Australian National University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

X-ray Ghost Imaging and Tomography. This project aims to achieve safer, faster, and cheaper 3D X-ray imaging through a technique known as ghost imaging. X-ray imaging provides valuable information about internal structures, however, X-rays are carcinogenic and exposure (or dose) should be limited. Ghost imaging is an unconventional technique developed with visible light that has many potential benefits over conventional imaging. This research group are world leaders in ghost imaging and expect to develop software and hardware techniques to realise its potential and extend it to ghost tomography. The focus of this project is on reducing cancer risk in medical imaging, and allowing real-time quality control for 3D printing in safety-critical industries such as aerospace. Field of research: 0299 - Other Physical Sciences The key outcome of this project is anticipated to be a "ghost tomography" method for reducing the X-ray dose required for 3D imaging. This method would enable inspection of the internal structure of a medical patient, scientific sample, or industrial part, to become cheaper, faster, and less dangerous. In addition to reducing the cancer risk of medical CT scans, this approach could revolutionise medical imaging by making X-ray screening for early signs of disease safer, cheaper, and more accessible. This would improve early detection of diseases in Australia's ageing population. In Australian industry, additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a rapidly developing technology. The ability to digitise a spare parts inventory makes commercial sense in the automotive and aerospace sectors. However, quality control of the individual custom-printed replacement parts is a significant impediment to its widespread adoption. Rapid, cheap ghost tomography is anticipated to be a viable method for quality control in these safety-critical industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Political Trust and Satisfaction with Democracy in Australia. Declining public support is one of the greatest challenges to democracy. In 2019, Australia recorded the lowest level of trust in politics on record. This project aims to understand the reasons for declining political trust and satisfaction with democracy in Australia. The project hopes to field the 2022-25 Australian Election Study to address these issues by surveying a representative sample of voters following the 2022 and 2025 Australian federal elections, in addition to continuing a longitudinal survey started in 2016. The project wants to add to an unbroken series of publicly available data on Australian political behaviour since 1987, while also producing new insights into how individual opinions change over time. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science Democracy requires the unconditional support of the public to survive and prosper. Understanding the reasons for the recent decline in public support for democracy is therefore crucial to maintaining the future health of Australian democracy. The project aims to identify the drivers of trust (and distrust). It seeks to provide independent, robust evidence to help inform policy makers and politicians about possible reform measures which could halt the decline. It also aims to provide an important educational asset for voters, by providing up-to-date information about how the political system functions and modifying voter expectations about what the system can deliver in practice. Finally, the project seeks to enrich civic education among school and university students by providing them a better understanding of the role of public opinion in the political process in general, and on how we vote and why.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Experiments to quantify the geochemical behaviour of the precious metals. This project aims to measure the high-temperature geochemical properties of the precious metals, which include gold, silver and the platinum group elements. The measurements are needed to quantify the partitioning of the precious metals between silicate melts and metal or sulfide, which would enable their distinctive geochemical properties to be applied to the testing of current hypotheses on how Earth formed, the composition of Earth's mantle through time, the relationship of Earth to the Moon, and the evolution of magmatic systems to form copper-gold deposits. The measurements have become feasible due to newly developed experimental and analytical methods, which avoid the problems that have bedevilled previous attempts. Field of research: 0403 - Geology The precious metals share distinctive geochemical properties, understanding which will have multiple applications. For Australia's economy, these include modelling how ores form, predicting which magma systems are prospective for gold and/or copper, and which are barren, and extracting precious metals as a by-product of smelting ores, particularly nickel ores where the value of unrecovered platinum group elements in Australian tailing dams alone exceeds $1.5 billion. Improved knowledge of precious metal partitioning relations can test hypotheses on how Earth and other rocky planets accreted, the relationship between Earth and the Moon, and the extent and timing of of mixing of late meteoritic additions into Earth's mantle. These latter questions are central to understanding our planet and its place in the solar system, and addressing them will maintain Australia’s high international standing in the Earth sciences. The experimental research to be undertaken provides excellent training for students because of the wide range of skills involved.