UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Extremal combinatorics meets finite geometry. This project aims to investigate important open problems lying at the intersection of two areas of mathematics, extremal combinatorics and finite geometry. The project will focus on the area of discrete mathematics, which has been at the centre of some of recent developments in mathematics and computer science. This project proposes new methods, derived from algebra, geometry and computer science, to tackle important extremal problems in finite geometry. The project will provide answers to a number of open problems in extremal combinatorics and finite geometry. Moreover, new methods will be developed which will have an interdisciplinary impact. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Regime shifts from kelp forests to turfs: drivers, resilience and future. This project aims to apply a comparative experimental and analytical approach to quantify linkages among multiple stressors driving kelp forest loss and expansion of turfs across three continents. Transformations of kelp forests to turf reefs are associated with a profound loss of ecological productivity and function, with significant impacts for societies reliant on the biodiversity and functioning of kelp ecosystems. Field and laboratory experiments will be used to develop and test ‘green gravel’, a novel restoration tool that aims to overcome reinforcing feedbacks (lack spores and hard substrate) preventing recovery of kelp forests. This will provide significant benefits by identifying solutions to address loss of kelp forests in Australia and globally. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Transition to turbulence in the wake of a circular cylinder. This project aims to investigate the flow transition from laminar to turbulent in the wake of a circular cylinder subjected to steady current. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the complicated flow behaviours and physical mechanisms for flow transition to turbulence through advanced numerical modelling. Expected outcomes include a physical understanding of the flow evolution to turbulence, as well as an understanding of the laminar and turbulent flow characteristics and the suppression of turbulence in the context of flow control. The knowledge generated will be applicable to improved design and safe operations of the sub-sea transmission and communication cables used in the offshore oil and gas industry and the emerging offshore renewable energy industry. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Unlocking lab-to-field scaling in design for floating offshore structures. This project aims to develop rigorous, physics-based models to accurately predict hydrodynamics of floating offshore structures at different scales. The project will address the issue between laboratory-to-field scaling, a fundamental problem in fluid dynamics. This outcome will be achieved through the integration of numerical technology, with physical modelling and field data acquisition. The outputs from this project will reduce risks and improve operability of existing offshore structures, and lead to more efficient design for potential floating offshore projects. This will benefit the whole community of floating offshore structures and cement Australia’s place as a pioneer in offshore industry and emerging renewable energy sector. Field of research: 0911 - Maritime Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Game changing anchoring solution for Australia’s deep water gas development. This Fellowship aims to establish a novel dynamically installed anchor shape for economic and safer mooring of floating gas drilling platforms in Australia’s deep water calcareous seabed. The novel anchor pairing with the advanced floating platforms are expected to allow for unlocking Australia’s 50% gas reserves that are considered to be stranded. This Fellowship expects to extend a sophisticated numerical analysis technique and a soil constitutive model, and use field testing in the Swan River and centrifuge modelling for extensive investigation on the novel anchor shape, leading to calculation methods for assessing the anchor embedment during dynamic installation and capacity under operational monotonic and cyclic loadings. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Unravelling Corporate Fraud: re-purposing ancient laws for modern times. This project aims to reform the ancient laws of common law and equitable fraud that underpin commercial regulation in Australia. These laws are vital to supporting a fair and efficient economy but have failed to evolve to address the rise of corporate actors. Drawing upon a collaborative network of experts, the project intends to develop models of liability that address and overcome the existing ‘state of mind’ and ‘attribution’ hurdles to holding corporations liable for fraudulent conduct. The intended outcome is a road map for comprehensive judicial and legislative law reform, which should offer significant legal, economic and social benefits by supporting more just, effective and efficient regulation of corporate fraud. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Minimal surfaces, free boundaries and partial differential equations. This project enhances Australia as a world leader in the field of mathematical analysis, focusing on regularity and qualitative properties of solutions of partial differential equations and nonlocal problems, and solving very challenging research questions in a key strategic area of international science. The broad applicability of the results constitutes a very fertile ground for cross-disciplinary interactions with scientists of other disciplines. A new research team based in Western Australia will be founded, connecting world leaders and talented early career researchers, providing an ideal training environment for students and PostDocs, offering an excellent image of the scientific community and developing strategic fields of knowledge. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

High throughput Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility. This project aims to establish a new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy facility to support high-throughput compound identification The facility will re-establish the cutting-edge capabilities of Western Australia’s NMR facilities, which will support research across diverse regional priorities including energy and minerals, ecology, evolution and the environment and medicine and health. This facility will enable testing of larger sample numbers in smaller quantities and support research in emerging areas, such as the study of drugs, new materials and soils. It is also expected to open up new opportunities in areas such as metabolomics and oil and gas processing, and expand capacity to meet the increasing demand. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural)

