Australian National University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity. The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity aims to deliver a solution for Australia’s increasing biosecurity risk through generational change in its workforce coupled with breakthrough technologies. It will launch an innovative training program for future leaders who will build relationships with end users and engage meaningfully with communities for effective implementation strategies. Expected outcomes include a cohort of highly skilled graduates that will innovate novel diagnostic technologies, enable data-driven decision platforms and address barriers to biosecurity adoption. This suite of graduates and technologies will transform the plant biosecurity sector to protect Australia’s $5.7 trillion natural and productive ecosystems. Field of research: 4102 - Ecological Applications Plant biosecurity protects Australia’s multibillion-dollar agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and tourism industries from devastating pests and disease. Recent government and industry reports highlight that the plant biosecurity system risks catastrophic failure due to increasing threats and a “business as usual” approach. The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity will address these challenges by working with stakeholders to implement a next generation training program. This will deliver leaders and innovators trained in technological advances to generate sector wide solutions. We will perform transformative research enabling future oriented solutions for early detection, increased effective prevention, heightened awareness, and quicker response times to plant biosecurity threats. Authentic engagement with the Centre’s 26 industry, government and other partners will facilitate rapid adoption of our biosecurity solutions. This transformative approach will improve the lives and economic prosperity of all Australians by minimising the impact of pests and diseases on Australia’s diverse ecosystems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Village democracy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. This project aims to understand variation in village politics in Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, and the effects of that variation on development outcomes, democratic participation, and gender equity. It will generate new knowledge on how micro-level power structures affect citizens’ experience of government. Expected outcomes include a new framework for understanding how community power structures shape and constrain government action. Benefits will include strengthening Australia’s position as a world leader in Asian and Pacific studies, generating a new framework for understanding the effects of village political dynamics, and guidance for Australian and other policy makers planning grassroots development interventions. Field of research: 4408 - Political Science How does village-level politics vary across different contexts in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, who is included in decision-making, and how does this influence development outcomes? This research aims to fill a gap in understanding how variations in village democracy affect development trajectories, democratic processes and gender equity across three countries that are critical for Australia’s interests: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. This project will generate new knowledge and expertise on Asia-Pacific politics and development, including a new framework to explain how power structures impact policy at the community level. As Australia invests substantially in development programs in all three countries, this framework will benefit policymakers by improving the effectiveness of how Australia provides development assistance that seeks to enhance democratic participation for all citizens in these countries. This will then benefit the broader Australian community by supporting the Australian government’s goals of strengthening democracy and security in our region.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Topological wave manipulation in hybrid integrated platforms. This project aims to establish a powerful toolkit for topological wave manipulation in photonic systems interfaced with layered 2D materials. This research will address a significant problem of miniaturising photonic components for reliable and compact signal processing. The reduction in size will be achieved by engineering coupling of topological photonic states with matter in judiciously structured materials at subwavelength scales. The expected outcomes will include new methods of controlling light-matter waves on a chip via pattern distortions or twists of the 2D materials, without the use of strong magnetic and electric fields. These outcomes will benefit future development of high performance and energy-efficient integrated devices. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology We live in the information era that launched the quest to replace electronic circuit elements in our computers and gadgets with faster and more energy-efficient photon-based components. The need for bringing new ideas to light-based technology development is driven by the growth of the photonics industries and emerging quantum businesses in Australia, including the context of manufacturing. It’s targeted to generate over A$10b revenue by 2040. This project aims to find ways to control wave behaviour in the topological structures of ultrathin hybrid materials that are small enough to be integrated onto microchips in everyday devices. These structures are useful since they are typically unaffected by local disturbances, making photonic properties easier to manipulate. The outcomes will deliver prototype designs of small-footprint topological devices that could offer better performance, extended service, and reduced maintenance cost. This hybrid photonic platform will have the potential to trigger technological breakthroughs that could benefit Australians in high-speed next-generation communication networks.