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Harnessing molecular strain for drug discovery and bioconjugation. Peptides and proteins are increasingly important therapies for the treatment of disease. Nevertheless, the synthesis and optimisation of these high-value compounds still relies primarily on technologies developed decades ago. There is a desperate need for modern strategies to unlock the full potential of peptides and proteins for diverse applications in drug discovery. This interdisciplinary research aims to develop new tools for the construction and modification of peptides and proteins by harnessing the energy in a unique class of strained molecules. A focus on peptide-based inhibitors of the proteasome, a critical target for modern cancer treatments, should provide future health and economic benefits for the Australian community. Field of research: 0304 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry This project aims to create modern tools for the development of new medicines. The fundamental knowledge gained has potential to contribute to the health and well-being of Australians, directly addressing one of our nation’s critical Science and Research Priorities. Outcomes of the proposed research include new chemical reagents, novel tools for drug discovery, and promising therapeutic molecules with future applications in the treatment of cancer. These technologies have vast potential for translation into the growing Australian biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, thus fueling economic growth through innovation. The cutting-edge and multi-disciplinary research will also provide world-class training for Australia’s next generation of scientists. This critical investment in our future will elevate Australia’s standing as a global leader in the chemical and biological sciences.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Problem Gambling: effects on families, children and spouses. This project aims to produce evidence that can be used to address problem gambling in Australia. Problem gambling is a major issue, costing Australians over $4.7 billion per year. Better understanding of problem gambling and better policy coming from our project have the potential to significantly improve the lives of Australians--their labour market performance, their mental health and the quality of their relationships. This project will generate new knowledge by using a novel approach where problem gamblers are considered in the context of their families. Using quantitative data over more than 10 years, this project seeks to produce new evidence about how problem gamblers affect their families and how families help or harm gamblers. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics Problem gambling costs Australia at least $4.7 billion per year. Our focus on problem gamblers and their families will provide new information that can be used to design programs to assist problem gamblers and affected individuals around them. We study the role that families play in helping problem gamblers and in the coping mechanisms that families use to care for each other in the presence of a problem gambler. We look at the negative effects that problem gamblers cause for those around them--particularly children and partners. Better data on problem gambling and the effect that it has on families will bring economic, social and cultural benefits to Australia. Problem gambling has major economic impacts through lost productivity of problem gamblers and harm to families. Problem gambling can lead to mental health problems, financial stress and relationship breakdown all of which harm the social and cultural fabric of society. This novel research will generate ideas for new policy based on a better understanding of the real impacts of problem gambling.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Improving responses to sexual violence against children in Papua New Guinea. The project aims to result in improved knowledge and community acknowledgement of sexual violence against children in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and an approach that could be adapted and adopted in other low income, fragile contexts. It is a very significant project because sexual violence against children is a widespread and escalating social problem, with a very limited capacity to respond to reported incidents. Working closely with two specialist services to trial and assess a low-cost approach, the project is expected to result in longer-term support for child survivors and their families, and reduce further victimisation and offending. The potential benefits are multiple and far ranging, in PNG and in the Pacific region more broadly. Field of research: 1699 - Other Studies In Human Society The proposed research will have significant and ground-breaking social benefits to Australia and the Pacific region. Very little investigation has been undertaken in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on sexual violence against children. Focusing on preventing and reducing the harms of child sexual abuse is known to provide direct and indirect benefits to survivors, their families and communities, future generations and wider society. The project results will be of considerable relevance and interest to service providers in multi-cultural Australia, and to key stakeholders in PNG and other low-income countries in the Pacific region. The Pacific Step-Up is one of Australia's highest foreign policy priorities, and PNG receives the biggest share of foreign aid. The project has the potential to inform future policy priorities and program development in aid for the region, and demonstrate leadership on a social problem that is a major concern to all societies and governments in the region.