous people across Australia. The Centre will engage with current Indigenous ranger and heritage programs through a new national network. Information from Indigenous land and sea management will guide planning. Current national environmental reports highlight the important role that Indigenous knowledge and practices must play in Australia. This Centre will demonstrate how the partnership of Indigenous knowledges and Western science can benefit modern Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Adaptation potential of Australia’s coral reefs to a changing climate. Oceans are changing. Coral reefs are wonders of high socio-economic value threatened by climate extremes. This project aims to identify reefs that support the most fundamental biological processes for ecosystem-scale resilience: dispersal, symbioses, and adaptation. To urgently prepare against extinction, this project expects to deliver ground-breaking estimates of coral evolution by integrating genomics and innovative disease models. Expected outcomes include the discovery of reefs that can survive extremes and repopulate other reefs, providing benefits in optimized capabilities to protect resilient and vulnerable reefs to sustain future ecosystem services and boosting Australia as a global leader in the conservation genomics revolution. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Australia’s World Heritage listed coral reefs hold immense economic and commercial value for fisheries, jobs, tourism, and the protection of coastal development. Hence, maintaining healthy reefs into the future is worth billions of dollars. Listed reefs are some of the most environmentally significant and unique places on Earth; only awarded to locations of outstanding universal socio-cultural and biological value for humanity. Warming from climate change poses significant risks to coral health and 90% of reefs could be lost by 2050. This project will integrate novel and state-of-the-art methods in genetics, animal movement, and disease modelling to provide new knowledge on the speed at which corals may adapt to warming. By identifying resilient and vulnerable reefs, it will support urgently needed, but currently lacking, climate change risk-management strategies for reefs. These outcomes will improve the effectiveness of conservation protection and management of nationally and globally significant reefs to ready them for climate change impacts.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

How does morality influence adaptation to climate change? This project aims to understand how morality influences adaptation to climate change in the Great Barrier Reef region. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the critical area of climate change adaptation, using an interdisciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include empirical insights into the connection between morality and adaptation, international collaborations, theory development, and refined methods to help identify leverage points for incorporating morality into climate change decision-making. This should provide significant benefits, including a basis for policy-making in Australia and globally, that supports effective and just adaptation to climate change in ways that sustain livelihoods and respect local values. Field of research: 4406 - Human Geography Climate change poses significant challenges to Australia’s economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and community wellbeing. Developing climate change policy that is fair and acceptable for communities is an issue of national importance. This project will generate new knowledge on how people’s morality (beliefs and values about the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to behave) helps or hinders their ability to adapt to climate change. Through community engagement, including workshops and interviews, the project will deliver practical strategies for incorporating morality into decision-making by policy-makers and local and regional governments in the Great Barrier Reef region. Ensuring that policies align with local moral values, the project will assist governments, industries, and communities to identify ineffective options and avoid conflict, saving time and money. In the long term, the application of strategies developed through the project will contribute to stronger and fairer decision making for communities and sectors at the forefront of climate change challenges.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Navigating the Carceral Interface. This project acknowledges the overrepresentation of young Indigenous people in child protection and incarceration rates. It aims to address the gap in knowledge of how young Indigenous people experience the carceral system and document how Indigenous community organisations support and provide vital contributions to building safer more supportive communities, which is one of the targets of the Closing the Gap policy framework. This project will develop a theoretical model of a trauma- and culturally-informed response to improving experiences of young Indigenous people between the ages of 10–24 who come into contact with the carceral system, transferring the knowledge gained from the research back to Indigenous communities. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services This project addresses one of the key policy challenges for Australian governments. The recent refresh of the Closing the Gap policy (2020), acknowledges government failure to tackle Indigenous inequity across multiple sectors. Many of the new targets in the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap, are pertinent to this project: targets 5 & 6 - children’s educational achievements; targets 10,11,12 on overrepresentation of adults and children in the criminal justice and child protection systems. This Indigenous led project responds to an urgent need, it critically addresses structural disadvantage in relation to these issues and applies a community-based model, that blends Indigenous research methodologies with western research approaches by flipping the pyramid of power to provide solutions, suggested by young Indigenous people, for young Indigenous people. It is vital to the broader Indigenous and Australian community, to better understand how young Indigenous people navigate these systems, and identify what is required to ensure they are supported as they continue to engage with these systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Future proofing and restoring Australia’s tropical seagrasses . This project aims to develop and apply a comprehensive framework for restoration of Australian tropical seagrasses using innovative approaches and partnerships. The project expects to provide coastal managers with tools to mitigate and restore seagrass to minimise effects of climate and development related loss, protecting ecosystem services measured in hundreds of millions of dollars. Expected outcomes include new techniques for tropical seagrass restoration, a blueprint for seagrass friendly marine infrastructure, and restoration decision tools applied at local and regional scales. This will provide significant benefits by protecting seagrass ecosystem services and place Australia at the forefront of global seagrass restoration efforts. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Australia’s coastal communities depend on healthy seagrass meadows to support fisheries, provide food for dugong and turtles and mitigate the impacts of climate change by protecting coasts and storing carbon. In the tropics, seagrasses face losses from coastal development and climate extremes, yet to date, we lack critical knowledge on how to propagate, grow and restore the diverse range of tropical species. This project will develop and apply new techniques for tropical seagrass restoration and deliver a blueprint for seagrass friendly infrastructure for tropical Australia. Application of the project tools through inclusion of coastal managers, industry and government as project partners, as well as a publicly available seagrass restoration information portal, will provide a clear pathway to adoption. By addressing and reversing losses of tropical seagrasses this project will contribute to protection of seagrasses and their related ecosystem services worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the Australian economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Breeding super black soldier flies at scale for sustainable food production. This project aims to address the current challenges impeding the industrial scale-up of Australian Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming across diverse feed waste substrates by generating critical on-farm knowledge. This project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in commercial BSF breeding designs whilst also developing and testing new animal evaluation technologies (ie, genetic & spectroscopy) through interdisciplinary approaches that will accelerate industry productivity. Expected outcomes of this project include the long-term growth and competitive advantage of the Australian insect farming industry, as well as promoting the benefits of a circular economy through bioconversion of organic waste into commercially viable products. Field of research: 0702 - Animal Production Proteins (fishmeal, soybean) are major components of livestock and aquaculture feeds, but these proteins are unsustainable long term due to diminishing natural resources. Globally, farming of insects are seen as a sustainable replacement protein source for these feeds. Due to high protein content, rapid lifecycle and consumption of readily available organic waste, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae is the ideal candidate to replace traditional animal feed protein. BSF larvae farming is the most promising Australian insect industry for feed replacement and has potential for expansion. Significant challenges must be overcome for BSF larvae farming to thrive at a commercial level, including development of improved genetic lines for BSF, as in traditional agricultural species. This project will undertake selective breeding addressing the genetic challenges of BSF farming that have prevented industrial scale up of larvae production. We will work with farmers and industry to transition from unsustainable livestock feed protein sources and create through an advanced breeding program a high-value protein ingredient.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Novel governance for marine ecosystems in rapid transition. This project will develop the governance knowledge required to manage rapidly changing marine ecosystems. Australia has the third largest marine estate globally, and its ecosystems support critical economic and sociocultural values. However, human pressures are tipping marine ecosystems into alternate states, inspiring new interventions to sustain industries and communities. New interventions necessitate transitions in governance. Expected outcomes include a comparative understanding of novel marine interventions now underway globally, and practical guidance on how to diagnose and implement responsible marine governance. Significant benefits include enhanced governance and sustainability of Australian and international marine ecosystems. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Australia has the third largest marine estate in the world, and its marine ecosystems support critical industries and sociocultural values. The rapid rate of marine change requires similar transitions in governance: to realise new opportunities, meet escalating demands, and manage risks and unintended consequences. This project aims to produce new knowledge about how to sustain marine ecosystems into the future, by developing guidance for new fit-for-purpose governance informed by evidence from novel marine management interventions. The guidance will assist government, policy-makers, industry and scientists to develop new laws, norms, policies and protocols that more effectively and responsibly sustain valuable marine resources and ecosystem services across Australia, and which can be adapted to diverse jurisdictions at international, national, and subnational scales.