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Strengthening political representation in an era of democratic change. This project aims to understand and strengthen how politicians represent their constituents. As trust in politics declines, there is more pressure on politicians to engage with citizens. Understanding how these demands are reshaping the representative work of politicians is crucial to building trust and legitimacy in modern democracies. By interviewing and observing Australian politicians, this research will build important knowledge about the dynamics, demands and practices of contemporary representation. A national and international audit of novel ways to engage constituents will lead to valuable resources that politicians and citizens can use to assess and improve representative relationships, enabling stronger democratic institutions. Field of research: 4408 - Political Science Effective and informed political representation is crucial in modern democracy, but links between politicians and citizens are under strain as trust in politics declines. Using interviews and observations, this project will examine how newly elected Australian federal politicians learn and practise representation. Furthermore, a national and international audit will identify innovative ways politicians can engage with citizens, and inform programs and resources that support the representative work of politicians. Through stakeholder interaction and global collaboration, the project will develop significant knowledge on effective strategies to strengthen political representation, which will feed into initiatives to boost diversity and trust in democratic institutions. In addition to transforming our understanding of representation, findings will be used to develop new online resources for politicians and citizens to understand and strengthen connections between each other, and ‘classroom-ready’ tools for Australian students to demonstrate the diverse ways politicians and citizens can positively work together.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The Ethics of Net Zero. This project aims to provide the first systematic study of key ethical issues connected to the adoption of net zero targets—pledges to make no net addition to the global atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. It expects to fill a significant knowledge gap, by addressing the full range of ethical questions raised by the adoption, promotion, and coordination of net zero targets by national and subnational climate actors. Expected outcomes of the project include detailed guidelines for determining ethically sound net zero policy and practice. The project should provide significant benefits to stakeholders in the government, corporate and NGO sectors, including best practice advice on the setting and implementation of net zero targets. Field of research: 5003 - Philosophy Decision-makers across Australia’s corporate, government, and NGO sectors are struggling to formulate net zero targets that respond adequately to public pressure for responsible climate action. Through workshops that bring together leading decision-makers from these three sectors, this project will develop the first ethical principles for Australia to guide decision makers in setting ethically sound net-zero targets. It will create and disseminate best-practice guidelines for net zero target-setting, implementation, and accounting among government, corporate and NGO stakeholders involved in the project. By helping decision-makers to create transparent and sound net zero practices, this research will contribute to climate action that is responsive to the wishes of the Australian public, and to the longer term environmental benefits that flow from that action.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Next-generation reaction-environments tunable catalysts for CO2 reduction. This project aims to design and develop next-generation reaction-environments tunable catalysts for active, selective and stable CO2 conversion to higher-value fuels/chemicals. Fundamentally new materials design in combination with modern computational methods and advanced in/ex-situ instrumental techniques will be advanced to develop a series of functional catalysts for customisable CO2 conversion. Expected outcomes include new understandings of heterogenous catalysis tailorable with reaction environments and innovations in energy conversion and CO2 utilisation applications. These will provide educational and technological benefits for Australia, spanning material sciences, advanced manufacturing, carbon utilisation and renewable energy. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Addressing the urgent and critical challenge of climate change requires innovative and sustainable strategies to significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere. Yet such solutions will need to overcome known challenges for CO2 conversion and utilisation, including cost-effectiveness, product selectivity, and operational stability. This project tackles this issue by using solar energy to convert CO2 into higher-value products. The project uses a transformative approach to develop new kinds of environmentally-friendly, cost-effective, and highly-efficient tiny functional materials (called nano-catalysts). Effectively transforming CO2 into valuable fuels and industrial materials not only mitigates greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but it also paves the way for greener alternatives to essential goods that will reduce consumer costs and promote sustainability. Through active engagement with industry partners and researchers, we will share our findings and contribute to the development of new energy-conversion technologies. These research outcomes have great potential for Australian industries, particularly in Advanced Manufacturing and Energy: by using innovative technologies, the project is expected to create job opportunities for Australian workers and boost economic growth in a high-value market.