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Combining new synthetic biology tools to boost crop CO2 capture and growth. A solution for improving crop yield is to enhance the carbon dioxide fixation properties of the enzyme Rubisco whose inefficient activity often limits plant growth. This project makes use of new synthetic biology capabilities to artificially evolve Rubisco in the laboratory and select for new versions with improved performance. These beneficial changes will be introduced into crop Rubisco using targeted gene editing approaches and the improvements in photosynthesis, growth and yield evaluated. This information will aid complimentary biotechnological efforts seeking to supercharge photosynthesis and help deliver the second Green Revolution needed to meet the improvement required in future agriculture productivity and resource use. Field of research: 1003 - Industrial Biotechnology There will be economic benefits for Australian agricultural food production if crops such as wheat and canola could be made to produce more product, more economically and with less impact on the environment. This project proposes fundamental research towards achieving these benefits - improving crop production with reduced need for water and nitrogen. The research uses new technologies that enable us to escape the confines of natural evolution and identify unique, naturally inaccessible, solutions for improving the performance of the photosynthetic protein Rubisco, the carbon dioxide fixation enzyme whose inept activity often limits crop growth. Artificially evolving an improved Rubisco is vital towards supercharging crop photosynthesis to help boost yield and resource use. Of additional importance, this project will continue to foster research training excellence in a first-class research environment and advance our international standing in the field of Synthetic Biology and its application in “smart plant” Ag-biotech applications to meet the growing Australian and global food demands.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

An efficient optical interconnect for superconducting quantum computers. This project aims to develop the technology to connect superconducting quantum computers to the future quantum internet: an optical interconnect. Superconducting qubits are a leading quantum computing system, but their practical use is limited by their microwave operation frequency, as global quantum networks will operate at optical frequencies. This project aims to solve this problem by converting the microwave photons that carry superconducting quantum information to optical photons. To achieve high efficiency the project will investigate magnetically ordered rare-earth crystals, which uniquely possess the strong optical and microwave coupling required, to build a converter that could greatly enhance the capabilities of quantum computers. Field of research: 0206 - Quantum Physics Australia has been a research world leader in the rapidly growing field of quantum information technology for over a decade. Currently, there is a concerted national effort to translate this strong research position into an internationally competitive high-technology industry. Such an industry would contribute not only to Australia’s economy, generating high-quality jobs, but also support the country’s cybersecurity efforts. This project aims to address a key outstanding issue in the field, the inability to interface quantum computers to quantum communication networks. As with conventional computing, the full potential of quantum computers will only be realised when they are networked. This project will greatly add value to Australia’s investment in quantum information by developing knowledge and techniques to enable superconducting quantum computers to be interconnected via optical communication systems. Given the number of commercial players developing superconducting quantum computers, there will be a substantial market for such a device to base the growth of an Australian startup quantum enterprise.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Free parafermions: a challenge for non-Hermitian physics. This project aims to calculate and understand the physical properties of free parafermions. Parafermions have attracted interest in topological schemes for quantum computation because they are computationally more powerful than Majorana fermions. The core of this project is a fundamental model of free parafermions, which has been shown to exhibit unexplained puzzling properties. The project outcomes include an in-depth understanding of this model by taking the non-Hermitian features into account, establishing a connection with open quantum systems. Non-Hermitian systems are also of increasing relevance in physics, especially in quantum optics. The project also aims to contribute to training researchers in the mathematical sciences. Field of research: 0105 - Mathematical Physics Quantum computers will enable unprecedented advances in information processing across many domains of national interest such as drug development, cybersecurity, financial modelling, and climate change science. Among the approaches in the quest to design and build quantum computers of ever-greater power by global giants such as Intel, IBM, Google and Microsoft, a particularly powerful approach is the possibility to employ parafermions. This project will develop the mathematical theory of the unexplained physical properties of parafermions. Expected outcomes include revealing the fundamental aspects of quantum physics that will be relevant to new applications of quantum devices in the above-mentioned domains. A further outcome will be training the next generation of highly skilled workers to drive Australia’s growing quantum industry. These outcomes will contribute to Australia’s longer-term participation in and economic benefit from the quantum and computational industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Predicting genetic exchange between species under climate change. This project aims to resolve the factors that lead to the mixing of species’ gene pools, with a focus on whether climate change will increase such mixing, possibly leading to extinction by genetic swamping. The significance is that the project would improve our understanding of speciation and species’ vulnerability to rapid climate change through genetic mixing; a largely overlooked process. Key outcomes would be to generate new knowledge of a fundamental evolutionary process and extend the toolbox of biodiversity managers facing rapid environmental change. The project would benefit Australia by highlighting our unique biodiversity and scientific capability, and by training early career researchers in advanced evolutionary biology. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology Australia is the only biologically megadiverse OECD nation. Our unique and diverse fauna, combined with high level expertise in evolutionary biology enable us to contribute significantly to global science. The project would (i) highlight the strength of evolutionary biology in Australia, (ii) build further capacity by training young scientists in advanced concepts and methods, (iii) improve our knowledge of tropical diversity in Australia, and (iv) by considering the role of genetic exchange between species under changing climates, extend our understanding of the consequences of rapid climate change for Australia’s globally unique biodiversity. The project aligns clearly with the National Research Priority – Environmental Change. The project builds on substantial prior investments from the Australian Research Council and other sources, which have produced foundational data, insights, and materials. This foundation now enables us to advance our knowledge of the important, but largely overlooked, process of climate-driven genetic mixing of species.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Deep Learning for Graph Isomorphism: Theories and Applications. This project aims to investigate graph isomorphism, a fundamental problem in graph theory, using deep learning techniques. Solutions to graph isomorphism are in demand by researchers in many fields of science, such as biology, chemistry, computer science, and quantum computing. The project expects to advance knowledge about graph isomorphism and state-of-the-art methodologies for its applications. The expected outcomes include new theoretical insights on combinatorial structures of graphs, efficient heuristic techniques for (maximum) subgraph isomorphism, and structured representation learning. The project should provide significant benefits to research in a wide range of science fields, as well as many real-world applications. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Graph isomorphism is a fundamental concept for exploiting the structure of graphs which we will explore through development of new heuristic techniques and theories. The research in this project will keep Australia in its position at the forefront of this field and has the potential to significantly benefit many research areas, including computer science, biology, chemistry, social science and quantum computing. More generally, it can contribute to any areas that have data or complex objects being modelled as graphs. Economically and commercially, it can enhance efficiency and quality of graph data analysis, lowering business costs and strengthening Australian industries and government agents to be more competitive on a global scale. The research will also benefit environmental planning in urban analytics and city sciences, global warming graph analysis, etc. Socially and culturally, it could provide solutions for necessary components of many research projects across science, e.g., social network analysis, cyber security analysis, anomaly detection and sociocultural analysis.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

How and why cells decorate their genetic messages. This project aims to investigate a new layer of genomic control mediated not by DNA but instead by chemical modifications found on the cell's working copies of genetic information called messenger RNA. The investigations will use cutting-edge RNA sequencing technology and the fruit fly model organism to uncover the scope and mechanisms by which such modifications enact their roles at the molecular level and within the body plan of an animal. Expected outcomes include novel molecular tools and models that will assist in understanding and manipulating the function of genomes. Such knowledge should provide benefits in developing innovative biotechnology applications of use in human health, agriculture and managing the environment. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics All living cells selectively retrieve information from their genome in response to a changing environment. The genome is earmarked chemically to express this information into gene products. However, a much more diverse range of chemical marks also exists for these gene products. But their broader role for cells and organisms is still largely unknown. This project will leverage new technologies to scope out the function of this novel layer of gene control in the very tractable fruit fly model. Outcomes will assist in understanding and manipulating the function of genomes in other species, including Australia’s wildlife, species of economic importance in Australia’s agriculture, and pathogens, thereby potentially benefitting the whole of Australia’s society. Some new insights to be generated will enable the development of intellectual property and drive technological innovations with strong potential for economic impact at the national level. Environmental benefits might stretch to areas such as bioremediation and mitigation against the effect of climate change on Australia’s diverse ecosystems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Design of Real-time Optimisation Methods with Guaranteed Performance. The project aim is the development of a framework for the advancement of optimisation algorithms operating in real-time applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of systems theory and optimisation, and its application to time-varying problems. Expected outcomes of this project should lead to a new theoretical and practical framework that aims to ameliorate the shortcomings of the existing approaches that struggle to rapidly respond to new information. This should provide significant benefits. Specifically, this project aims to facilitate a technological leap that generates smaller, faster, and more powerful embedded systems such as broadband services, mobile phones, medical imagining, radar and avionics. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics This proposal will result in a framework for developing more efficient control and signal processing algorithms, that in simple terms, enable Australian manufacturers to choose either to build smaller, lighter and more robust devices, or to build faster, better devices without increasing the weight or energy demands. As embedded systems are ubiquitous in modern society, even small efficiency gains to signal processing algorithms can have substantial economic benefits. New design principles for, and new classes of, numerical algorithms for solving real-time optimisation problems will advance the fields of control and signal processing by providing new, more efficient tools for practitioners to use when engineering devices to perform signal processing tasks. Control theory and signal processing are important factors in driving advances in multi-billion dollar industries includingbroadband services, mobile phones, medical imaging equipment, radars, avionics, and myriad other devices and systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Beyond Scenarios: Testable Models of the Evolution of Norms. The aim of this project is to investigate the evolution of social norms, and their causal role in social life and its breakdown. It expects to generate new knowledge in this area through the application of new formal techniques to existing hypotheses; especially causal analysis, evolutionary game theory, and phylogenetic cross-cultural testing for empirically plausibility. Expected outcomes include theory development, improved research infrastructure and training in collaboration with international partners, and theoretical recommendations for policy intervention. This should allow greater insight and control over the levers of peaceful social life, both in traditional societies, and in large, open, multi-cultural nations like Australia. Field of research: 2202 - History and Philosophy of Specific Fields Producing and maintaining healthy and peaceful societies in large, multi-cultural nations like Australia, requires knowledge of the full range of social systems, and recognition that many of the most pressing problems for humanity are failures of cooperation. This project seeks to understand the challenges resulting from the social norms and behaviours that influence and disrupt the way we operate as a society. Working in collaboration with a range of leading international scholars, this research will generate new knowledge of the fundamental role cooperation plays in human social life. It will provide key material to build the skills and capabilities of policy makers and practitioners alike, and pave the way for the development of more sophisticated and effective interventions in public policy. Having greater insight into how and why we function the way we do as a society will ensure that Australia has the cutting-edge expertise crucial to supporting our future economic prosperity, security and cohesion as a nation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Exploiting the Symmetry of Spatial Awareness for 21st Century Automation. This project aims to enable autonomous robotic systems to operate more robustly and more reliably in the complex, cluttered and dynamic environments found in real-world applications. Applying the latest understanding of symmetry in non-linear systems and control provides tools that can be used to develop new design methodologies for spatial awareness algorithms. The outcomes of this project should increase Australia's capacity in high-tech systems and deliver world best open source code for spatial awareness problems to enable the next generation of automation in Australia. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Society is on the cusp of a revolution in robotics in which autonomous robotic systems will play a transformative role in labour-intensive industries such as construction, agriculture, logistics, and transport, and impact everyone's daily lives through consumer devices such as autonomous toys, vacuum cleaners, and lawnmowers. The spatial awareness algorithms developed in this project will drive improved performance in robustness, safety and reliability of real-world robots operating in complex, cluttered and dynamic environments that challenge and break existing algorithms. Coupled with the human capacity developed through direct alumni from the project team and the education program proposed, the project will contribute to accelerating the rate of automation in essential Australian industry sectors such as agriculture and transport. Applications of the technology will improve autonomous harvesting and autonomous driving, for example, and will contribute to an estimated additional $AU1 trillion in value of the Australian economy flowing from advanced automation by 2030.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Waiet: Archaeology of a Torres Strait Islander ritual pathway. The project aims to provide a high-resolution archaeological record of ritual mobility by examining a Torres Strait Islander initiation pathway. The project is expected to generate new knowledge about human movement and improve public understanding of Indigenous peoples connection with country. Anticipated outcomes of the multi-disciplinary and community-led research include the first detailed record of ancient ritual mobility in northern Australia and development of a web-based system to transfer archival information between cultural institutions and remote communities. This should provide significant benefits and assist Meriam people to engage with their cultural heritage and expand public knowledge about Indigenous forms of mobility. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology The Australian Government’s Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan (2009-2029) has prioritised building healthy and resilient First Nation communities. To improve community well-being, the Plan recognises the need to conserve and revive Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal traditions and to provide communities with autonomy over the process by which heritage is protected and promoted. But there is a problem. Many traditions and cultural behaviours are connected to ancestral sites that are no longer visited while sacred objects, archival photographs and stories about ancestral heroes were taken in the past and are held in overseas institutions. This project seeks to reconnect Torres Strait people with their ritual sites through archaeological investigations, and to repatriate cultural heritage that belong to the region in the form of a digital archive. By doing this, the project directly benefits the people of the Torres Strait to maintain their traditional culture and history, and to share these with the wider Australian community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Lifetime Approach to Measuring Inequality in Living Standards in Australia . This project aims to develop a new methodology to study trends in inequality in Australia. It expects to advance the body of knowledge by measuring inequality in living standards over the whole lifetime and by identifying the role of the Australian fiscal system in redistributing lifetime resources across households and generations. This new approach would help clarify the potential bias embedded in commonly used inequality indicators based on current-year income. Its findings expect to provide new insights into how the gains from economic growth have been shared among Australians. It should also offer policy options for designing a better tax and transfer system that would sustain economic prosperity and fairness in Australia. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics The tax and transfer (fiscal) system is one of core components of Australia’s national infrastructure and a policy tool to enable economic prosperity and social fairness as well as to protect national interests and the wellbeing of Australians in the face of negative events. This research will develop a new methodology to measure the growing inequality in Australia, using a lifetime approach. The new knowledge acquired by this research will provide a more accurate understanding of the evolution of the trend towards inequality and the role of fiscal policy and taxation in Australia. It will contribute to enhancing the efficiency and fairness of Australia’s tax and transfer system—the most critical national infrastructure. It will equip the Australian government with a better policy tool to effectively respond to rising dispersion in living standards due to changing national and global conditions. Overall, the research is expected to offer a more efficient and fairer design of the Australian tax system to sustain economic prosperity and social fairness for Australians in the twenty-first century.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Automatic Training Data Search and Model Evaluation by Measuring Domain Gap. We aim to investigate computer vision training data and test data, using automatically generated data sets for facial expression recognition and object re-identification. This project expects to quantify and understand the domain gap, the distribution difference between training and test data sets. Expected outcomes of this project are insights on measuring the domain gap, the ability to estimate model performance without accessing expensive test labels and improvements to system generalisation. This should provide significant benefits for computer vision applications that currently require expensive labelling, and commercial and economic benefits across sectors such as transportation, security and manufacturing. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Computer vision is a field of research aimed at developing technologies to help computers ‘see’ and understand the content of digital images such as photos and videos. With this research, computer vision researchers will be able to better understand their systems and explore new environments with greater efficiency and precision. The expected outcomes of this research include (1) quantitative insights on measuring the domain gap between datasets, (2) the ability to estimate model performance without accessing test labels, and (3) improvements to system generalisation using optimally generated training data. The project is expected to bring commercial and economic benefits across sectors in Australia such as transportation, security and manufacturing. It will enable access to a wide range of applications where large-scale real-world annotations are expensive to obtain, including autonomous driving, defect detection and visual analysis in smoke conditions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dual-ion electrochemical systems. The project aims to develop dual-ion electrochemical systems. In contrast to conventional single-ion rechargeable cells, the charge storage process in the cathodes of these devices is facilitated by a second, negative ion. Dual-ion systems represent robust alternatives to current lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion capacitors, addressing their sustainability and energy density limitations. The project’s outcomes are in the form of new sustainable energy storage technologies with attrative energy and power densities for a wide range of applications. This should provide a significant benefit to society, the economy and the environment in enabling an easier transition to clean energy and ensuring energy security in Australia. Field of research: 0302 - Inorganic Chemistry Electrochemical energy storage plays a major role in Australia’s economy and society. Batteries and related storage devices are the key components of critical applications – power grid security and stabilisation, home energy storage and electrification of transport. The outcomes of this project will have a strong impact on many critical