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Non-equilibrium presolvation electron processes at the gas-liquid interface. The interaction of low-temperature plasma electrons with liquids has served as a reducing agent in various technological applications in water treatment, agriculture, biofuels and medicine. Predictive control of the plasma-liquid interface is essential to unlocking the potential of these applications, and this has been limited by the absence of the relevant non-equilibrium transport theory describing electrons at the plasma-liquid interface together with fundamental data describing electron interactions with liquids. The project will develop a state of the art presolvation electron transport model informed by world first measurements of electron cross-sections for radicals and liquids and apply it to model plasma electrochemistry processes. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics The interaction of low-temperature plasmas (ionised gases) with liquids is fundamental to a number of technological applications including water treatment, agriculture production, biofuel production and medicine (including apoptosis of cancer, sterilisation, cell-signalling). These applications have the potential to benefit Australian communities through improved health, energy and food security among others. This project will provide the fundamental information for improving predictive models for low-temperature plasma-liquid systems to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of these technologies. In addition it provides the opportunity to leverage Australia’s unique and leading capabilities in modelling non-equilibrium electron transport processes and measuring electron scattering properties to contribute to science underpinning these emerging technologies. It will also enable Australia to participate in, and derive benefits from an internationally important research program with significant international collaborations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Hidden histories in teeth: The key to unlocking secrets in ancient Myanmar. The aim of this project is to examine isotopes in the teeth of individuals from three sites in prehistoric central Myanmar to examine diet, the movement and migration of people, and potential patterns in post-marital residence, which are all intricately linked. Built on a strong conceptual framework this project seeks to generate new information in the field of archaeological science. The research outcomes of this project will expand our current archaeological knowledge of this focal but under-researched area, which will be of particular benefit in understanding Myanmar in relation to surrounding regions and the wider Southeast Asian context, and in fostering continued collegiality and collaboration with Myanmar scholars and communities. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology This research contributes to Australia’s national interest through its potential to provide social benefits to the Australian community. The application of the techniques utilised in this project would have significant benefits in the field of contemporary forensics in Australia. Examining different isotopes in the teeth can provide information about where an individual was born, and what their diet was. This information can assist identifying people, and would be valuable in historical cold cases where other avenues of investigation were unsuccessful, or in investigations of fallen Australian soldiers from the world wars, whom are often difficult to identify or differentiate from non-Australians if there are no personal artefacts associated with them.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

10,000 years of Indigenous fisheries informs future Great Barrier Reef. This project aims to document the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in shaping the fish resources of the Great Barrier Reef over millennia. Using novel analyses of archaeological faunal remains, this project expects to generate new knowledge on how people’s actions transformed marine systems and modified fish communities. Expected outcomes include establishing pre-European baseline data essential for managing contemporary fish populations, and a long-term perspective on human exploitation of a dynamic Great Barrier Reef. Benefits include a framework for integrating Indigenous fisheries management into conservation agendas and foregrounding the deep human history of the Reef to support future social-ecological resilience. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology This project will generate comprehensive archaeological records of the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in shaping the distribution and abundance of fish communities across the Great Barrier Reef. This project aims to assess human-coral reef interaction over thousands of years and emphasise the deep Indigenous history of the Great Barrier Reef and the importance of these connections to Country for supporting the future outlook of the region for all Australians. This proposed research program is expected to provide long-term baseline data essential for managing contemporary fish populations, strengthen knowledge of Australia’s cultural heritage, and enhance research networks to support ongoing research on human-environment interaction. In doing so, this project addresses key research priorities in Australia’s National Marine Science Plan and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Science Strategy, which benefits the >$6 billion per year fisheries and tourism industries and stakeholders that rely on future reef health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Pyrogenic