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The Elephant in the Study: Working Latin Literature for the Enslaved. Roman histories, speeches, and plays are conventionally regarded as the works of individual elite male authors such as Cicero, Vergil, and Livy. This project aims to transform our understanding of Roman literature by showing that it was actually written in collaboration with enslaved workers, generating new insights into the creative processes that shaped the Classical literary canon. Expected outcomes include a new approach for understanding how authors work and the discovery of untold stories about the enslaved population of Rome. This should lead to significant benefits for communities, including improved education outcomes and better-informed public debate. Field of research: 4705 - Literary Studies Marginalised people often disappear from history. In the case of Latin literature, the contributions of slaves to key works that have shaped European and Australian history have been largely overlooked. Using a new method of reading ancient texts called 'working literature', this project will help recover the creative contributions of slaves to human history. By sharing knowledge of the lives and work of enslaved ancient people through a large-scale exhibition at the ANU Classics Museum and a series of public talks, Australians will benefit culturally by gaining access to new and more collaborative understandings of authorship, which will challenge prevailing beliefs about what it means to be an author of creative ideas. It will further help to inform and encourage continued recognition of the role of marginalised communities in shaping Australia’s own written histories, and in turn, support national aspirations for racial equality and community cohesion in Australian cultural life and industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Complementary pairs for next generation self-assembled systems . This project will employ a set of complementary pairings where separate sites fit together at metal ions in a specific fashion orthogonal to other pairings, like two jigsaw pieces, while forming a poor fit with other pairings. These pairings will allow retention and transfer of structural information. In this way, the bulk combination of relatively simple precursors will lead to self-assembled structures with well-defined sequence identity. This program will make and use complex abiotic molecules, enhancing outcomes in molecular information storage and transfer, molecular recognition and sensing, chemical transformations, and energy transport events, leading to economic and environmental benefits for Australia in industry and manufacturing. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Methods of chemical purification and separation for industry currently incur substantial financial and environmental costs for Australia. It is critical that Australia develop more economically efficient and environmentally sustainable processes while maintaining current manufacturing capacity. This project will address these challenges with an innovative approach inspired by complex natural molecules. By creating artificial systems that replicate the recognition and interaction abilities of DNA, this project will facilitate the construction of highly complex functional structures with remarkable ease, well beyond the current scope in the laboratory. The anticipated outcomes of this proposal encompass enhanced efficiencies within the chemical industry, greater control over chemical processes and lower environmental impact for Australian industry. These advancements aim to reduce costs and environmental impact while promoting sustainable practices in Australian industries. Additionally, the project strives to enable renewable energy integration, fostering a cleaner and more sustainable future for Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Identifying climate-resilient wheat for a warmer, high CO2 world. This project aims to reveal which plant traits help maintain or increase crop yield under the CO2 and temperature conditions predicted for the next few decades, thus providing early insights for generating climate-resilient wheat. Wheat production is vital to global food security, but its yield decreases 5-6% per 1 degree Celsius of warming. Elevated CO2 may offset yield losses, but reduces grain protein and nutrients. As the first study to evaluate Australian wheat performance under the dual pressures of elevated CO2 and temperature, the project will deliver important fundamental knowledge on wheat productivity and quality resilience traits, novel inputs for future breeding programs, and help enable food security in a changing climate. Field of research: 3199 - Other Biological Sciences Wheat is a major contributor to Australia’s economy, with an export value of $11.4 billion in 2021/22. Climate change, including rising CO2 and temperature, is predicted to decrease national wheat production by 7.4-15.5% in the next 60 years (translating to grain industry losses of $843M-$1.767B). Elevated CO2 concentrations also reduce grain protein, iron and zinc levels, affecting the crop's nutritional value. This novel project aims to identify the plant traits that promote wheat yield and nutritional quality in a warmer, high-CO2 world. As well as generating breakthrough knowledge on the combined effects of these two climate factors on wheat, the research will benefit Australian breeding programs via early insights of which plant traits and wheat lines will promote high productivity and quality resilience when grown under changing climates. The project’s basic research is a platform for future Australian work to identify the genetic basis of these traits and a transferrable resource for wheat breeders. Outcomes would help protect national wheat production and export income, and enhance food security.