uses that currently depend on lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion capacitors. The reliance on cobalt, nickel and lithium, mineral resources available in insufficient quantities but widely used in lithium-ion batteries, represents a significant risk for Australia. This project will lead to new, sustainable electrochemical systems that use abundant natural feedstock and have energy storage performances rivaling or exceeding those of current technologies. The project’s results are expected to enable efficient decision making in future energy policy. Its benefits include the prospects of cheaper domestic energy for the households as well as decreasing pollution and carbon emissions. These economic, environmental and social benefits are in the national interest of Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Service Provisioning for the Internet of Things in Mobile Edge Computing. This project aims to develop a suite of novel algorithms and enabling technologies for service provisioning of the Internet of Things (IoT) applications in mobile edge computing (MEC). This project will develop performance-guaranteed algorithms and core technologies for IoT service provisioning through effective cost modelling. The project expects to lay theoretical foundations, discover key principles and generate new knowledge for IoT service provisioning in MEC. The expected outcome of the project is a suite of solutions to the myriad of IoT services in MEC including e-Health and autonomous vehicles. This project should also develop key fundamental technologies to improve Australia's standing in the international research community. Field of research: 0805 - Distributed Computing The Internet of Things (IoT) that connects smart objects to the Internet is the next frontier in the digital revolution. With the number of IoT devices connecting to the Internet estimated to reach 25 billion by 2021, limitations for delay-sensitive IoT applications, for example improved critical medical health monitoring, must be overcome. Mobile edge computing technology promises real-time, high-bandwidth, and low-latency access to network resources, and fills the storage and performance gap between centralised clouds and IoT devices. This project will develop novel algorithms and core enabling technologies for efficient service provisioning of IoT applications in mobile edge computing environments. Project outcomes will provide the foundation for innovative markets including e-Health, disaster monitoring, autonomous vehicles in smart cities, and precision agriculture. The fundamental research of mobile edge computing for IoT applications will also enable Australia to maintain a position of world leadership in the Information and Communications Technology field.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dynamic assessment of threats to marine megafauna in face of global change. This project aims to develop a global approach to synthesise global tracking datasets and deliver near real-time diagnostics on risks for marine megafauna at a global scale pushing forward a new frontier in dynamic marine spatial management to improve conservation. This project expects to increase our understanding of how marine megafauna movements vary with environmental changes and how much they overlap with threatening global human activities. Expected outcomes will demonstrate how big data in marine telemetry can be synthesised and translated into ecologically significant behaviours. This should provide significant benefits to address global scientific and societal problems highlighted in the Australian science and research priorities. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology This project aims to capitalise on the first opportunity to develop a global approach to deliver near real-time assessments of cumulative impacts on marine species, leading to a new frontier in dynamic marine spatial management and conservation. The project aims to leverage a range of national and international investments on animal tracking to enhance capacity in the analyses of existing large datasets and to provide highly sought-after information to improve management and conservation of species that are key to the functioning of marine ecosystems. Results will likely be of significant financial and social benefits to Australia, with the potential to improve the lucrative eco-tourism industry and promote Australia’s reputation as having a leading role in the conservation of economically important, charismatic and threatened species.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

On the physiology of plant transpiration. This project aims to better understand plant transpiration. It is significant from both a basic and a practical perspective. It intends to solve a conundrum of the biophysics of the evaporative sites within leaves. That is, in dry air, the relative humidity of intercellular air spaces suggests much lower liquid water potentials than those typically measured. At a practical level, the failure to sustain transpiration in dry conditions leads to desiccation and tissue death, and plants differ in this vulnerability. The aim is to apply a novel nanoparticle technique to measure the water potential distribution within the leaf, identify hydraulic resilience attributes, and develop a modern theory of optimal transpiration under varying conditions. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology Rapidly growing plants, including trees, use a great deal of water, and this can be useful if managed for high crop yields by farmers and horticulturists, but can be at the expense of urban water supplies, particularly during regrowth after bushfires, and of environmental flows in our rivers. As the supply of water diminishes in a dry season, different plant functional types react differently, and there is also genetic variation within single crop species. These contrasts will be characterised so that plant breeders will be informed about how to match genotypes to appropriate growth climates, and to better understand vegetation responses to climate change and extreme weather events. Results will contribute toward an improved capacity for sustainable food production and climate change mitigation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Theoretical Foundations of Ethical Machine Learning. The project aims to develop a systematic theory of ethical machine learning. Machine learning is a powerful and pervasive technology that is already having a huge impact on Australia. When applied to data about people there are a range of ethical harms that can arise (fairness, and privacy are two of them). The project aims to develop a rigorously grounded foundation for managing such ethical harms. For example it will allow the quantification of the inevitable trade-offs between fairness and utility. The benefits of the project should include better ways of managing these trade-offs, a competitive advantage for Australian firms developing the technology, and will ensure that the country retains a social license to use the technology. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Machine learning is a general purpose technology that is already having an enormous impact on Australia. It stands to have greater impact still in the future. It is widely used in every industry sector, from health care to defence; from financial service to transport. The Commonwealth government has already commissioned an AI ethics framework, but there remain fundamental unanswered questions regarding how best to incorporate ethical concerns into machine learning. Doing so is essential to maintain the social license to operate the technology of machine learning which offers enormous economic and social benefits. The specific national benefits will include: lifting Australia's international reputation in the most contentious aspect of the hottest technology of the present time; providing government and business with the best possible tools to manage the ethical concerns arising from the use of machine learning; providing a competitive advantage to Australian commercial developers of machine learning algorithms and aid their wider deployment.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Synthetic biology to engineer novel disease resistance in cereal crops. This project aims to engineer disease resistance in crops to dangerous fungal pathogens. The strategy is to exploit our knowledge of the plant immune system using structural biology and directed evolution of natural resistance genes, improving their ability to recognise and respond to fungal attack. Fungal pathogens cause some of the most harmful crop diseases in Australia and worldwide. The rapid evolution of fungi overcomes natural plant resistance and management of these diseases is a major challenge to agriculture. Expected outcomes of the project include engineered wheat plants with more effective disease resistance, reducing fungicide usage. This project intends to accelerate crop breeding and contribute to world food security. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Global food production is under constant threat from devastating plant fungal pathogens. Approximate 16% of worldwide annual crop production is lost due to microbial disease, of which 70-80% is caused by fungal pathogens. Control of fungal diseases using natural resistance genes provides an estimated national benefit of $1,500M/year to the production of Australian cereal crops. We hope to improve this benefit by enhancing the ability of wheat to recognise and respond to fungal pathogens. The intended outcome of this project is to increase the diversity and number of resistance genes available to plant breeders for crop improvement, providing significant economic benefits in terms of agricultural productivity and generation of royalties from seed production. National crops would be better protected with savings in pesticide usage, helping to protect the environment.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Kangaroos, feral herbivores and bushfires: Consequences for forest dynamics. This project aims to investigate the functional role of native and introduced herbivores in forest ecosystems using a powerful, highly replicated, herbivore exclosure experiment. This project expects to create new knowledge of the effects of mammalian herbivores, particularly kangaroos and invasive deer, on forest plants, soils and productivity. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into above and belowground interactions in forests, and an enhanced capacity to predict effects of changing herbivore populations across environmental gradients, and following bushfire. This should produce significant benefits for forest management in Australia, allowing informed, targeted, and pre-emptive management of invasive herbivore populations. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications Australia’s forest ecosystems provide critical environmental services, including water filtration, biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and timber production. In recent decades, populations of native herbivores, such as kangaroos, and feral herbivores, like deer have increased in many forest ecosystems. High herbivore densities may have substantial ecological impacts, particularly in forests recovering from fire. However, current knowledge is insufficient to predict when and where negative outcomes may occur. This project will investigate the impacts of deer and kangaroos on forest plants, soils, and productivity. By examining a diversity of forest ecosystems, this project aims to improve capacity to predict herbivore effects on ecosystem function. This project will establish a new, collaborative, cross-ecosystem network, adding value to existing research investment, while delivering research outcomes directly to end users. Outcomes of this project will allow more targeted, strategic management of herbivore populations, with direct benefits for the environmental and economic values of forests.