Queensland University of Technology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2017 · 2017-01

Nanoparticle driven templating of microspheres as chromatographic materials. This project aims to pioneer a novel, high-performing class of nano-patterned core-shell particles as chromatographic materials. It will use advanced polymerization and particle preparation techniques in combination with degradable nanoparticles design, to enable the plug-and-play assembly of chromatographic columns. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is one of the most important analytical techniques for polymer chemistry. The expected outcomes of this project are faster measurement times and the possibility of imaging molecular weight distributions at a new level of detail. This project could place Australia at the cutting edge of size-exclusion chromatography phase design in partnership with a leading manufacturer of stationary phases. Field of research: 0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2017 · 2017-01

Australian cultural and creative activity: A population and hotspot analysis. This project aims to grasp the contemporary dynamics of cultural and creative activity in Australia. It represents a major innovation, bringing together population-level and comparative studies of local cultural and creative activity. The comprehensive project will advance the integration of quantitative and qualitative research strategies, painting a complete national picture, while also exploring the factors that are producing local and regional creative hotspots. The project will deliver outputs such as reports and forums that are framed in close collaboration with partners in order to deliver outcomes such as better-targeted policy and program initiatives. This will provide national cultural and policy benefits from placing the creative sector in front of policy makers as a vital contributor to high growth, labour-intensive economic activity in the context of the Australian economy in transition. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

ARC Training Centre in Additive Biomanufacturing. ARC Training Centre in Additive Biomanufacturing. The training centre aims to bring together leading researchers and industry to develop and translate key technology platforms for personalised treatments of challenging medical conditions. The centre expects its research will lead to synergistic and innovative technologies needed for personalised therapies including: modular additive biomanufacturing platforms; advanced bio-inks for regenerative medicine; and additive manufactured tools for surgical planning and education. Highly experienced researchers and industry partners with teams of exceptional post-doctoral fellows and doctoral students would drive each technology. Anticipated impacts are that Australia will be a world-leader in additive biomanufacturing, and that the research will change the fields of science, health and biotechnology. Field of research: 0903 - Biomedical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. Preventing railway suicide: An open-systems perspective. This project aims to develop an automated suicide risk detection system to reduce the incidence and impact of railway suicide, which has a devastating effect on victims’ families, station staff, train drivers, emergency workers, and bystanders. This project will use open-systems theory to develop two complementary information systems for more effective detection and reporting of suicide risk; use these systems to investigate how different situational factors interact with different combinations of service interventions to influence suicide risk; and share the findings to reduce railway suicide in Australia and overseas. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. New information access technologies for people with intellectual disability. This project aims to co-design a social, interactive and visual internet search interface for people with intellectual disability. Enabling choice and independence is key to the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, but people with intellectual disability are effectively excluded from much of the Web. This project will investigate ways to access and provide information using technologies such as interactive avatars, virtual worlds and trusted social support. New interfaces will enable people with intellectual disability to inform themselves, make choices and foster their social inclusion. Expected outcomes are new search interface technology, a theoretical framework and new Web accessibility guidelines. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

In situ electron microscopy toward new materials and applications. In situ electron microscopy toward new materials and applications. This project aims to develop materials for structural and green energy applications, using spatially-resolved, dynamic in situ transmission electron microscopy to research fundamental mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical, optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties of diverse nanostructures. These techniques measure nanomaterial (one-dimensional nanotubes and nanowires and two-dimensional graphene-like nanosheets) response to external stimuli, including mechanical, electrical, optical and thermal stimuli. Anticipated outcomes are new ultralight and superstrong structural composites and ‘green-energy’ nanomaterials, such as solar cells, touch panels, batteries, supercapacitors, field-effect transistors, light sensors and displays. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Mathematical and computational models for agrichemical retention on plants. Mathematical and computational models for agrichemical retention on plants. This project aims to build interactive software that simulates agrichemical spraying for multiple virtual plants reconstructed from scanned data. Mathematical modelling and computer simulation could offer an alternative to expensive experimental programs for agrichemical spraying of plants. This project will use contemporary fluid mechanics to build practical mathematical models for droplet impaction, spreading and evaporation on leaf surfaces, and experimentally calibrate and validate the models. The software is expected to drive the development of agrichemical products that increase retention, minimise environmental impacts, and reduce costs for end-users. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Inducible hyper-expression as a tool for metabolic engineering. This project aims to develop methods to improve plant natural products yields and diversify the products manufactured from a wide array of plant species. Valuable plant metabolites, including chemotherapeutics and opiates, are usually synthesised in minute amounts and can be so complex they can’t be chemically manufactured, limiting their use and affordability. This project aims to develop an inducible system that confers hyper-elevated levels of gene expression and independent control of multiple genes involved in metabolite synthesis in the same host. This technology is expected to enable flexible multi-trait bio-factories to be developed. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. This project aims to develop a whole-of-life procurement decision-making framework so schools can make delivering better education more cost effective. This framework—which draws on state-of-the-art and Nobel prize-winning theories and a new theory the project will develop—will be used in government and private schools. The effectiveness of this framework in improving schools will be shown using a new approach to make school facilities deliver educational outcomes and account for their total production and transaction costs. This research is expected to deliver more efficient ways to future-proof schools to create a well performing school system and more resilient infrastructure vital to Australia’s future prosperity. Field of research: 1202 - Building