carbon sequestration in Australian soils. Pyrogenic Carbon ('charcoal') is a poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle, important because it is resistant to degradation and hence has potential soil carbon sequestration benefits. This project applies a new technique (hydrogen pyrolysis), in combination with spectroscopic techniques, to quantify charcoal in a pan-Australian soil sample set, collected using uniform stratified sampling and preparation protocols. This will enable the mapping of soil charcoal stocks in relation to environmental and soil variables across Australia. The results will enable understanding of the controls on charcoal sequestration potential in Australian soils and contribute to efforts to quantify soil charcoal stocks and dynamics globally. Field of research: 0503 - Soil Sciences Australia is the most flammable continent on earth, clearly demonstrated by the bushfire disaster of this summer. Pyrogenic Carbon ('charcoal') is produced in bushfires and is important because, once formed, charcoal persists in soils and sediments for hundreds to thousands of years. This represents long-term carbon capture, which reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide. Most Australian soils contain some charcoal, some contain a lot. This project will use novel new techniques, developed in Australia to, for the first time, measure and map charcoal in Australian soils at the continental scale. Using this data we will uncover the environmental and soil factors that control charcoal abundance. This is important because we can then look for opportunities to increase charcoal in soils, and thereby opportunities to store more carbon in the soil. For example, potential opportunities exist to increase charcoal in soils in northern Australia across the very large savanna areas that burn naturally every year. Increasing soil carbon and reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide in the process is clearly in the national interest.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Striking Gold - Determining the genetics of gold skin colour in barramundi. Barramundi is one of Australia’s finest eating table fish and the species is gaining global prominence. However, fillet flesh colour of Australian farmed barramundi exhibit greyish tones which lowers consumer acceptance compared to other white flesh fish and imported product. Barramundi with rare golden skin tones do not exhibit this flesh "greyness" and are therefore a valuable niche product to farm if they can be produced in larger numbers. This project will elucidate the genetic basis and mechanism of expression behind the golden barramundi phenotype. In doing so, it will enable barramundi farmers to produce them at commercially relevant scales, providing them with a substantial competitive advantage in both domestic and global markets. Field of research: 0704 - Fisheries Sciences This project addresses an important issue the Australian farmed barramundi industry faces when their product is sold alongside imported fish products - namely "greying" in the fillet flesh. Whilst harmless, this grey tint has negative consumer attributes against often bleached imported product reducing the market opportunity for farmers to sell their produce. The skin coloration of barramundi is naturally silver-black, however, a rare golden colour variant is occasionally observed in hatchery batches. Barramundi with this golden colouration do not exhibit greying in the flesh and thus development and farming of a high-value “niche” golden barramundi strain is commercially attractive for the Australian industry to differentiate and compete against imported fish products. Project outcomes will create a new high-value domestic and import-ready Australian farmed product and help the barramundi industry to compete with inferior imported produce facilitating industry expansion in regional areas, increased employment opportunities and placing Australia at the forefront of genetics when applied to aquaculture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

ARC Research Hub for Supercharging Tropical Aquaculture Through Genetic Solutions. This project will deliver the genetic knowledge to instigate world-leading and highly productive breeding programs for five tropical aquaculture species (barramundi, pearl oyster, prawn, grouper and marine algae) in northern Australia. It will integrate cutting edge genetic and genomic approaches into innovative aquaculture enterprises and will establish a novel understanding of the genetic basis of disease resistance and how the production environment interfaces with the bacterial microbiome, pathogens and water quality to cause disease. Outcomes will lead to increased productivity, international competitiveness, and lowered disease risk and significantly expand Australia's capacity in the aquaculture sector. Field of research: 0704 - Fisheries Sciences This project will address a current deficiency in the northern Australian aquaculture sector related to the farming of genetically improved animals and seaweeds that have been selected for higher productivity and disease tolerance, thereby lowering per unit production costs and the risk of farming due to disease threats. Successful outcomes from the project will significantly increase the productivity and environmental sustainability of northern Australian aquaculture and lead to higher economic viability likely to translate into increasing employment and socioeconomic benefits to regional communities. Increased efficiency through the integration of genetic approaches will improve the international competitiveness of Australian aquaculture in the face of imports, delivering more home-grown product into the domestic market, while lowered risk due to threat of disease will drive investment confidence into the sector.