Queensland University of Technology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Smart Building Solution: AI-Driven Interlocking Prefab Masonry System. This project aims to address climate change, labour and housing shortages by creating smart building solutions using prefab masonry system. An optimised interlocking block design will be created through Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will be used in making an easy to install and sustainable prefab masonry walling system, for helping the Australian masonry and construction industries. Expected outcomes include an efficient prefab masonry system, not reliant on formwork and skilled labours, with optimal interlocking block design to commercialise and adopt in buildings. This will significantly benefit the Australian community by reducing construction delays, housing cost and carbon emissions through sustainable construction practices. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering A sustainable prefab masonry walling system will be developed in this project for adoption in buildings for increased construction efficiency. Optimised interlocking blocks will be designed through AI algorithms for use in the prefab masonry walls of customised sizes and load requirements. There are some interlocking blocks available in the market, however the absence of standards and inadequate manufacturing quality especially surface unevenness and height variations are major hinderances in their adoption by the construction industry. Optimising the interlocking blocks geometry through advanced machine learning and AI, and their application in prefab masonry system are major outcomes of this project. This project will contribute to Transitioning to a net zero future priority of Australian Government. The new prefab masonry will minimise the dependency on highly skilled masons which is a declining trade, causing severe labour shortage. This project will help the Australian community by avoiding delays in construction and making housing more affordable. To achieve the national net zero goals, cement mortar joints will be eliminated to make recyclable prefab panels. This project will help the partner organisation to commercialise the designed blocks and prefab masonry by demonstrating their performance and efficiency at pilot scale. The developed specifications of prefab masonry will inform the Australian Masonry Standards for confident adoption by the construction industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Safe and environmentally friendly perovskite photovoltaic technology. This project aims to counter the toxicity, environmental harmfulness, and instability of metal halide perovskite materials so they can be used as the core material in next-generation solar cells – by developing lead-free formulations and synthesis with safe, green, bio-sourced solvents. Expected outcomes include new knowledge about the solution chemistry of perovskite precursors, efficient fabrication processes for cost-effective industrial production, and new pathways for the full-scale manufacture of non-toxic, high-performance, long-lasting perovskite solar cells – with environmental and socioeconomic benefits from adopting a breakthrough world-leading technology to make optimal use of Australia’s inexhaustible abundance of solar energy. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Australia needs better fabrication processes for next-generation perovskite solar cells (PSCs), using lead-free materials and bio-sourced non-toxic solvents so we can increase market adoption of commercially viable PSC technology with minimal risk in production. Current PSC technology requires lead for the essential synthetic perovskite material, and harmful solvents in making it. While this technology shows great promise for affordable high-efficiency solar energy, there are serious concerns about toxicity and adverse environmental impacts. By developing green-solvent solution processing – and PSCs based on tin instead of lead – my project will make real-world PSC manufacture cleaner and safer, delivering a new class of efficient, safe, stable, environmentally responsible solar cells. This will advance Australia’s transition to clean energy, our reduction of carbon emissions, and our progress toward Net Zero. New science and technology from this project will improve the manufacturing capability of Australian industry in the growing PSC market, creating job opportunities and building a skilled workforce for the renewable energy sector – as well as enhancing our global presence as a research leader in a vital future-oriented field. This aligns with National Reconstruction Fund’s priorities of “enabling capabilities” and “and low emissions technologies”. The translation of my research will be achieved by close engagement with an industry partner, maximising adoption and impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities: Our Future for Ageing in place? More than 90% of older Australians wish to age in place for as long as possible. However, our current community environments do not make it easy for older people as they are mainly planned, designed, and managed for young families. The project aims to understand how Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), a new option for ageing in place favored by an increasing number of older Australians, influence their independent living and well-being. This project will generate new knowledge about the origin, evolution, and dynamic behavior of NORCs in Australia, and develop government policies to support the future growth of NORCs, leading to an improved quality of life for older Australians. Field of research: 3302 - Building This project addresses a pressing societal issue of how to support older Australians’ desire for ageing-in-place. By understanding the origin, development, and future growth of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), an emerging option favored by an increasing number of older Australians to support their ageing-in-place, this project will provide solutions to the looming crisis of how to house and care for older Australians. Based on innovative and integrated research of spatial analysis, focus groups, workshops, and system dynamics modeling, evidence-based policy recommendations will be provided to enable policymakers to support the cost-effective delivery of NORCs in Australia, which will lead to a reduced residential aged care cost to the whole society and improved quality of life of older Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Climate resilience: protecting our drinking water from uncontrolled threats. This project aims to safeguard drinking-water distribution systems (water mains and plumbing) from climate-driven events, including changing water sources that affect water quality for decades – issues not addressed by current regulation. By applying innovative tools to unravel underlying mechanisms, the team will pinpoint molecular triggers that cause contaminants (toxic metals, carcinogens, pathogens) to be sloughed off from biofilm-coated pipe surfaces during water quality fluctuations. Key outcomes include industry co-designed strategies and a best-practice predictive tool with biofilm sloughing controls, guiding the development of regulations for the world’s first climate-resilient, catchment-to-tap drinking-water quality system. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology This Fellowship responds to Australia’s urgent need to manage the impacts of changing source waters, as the country faces new climate pressures and demographic shifts. With water infrastructure investments doubling to over $10 billion annually by 2027, there is an escalating risk of contaminants – both pathogens and toxic chemicals – being released from the vast inner surface area of our 100,000 km of water mains, and the even greater area within customers’ plumbing systems. These public-health risks disproportionately affect socioeconomically vulnerable populations – yet are overlooked by current regulations. By focusing on Australia’s unique climate challenges and source water characteristics, the project will drive national goals on climate adaptation, water reform, and urban livability. Working with utilities, building managers, and regulators, it will deliver enduring evidence-based technical measures to address critical water distribution issues. Developing regulation-enhancing processes and best practices, the research will directly support the National Water Initiative and the new National Water Agreement, aligning with Infrastructure Australia’s call for reform. Through innovative research training, governance, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, this industry-focused program will create a legacy of water-distribution resilience in the absence of global guidelines, positioning Australia as a world leader in drinking water management and safeguarding of public health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Biomass-Derived Materials for High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries. Agricultural biomass is an abundant, low-cost, renewable resource. This Fellowship project aims to develop sustainable, high performance anode materials from agricultural biomass for lithium ion battery applications. It will generate new knowledge in developing multi-product biorefinery processes and technologies for the synthesis of biomass-derived lithium ion battery anodes, enhance cross-disciplinary research collaborations, and strengthen engagement with industry partners. These outcomes will support the establishment of a secure, low-carbon-footprint battery supply chain in Australia and foster the growth of new low-carbon industries that manufacture sustainable chemicals and materials from agricultural biomass in regional Australia. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering This Fellowship project aims to develop commercially viable, multi-product biorefinery processes and technologies for the synthesis of sustainable, high performance lithium ion battery anode materials from abundant, low-cost, renewable agricultural biomass. The project aligns closely with the National Battery Strategy. Its aim will be achieved through cross-disciplinary research collaborations and active industry engagement. Successful implementation of this project will build knowledge and skills for Australia’s battery manufacturing industry, particularly in producing sustainable anode materials for lithium ion battery applications. The processes and technologies developed in this project are also applicable to a broader range of agricultural and forestry biomass. Developing Australia’s own battery material manufacturing industry will create Australian-made jobs, secure the nation’s place in global battery supply chains, and make a significant contribution to achieving a net zero future both in Australia and globally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

ARC Training Centre for Microphysiological System Technology (MiPSET). Urged by recent global policy shifts, this Centre aims to position Australia as a leading authority on microphysiological system (MPS) technology for medical product development. Critically, the Centre expects to build the capacity needed to meet emerging needs of industries across different stages of technology production. Expected outcomes include the design, deployment and translation of new microphysiological systems, and aligned interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral training and upskilling. Contributing to national priorities of medical science and manufacturing, significant benefits of this core initiative include an epicentre for innovation, collaboration and accelerated progress in the multi-billion-dollar non-animal model industry. Field of research: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering Driven by precedents from the United States and Europe, which are legislating rapid shifts away from the longstanding mandate of animal use for medical product development, testing and approval, there is now an urgent need to build Australia’s capacity in non-animal models. Fortunately, Australia already enjoys global strengths in several underpinning fields and industries. This Centre aims to leverage these strengths to gain an enviable position in global non-animal model markets. Valued at US$1.11 billion in 2019, this market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.4% to 2025. To develop and promote industry sustainability, the Centre will train a significant cohort of students and early career researchers in the design, development, optimisation and deployment of diverse, cutting-edge non-animal model technologies, namely microphysiological systems. Deep collaboration and integration with industry, commercialisation and regulatory body partners will facilitate industry applicability, rapid end-user uptake and ensure the best, feasible path to market is achieved. As long-term benefits, Centre outcomes will support Australia’s globally competitive $1.4 billion clinical trials sector, our national capacity and sovereignty for medical product development and manufacturing, and, given the alarming unsuitability of animal models for human applications, significantly improved health and quality-of-life outcomes for Australian and global society.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Combatting Mosquito-Borne Encephalitic Viruses: New Biocontrol and Risk... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Developing alternative treatment options for osteosarcoma Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Intelligent sensing and communications for 6G Vehicle-to-Everything... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Better environmental decisions amid strategic and evolutionary feedbacks Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Intersecting epidemics: genetic and clinical determinants of comorbid... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advancing meta-thermoelectrics through dual-channel phonon engineering Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Artificial protein circuits and the next generation diagnostics Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Sustainable Electrosynthesis of Urea and Formamide Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Better feet, better lives: Next generation care for people with diabetes... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Artificial protein circuits and the next generation diagnostics Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