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Singing the News: Ballads as News Media in Europe and Australia, 1550-1920. This project aims to take advantage of new digitisation projects to reveal how songs in premodern Europe and later in Australia were used for disseminating news to the public. By analysing ballads across four centuries and five languages, the project expects to show how news-songs not only informed the public but also helped to forge national identities by exploiting the emotive and communal nature of song. Expected outcomes include an innovative digital platform offering licensed recordings of ballads, a public exhibition of song treasures in Australian collections, and a re-written history of the news media industry. Benefits may include new insights into how the modern notion of Australian national identity emerged through song. Field of research: 4303 - Historical Studies Australian identity is subject to much debate. News media has played a critical role in shaping understandings of our national identity, but until now we have only understood this in terms of prose newsprint. This project will demonstrate how songs in early modern Europe and later in colonial Australia were widely used to disseminate news to the public. Exploring ‘news ballads’ in five languages across four centuries, it will reveal how songs informed the public by exploiting the emotive and communal nature of singing. A digital platform of news songs, a public exhibition of song treasures in Australian collections, and public lectures will provide significant cultural benefits to Australians by revealing new insights into how songs were deployed in colonial Australia to create powerful narratives of national identity. The digital platform's recordings will provide Australian musicians, museum curators and radio and TV producers with new and accessible ways to understand this part of our nation’s history, as well as provide teachers, students and the Australian public with a new awareness of the role of song in shaping colonial-era history, and shared knowledge of our heritage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Computational Mechanisms of Online Attention Markets. The internet has operated as an major exchange of information and attention for the past few decades, yet surprisingly little is known about how individual choices and collective attention interact, let alone about how different parties can influence or control it. This project aims to uncover the mathematical underpinnings between individual actions and collective trends in online attention market, design computational methods for estimating and influencing attention allocation, and enable applications where content consumers, producers, hosting platforms and regulatory bodies are each empowered with their share of influence in the attention market. Field of research: 4608 - Human-Centred Computing While the internet offers access to a world of information, it has been increasingly used against consumers and citizens to spread falsehoods and harmful messages. Mass harm and misinformation has been possible because while we know how to predict individual behaviour to take action with online content (e.g. to ‘like’, ‘share’, ‘retweet’), we do not have that predictive capability on a mass scale, making it impossible to control content from going viral. This project will establish mathematical foundations for the dynamics of online attention and create new algorithms that enable online-content producers, consumers, platforms and regulators to influence and control online action with content. Through demonstrations and dialogues with regulators, the software tools we develop will help them predict attention trends and inform their future online regulatory policy settings. The new knowledge will enable government to foster safer and more trustworthy online spaces for all Australians who consume online content – and benefit Australians through the minimisation of harm and misinformation when they are online.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Time to shine for constrained peptides as next-generation pharmaceuticals. Current methods for the screening and generation of peptide and protein drugs are laborious, expensive and often incompatible with the biological systems used in pharmaceutical industries. Leveraging recent advancements in chemistry and molecular biology, this project aims to improve the design, synthesis and screening of peptide-based pharmaceuticals. Key research outcomes are innovative biocompatible chemical transformations for the screening of large peptide libraries, to unleash the revolutionary potential of constrained peptides in drug development. Expected benefits are reliable and cost-effective technologies for the rapid production of biologically active molecules for future targeted use in human and agricultural pharmaceuticals. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry Recent global health threats have impressed upon Australia the need for on-shore capability, and a significant market opportunity, in peptide-based drug and vaccine manufacturing. However, a major bottleneck to capability and commercial growth lies in peptide engineering, a laborious, complicated process to improve peptide drugs. This Fellowship will discover and establish a unique chemical toolbox for peptide engineering and demonstrate its advantage for generating new bioactive peptides. Translated into a powerful technology platform, the Fellowship will support Australia’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to access and develop competitive capabilities in peptide engineering through easy, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods. This will enable Australian firms to rapidly scale R&D efforts and increase market share. These outcomes will benefit Australia commercially through increased innovation and global competitiveness and in terms of economic and health security through reliable on-shore drug and vaccine development and production to manage current and future human diseases.