Australian National University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Self-determination for Indigenous Australia: histories, visions and voice. This project aims to provide a historical exploration of the experiences of self-determination in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Working in partnership with Indigenous collaborators, it expects to generate new knowledge of the challenges and opportunities which arose from the process of self-determination. Expected outcomes include a new history of the Northern Territory as shaped by self-determination, together with innovative methods for community-based collaborative research which give voice to historical Indigenous experiences. This should provide significant benefits for policymakers engaging with Indigenous communities and generate deeper cultural understanding of an important era in Australia’s Indigenous history. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies Remote Aboriginal communities continue to endure inequities in health, education and economic outcomes. The Commonwealth Government introduced a policy of self-determination in 1973, which included the transformation of remote missions in the Northern Territory into these communities. Yet the Uluru Statement shows that many Indigenous leaders do not consider self-determination to have been realised. Truth-telling about this period is therefore vital. This collaborative project will investigate what self-determination meant for communities and what Indigenous people, governments and churches attempted in its name. The research will generate opportunities and outputs for Indigenous communities to promote and revitalise their stories for the benefit of the rising generation and broader Australian public. The benefit this project will contribute to Australian culture includes increased awareness of past policy successes and failures (as a precursor to improved policy delivery) and an historically-informed evidence-base for national debate about Indigenous sovereignties.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Barriers and pathways to development of Indigenous traditional medicines. This project aims to explore how Australian regulatory systems can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Knowledge (TK) holders to commercialise their traditional medicines. Focusing on the mudjala plant and working with the Kimberley’s Nyikina people, the project should generate new anthropological methods for documenting TK related to traditional medicine, new models for regulating traditional medicinal products, and pharmacological insights into traditional methods of activating the plant. Additional expected outcomes include unlocking the significant, untapped potential for Indigenous Australians to benefit from the development of traditional medicine products regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Field of research: 1699 - Other Studies In Human Society The innovative, transdisciplinary research proposed in this project will directly contribute to the economic, commercial, social and cultural well-being of the Nyikina Mangala people of the Kimberley by supporting their aspirations for commercial development of the mudjala plant as a traditional medicinal product. More broadly, the tools, methods and frameworks developed by the research will help other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to realise the commercial potential of their cultural and intellectual property. Unlocking the significant, untapped potential for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to benefit from the development of traditional medicine products regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration will enable increased economic independence and improved community, health, educational and social outcomes. Closing the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is a national priority. In addition, Australia’s economy would be expected to benefit from the development of new domestic and international markets for traditional medicinal products.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Towers of Terabytes: utilising Indigenous digital knowledge resources . This project aims to advance understanding of how Indigenous cultural knowledge databases can be integrated with ecological information management systems to enhance the ability of Indigenous rangers to care for country. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the challenges and solutions of data linkage between cultural heritage and natural resource management platforms. Expected outcomes include an integrated Information Management System for the Wadeye ranger group and museum, and the formation of a working model for ranger groups nationally. Benefits include delivery of data-linkage solutions and a significant contribution to research and practice in the use of information technologies by and for Indigenous peoples. Field of research: 2102 - Curatorial and Related Studies Indigenous rangers are at the frontline of environmental protection in Australia, and their role in cultural heritage management is rapidly expanding. Integral to their future success is the integration of digital repositories of cultural and ecological knowledge that currently and commonly operate as discrete and isolated IT systems. This project aims to enhance ranger group ability to holistically care for country by understanding integration challenges and innovating appropriate data-linkage solutions. It will help achieve a vital step-change that shifts focus away from digital information accumulation in siloed local repositories to how such impressive ‘living archive’ resources can work seamlessly together to support the nation’s Indigenous land and sea managers. The research will contribute significantly to the use of IT by and for Indigenous peoples, and can inform policy and practice in environmental protection and heritage management in Australia more broadly.