UNDERSTANDING TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MEDIA USES AND PURPOSES. How we use media technologies and content today are radically changed from when core theories about the role of media in society were established and media content was widely shared at a national level. This project will investigate why Australians choose to use the media available and how they select their media diet to assess the implications of the changed cultural roles media play in our lives and the consequences of a fractured media environment. The program of research will use multiple methods to explore how Australians engage an unprecedented range of content and sources. The project will generate the knowledge needed to address pressing sociocultural issues of our time such as social cohesion, misinformation, and belonging. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies The media available to and used by Australians is now radically different from when core theories about the role of media in society were established. Though we are awash in data about clicks, views, and likes, we lack systematic person-level data from which to generate understanding about the role of media in the twenty-first century. This project investigates the societal challenges of 21st-century media by gathering detailed evidence about how Australians use media in order to inform analysis of the challenges this environment creates for Australians. Its findings will be made available through scholarly publications, short reports, and public events with industry stakeholders. The project’s outcomes will support the Australian government’s agenda of policy reform, benefit agencies seeking solutions to the global information crisis, and inform Australian media industries endeavouring to find solutions to the disruption their sector has faced.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Help wanted: The Dynamics of AI-Driven Recruitment and Selection Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Engineering 2D van der Waals Materials for Solar Hydrogen Production Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Improving the understanding and management of chronic wet cough and its... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Better environmental decisions amid strategic and evolutionary feedbacks. This project’s main aim is to revolutionize conservation policymaking. By understanding eco-evolutionary feedbacks and strategic interactions among multiple stakeholders, results from this research will uncover strategies to effectively pursue biodiversity conservation. The ultimate goal of this DECRA is to understand how to anticipate and respond to complex evolving system dynamics, identify efficient mitigation strategies, and inform the multi-layered management of invasive species in Queensland. The resulting unified mathematical framework will help to identify key indicators in the system's behaviour, construct decision-support tools, and offer insights on the structure of viable actions available to the policymaker. Field of research: 4901 - Applied Mathematics As a signatory to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Australia has ambitious natural-resource-management goals. Inevitably, attainment of these goals will require detailed scientific assessment of which mathematical modelling is an essential component. There is an urgent need for a modelling framework enabling policymakers to anticipate change and steer entire ecosystems towards sustainability. Failure to meet that need will reduce meaningful mitigation and management policies to performing crisis-management tasks, as the natural system may exhibit rapid, unexpected, adaptations. Models developed thus far lack a unified approach accounting for natural systems’ complex ecological and evolutionary responses, often providing conflicting forecasts. Hence it is essential to synchronise the processes of human development with those of the natural environment. Development of a unified framework will make policymaking proactive instead of being reactive. This initiative will place Australia at the forefront of sustainable policymaking benefiting and preserving its unique ecosystems. It will also serve as a proof-of-concept study intended to lead to subsequent technology transfer projects with organisations such as Biosecurity Queensland.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Characterising extracellular contractile injection systems in human gut . Bacteria and archaea have a growing arsenal of characterised mechanisms they can deploy to compete with or control other organisms in the same environment. The goal of this DECRA will be to characterise a recently uncovered mechanism, where bacteria produce toxin filled ‘missiles’ that can be used to kill or modulate their competitors or host. Molecular and visualisation-based techniques will be applied to uncover the diversity, mechanisms, and targets of these novel microbial weapons in a model ecosystem, the human gut microbiome. This fundamental knowledge will be important for the development of customisable biocontrol agents with the potential to eliminate harmful microorganisms in a range of environments. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology In most environments, there is an active battle between the constituent microorganisms, but our understanding of the mechanisms used in these competitive interactions with one another or their host remains limited. The recent discovery of bacterial-produced toxin-filled ‘missiles’ is a largely unexplored mechanism of microbial warfare that is found in a wide range of microorganisms. This project aims to understand the diversity of these weapons across all microbial life, with a particular focus on the human gut. This will greatly expand our understanding of this microbial warfare mechanism, which likely plays a substantial role in shaping their environment. In addition, these particles may be a prime candidate for use as a highly customisable biocontrol agent due to their ability to deliver diverse toxins to specific target cells. By understanding the function of these particles within microbial communities, this project will deliver a promising new avenue for targeting microbial pathogens, resulting in commercial, industrial, health