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Kin and connection: Ancient DNA between the science and the social. This project aims to capitalise on the emerging wealth of ancient DNA data to build bridges between social and scientific archaeologies. It expects to create new knowledge by integrating genetic data with social models of kinship, applying an innovative, cross-disciplinary methodology to the uniquely rich and well-documented archaeological record of prehistoric Europe. Expected outcomes include a new framework for understanding past kinship and the formation of a new interdisciplinary and international research network. Significant benefits include increased value of legacy collections, capacity building in archaeology, and positioning Australia at the forefront of major developments in ancient DNA and archaeological science. Field of research: 4301 - Archaeology Ancient DNA has captured the public’s imagination through podcasts, popular books, and major media coverage but it only reveals biological connections, not the social ties that held past communities together. This project seeks to create new knowledge about past and present family and community relationships by bringing together ancient DNA data and archaeological insights. By integrating scientific DNA data and archaeological knowledge about past people’s settlements, technologies, and family structure, the project will create a more accurate understanding of the human past. Through collaboration with curators and museum professionals, the project will share these discoveries and stories with the 4.5 million Australians who frequent our national museums each year. It will contribute tangible cultural benefits for Australian museums by increasing the value of existing collections; and, in doing so, it will enrich the Australian public’s understanding of the social worlds of ancient people.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Quantifying the impact of phenotypic plasticity on population persistence. This project aims to understand how environmental sensitivity in growth, survival and reproduction of individuals in a population influence population dynamics using terrestrial ectotherms. It will provide significant new insights into whether phenotypic plasticity promotes population persistence in the face of environmental change. Expected outcomes include approaches for incorporating environmental effects in population models for threatened species, open databases that can be used to estimate demographic information for species lacking data, and an assessment of what characteristics make some species more sensitive to the environment than others. Benefits include quantitative training and tools for managing Australia's rich biodiversity. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Environmental change directly affects Australia's biodiversity and its ability to withstand its impacts and survive. Yet conservation managers tend to overlook environmental effects on populations when predicting population dynamics of threatened and invasive species. This Fellowship will tackle this omission with sophisticated modelling and experiments to understand how environmental sensitivity in growth, survival and reproduction affects population resilience using Australia’s reptile fauna as model systems. Generating new knowledge about fundamental biological theory, the project will design data and modelling practices for adoption among Australian conservation managers to 1) help them more accurately predict and bolster Australia’s threatened species populations and 2) promote the use of more efficient management strategies. In doing so, the project will contribute to the generation of economic and environmental benefits in the form of cost saving species management strategies and improved conservation outcomes while positioning Australia as a world leader in best-practice biodiversity management.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Quantum entanglement with atoms: from individual pairs to many-body systems. The aim of this project is to use ultracold helium atoms to test aspects of quantum entanglement. The unique properties of metastable helium will provide significant new knowledge of this fundamental quantum property. Expected outcomes include measuring a Bell test between momentum entangled atoms and showing how many-body entanglement builds up following a quantum quench. This should provide benefits including new theories that attempt to unify quantum mechanics with general relativity and will be relevant for emerging quantum technologies such as more powerful quantum computing or quantum simulation of complex systems. Field of research: 5108 - Quantum Physics The emerging field of quantum technology is predicted to become a $4 billion industry in Australia and provider of 16,000 new jobs by 2040. Many of the benefits that Australia expects quantum technologies to offer us, such as secure data transmission or fast computing performance, stem from the little understood property termed quantum entanglement – the phenomenon where quantum particles can be linked such that changing one will instantly change the other, even if they are separated by a large distance. A foundational understanding of entanglement is crucial to the development of quantum devices. This Fellowship will use cutting edge methods in quantum technology to investigate little-known basic properties of entanglement and produce fundamental knowledge that will guide the Australian industry’s development of new quantum technologies, for example in the design of quantum computers. Such quantum computers will potentially benefit everyday Australians in a range of ways, from faster drug and vaccine development to more efficient stock market forecasting and faster transport networks.