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A New Era of Galactic Archaeology with Large Surveys and Machine Learning. The project aims to advance the symbiotic relation between astronomy and machine learning to unravel the origin and the evolutionary history of the Milky Way. The proposed study will base heavily on the data from the Australian-led spectroscopic survey and, as a result, contribute to realising the full potential of this multi-million dollar endeavour. The goal of the study is to walk ourselves back in cosmic time, using the most advanced technologies of our time to reveal the Milky Ways oldest story. The investigation aims to consolidate Australia's position in big data astronomy and give Australia a unique competitive advantage in data analytics. Such an endeavour is essential for Australia to maintain its leadership in astronomy. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Big data is transforming how astronomers make discoveries. To realise a competitive advantage, Australia’s astronomy and space industry needs cutting-edge algorithms that will power big data analytics. It also needs the highly specialised and skilled workforce that will propel the country forward. This project addresses both these needs. To build national capability for future economic gain, this project combines novel methods from astronomy, statistics and machine learning to study big data: that of the last 14 billion years of the Milky Way's evolution. The project will provide a world-class training ground for the next generation of big data scientists and astronomers. It will reveal the physical processes that engender the Milky Way's evolution, which Australia can claim as a key scientific discovery. Moreover, it will contribute the algorithmic innovations needed for broader commercial exploitation by industry, delivering economic and reputational benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The milli-arcsecond cosmos: astrophysical imaging with Heimdallr. This project aims to complete the Asgard near infrared instrument suite for the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope Interferometer. With the core short and long wavelength parts of the instrument already funded by partners from Belgium and the United Kingdom, this final instrument component built as a France-Australia partnership using 1.5 to 2.4 micron wavelengths aims to greatly extend the instrument to be able to directly detect a significant sample of exoplanets, to resolve and measure the mass of Active Galactic Nuclei, and calibrate Galactic Archaeology through precision measurements of star systems. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Australia plays a leading international role in astronomical instrumentation, which both has social benefits as part of science education and playing a part to understand humanity's place in the Universe, as well as technological benefits to developing advanced manufacturing capability. Our national engagement in the partnership with the world's leading optical observatory, the European Southern Observatory mostly involves decade-long instruments. This relatively quick visitor instrument develops and showcases Australian photonic technology as part of this partnership, leading to the most competitive instrument in the world for directly detecting light from giant planets orbiting other stars, which is a particularly exciting class of result to communicate with the public. By utilising the Australian National Fabrication Facility in capabilities beyond what is publicly offered, their micro-optics and diamond turned mirror capabilities will be expanded, enabling future offerings for Australian industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Integrated volatile-mineral-isotope micro-analysis of Earth environments. This project aims to build an innovative facility for small-scale spectral maps of volatiles (e.g., carbon, oxygen, hydrogen) and minerals that is linked to micro-isotopic analysis. The facility should significantly improve methods to trace the history of natural materials that have been exposed to different environments (e.g., liquids, gases, temperature, or biology). This capability underpins cross-disciplinary research in "hot" topics such as critical mineral and ore exploration, climate change, volcanic eruptions, biomineral formation, and cultural history. The project will likely benefit homegrown infrastructure in universities, CSIRO and Geoscience Australia, and leverage Australian expertise in geoscience and archaeology. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry Infrastructure and expertise in characterising materials is an important component of growing an innovation economy in Australia. The proposed facility will ensure that Australia remains at the forefront in characterisation methods of some of the most complex and important materials: rocks, critical and ore minerals, biominerals (teeth, bone), and archaeological and environmental samples. University and government partners will build on unique Australian expertise to improve homegrown SHRIMP and HyLogger commercial technologies. The project will expand existing facilities to measure small-scale light stable isotopes linked to spectral maps of micron-scale materials. The infrastructure is likely to bring economic rewards to Australia and to fuel cross-disciplinary research in "hot" topics. We anticipate improving ways to: a) explore for critical minerals and ore metals; b) understand past processes and environments that formed materials in the deep Earth; and c) track environmental histories (e.g., at archaeology sites). Early career personnel will become highly trained and ready for interdisciplinary jobs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Enhanced high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful analytical tool in chemistry, ranging from small molecules to 3D structure determinations of large biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. This application is for a probe that offers the highest possible sensitivity of detection, about 2.5 times higher than the current probe, which is a loaned item and partly defect. The new probe is essential to regain full operation of the 800 MHz NMR spectrometer at the Australian National University, which constitutes a $4M investment. By accelerating measurements 6-fold and being much less sensitive to salt, a greater range of protein systems can be studied, including important drug targets such as the CoV-2 main protease. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Australia has a particular strength in basic biomedical research, including the identification and development of small-molecule compounds to treat disease. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a key technique to identify the binding mode of drug molecules on protein targets at atomic resolution. This knowledge is essential not only for drug approval, but also for optimisation and development of initial compounds for improved activity, thus underpinning the early stages of drug development. The new probe sought in this application delivers greatly enhanced sensitivity, thus significantly broadening the range of drug targets that can be investigated, as well as the range of challenging synthetic compounds, which require maximal sensitivity due to limited availability and solubility. It will recover and maintain international competitiveness of a leading NMR facility in Australia, opening unique opportunities for the development of improved and accelerated NMR techniques, which are important to advance the competitiveness of Australian research in biological, pharmaceutical and synthetic chemistry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

AI Planning: The Next Generation. This is a project in Artificial Intelligence. It aims at extending and integrating automated planning (and other forms of reasoning) with learning to produce a new generation of planning systems that are robust, safe, scalable, and trusted. These are some of the most significant issues to address to accelerate the adoption of planning systems in industry. Expected outcomes include a pipeline to learn rich symbolic planning models from narrated demonstration videos, new ways to represent, learn, and search for generalised policies that are scalable and robust, and approaches to verify and explain generalised policies. The new systems should benefit the aerospace industry by assisting humans in assembling and delivering aerospace products. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing The ability to plan ahead is one of the cornerstones of human intelligence. Humans routinely make sequences of decisions (or plans) to achieve their objectives, are capable of explaining the rationale behind these decisions, and excel at generalising and adapting plans to address new and more complex situations. In contrast, these capabilities remain very challenging for artificial intelligence (AI). This project will build AI agents displaying these capabilities in a safe, scalable, robust and trustworthy manner. The research will be validated by demonstrating the potential for collaborative robots and virtual assistants equipped with these capabilities working alongside humans in assembly and delivery of aerospace products. This project is at the leading edge of AI research. It will help Australia lead the race in an area of paramount social and economic importance. The project outcomes have the potential to help Australian businesses adapt and become more efficient, in industries ranging from manufacturing to warehousing, via the pharmaceutical to luxury food preparation industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Inequality, Prosperity and the Australian Welfare State. This project aims to clarify contested understandings of Australian inequality and the role of economic and social policies in addressing policy challenges going forward. The objective of the project is to generate significantly improved knowledge of inequality in Australia using innovative approaches of data splicing, decomposition, simulation and backcasting to fill research gaps and resolve contested interpretations. We aim to provide a benchmark and robust framework against which policy development after the current crisis can be evaluated. This project aims to provide significant benefits, keeping Australia at the forefront of research on inequality and public policy, strengthening links between researchers and policy makers. Field of research: 1605 - Policy and Administration This project has the potential to deliver economic and social benefits by analysing trends in Australian economic inequality, and identifying the most effective ways to reduce inequalities going forward. A distinctive feature of Australian history and politics is our belief in providing a "fair go" for all. This has been expressed through our wage setting, social security and taxation systems. This shared understanding of the importance of restraining inequalities has been a distinctive “Australian way”. This view precedes Federation but was revised from the 1980s on. Since the GFC, concern with inequality has become prominent again. But not everyone agrees we need to be worried. These conflicting accounts may reflect differing value positions or a selective approach to evidence. Alternatively, this divergence of views result from actual changes in income inequality. Was there a critical juncture between the 1960s and the 1980s when inequality started to increase? Has there subsequently been another break with inequality stabilising at a new level? Answering these questions will show new ways forward.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Regulators of protein translation reveal new pathways to plant productivity. This proposal aims to make transformative insights into the control of photosynthetic protein production. Photosynthesis is a key target for crop improvement that can address global food security. Improving photosynthesis requires precision control of photosynthetic proteins. It was unknown how this is achieved at the level of protein production. Excitingly, the team discovered how cellular protein production changes in response to photosynthetic demand. The project strives to uncover how clusters of RNAs are decayed or translated into new proteins based on RNA features and linked binding proteins. This will allow manipulation of the accumulation of target proteins towards the goal of revealing unexplored ways to improve photosynthesis. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology Australia’s $34B crop industry peaked in 2017. Stress caused by swift light changes and drought has drastically reduced yield. Making proteins is the most costly process within a living cell, and the photosynthetic proteins are the most abundant in a plant. Photosynthesis is globally a key limiter for crop yield improvement. Optimisation of photosynthetic protein production is critical for energy efficiency and plant productivity. However, no approaches to control this process have been done so far. This proposal will discover how and by what means photosynthetic protein production changes under stressful conditions. Consequently, discovering how to regulate the efficient production of proteins and building tools to control this system will reveal innovative strategies for long term goals of better plant productivity. Potential benefactor is the Australian agricultural market, as a 5% increase in wheat yield in a single season across Australia equates to $391 million in gross value production. The immediate benefit will be a fuller understanding of the most important energy capture mechanism for the world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Ultrathin III-V Solar Cells via Crack-Assisted Layer Exfoliation. III-V semiconductors are excellent photovoltaic materials with highest demonstrated solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies, but find limited usage in terrestrial applications due to high material and fabrication costs. This project aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of III-V solar cells by developing ultrathin III-V semiconductors via crack-assisted layer transfer approach and epitaxy-free fabrication via heterojunction architectures, paving the way for cost-effective, high-efficiency, flexible solar cells. The expected outcomes include a disruptive technology for integrated photovoltaics, novel contact and passivation materials, as well as new knowledge generated in materials science and optoelectronics disciplines. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Development of low-cost flexible solar cells with high efficiency is critical to unlock the true potential of solar cells for integration with a multitude of indoor and outdoor applications including building infrastructure, automobiles, self-powered electronics, spacecraft and marine vessels, and further accelerate the much needed renewable energy transition. Traditional thick wafer-based solar cells suffer from rigidness, making them unusable where flexibility and light-weight are necessary. This project expects to develop a new technology for flexible solar cells by utilizing excellent photovoltaic properties of III-V materials and developing ultrathin III-V heterojunction devices. Successful achievement of the outcomes will enable cost-effective solar cells for integrated photovoltaics, placing Australia at the forefront of exploiting advanced photovoltaics technologies. The availability of flexible solar cells intensifies the utilization of solar cells in decentralized energy generation, contributing to an increased usage of Australia’s abundant renewable energy resources and enhanced grid stability.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Korean Migration to Australia. This project aims to investigate Korean migration to Australia from 1924 to 2024 by utilising undiscovered historical government data and advancing an innovative theory and methodologies for migration studies. The project expects to generate a great deal of new knowledge on early and contemporary Korean immigrants in Australia using archival research, statistical analyses, online surveys and interviews. Expected outcomes include a new public database, theory development and refined methods using technology. This should provide significant benefits such as advancing our knowledge on colonial, post-war and post-Cold War Korean migrants (both North and South) in Australia as well as Australia-Korea relations over the past century. Field of research: 1603 - Demography South Korea is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner, and third largest source country for international students. The two countries have maintained a strong diplomatic and strategic relations for 60 years. Koreans are among the fastest growing ethnic minorities in Australia. Yet there is no comprehensive account of Korean migration to Australia since the early arrivals. In-depth knowledge of Korean Australian communities is relatively scarce compared to what is known about other migrant groups. The multidisciplinary team aims to produce the first comprehensive accounts and integrated analyses of Korean migrants in Australia. The project will enhance a better understanding of Korean Australians and their role for Australian economy and society, and strengthen the Australia-Korea relationships. Research outcomes will benefit not only the next generation of academics but also policymakers and civil society actors in immigration, foreign affairs, multiculturalism, business, media and communication.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The effect of unconventional advocates on public support for climate policy. This project aims to discover whether the presence of unconventional climate advocates in public debate can foster broad-based support for climate policy in Australia. Unconventional advocates include political conservatives, farmers, resource industry workers, and businesspeople. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the role of intersectional social identities in contentious policy debates. Expected outcomes of this project include evidence-based insights on how to reduce social division about climate policy. This should provide significant benefits such as guidance for policy actors for how to overcome social cleavages to implement climate policy, with relevance to other contentious policy domains. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science When longstanding advocates speak, their messages can be dismissed as being that of “the usual suspects” – but is there another pool of advocates, outside the mainstream, who are more engaging to the public? Our project will provide the first investigation of the potential for unconventional advocates in the public debate to foster broad-based support for climate policy in Australia. This will include insight on strategies, relationships between conventional and unconventional advocates, and the impacts on public opinion, particularly including key social constituencies that currently tend toward strong support or opposition to climate policy. Our findings will inform how a range of policy advocates can work independently or in cooperation to foster a public debate that favours successful implementation of effective and enduring policy. These findings will be of particular value to policy actors, including governments, think tanks, advocacy groups, peak business groups, and community organisations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A new Journey to the Earth's Inner Core: a Planet Within a Planet. This project aims to address critical unsolved problems in global geophysics by probing the structure and dynamics of the inner core, the Earth’s time capsule. It focuses on elucidating the inner core’s nature with the improved tomographic images, critically testing our current understanding of how the inner core is assembled and grows, its thermodynamic state, crystallographic structure, and connection with the Earth’s upper layers and geomagnetic field. Answering these questions can have far-reaching consequences for the current knowledge of fundamental geophysics. Expected benefits include training students and researchers in geophysics and data processing, contributing to a skilled STEM workforce and creating leadership for Australia. Field of research: 0404 - Geophysics Australia’s socio-economic future depends on the Earth System. The Earth’s inner core is the deepest shell considered the key to understanding the Earth as a system that involves both past, present, and future states, and impacts as critical for the life-existence issues as protecting magnetic field and climate. If the inner core is thermally convecting and if the convection is in its final stages, it is critical to determine this effect on the magnetic field that protects us from cosmic radiation. A better understanding of the Earth’s deep interior and its relation to its surface has direct implications on the formation of the Australian crust and distribution of mineral resources. This project employs a novel methodology that we pioneered and developed in recent years and has the potential to discover new structures and phenomena that contribute to the scientific and cultural wealth of Australian society. We aim to see Australia recognized as a global observational seismology leader, train the next generation of Australians, and promote Earth physics as a primary gateway to STEM fields.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Quantum optical methods for entangled devices. This project aims to develop experimental quantum optics methods and techniques for enhancing the performance of sensitive devices. Entangled photons will be used to probe separate devices, yielding an improved detection of correlated signals. This new technique will benefit laboratory searches for new fundamental physics effects such as space-time fluctuations due to quantum gravity and exotic dark matter candidates. The project is expected to train scientists and students in advanced quantum methods, promoting and securing Australia's position as a leader in the development of quantum technologies. Field of research: 0206 - Quantum Physics Quantum physics underpins key components of many modern technologies that Australians rely on for their entertainment, livelihood, and security, including mobile phones, computers, and the internet. Yet we are only at the beginning of exploiting further advances in these areas - which will be the basis of entirely new economies for Australia. This project will produce the experimental techniques and cutting edge theories in quantum optical methods that will drive the development of future real world technology applications in Australia and internationally. By driving new technology development within Australia's quantum communication industry (which is projected to reach $4B by 2040), the project will contribute longer term economic and commercial benefits to Australia, as well as to Australian consumers of those next-generation communication technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Novel statistical methods for data with non-Euclidean geometric structure. This project aims to develop new flexible regression models and classification algorithms, along with robust and efficient inference methods, applicable to a wide range of non-Euclidean data types which arise in many fields of science, business and technology. There are serious flaws with currently available methods of analysis for non-Euclidean data. This project expects to transform such analyses by providing new quantitative tools within a unifying framework. The anticipated project outcomes will be of mathematical interest and valuable in applications such as finance (predicting Australian stock returns); modelling electroencephalography data; Australian geochemical data, relating to sediments; and Australian X-ray tumour image data. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics The research outcomes of the project will support two Australian Government Science and Research priorities: (i) Resources, through the analysis of geochemical data from the National Geochemical Survey of Australia; and (ii) Health, through the analysis of X-ray data from a Brisbane hospital and an analysis of electroencephalography data. For (i), it is anticipated that this project will lead to a completely new way of analysing sediment or rock samples collected from geographically dispersed sites in Australia and it will help to identify many relevant underlying geological processes, thus aiding mineral exploration and recovery of resources. For (ii), the impact of the project is expected to be enormous, through a large improvement in the diagnosis of epilepsy and saving lives by providing new algorithms to help detect cancers more quickly from X-ray image data. A further expected major benefit is substantially improved portfolio allocation based on analysis of the Securities Industry Research Centre of Asia-Pacific database which contains stock return data of particular relevance to Australia and NZ.