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Tackling facial prejudice. This project aims to investigate individual differences in facial prejudice, a powerful psychological bias whereby people rely on inaccurate first impressions to guide key decisions, such as whom to trust. Utilising recent advances in electrophysiology, the project will develop a new neural marker of individual differences in facial impressions that lead to prejudice. The project expects to lead to insights into the link between visual perception and social behaviour, and to develop strategies to reduce facial prejudice given the pervasive influence it has on everyday life. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Using shape change for object perception: human and artificial vision. This project aims to examine the steps taken by the visual system to code the shape of objects, including those that change shape over time. The project seeks to employ experiments assessing human vision and machine learning techniques to examine these codes and, in particular, focus on the advantages of a system that exaggerates shape change over time. Expected outcomes include an improved shape code based on superior human performance that can have many applications in automated visual systems. This project can directly benefit the animation industries where the creation of realistic movement of humans and animals remains a computationally intensive challenge. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

How human vision separately determines object and scene motion. This project aims to enhance understanding of how people process visual scenes containing multiple moving objects of interest. The project intends to measure human visual performance to determine how the brain processes multiple motion signals simultaneously. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of how we are able to use an evolving visual scene to distinguish between changes due to self-motion and those due to the motion of multiple moving objects such as crowded city footpaths and busy roads. The results will improve our understanding of failures to see moving objects in challenging viewing conditions (for example, high density traffic), and inform work in the design of autonomous driving and augmented reality display systems. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Defense against adversarial attacks on deep learning in computer vision. Computer vision applications rely heavily on deep learning, which is highly vulnerable to being fooled by adding subtle perturbations to object/image textures that are imperceptible to humans. This project aims to develop defense mechanisms to detect and remove adversarial patterns from the input images. The project expects to advance knowledge in understanding the vulnerabilities of deep learning, and to design deep learning architectures that are inherently robust. The outcomes of this project will increase the security and reliability of computer vision by detecting, reporting and nullifying such attacks and will benefit the general public and industry on many fronts. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Banded iron formations: life, oxygen and ocean chemistry. This project aims to investigate the co-evolution of life and environments during Earth’s first two billion years using iron-rich chemical sediments deposited from global oceans. The project expects to generate knowledge of Earth’s transition into a planet habitable for complex life by combining nanoscale characterisation techniques, with laboratory experiments and theoretical modelling. Expected outcomes include transformative ideas about the role of life in iron and phosphorus cycles, the chemistry of the early ocean, ancient biological productivity, the antiquity of oxygenic photosynthesis and the rise of oxygen. The project will also deliver new conceptual models for the formation of the host-rocks for most of the world’s iron resources, improving how we explore for iron in the Earth’s crust. This should provide benefits to understanding geobiology on Earth and other planets. Field of research: 0403 - Geology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Putting new herbicide targets on the table. This project aims to discover plant processes and plant proteins that can be the target for new herbicides. Australia's food security is being threatened by a rise in resistance to herbicides, the chemicals relied on to control weeds. In over 20 years a truly new herbicide has not appeared. This project aims to provide validated new targets to engage agrochemical industry and accelerate the rate farmers get tools to manage problematic weeds, the major yield penalty for both developed and developing world agriculture. The project expects enable effective collaboration with industry to develop new herbicides. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Graph symmetry and simple groups. This project aims to use knowledge of finite simple groups to tackle problems in graph symmetry. The symmetry of an object is encoded by a group, and this allows tools from algebra to be used to study graphs. The main impact will be in areas of pure mathematics such as graph theory and group theory by obtaining new classifications and constructions. Expected outcomes include providing new constructions and classifications of highly symmetric graphs, and an improved knowledge and understanding of local symmetries for graphs of higher valencies so that they become as well understood as the valency three case. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Next generation gas separations via innovative adsorption technologies. This project aims to develop new gas separation technologies that combine novel materials and pressure swing adsorption cycles to deliver inexpensive industrial processes capable of both high recovery and high purity products. The project will advance our ability to manipulate the phenomenon of regulated guest admission into microporous materials, and integrate such materials within new types of dual-reflux adsorption cycles that deliver multiple refined gas products. Successful implementation of these industrial developments will increase Australia's access to cheap supplies of natural gas, encourage the broader use of biomass, lower the carbon emissions of industrial processes, and efficiently recover high-value compounds only present at trace concentrations. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Complexity of group algorithms and statistical fingerprints of groups. This project aims to shape the next generation of efficient randomised algorithms in the field of group theory, the mathematics of symmetry. Fundamental mathematics underpins modern technological tasks such as web searches, sorting and data compression. This project aims to determine characteristic statistical fingerprints of key building-block groups. These group statistics lead to much faster procedures to essentially factor huge groups into smaller building-block groups in a manner akin to factoring an integer into its prime factors. The anticipated goal is to include the outcomes in publicly available symbolic algebra computer packages. As the theory of symmetry has broad applications in the mathematical and physical sciences, there is the potential for far reaching benefits. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Turf Wars: fighting the new battle facing blue forests. This project aims to use ecological models and field experiments to uncover drivers and critical thresholds for turf expansion. Habitat loss is a leading threat to goods and services from the oceans. Globally, kelp forests are collapsing and being replaced by persistent unwanted algal ‘turfs’. Understanding of this habitat shift is rudimentary, and solutions to mitigate the impacts virtually non-existent. Through stress experiments and genomic analyses, this project aims to discover resilient kelps that promote forest persistence under stress. By expanding our understanding of critical habitat transitions, and exploring new solutions, this project aims to enhance our capacity to respond to the ongoing degradation of Australia’s Great Southern Reef. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Unlocking Australia's offshore gas endowment. This project aims to develop practical new methods of predicting and detecting the formation of solids in gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Australia has large offshore reserves of natural gas and has made the investments necessary to help fuel the global transition to cleaner, reliable energy sources. However, conventional engineering approaches of producing gas from deep-water reserves have reached the limits of viability because of the costs required to prevent solids forming in subsea pipelines or cryogenic LNG plants. The project’s expected outcome include sophisticated tools in open-access software based on these new predictive methods, and a step-change in Australia’s ability to access its offshore gas. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Developmental functions of oxygen and redox cues in plants. This project aims to transform our understanding of the regulation of meristem functions, with a central hypothesis that plant cell quiescence (repressed cell division) is governed by oxygen and oxidation/reduction (redox)-dependent cues. Meristems are the growing tips of plants, and thus the fundamental unit of plant growth and productivity. This project will develop new knowledge of how plants integrate changes in the environment to regulate meristem activity. This project will define new paradigms of how oxygen and redox status interact with energy and other cues to regulate decisions to grow or quiesce. This will underpin the development of new strategies to optimise crop management and productivity, improve the efficiency of inputs, and reduce the risk of decision making in crop production. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

An integrated molecular approach to human gene regulation. This proposal aims to reveal how the interaction of nuclear RNA and protein molecules control gene regulation in the face of cell stress. To understand how genetic variation leads to changes in the expression of genes, we need new insights into the fundamental principles underpinning complex gene regulatory systems. Building on the discovery of paraspeckles, novel gene regulatory structures, this project will yield insights into gene regulation that will help fill these knowledge gaps. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of RNA-mediated gene regulation, and will open up new research opportunities to target RNA based gene regulatory complexes. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Cryogenic pipelines to replace trestle for liquefied gas transfer terminals. This project aims to develop geotechnical design tools, software, and publish design guidelines, for engineers to lay and keep cryogenic pipelines stable on the seabed. Transferring liquefied natural gas between floating tankers and onshore plants conventionally relies on a pipeline on a trestle system. As an alternative, novel subsea cryogenic pipelines are being considered. By ensuring the stability of subsea cryogenic pipelines laid directly on the seabed, this project will provide significant benefits to Australia’s liquefied natural gas trade by unlocking substantial cost savings, and making this key export industry more competitive. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Restoring State income taxation in Australia. This project aims to investigate the many design and implementation issues that would need addressing if State income taxation was restored in Australia. This issue has been debated for many decades since the Commonwealth assumed responsibility for income tax collection in 1942 as a wartime measure. The project’s highly innovative approach will involve interdisciplinary and comparative research, involving Australia, Canada, and the United States and as well as an analysis of tax sharing arrangements in Germany. This project will contribute to understanding the policy issues associated with States access to revenue sources and provision of key social services. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Advancing gender equality through aid: Realising women's empowerment. This project aims to evaluate links between of aid programs and women’s empowerment in Southeast Asia. Women’s empowerment has gained substantial visibility as a global development objective, however progress has been slow. This project offers the first study of the political economy of the design, implementation and evaluation of aid programs for women's empowerment across development institutions, companies and NGOs. Exploring these dynamics is a key to understanding how aid initiatives can generate successful approaches to empowering women. The project will build on current practices to improve aid programming and place Australia at the forefront of donors’ efforts to advance gender equality. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Australian dark matter detector for high mass axions. This project aims to provide the necessary equipment to allow an Australian Dark Matter Axion Haloscope, with significantly increased sensitivity by providing a milliKelvin environment and a 14 T magnet to drive axion-to-photon conversions. Dark matter is a fundamental component of the universe yet the nature of its composition is still unknown. There is growing evidence that it is comprised of axions, a low energy, weakly interacting particle. The precision measurement tools developed by this project will have the potential to contribute both to the economy, via commercialisation, and to national security, via future applications to radar, communication and the development of engineered quantum systems. Field of research: 1005 - Communications Technologies