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Mobility Shocks: Understanding disruptions to Australian migration. This Fellowship aims to generate new knowledge about the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on human migration and mobility, in order to advance understanding of major disruptive changes to population movement more broadly. Fellowship outcomes will include designing innovative geospatial research methods, linking and analysing cutting-edge datasets, and building cross-sector collaborations, in order to develop a new theory of ‘Mobility Shocks’. This will benefit Australia and its migration partners with new ideas, tools, evidence and expertise to help scholars, policy makers and practitioners to understand, anticipate, and manage future disruptive changes to human migration and mobility in the Australian context and beyond. Field of research: 4403 - Demography The Covid-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to migration and mobility. Australians have experienced these disruptions first-hand through border closures, skills shortages, working from home, and even relocating from cities to smaller regional areas. However, the data to inform Government decision making and its provision of support to Australians affected by these disruptions are patchy and often unavailable. This Fellowship will produce this missing data on Australia’s changing migration and mobility needs, including through innovative data visualisations and maps of changing movements of Australians both overseas and at home. These tools will enable policy makers, employers and community leaders to identify how their constituencies are moving, what services they need, and be better equipped to respond to them. These outcomes will benefit Australia and everyday Australians through better national preparedness to respond effectively and with resilience to future disruptions to our migration and mobility.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Unlocking secrets of fertility restoration for hybrid breeding in crops. Hybrid varieties give higher and more stable yields than conventional lines, but a cost-effective system to make hybrid seed on a commercial scale is still missing for economically important crops like wheat or barley. By elucidating the mode of action of a new type of restorer gene plus exploiting ancient or exotic wheat and barley collections this project will reveal aspects of largely understudied mechanisms underlying fertility restoration in wheat and barley. The expected outcomes of the proposed research have the potential to deliver new tools for hybrid seed production programs in wheat and barley. Higher and more stable yields from hybrids will ensure food security in the face of an uncertain climate and growing human population. Field of research: 3108 - Plant Biology Hybrid crops give higher and more stable yields so hybrids are in widespread use for genetically simpler crops like corn and canola. In Australia, wheat and barley dominate our economy and yields oscillate unpredictably. The genetic complexity of wheat and barley has stymied development of hybrids. This project will provide the new tools needed to enable large-scale hybrid seed production for wheat and barley. Hybrids can generate an immediate jump in yield of up to 20% making the economic benefits of hybrid varieties tailored to the Australian climate substantial. The discoveries will be relevant for other cereals that Australia exports such as sorghum. Higher and sustainable yields will provide social benefits by guaranteeing better food and market security. This project will also strengthen collaborative activities between major research institutes within Australia and with major crop breeding efforts in Europe.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Unveiling the Winds of Star-Forming Galaxies. This project seeks to resolve an outstanding problem in the formation of cosmic structure: what is the nature of galactic winds, and what physical mechanisms are responsible for driving them? Answering these questions requires computer simulations of greater resolution than have previously been possible, coupled to next-generation telescopic observations. This research aims to develop novel methods to enable the required simulations, leveraging new hardware architectures at Australian supercomputer facilities, and to use these approaches to solve a major open problem in astrophysics, open new frontiers in simulation, and multiply the return on Australia's investment in both computer facilities and telescopes that will study galactic winds. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences In recent years, Australia has spent more than $100m on supercomputer facilities, and more than $300m in international telescopes including the Square Kilometre Array, Giant Magellan Telescope, and Cherenkov Telescope Array. Maximising the return on these hardware investments requires developing the methods and software tools that can use them most efficiently. That is exactly what this Fellowship will accomplish: I will develop new GPU-accelerated computing methods that can drive the supercomputers to peak performance, and use the new computations these innovations enable to develop analysis tools and interpretation for the telescopes. This will benefit Australia culturally by answering fundamental questions about human origins, and economically by providing free, open-source software and methods to accelerate calculations in fields far beyond astrophysics, for example weather modelling and aerospace applications. The project will also produce a workforce of researchers trained to use and develop these new methods, with skills in high demand in industry and government.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Mathematical Breakthroughs in Wave Propagation. This Fellowship proposal in theoretical mathematics aims to solve three major open problems in wave propagation. These are the long-time behaviour of nonlinear waves, including the behaviour and interaction of solitary waves; the propagation of waves in rough media; and the small-scale behaviour of interacting waves under the assumption of chaotic ray dynamics. The research aims to analyse wave equations that model problems in optical media and waveguides, medical and seismic imaging, and nano-electronic devices. Outcomes and benefits are expected in new mathematical theory, Australian research capability, better algorithms for numerically computing waves, and technological advances in communications, medical imaging, and seismic imaging. Field of research: 4904 - Pure Mathematics Many modern technologies – such as communications, imaging, and advanced computing – rely on transmission of information via wave motion. For example, invisible radio waves travel between mobile phones and transmission towers to enable us to communicate with each other. When the speed and direction of these waves changes suddenly transmission is interrupted. This Fellowship aims to solve such fundamental problems in the mathematics of wave motion. These advances will help launch partnerships with applied scientists and engineers to create new software that industry partners can adopt for Australian industry to design and manufacture numerous 21st century technologies, including technology that will feature in next generation batteries and information storage devices. These advances will also benefit Australia and everyday Australians in areas such as communication technologies, medical imaging, mineral exploration, and prediction of extreme weather events such as floods and cyclones.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Understanding snow gum dieback for effective and integrated management. The project leverages recent research and infrastructure investments and our determined and collaborative team as it aims to: 1) assess the future geography of snow gum dieback in the high country and identify priority locations for pro-active management, 2) quantify the impact of snow gums on high country water and carbon budgets and thus the socio- economic and biodiversity values, and 3) determine options for mitigation. Dieback of our iconic snow gum forests is diminishing the ecological, hydrological and cultural values of the Australian Alps and will impact state and national water-supply and power-generation systems. Our research will inform Alps-wide management efforts designed for long-term success. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology Forest dieback is emerging as a national issue in Australia and overseas. Managing dieback at the forest scale is a daunting problem with no clear solution. Snowgum dieback in particular poses a critical threat to state and national water supply, quality and also to power-generation systems - with far reaching economic implications. Working with our partners this project will combine cutting-edge hydrology and carbon/water modelling to assess biodiversity impacts, enabling us to conduct scenario analyses that quantify dieback impacts and to produce translational outputs for the sector: a solutions roadmap, spatially predictive tools, value assessments, and candidate seed stocks for restoration. The uptake of these tools and resources will enable pro-active Alps-wide management efforts to be effective and realised at scale. Australia will benefit environmentally through proactive and more effective preservation of our alpine ecosystems as well as economically by reducing the threat to our national water supply and generation systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Sedimentary basins: Windows into the dynamics of Australian lithosphere. This project aims to investigate the structure and stability of the Australian continent. It will focus on improving predictive models of sedimentary basin development on the edge of thick lithosphere, which host large quantities of metal, hydrocarbons, and freshwater. Understanding their formation will enhance the ability to locate resources in frontier areas. The research combines state-of-the-art geodynamical modelling with the burgeoning quantity of geophysical and geological data collected by the government and research community. The project would build Australian research capability and stimulate novel approaches to critical problems, highlighting opportunities at the interface between academic and industry geoscience. Field of research: 0403 - Geology Long-term evolution of the continental lithosphere plays a crucial role in the development of natural resources, including critical minerals, hydrocarbons, and groundwater. Building on my collaboration with Geoscience Australia's 'Exploring for the Future' (EFTF) program, the hunt is on to refine predictive tools to uncover the location and extent of buried resources. By linking the unprecedented diversity and volume of data collected by the EFTF program with investigations of continental dynamics, this project will ensure effective communication between academic and operational communities and improve our understanding of the formation and preservation of sedimentary basins that host precious natural resources. Expected deliverables include improved forecasting of resources considered key to sustaining economic activities and recovery from COVID-19, and enhancing the future development of Australian society. Thus, this work directly addresses the 'Resources' National Research Priority, and will provide an HDR student with a powerful basin-analysis skillset that is regularly sought after but seldom taught.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Accelerating zero-emission vehicle adoption in Australian cities . This project aims to devise effective policy mixes and sequences to inform policymakers on the process of zero-emission vehicle adoption policy development, adjustment, and implementation in Australian cities. Taking Canberra as a case study, it intends to understand and integrate diverse stakeholder perspectives into policy processes, and explore the synergies and trade-offs among multiple goals and measures, to inform and enhance the policy goals and interventions occurring across time scales and sectors. Expected outcomes include a framework to co-design policy measures and incentive structures for shared learning in Australia and globally. This should contribute to both urban mitigation and the incubation of new business ecosystems. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management The uptake of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) in Australia benefits the environment both in short-term pollution reduction and longer-term climate change mitigation. It is critical to reaching national net-zero goals by 2050, yet uptake so far has been slower than in many other countries. This research will investigate how local policy measures can increase uptake of electric and green hydrogen-powered vehicles. Using Canberra as a case study, this research aims to investigate how effective policy measures for accelerated ZEVs uptake can be co-designed with stakeholders, taking into account the interactions with existing renewable energy policies and local context. The outcome of this research will be a clear understanding of how policy at a city-level in Australia can increase the uptake of ZEVs, and a cutting-edge knowledge on the role of sub-national government in sustainability transition. Working with partners, knowledge will be shared to support policy process in ACT and other jurisdictions that can benefit the Australian environment by reducing pollution and mitigating climate change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Ancestral enzyme engineering for designer fat products. Consumers are increasingly turning to plant-based alternatives of meat and dairy products due to concerns about health, animal welfare and sustainability. Taste, nutritional profile, protein content and limited variety are barriers that continue to challenge food manufacturers. This project aims to develop a process for the fermentation of specialty food oils and fats from agriculture production waste, that can deliver the flavour and nutritional benefits of meat and dairy products when added to plant-based alternatives. The outcomes should valorise existing agriculture and food waste, converting waste materials into valuable food ingredients. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The world food economy is undergoing a revolution. Population growth and consumer preferences are driving demand for meat and dairy that our agricultural industry will struggle to meet. Plant-based alternatives to the fats that give meat and dairy their taste could help solve this problem, but they cannot be produced in sufficient amounts to be environmentally or economically sustainable. To solve this problem, the project will produce plant-based meat and dairy alternatives that will add flavour to plant-based proteins – and do so both sustainably and at industrial scale. This discovery and its commercial development through Australian food manufacturers will give consumers access to plant-based foods that taste like meat and dairy. With a predicted market of $162 billion by 2030, the project will also deliver benefits for the food industry by creating a competitive advantage over international companies, generating high-tech manufacturing capability and creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Embedded emissions accounting: frameworks for trade in a net-zero world. This project aims to inform Government on potential accounting frameworks for greenhouse emissions embedded in tradable products. Public frameworks are urgently needed given the emergence internationally of trade-related climate policies such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms. The project expects to contribute to global knowledge on embedded emissions frameworks by combining economic, engineering, science and policy perspectives. Expected outcomes include improved: capability within Government; understanding among Australian stakeholders; and integration with international approaches. Expected benefits include lower regulatory barriers to global emissions reductions, and fairer access to international markets for Australian producers. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics The global net-zero transition presents an opportunity for Australia to achieve simultaneous economic and environmental benefits by growing low-emissions export industries. To take full advantage of our natural endowments - such as land, sun and wind - we need to ensure that regulatory barriers such as carbon border adjustment rules do not inhibit Australian clean exports. Government seeks to understand how to help low-emissions industries easily prove their climate credentials, and thus avoid regulatory barriers arising from the climate policies of our trading partners. The proposed project will identify principles and approaches for best-practice public accounting of the emissions embedded in traded products. The project will provide the Australian Government the knowledge required to develop and negotiate fair and efficient frameworks for embedded-emissions accounting. These frameworks will support Australian exports of low-emissions goods and services including agricultural products, refined minerals, energy, and carbon sequestration; hence providing widely distributed benefits for Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Donkey Politics: How China’s Belt & Road shapes everyday life in Pakistan. This project will develop a socio-cultural understanding of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), through an ethnographic examination of the donkey trade with China. The research will produce fine-grained data on the impacts of the massive export of donkeys on the work, livelihoods, and health-seeking behaviour of marginalised populations in Pakistan. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of Chinese mega projects on host countries. It will benefit Australian and international policymakers seeking to develop a grounded understanding of BRI and its broader implications for the Indo-Pacific region, including the risk of zoonotic diseases associated with animal trade. Field of research: 1601 - Anthropology For over 100 years, feral donkeys have caused major environmental damage and competed for pasture with livestock and native animals in Australia. Forty years of aerial culling, Australia’s standard and costly solution to the problem, has missed a market opportunity in the livestock industry and failed to engage with Indigenous people and their knowledge of sustainable co-existence with donkeys. Drawing on highly relevant comparative experience in Pakistan, this project will provide timely recommendations for Australian agribusiness, enabling livestock farmers and indigenous managers to sustainably and ethically profit from Australia’s finest breed donkey population. It will also offer an evidence base to enable improved policy and industry assessment to mitigate the threat of animal-borne viruses to Australia’s $18.5b live animal and meat export industry. These outcomes will boost prospects for an emerging, potentially profitable and sustainably-managed donkey farming industry in regional Australia, while promoting Indigenous development, ecological benefits and the industry’s future economic prosperity.