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Generating Highly Entangled Photons from Nonlinear Monolayer Domes. This project aims to investigate novel monolayer domes for the development of high-performance quantum photon sources. This research expects to expand our understanding of fundamental physics of photon pair generation in nonlinear optical materials. Such monolayer domes have ultra-high optical nonlinearity, which gives rise to strong light-matter interactions and enables high-efficiency photon pair generation. The expected outcome is demonstration of a prototype light-weight and intense quantum photon source based on novel materials, which can be readily integrated with photonic circuits for quantum communication technologies. This research could strengthen the development of new industries and lead to job creation. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology Materials research is a proven pathway to the development of new technologies. Our research focuses on the recently emerged atomically thin monolayer domes and aims to understand and harness their unique physical properties for building quantum photon source devices. Our research will deliver novel light-weight quantum photon sources with broad spectral and angular widths, which are important for many quantum technologies and applications, such as quantum imaging, quantum communication and future quantum computation. These devices are expected to play an enabling role in the future developments of light weight portable devices, such as mobile phones, displays, distributed sensors, and wearable photonics. This research could strengthen the development of new industries and lead to job creation. The outputs of this project will enhance the international competitiveness of Australian research and foster national and international collaborations on novel materials and devices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Understanding the Geodynamo: Putting Australia on the Map. This Project aims to construct high-quality Australian palaeomagnetic records from lake sediments for incorporation into models of Earth’s magnetic field history. Earth’s magnetic field is generated by a dynamo within our planet’s outer core, it underpins modern navigation and forms a shield against space radiation. International efforts to understand ancient geodynamo evolution lack Australian palaeomagnetic data, a shortcoming referred to as the “Australian data wasteland”. This Project aims to address this data deficiency and is expected to reinvigorate Australia’s role in understanding the geodynamo. Furthermore, models of Earth’s ancient magnetic field are anticipated to provide ages for Australian archaeological and climate records. Field of research: 0404 - Geophysics Earth's magnetic plays an under-appreciated role in our day-to-day lives. It is used in a broad range of navigation tasks spanning aerospace technologies through to personal smartphone apps. One restriction on these technologies, however, is that Earth’s magnetic field changes through time. This field evolution is poorly understood, particularly in the Australian region. This project aims to produce high-resolution records of changes in Earth’s magnetic field direction and strength through recent geological time. These records will be incorporated into computer models that describe the evolution of Earth’s magnetic field both globally and in the Australian region. Such models will contribute to the scientific community’s understanding of changes in Earth’s magnetic field and potential consequences for technological development. In a cultural and environmental context, models of Earth’s ancient magnetic field can provide ages for Australian archaeological and climate records where other dating techniques may not be feasible.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The impact of COVID-19 economic stimulus measures on corporate stakeholders. Australia's economic response to COVID-19 saw cash injections to companies and bailouts of some insolvent firms. This project aims to quantify the market value of these government subsidies and how it was shared across corporate stakeholders. The project expects to generate new knowledge for the design of financial stability regimes by developing the world-first dynamic structural model of firm assets that allows for government interventions both prior to and at default. Expected outcomes include a novel public dataset that tracks expected future subsidies and how they are shared by stakeholders. These forecasts should provide significant benefits to taxpayers as they fund the subsidies and gain from them as claimants to Australian firms. Field of research: 1502 - Banking, Finance and Investment In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, governments worldwide implemented emergency relief measures to stabilise their economies. In Australia, struggling businesses received cash injections through wage subsidies and firms considered too important to fail were kept from bankruptcy. To date, it is unknown how the net benefits derived from these subsidies are shared among different types of corporate stakeholders. This project proposes to develop the world-first dynamic structural model of firm assets that allows for government interventions both prior to and at insolvency, and to calibrate this model to financial reporting and securities market data. A novel database will be created to track, firm by firm, the market value stakeholders derive from future potential government interventions, and how it is split across equity owners, creditors and taxpayers. While taxpayers fund these interventions they may also gain from them as claimants to the cash flows generated by Australian firms. Australia will benefit from this research through the advancement of crucial cost-benefit analysis and crisis management tools.