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Amplifying public value: Scholarly contributions’ impact on public debate. Amplifying public value: Scholarly contributions’ impact on public debate. This project aims to improve the international evidence base for the public impact and value of publicly funded scholarly research, using mixed-methods analysis. Publicly funded researchers and agencies are increasingly expected to provide more detailed and transparent information about how their research is publicly valuable, contributes to public debate, and forms opinions. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Establishing advanced networks for air quality sensing and analyses. Establishing advanced networks for air quality sensing and analyses. This project aims to develop innovative, cost-effective, high resolution air quality networks. Recent developments in sensor technologies improve the ability to harvest atmospheric data. This project will develop, validate and implement methods for high sensitivity atmospheric sensing and apply cutting-edge statistical and analytic techniques to the data sets, unprecedented in scope and resolution. Outcomes include an open access database to quantify and visualise intra-urban air pollution and human exposure and develop air quality maps and smoke pollution management tools. It is expected to advance the evidence-based management of air as a resource, increasing economic prosperity and enhancing human health and quality of life. Field of research: 0907 - Environmental Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Enabling diamond nanoelectronics with metal oxide induced surface doping. This project aims to use diamond for radio frequency power electronics. This builds on the investigator’s success in controlling diamond surface conductivity using transition metal oxides. Diamond is highly desirable for building high-power, high-frequency electronic devices, particularly for use in electrical power control/conversion and telecommunication. The lack of effective and stable doping methods has impeded the realisation of this prospect. This project expects the high performance and technically viable device technologies will enable diamond electronic devices for applications in telecommunications, radars and the next-generation electricity grid. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Journalism Beyond the Crisis: emerging forms, practices and uses. This project seeks to conduct a transnational comparative study designed to discover how journalism is changing as a cultural form, and the implications of this for political and cultural life. Journalistic culture in Australia is in transition, with significant implications for politics, culture and economic life. Change is affecting the forms of journalism available to Australian audiences; the ways in which, and by whom, journalism is produced; and the uses to which practitioners and citizens in general put journalistic content. Field of research: 1903 - Journalism and Professional Writing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Engineering electrochemical protein biosensors. This project plans to develop novel, sensitive, inexpensive and flexible electric biosensors to monitor potentially any molecule. It plans to use synthetic biology principles to develop a new class of artificial protein receptors that generate electric current upon encountering a molecular target. Using expertise in in vitro protein synthesis, the project plans to integrate biosensor design and electrode prototyping to achieve rapid development of low-cost broadly applicable sensory electrodes. To increase the sensitivity of the resulting sensing systems, the electrochemical receptors will be integrated with signal amplification cascades based on artificial autoinhibited proteases. The project aims to address the need for new technologies that enable collection of biological information outside of the laboratory environment. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Electronic coupling and nanoscale engineering of two-dimensional nanojunctions. This project aims to improve the design of photovoltaic, energy storage, and nanocatalytic devices by using quantum-size tuning, orientation control, strain engineering, and surface modification to manipulate the electronic coupling and charge transfer of two-dimensional nanojunctions. The limitations of and potential environmental damage from fossil-fuel-based energy resources have increased interest in renewable energy research. The expected outcomes are electron-scale understanding of the tuneable functionalisation of two-dimensional nanojunctions and the design of low-cost and high-efficiency renewable energy devices. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Regulating internet content through notice-and-takedown. This project is designed to create a set of principles to help governments, firms and civil society organisations to address harmful online content in more sophisticated ways. Such groups are increasingly seeking to influence the intermediaries that provide internet services to take more responsibility for content on their networks. Globally, these intermediaries receive millions of requests to remove content posted by users each month. This project seeks to understand how Australian and international intermediaries respond to takedown requests in three areas: copyright, defamation, and hate speech. It aims to create new knowledge about how intermediaries can be influenced to regulate internet content, and how due process and freedom of speech can be protected. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

New Photocatalysts for CO2 Reduction. The project aims to develop novel photocatalysts for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) to useful products using solar energy. Carbon dioxide (CO2) photoreduction is attracting growing attention because of its potential to mitigate CO2 emissions and convert the captured CO2 to chemical commodities. The project also plans to identify the photocatalytic mechanisms of the catalysts by investigating the reaction systems, such as the interface morphology, structure coherence and energy alignment of the component phases and reactant. Innovative technologies in the field of sunlight-driven photocatalysis have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural)