and environmental benefits for Australia. The successful outcome and patenting will lead to commercial partnerships to ensure commercial benefits is realised in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Intelligent sensing and communications for 6G Vehicle-to-Everything Systems. This project investigates the open challenges of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC)-empowered vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems in sixth-generation (6G) networks. The project expects to advance knowledge and develop pragmatic technologies for realising reliable, efficient and robust ISAC-enabled V2X, by exploiting communication theory, optimisation theory and machine learning technology. The expected outcomes include practical multi-target sensing, self-configurable signal detection, and adaptive resource allocation designs. This project would significantly benefit the Australian vehicular industry and intelligent transportation systems, regarding decreased traffic congestion, improved road safety and reduced vehicle emissions. Field of research: 4006 - Communications Engineering The vehicle-to-everything (V2X) is expected to support a wide range of smart vehicular applications in Australia, e.g., autonomous and driver-assist systems, posing escalating demands for device-environment interactions. The integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) technology has been explored into V2X to satisfy the increasing needs, enabling vehicles to encompass communication and sensing functionalities. However, existing ISAC-based V2X technologies still face critical challenges in reliability, efficiency and robustness. This project addresses these challenging problems by developing novel sensing, detection and resource allocation designs to create reliable, efficient and robust ISAC-enabled V2X systems. This project falls into the Australian Strategic Research Priorities of “Transport”, focusing on autonomous vehicles, sensor technologies and efficient resource allocation. The success of this project will significantly diminish traffic congestion, improve road safety, and reduce vehicle emissions, offering a cost-effective path to enable safer, more efficient and sustainable Australian vehicular and transportation systems. It will greatly contribute to Australia's sustainability goals and promote greener transportation solutions. Additionally, the advanced technologies developed in this project will spur new industries, create jobs and attract international investments, boosting the national economy and improving overall societal welfare for all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Sustainable Electrosynthesis of Urea and Formamide. Urea and formamide are vital in modern agriculture, chemical industries, and pharmaceuticals, yet their current industrial production is unsustainable due to high energy and environmental costs. This project aims to design high-efficiency catalysts for electrochemical urea and formamide synthesis through theoretical simulations. The primary objective is to gain new insights into electrocatalysis by systematically exploring reaction mechanisms. Anticipated outcomes will develop optimal catalysts with high conversion efficiency and establish universal theoretical principles. This research will, in the long term, lead to increased production of crops and medicines, reduced costs in chemical industries, and improved environmental protection. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Urea and formamide are crucial raw materials in agriculture, serving as significant fertilizers and pesticides, respectively. Moreover, they find extensive use in both the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. As reported by the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the import value for the categories of Fertilizers and Pharmaceuticals amounted to a substantial A$15 billion in 2022. However, the current industrial synthesis of urea and formamide relies on high-temperature and high-pressure processes, resulting in extensive energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to address this challenge by designing highly efficient catalysts for the electrochemical synthesis of urea and formamide, along with developing viable strategies to enhance the yield of both compounds. The successful implementation will contribute to Australia’s sovereign capabilities in urea and formamide production by commercializing the technologies and intellectual property developed in this project. Through collaboration with experiments and industry, the anticipated outcomes hold the potential to yield significant long-term benefits for the economy and environment of Australia, and even on a global scale, including increased grain production, reduced costs of chemical and pharmaceutical products, as well as lowered energy expenses and exhaust emissions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Sustainable Statistical Computing for Climate-Sensitive Science. This project aims to address the substantial carbon footprint of simulation-based statistical computations underpinning modern science. Current research focuses on reducing the time-to-result for computations at the expense of energy efficiency. Thus it is not currently possible to scale-up computations to address great environmental challenges without increased contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Expected project outcomes are new simulation-based inference algorithms designed to be fast, accurate, and energy-efficient. Novel, readily available, low-power computer hardware will be used to demonstrate the future of low-energy statistical computing for climate-sensitive applications in health, environment and sustainability. Field of research: 4905 - Statistics There is no doubt that computer algorithms and simulations are needed to tackle the defining challenge of our generation, the climate crisis. Unfortunately, the environmental impact of the necessary large-scale supercomputing is substantial in terms of carbon footprint and e-waste. Globally, computing produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry. In Australia, our supercomputing facilities have four times the carbon footprint of equivalent systems in Europe or the United Kingdom. This project will develop highly efficient statistical analysis algorithms that can operate on readily available low-energy computing devices. This revolutionary change in computational methodology will enable priority climate-sensitive research in health, environment, and sustainability to be performed using computing resources that are themselves sustainable. This will accelerate Australia's progress toward Net Zero by 2050. User-friendly, free open-source software will be provided publicly, allowing the resulting algorithms and technology solutions to be widely available and accessible to any researcher wishing to reduce the carbon footprint of their computational research.