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A step change in modeling leaf respiration-photosynthesis relationships . This project aims to use innovative, high-throughput technologies to develop a novel framework that links daytime photosynthesis and starch/amino acid mobilisation to variations in night-time leaf respiration. Variations in leaf respiration can have large impacts on ecosystem functioning and the Earth’s climate. Although advances have been made in respiration modelling, current models are unable to predict dynamic, day-to-day variations in respiratory rates. Expected outcomes include equations that predict daily variations in night-time leaf respiration for environments across Australia and overseas. Benefits to planners include the ability to more accurately model vegetation-atmosphere carbon exchange and future changes in climate. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology Across Australia, plant growth is crucial for the functioning of our natural ecosystems and productivity of our agricultural sector. To aid socio-environmental-economic planning, it is vital that we develop models that can predict how future changes in climate affect plant growth across Australia. While we have a range of tools to model photosynthesis – a key part of plant growth – our ability to model plant respiration remains limited. This is a problem, as half of the carbon taken up by photosynthesis each day is respired back into the atmosphere. The proposed research will use recent advances in robotics and sensors to develop new, large datasets – combined with a conceptual framework that links the mobilization of starch and amino acids to leaf respiration – to improve modelling of day-to-day variations in respiration. In doing so, the research will provide new ways for modellers to predict how future changes in Australia’s climate will affect the growth of plants in some of our most iconic ecosystems, ranging from the dry regions of inland Australia to the wet ecosystems of Queensland and Tasmania.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Reconceiving Engagement with International Law in a Populist Era. This project seeks to address the fundamental problem of how to reconceive engagement by states with the international legal order, in the face of a sustained populist backlash. It proposes to develop a new analytical framework to evaluate the origins and impact of populist concerns about international law. Expected outcomes include detailed empirical studies of the extent to which countries with populist leaders have disengaged from the international legal order, and evidence-based recommendations to increase committed engagement by states with that order. Anticipated benefits include expanding national research and policy capacity in reinforcing the rules and institutions that support Australia’s security and prosperity. Field of research: 1801 - Law As a trade-dependent regional power with global interests, Australia gains national benefit from an effective rules-based international order. This project contributes to this benefit by diagnosing how rising domestic populism in key trade partner states affects their engagement in the international institutions that manage global threats to peace, trade, public health and human rights. The project will identify steps Australia can take to promote more committed state engagement with these institutions, contributing economic, social and cultural benefits in three ways. First, a peaceful international order that promotes human rights boosts Australia's security, decreasing conflict and migratory pressure, while advancing Australian freedoms. Second, a robust, rules-based trade system is vital to secure trade certainty, thus delivering economic benefits to the Australian community. Third, the project contributes economic and social benefits by strengthening collective responses to global public health threats, thereby decreasing the vulnerability of Australia and international communities to future pandemics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Magnetic fields and atomic gas flows in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds. This project aims to understand how gas and magnetic fields interact to set the fate of galaxies. Magnetism, alongside gravity, is one of the most influential forces in determining the structure and evolution of the Universe, and yet one of the least understood. Using Australia's newest astronomy investment, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, this project hopes to reveal the linkage of magnetism and atomic gas flows in our own Milky Way and between its galactic neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds. The expected outcomes of this project include the delivery of one of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder key science projects, improved understanding of how galaxies evolve and training students in scientific skills. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences For nearly 70 years Australia has led the world in radio astronomy research with outstanding radio technology and radio quiet spaces. Through investments in radio astronomy infrastructure of nearly $300 million over the last 15 years, Australia has secured the co-hosting of the world's next great radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). With the SKA Australia will maintain its world leadership in radio astronomy throughout the next decades. In this Discovery Project we will use the new Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope, and capitalise on our natural advantage through the Southern hemisphere view of our own Galaxy and nearest galactic neighbours to reveal how galaxies work. We will set the foundations for new scientific ventures and international leadership with the SKA. This Discovery Project will add benefit to Australia's infrastructure investment in radio astronomy by investing in jobs and the development of knowledge to ensure that we not only host the SKA, but also lead many of its future scientific insights.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

RNA-binding proteins rewire transcriptomes in immune cell differentiation. This project aims to combine advanced computational and experimental techniques to investigate a new layer of gene regulation by novel RNA binding proteins (RBP) which control messenger RNA length in immune cells. This project expects to demonstrate that these RBPs have a profound effect on immune cell differentiation and response to infection. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new RBPs regulating immunity, with mechanism and function determined by novel CRISPR editing of a transgenic mouse model. The significant benefit will be a more complete understanding of RNA mechanisms of immune response, which will be critical in informing future advances in the rapidly developing areas of RNA-based biotechnologies and synthetic immunology. Field of research: 1107 - Immunology Harnessing the full potential of rapidly advancing RNA-based biotechnologies and synthetic biology, as most recently demonstrated by RNA-based Covid-19 vaccines, requires precise understanding of RNA-based gene regulatory mechanisms. This project will investigate a new layer of gene regulation by RNA binding proteins (RBP) which control alternate messenger RNA lengths in immune cells. We hypothesise that these RBPs will have a profound effect on immune cell differentiation and response to infection. We will develop advanced computational methods to discover these RBP targets genome-wide, and experimentally investigate their mechanism of action. Understanding these new mechanisms is a prerequisite to their future exploitation as targets for RNA-based biotechnologies and synthetic immunology, mRNA therapeutics, and gene therapy, with broad economic implications in agriculture and health. This project will contribute to Australia's traditional research strengths in RNA biology and immunology, and provide long-term benefits in the education of young scientists in these areas and advanced computational biology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Automatic Authorities: Charting a Course for Legitimate AI. Public and private actors are increasingly using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to exercise power over citizens, who are increasingly unsure whether to accept that power. AI faces a crisis of legitimacy. This project aims to use technically- and empirically-grounded philosophy to make Australia a global leader in the study and design of legitimate AI. The project expects to launch and make fundamental progress in a new field: the Political Philosophy of AI. Expected outcomes include new strategies shared with industry and government partners for designing and deploying legitimate AI systems. Expected benefits include the opportunity to enjoy the public and private efficiencies enabled by AI, without compromising our freedom and equality. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science We are in the middle of a technological and political revolution. Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are being used by both states and digital platforms to exercise unprecedented power over citizens, causing public concern and distrust. Despite its potential to reduce market and government inefficiencies, AI faces a crisis of legitimacy. By making fundamental philosophical progress grounded in robust empirical and technical foundations, and by working closely with high-level industry and government advisors, this project will launch and lead a new field of the Political Philosophy of AI, and chart a course out of that crisis. Government and industry advisors—who are responsible for designing and governing AI systems—will use and share actionable guidance based on our foundational research to increase the adoption of legitimate AI systems in both public and private sectors. These outcomes will contribute to important political and technological benefits: empowering Australian citizens and consumers to use AI in ways that support, rather than undermine, their fundamental freedom and equality.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Children's displacement and humanitarian protection in the Global South. This Fellowship project aims to demonstrate how child protection is central to the dynamics of forced migration and the key to robust humanitarian programs in protracted crises. Through a comparison of operational measures in child marriage, trafficking, child labour, and sexual abuse, the research expects to develop new insights in humanitarian protection. Outcomes and benefits include a new theoretical framework of protection in emergencies and the design of scalable tools that offer actionable advice for policymakers and practitioners. The project will enhance Australia’s capacity to engage strategically in delivering humanitarian aid that contributes to children and young people’s meaningful protection in forced migration contexts. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science This project contributes to pressing issues of national concern by creating new knowledge on children’s protection to inform Australia’s humanitarian strategies. One outcome of this research would be to reveal the central importance of gender-sensitive and child-centred protection strategies in Australia’s humanitarian agenda. Another outcome would be to develop an inclusive protection agenda for children and young people that builds on Australia’s strong engagement in support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the humanitarian space. By developing innovative methodological tools and guidelines, this project directly informs Australia’s development and humanitarian objectives of building resilience, empowering young women and girls, and building communities. The research will make recommendations for better child protection mechanisms in humanitarian emergencies and for strengthening the protection partnering arrangements with the Global South. It will reaffirm Australia’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by contributing to knowledge and research-informed policy advocacy.