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Bolstering conservation outcomes by integrating human behavioural science. This project aims to determine how fisheries compliance can be improved with behavioural interventions. Poaching is the most tenacious problem hindering sustainable fisheries worldwide, yet efforts to reduce non-compliance often fail due to limited understanding of how to influence behaviour. This project will draw on key theories and methods from behavioural science to empirically assess how social norms interventions influence fisher compliance in a range of coral reef fisheries. This will significantly improve our understanding of how to lever psychological, social, and cultural dimensions to reduce poaching. Ultimately, this project will contribute practical guidance to influence behaviours in fisheries and other environmental contexts. Field of research: 0704 - Fisheries Sciences Poaching, or illegal fishing, regularly negates the effectiveness of the world’s marine protected areas. For example, illegal fishing has consistently been identified in the last decade as a significant threat to Australia's World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Reducing poaching is therefore of critical importance both in Australia and in strategic, regional partner countries such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. This project will use innovative research to assess how social norms-based behavioural interventions can influence fishers’ compliance behaviours. These insights will increase our understanding, and subsequent ability, to influence human behaviour in fisheries and other contexts such as environmental crime. More broadly, this knowledge and practical guidance will be directly applicable to reducing other illegal behaviours currently impacting Australia’s environment, such as illegal dumping, littering and unauthorised land clearing.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Fair conservation: pathways to equitable and effective protected areas. This project aims to determine the conditions under which coral reef protected areas are likely to be considered fair by local stakeholders and how perceived fairness is related to cooperation with management. With protected areas set to cover 30% of the world’s surface by 2030, addressing the understudied question of what constitutes fairness for stakeholders is of pressing importance. This project will conduct the first multi-country comparative analysis of perceived protected area fairness, the factors that shape those perceptions and their implications for cooperation with management. Project outcomes include enhanced capacity to plan for and inform effective protected areas that are considered fair by the people most affected by them. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography Equitable management of protected areas is a requirement stipulated in international conservation agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which Australia is Party. Fair conservation is not only an ethical imperative, but is recognised as instrumental to achieving conservation because perceived unfairness can foster conflict and undermine stakeholders’ support, cooperation and compliance. But, understanding of what constitutes protected area fairness for stakeholders is lacking. This project aims to determine the conditions under which coral reef protected areas are considered fair by local stakeholders and how perceived fairness affects cooperation with management. The research will be carried out in Fiji, Indonesia and Australia (Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef). Project outcomes will provide direct guidance to managers on how to implement effective protected areas that are considered fair by the people most affected by them, which will help Australia meet its international commitments and ultimately, contribute to combating the rapid loss of coral reefs in our region.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Linking continental emergence and climatic evolution on the Early Earth. This project will use a range of innovative geochemical techniques to constrain the timing and extent to which the continents were emergent (above sea-level) throughout Earth’s history and its impact on climatic evolution. Continental emergence was pivotal to the development of our habitable planet, as it controlled the influx of bioessential elements, like phosphorus, to the oceans. Expected outcomes include a detailed record of changes in ocean chemistry, and a time integrated model for the emergence of continents on the early Earth. Documenting the impact of changes in the solid Earth on evolution is not only of interest to society in general, but also contributes to understanding the formation of Australia’s vast iron ore deposits. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry There is no more fundamental issue than to understand Earth’s history and how it has evolved to form the habitable environment we rely on. This project will provide new insights into the conditions on planet Earth during the emergence of complex life. The development of life had a fundamental effect on the redistribution and oxidation of metals in the environment, thus indirectly this project will also lead to a better understanding of why abundant iron-manganese ore deposits formed around this time. This project is based around the development and application of novel isotope techniques. Investing in analytical development like this could open the door on solutions for a diverse range of problems in the future, for example, characterising ore bodies for mineral exploration, or fingerprinting pollutants in environmental studies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Advancing genomic-driven infectious diseases modelling. Emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance are among the greatest threats to Australian health and agriculture, and current surveillance tools may fail to detect and mitigate infectious disease outbreaks in real time. This project will develop advanced phylodynamic methods (i.e., mathematical models of infectious disease transmission and pathogen evolution) to enable real-time surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks as they emerge and monitor levels of drug resistance. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics From public health through to agriculture, Australian industries are increasingly turning to genetic sequencing to improve their preparedness and response efforts to emerging infectious diseases. The modelling methods and tools developed in my project will help facilitate real-time tracking of infectious diseases and enable rapid responses to ongoing and emerging outbreaks in plant, animal and human species. The early identification of transmission clusters will allow for targeted and efficient response efforts that promise to decrease costs associated with outbreak control. These tools can also be used to monitor rises in drug resistance and outbreak strains of critical diseases, flagging outbreaks, detecting changes in geographic reach and changes in transmission patterns. Moreover, by allowing rapid and precise public health intervention and rapid assessment of response, my project addresses precisely the activity that was viewed as under-developed by the recent WHO health security assessment of Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Speaking Hmong in diaspora: language contact, resilience, and change. The project aims to investigate the how the Hmong language survives in the diaspora, with special focus on how the language transforms itself depending on the environment it finds itself in. We focus on the structure and maintenance of Hmong within the immigrant community in North Queensland across several generations of speakers, within the context of multilingual repertoires involving Australian English and Lao. The outcomes will reveal the processes and results of language change such as the emergence of a new blend of Green and White Hmong. The project will provide significant benefits for the maintenance of diasporic Hmong within a larger context of multilingual immigrant communities. Field of research: 2004 - Linguistics Australia is a highly multilingual and multicultural country, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages across the nation. The Hmong constitute a closely-knit linguistically diverse community of relatively recent refugees from Laos and of their descendants. Due to the pressure from English, Hmong is no longer acquired by younger generations in its full form. Comprehensive documentation of Hmong and the cultural knowledge embedded in the language will bring social and cultural benefits to the community and to the nation, enhancing cultural and linguistic diversity, cross-cultural understanding and generational continuity. A systematic investigation of a new variety of Hmong developed in North Queensland and of the language across Australia, its comparison with the diasporic Hmong in the USA, and in their south-east Asian homelands will boost the well-being and identity of the Hmong, creating a model for other refugee communities. It will enhance cross-cultural communication within Australia and world-wide, fortifying social and economic links with south-east Asia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Integrating climate adaptation into rainforest restoration plantings. This project aims to investigate the impact of within species adaptation to climate on restoratoin success in the Australian Wet Tropics. For a suite of six species of tropical tree frequently employed in rainforest restoration plantings in northeast Queensland, this project aims to test the hypothesis that collecting seed from populations in similar ecoclimatic settings to the planting site will result in superior seedling growth and survival. The expected outcome is to provide practical advice to restoration practitioners about the importance of matching the provenance of seed source to planting sites, and opportunities for selecting provenances pre-adapted to predicted future climatic conditions at planting sites. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications This project will provide an evidence base to underpin decision making about seed source provenancing in restoration plantings in the Australian Wet Tropics. Researchers will work closely with restoration practitioners to ensure end-user uptake of the knowledge that is generated. This will provide significant benefits to society by improving the efficacy of reforestation efforts and by ensuring that the most appropriate provenances can be deployed to create self-sustaining forests for the future. The rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics are highly valued for biodiversity and conservation, and returning degraded lands to rainforest through successful restoration will significantly enrich the Australian forest estate.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Exploring eco-evolutionary dynamics to predict the future of coral reefs. This project aims to predict the future of coral reefs in the rapidly changing climate of the Anthropocene by integrating state-of-the-art population genomics with evolutionary and ecological modelling. The project expects to describe pathways of genetic and non-genetic adaptation; and the strength and direction of connectivity of warm vs cold adapted coral populations - united in an eco-evolutionary framework. Expected outcomes address critical gaps in data and methodology that currently hinder our ability to reliably model the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of one of the most biologically diverse, socially and economically valuable and climatically vulnerable ecosystems of our planet, contributing to their science-based management. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Characterisation of avian circovirus protein complexes. This project aims to better understand how the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is assembled. The virus affects Australian native birds, which are currently endangered or critically endangered and has the potential to disrupt native ecosystems. By using interdisciplinary research, this project will generate fundamental knowledge by which BFDV protein complexes are formed. The intended outcomes of the project include the identification of key binding interfaces involved in viral formation processes. This information intends to guide cost-effective delivery of potential anti-viral options or vaccines for endangered Australian native parrots, and for use as a model to target other pathogenic DNA viruses of interest. Field of research: 0707 - Veterinary Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The role of drought-stress and insect attack on rainforest plant health. This project aims to examine the vulnerability of tropical plants to drought and insect attack in a large-scale field experiment. We will pioneer a new research approach that focuses on the causes and stages of decline in plant health prior to death, in order to identify the characteristics of plant species that make them more susceptible to drought and insect attack. Expected outcomes of this project include an improved capacity to predict the function and composition of future forests. This project will provide significant benefits to communities concerned with the direct and indirect effects of droughts in protected areas, forestry reserves and agriculture. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications Drought is one of the most serious threats to the integrity of Australia’s forests and human landscapes. The benefits from this project include a greater understanding of plant vulnerabilities to environmental and insect threats provoked by droughts. Understanding these threats will improve our ability to manage ecosystems and hedge against these risks proactively. From an environmental perspective, Australia’s rainforests are irreplaceable, providing unparalleled biodiversity and a great source of national pride. Their direct value for tourism is estimated at ~$500 million per year, and their cultural importance to the Indigenous peoples of the Wet Tropics is immeasurable. Managing these forests for future generations is in the nation’s interest.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Acoustics for Large Scale Biodiversity Assessment. Aims: This project will investigate using automated acoustic recording to efficiently census biodiversity assessment at a continental scale. Significance: To generate new techniques for analysing environmental acoustic data and assessing Australian biodiversity, verified empirical estimates of biodiversity, an understanding of causes of variation in biodiversity. Expected outcomes: methods for large-scale and accurate assessment of biodiversity, enhanced capacity to detect causes of variation in biodiversity, open-source software tools for analysing environmental audio data, biodiversity datasets. Benefits: measuring and understanding biodiversity change, allowing enhanced management, conservation, and use of Australian natural resources. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Humans rely on nature for food, water and wellbeing; yet the most basic measurement of nature, biodiversity, is prohibitively expensive to quantify using traditional manual survey methods. Measuring biodiversity is particularly important for a large, fragile, mega-diverse, yet sparsely populated continent like Australia. We will research the use of acoustic recordings for large-scale biodiversity surveys of vertebrates, by automatically listening to nature. We will develop new acoustic analysis techniques to recognise vocal species, including threatened, common, and invasive species. We will compare acoustic biodiversity assessments with manual surveys and predictive models of animal presence, to understand how well acoustics will inventory animals, and to understand variation in biodiversity over different areas of Australia. We will leverage our new infrastructure, the Australian Acoustic Observatory, to collect data, and in a world’s first, assess and understand how biodiversity varies across Australia. This will benefit Australia by providing otherwise unavailable information on biodiversity variation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Understanding and improving rare earth corrosion inhibitors. This project aims to investigate rare earth corrosion inhibitors by an interdisciplinary program of chemistry and materials science. The project will generate new knowledge as to how rare earth corrosion inhibitors function and can be improved. Expected outcomes include a better understanding of inhibitor induced protective films and improved inhibitors. Significant benefits are eventually better protection of infrastructure from corrosion with greener inhibitors and a new bulk use for rare earths to aid Australia’s emerging rare earth industry. Field of research: 0302 - Inorganic Chemistry Corrosion of steel infrastructure, bridges, water cooling towers, car radiators, oil and gas pipelines, and in shipping and aviation is a persistent and expensive (billions of dollars) problem that can lead to catastrophic failure. Use of chemical corrosion inhibitors represents a method to reduce the impact. Rare earth inhibitors which have proven anti-corrosion properties and are relatively environmentally friendly are a potential solution. This project aims to understand their role by a comprehensive examination of the nature and function of the protective film formed by the inhibitors on steel surfaces. From this understanding and knowledge of the structure/activity of current inhibitors. Improved inhibitors will be prepared, characterized and tested leading to the ultimate outcome of reduced corrosion, preserved infrastructure, and considerable economic benefit. As Australia has extensive rare earth resources, this potential bulk use will greatly advance Australia' s emerging rare earth industry.