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Engaging Science Students Emotionally by Fostering Positive Social Bonds. To address the problem of student disaffection with junior school science, this project aims to identify characteristics of interpersonal relationships or social bonds between teachers and students, and students and peers, that influence classroom learning and emotional engagement with science. Increasing engagement in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is important for supporting Australia’s economic future. Facilitating positive social bonds in science classrooms is likely to improve student engagement. Outcomes from the study are expected to benefit educators, researchers, and policy-makers by identifying ways of fostering positive social bonds and facilitating engagement and learning in science. Field of research: 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Supporting children's early mathematics development. This project aims to investigate how implementation of cognitively demanding mathematics tasks in the early years may change number development and mathematics achievement. By focusing on children’s use of strategy, the project seeks to link classroom mathematics with underpinning cognitive processes. It also plans to use eye tracking technology to identify connections between explicit mathematics strategies and intuitive cognitive behaviours. It is expected this project will have important implications for teaching practice in the early years of school, by providing new understanding of how engaging in demanding tasks influences children’s flexible use of strategy and subsequent achievement. This would inform practitioners and policy-makers about the supports required to establish strong mathematics foundations in children. Field of research: 1302 - Curriculum and Pedagogy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Tractable Bayesian algorithms for intractable Bayesian problems. This project seeks to develop computationally efficient and scalable Bayesian algorithms to estimate the parameters of complex models and ensure inferences drawn from the models can be trusted. Bayesian parameter estimation and model validation procedures are currently computationally intractable for many complex models of interest in science and technology. These include biological processes such as the efficacy of heart disease, wound healing and skin cancer treatments. Potential outcomes of the project include new algorithms to significantly economise computations and improved understanding of the mechanisms of experimental data generation. Improved models of wound healing, skin cancer growth and heart physiology supported by these algorithms could improve population health. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Conceptualizing and Measuring Digital Service Quality. The project aims to understand customer quality perceptions of digital services, and the factors, such as customer's own skill-levels, that help people to optimise their experiences. Public and private organisations are pushing customers from face-to-face to digital service and self-service models, sometimes offering no alternatives (eg many travel visas can only be obtained online). E-commerce research suggests up to 80 per cent of service users will sometimes struggle with online transactions. In the worst case, people may be excluded from accessing important services. Insights from this research are expected to help public and private organisations to deliver high-quality digital services that empower service users. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Annotating unknown microbial gene functions with organic matter change. This project intends to develop a new method for determining the function of microbial genomes. Microbes are all pervasive on Earth. It is now possible to routinely sequence microbial genomes. However, the function of most genes encoded on these genomes remains elusive, severely limiting our understanding of most ecosystems. This project seeks to develop new methods to assign function to uncharacterised genes, by correlating changes in metabolite abundance with gene expression in a model permafrost thaw peatland. Determining the function of uncharacterised genes has widespread implications for microbial ecology and its numerous real-world applications, from determining soil greenhouse gas emissions to understanding human intestinal flora. Field of research: 0605 - Microbiology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

A Theory of Innovation Systems. The goal of the project is to develop and validate a new theory for how information systems can be designed to assist organisations in becoming innovative. Technological innovation is designed to increase productivity and economic growth, but knowledge is lacking about how information systems can meaningfully support organisations in becoming innovative. The goal of this project is to develop and test a theory of ‘innovation systems’ that would describe design principles for information systems that provide effective and efficient support to organisational innovation processes. The expected project outcomes would assist the development of new systems to support organisational innovations, the management of innovation initiatives to increase productivity and growth, and the effective assessment of technologies to support innovation. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Low-temperature plasma processes for high-quality graphene films. The project aims to develop novel plasma-enabled processes for low-cost, energy-efficient, and scalable growth of high-quality graphene films for applications in touch screen, solar cell and other devices. It aims to discover non-equilibrium plasma-surface interactions enabling nucleation and growth of graphene films with large and low-defect domains on metal catalysts at low temperatures, and then develop energy-efficient, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication and device transfer processes. These processes are designed to retain high quality of graphene films upon scale-up and will be compatible with the existing and emerging applications in touch screens and other devices. The expected outcomes include fundamental understanding and novel practical approaches to control synthesis and device integration of two-dimensional atomically-thin materials. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Enhancing the fire and energy ratings of cold-formed steel wall systems. This project intends to develop novel cold-formed light-gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems with superior fire resistance and energy ratings for use in buildings. LSF systems are increasingly used in homes and offices. The project plans to investigate fundamental thermal, structural and energy performances of LSF walls and their components using experimental and numerical studies. It plans to develop enhanced plasterboards, insulations and innovative composite panels using suitable nanomaterials, chemical additives, fillers and phase-change materials and use these with innovative wall configurations to significantly improve the fire and energy performance of LSF walls. The new wall systems may increase occupant comfort and safety, reduce business losses in fires, and lead to low-energy buildings. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering