Western Sydney University

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-07

Industrial Transformation Training Centre in digital platforms for... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-07

A platform for multifaceted climate-adaptive building envelopes Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Chameleon-Inspired Building Envelope for the Australian Building Sector. The project aims to develop an intelligent reflective coating that can act like a chameleon skin on a building surface, allowing sunlight to reflect efficiently in summer and be absorbed in winter without using pigments or dyes. The research will reveal how microstructural architecture can mimic a chameleon skin on building envelopes to address the critical challenge of this technology, which is overcooling in winter. The expected outcome is a smart coating technology that is easy to manufacture on small and large scales with no winter penalty, compatible with even, uneven and rough surfaces, free from the use of pigment and durable under sunlight. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Reflective coating on building surfaces effectively protects buildings from weather and reduces indoor energy consumption by lowering space-cooling energy demand. The major challenge in adopting this technology in the climate of many parts of Australia is its winter penalty – an increased heating energy demand. This project will address the issue by developing an innovative coating technology that relies on the meticulous design of microstructural architectures. The expected outcome is a smart coating technology that is easy to manufacture at small and large scales with no overcooling in winter. New knowledge on the mechanism of how microstructural architecture can be used to mimic a chameleon skin on building envelopes will be developed. Applying this coating on buildings will save energy, reduce electricity costs and lower CO2 emissions, which will benefit Australia towards achieving its 2050 net-zero target. The study will produce research evidence for industry and government to adopt this technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Unlocking mycorrhizal signals to shape mycobiomes from roots to restoration. This project aims to address significant challenges in seedling establishment during reforestation by advancing our fundamental understanding of plant-fungal symbioses, which support plant health. The project expects to produce new insights into fungal competition, promoting elite symbionts using interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes include refined methods for microbial inoculant development, improved techniques to boost symbiotic microbial activity, and enhanced capacity to improve seedling establishment in disturbed soils. This should provide significant benefits for foresters, land managers, and the broader public by fostering healthier forests, streamlining plantation forest production, and safeguarding ecosystems. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Australia is the sole developed nation labelled a 'deforestation hotspot.' This crisis has economic ramifications, elevating living costs due to supply chain disruption, loss of jobs in rural areas, and increased reliance on >$3.5B in imports. Ecologically, forest loss endangers >700 plant and animal species, releases billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, and jeopardises world heritage areas. To address this urgent challenge, we must develop innovative approaches to establish forests faster, and more sustainably, than ever before. By harnessing Australian symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi, this project will develop strategies that aid reforestation in the short-term by accelerating seedling establishment and, in the long-term, by boosting soil fertility through improved microbe biodiversity and the services they provide to support plant health. The knowledge gained will support development of green technologies with global applicability, advancing ecosystem function and resilience. These outcomes contribute to three targets within the UN Sustainable Development Goals 'Life on Land' and ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’. Project discoveries will be shared with foresters and bush regeneration groups, encouraging their adoption to bolster forest establishment and health, secure the wood products pipeline, reduce emissions, and protect Australia's iconic landscapes and species.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Industrial Transformation Training Centre in digital platforms for Net-Zero Building Ecosystem Lifecycle (NOBEL). This Centre aims to train the next generation of transdisciplinary leaders within the building construction sector. It will deliver the training and end-user research capability necessary to address the need to transform the sector into a net carbon-zero ecosystem. The target is a transition to digital product-based methods and product-oriented companies. The outcomes include adoption of platform-based methods for net-zero project delivery models. Benefits will include the integration of efficient digital and manufacturing techniques, low-waste processes and ecofriendly materials into building design, construction, and maintenance stages. This will achieve advanced sustainability and productivity of our building construction sector. Field of research: 3302 - Building To meet Australia’s climate change targets, all new buildings must achieve net zero by 2030, and all buildings must operate at net zero by 2050. The Centre will significantly contribute to these targets by advocating for digital platforms that embrace circular construction processes, climate-responsive technologies, and enhanced productivity in building construction. This will be a vital contribution considering Australia is projected to require over 5 million homes by 2050, with approximately 39% of our annual carbon emissions stemming from buildings. The Centre will offer transdisciplinary training programs aimed at catalysing a fundamental industry transformation into ecosystems, where buildings are no longer resource-intensive structures but rather eco-efficient and net-zero entities contributing to environmental sustainability. While achieving net-zero emissions becomes a point of competitive difference, the knowledge cultivated in this Centre is essential to drive innovation and commercialisation; improve productivity; and contribute to our overall GDP by bolstering the international competitiveness of Australia's building products. The benefits of this initiative will also impact the economy by enhancing productivity and competitiveness and reducing waste; the environment through diminished carbon footprints and energy use; and society more generally by promoting technologies for production of high-quality low-maintenance buildings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

ARC Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture. The ARC Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture will train the next generation of professionals who will drive the expansion, profitability, and sustainability of Australia’s protected horticulture to mitigate the impacts of food insecurity and climate change. The Centre will empower the Protected Cropping industry to respond to four key challenges: narrow variety base, shortage of skilled labour, establishment and energy costs, and slow technology adoption. Centre HDRs and ECRs will develop the required capabilities to accelerate the automation and efficiency of the medium and high-tech Protected Cropping sector, enabling long-term industry growth whilst integrating socio-economic issues and reducing environmental impact. Field of research: 3008 - Horticultural Production Protected horticulture or cropping (PC), involves the production under shelter of valuable horticultural crops such as leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and berries. Protected cropping enables producers to optimize growth conditions, to monitor, control or avoid environmental stresses such as drought and flooding, and to control diseases where the use of pesticides is undesirable, impractical or risks ruining the industry’s clean reputation. PC contributed approximately $2 billion to Australia’s $16 billion annual horticultural industry in 2021-2022. The central aim of the proposed Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture is to underpin the inevitable expansion of the protected cropping sector in the face of changing and more erratic climatic conditions, as well as the increasing global and urban population. It will provide high level training of growers and both current and future industry leaders, and simultaneously integrate emerging technologies to increase crop yields and quality. Research training will be focused on collaborations between the private and public sectors. In particular, the Training Centre will leverage the $60 million national investment in high-tech plant phenotyping facilities which will facilitate the Centre’s industry-driven research. The Centre will also develop training programs that address decarbonization and circular agronomic strategies to lower the industry’s carbon footprint, energy bill and water consumption.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

‘Like the Thunder’: Seeing Stories in the Gulf Country. This project investigates the nature of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It will generate imaginative understandings of how new relations might have been built through the historical marriage of a Waanyi woman and Chinese man in the late gold rush era; consider the challenges of contemporary Aboriginal advocacy; and examine how storytelling allows us to understand the nature of relations. The outcomes will be presented in major works of fiction and non-fiction and a collection of scholarly essays. Cultural benefits include showing how storytelling helps reveal the essential nature of human relations, and how the capacity to remake relations is essential to intercultural reconciliation. Field of research: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History This project investigates the nature of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Gulf of Carpentaria. It will produce two major books by award winning Waanyi writer Alexis Wright. One will research historical events, linked to Wright’s own story, to represent cultural traditions being reimagined in the late 19th century marriage of a Waanyi woman and Chinese diaspora man. Another work of conversations will reflect on the capacities of Aboriginal people to renew relationships within and between Gulf communities now. The research will be of social and cultural benefit to Australia. Aboriginal storytelling is a socio-economic tool that has long developed strategies to actively engage with tumultuous change. This project will harness these strategies to contribute to Australia’s understanding of itself by reflecting on and imaginatively examining intersections of culture in the 19th century and today. The research outcomes will reach both public and academic audiences via wide promotion of the books, a project website, and a conference publication shared with schools and universities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A platform for multifaceted climate-adaptive building envelopes. This project aims to develop an innovative, modular product platform for offsite manufacturing of climate-adaptive building façades. Using interdisciplinary approaches and industry know-how, it will generate a core family of plug-and-play components and interfaces, complemented by integrated energy-efficient and -harvesting technologies to enhance heating, cooling, lighting, energy use, and comfort. Outcomes will include new knowledge about eco-conscious façade product design and manufacturing, and a range of adaptive façade products for different climates and markets. Benefits will be commercial opportunities for Australian companies, reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions in construction, and more climate-friendly buildings. Field of research: 3302 - Building This project will develop new technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings, in their construction and ongoing performance. The envelope (e.g., walls, windows) contributes the majority of the total carbon emissions and energy performance of a building. Despite advances in energy-efficient materials, there is a lack of integrated envelope systems adaptable to different climates and markets. To address this shortcoming, the project will create a modular platform for producing the next generation of climate-adaptive envelopes that effectively harnesses multifaceted eco-friendly technologies and seamlessly integrates them into new or renovated buildings. The project will help make this resource-intensive sector more environmentally sustainable, contributing to our emission targets for 2030/2050 by promoting more circular construction processes and climate-responsive technologies. It will also position Australian companies as key players in the growing market for climate-friendly building envelopes, enabling them to design and manufacture innovative façade products for diverse climatic conditions. Project outcomes will be immediately adopted and ultimately commercialised by industry partners. The product platform and associated design/manufacturing processes will be the subject of joint IP arrangements. Industry partners will receive training to expedite knowledge transfer, nurturing their capacity to scale up and to initiate an innovation ecosystem in the sector.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Snails to the rescue! Conservation of Australia’s island invertebrates. This project aims to deliver an exemplar industry network model for conservation on Australia’s islands which are hotspots both of biodiversity and of extinctions. Protecting species on islands is therefore key to securing Australia’s biodiversity. We will secure Norfolk Island's 60 species of land snails via in situ and ex situ conservation with six key industry partners. The project expects to unite conservation actions across research, governments, and industry. Expected outcomes of this project include Norfolk Island emerging as a leader in global conservation. This should provide significant benefits such as a model for conservation that is applicable to thousands of isolated, range-restricted invertebrate species across Australia. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management This project aims to create and test a new multi-agency network model for the conservation of Australia’s island invertebrates—starting with a highly diverse group of 60 species of land-snails, found only on Norfolk Island. Island invertebrates represent a large proportion of Australia’s biodiversity per land area, yet we are naïve to their conservation status in most cases. This project will deliver an exemplar conservation framework that is adaptable to thousands of species, the majority of invertebrates on islands plus thousands of invertebrates with restricted 'island-like' distributions on the mainland. We will develop the approach with six key industry partners focused on highly diverse and most imperiled island inhabitants worldwide, the the land snails. On islands, snails are often the key decomposers that make nutrients available to the plants that create the forests. By securing the snails, we secure the forests. Our project will benefit Australia by increasing the security of biodiversity of Norfolk Island, and involving and empowering the Norfolk Island community to create a deeper understanding of the conservation value and needs of Norfolk Island’s biodiversity, ensuring its protection into the future. We will work with the Norfolk Island community through our on-island partners and by giving public presentations, and we will engage the broader Australian public through university teaching, zoo, and museum displays.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery, and Imaging Platform. This proposal aims to establish an Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery and Imaging platform. The platform consists of an ultra-high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometer and an imaging mass spectrometry upgrade for a second existing high resolution mass spectrometer. The facility will break barriers currently limiting discovery and localisation of metabolic changes during plant and animal development under environmental stress; integral chemical signals exchanged in host-microbe interactions; and volatile signatures linked to ecosystem health and developmental anomalies in animals. Results will inform innovative strategies to enhance biological adaptation, climate resilience and plant, animal, and ecosystem health. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Australia is facing ongoing threats to crop, soil and ecosystem health due to environmental stresses related to climate change, increased agricultural emissions, and other human impacts. All forms of life have evolved an intricate form of chemical communication to guide and safeguard development in the presence of these stressful encounters. It is increasingly clear that microbes, such as beneficial bacteria and fungi, can help protect plants and animals from such stresses and improve ecosystem resilience through dynamic forms of chemical communication. Some bacteria produce biological fertilisers for plants when under nitrogen stress, while others protect coral reefs from increased water temperatures or contribute to animal health by preventing internal infections. The proposed instruments will identify the minute chemical signals microbes exchange within plants and animals. Identified signals represent innovative targets for manipulation or replication to achieve the desired effect, improving the protective effect of microbes that live in soils, and that area associated with plants and animals. The ability to detect, locate, and decipher these chemical signals is currently a limitation in Australia. The new instrument capabilities will secure agricultural profits with higher crop yields while reducing agricultural inputs and under environmental stress, safeguard coral reefs and their ecosystems in warming waters, and deliver better health outcomes for plants and animals.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Gender Affirmation in Childhood: Protective Factors and Strategies . This interdisciplinary study aims to explore Australian Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) children’s experiences of affirming their gender. It is innovative methodologically for inclusion of arts-based methods with children, and multiple perspectives from TGD children (5-16), peer allies, parents, healthcare professionals and educators. TGD young people are a rapidly growing population, disproportionately affected by intentional self-harm and suicidality. The project expects to generate new understandings of gender, the lived experiences of TGD children and families, and protective factors in their lives. Significant benefits should be informing theory, policy, and early interventions and co-development of resources for key stakeholders. Field of research: 4405 - Gender Studies Trans and gender diverse young people are a growing population nationally and internationally, with referrals of children to a gender clinic increasing by 200 per cent since 2003 at one Australian children's hospital. These children are vulnerable to marginalisation and discrimination and are at higher risk of self-harm and suicidality. This project will examine children’s, parents'/carers’ and other key stakeholders’ understandings of gender, experiences of children’s social and medical gender affirmation, family supports, and experiences and needs of key service providers: health care professionals and educators. This project will also identify protective factors and strategies to minimise distress for trans and gender diverse children and their families. Outcomes include evidence-based resources to enable more tailored and supportive service provision and practices with early interventions to enhance wellbeing. These outcomes will inform policies and practices across health, education, and other children’s and family support sectors via the project’s stakeholder advisory board networks and collaborations with the Western Sydney University Translational Health Research Institute, government, and community organisations. Culturally safe service provision for trans and gender diverse young people and families improves their health, wellbeing and quality of life, enabling better and richer participation in the Australian community and providing social and health benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Vocal mimicry in songbirds. Many of the world’s largest clade of birds - the songbirds - incorporate vocal mimicry in their songs, but while scientific interest in vocal mimicry dates from Aristotle, limited progress has been made. With our unique research program we aim to provide an empirically based, theoretically informed understanding of avian vocal mimicry. In an important advance, we will examine both sexes to test long-held male-centric assumptions about evolutionary origins and maintenance of this trait. Crucially, we focus on lineages found only in Australia and PNG, where songbirds originated, to develop a robust scientific understanding of vocal mimicry across the entire songbird clade, and so provide an important new perspective on why and how song began. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Our project aims to solve a problem that has puzzled biologists for millennia: why do many songbirds mimic the sounds produced by humans and other animals? We will address this problem by combining field-based studies of representative vocal mimics from old Australian songbird linages with cutting-edge desktop analyses of evolutionary patterns of vocal mimicry among songbirds globally. In leveraging Australia’s unique position as the home of the world’s first songbirds, our project promises to break new ground in our scientific understanding of why and how songbirds evolved their extraordinary vocal abilities. By examining vocal mimicry in both female and male Australian birds, this understanding will be emancipated from northern-hemisphere research biases that historically have favoured male-centric investigations on birdsong. Expected outcomes include valuable acoustic and ecological data on unique but understudied Australian endemics of importance for conservation and management, and our extensive acoustic recordings will be publicly archived to provide an important record of our natural heritage long-term. Avian vocal mimics are culturally important, as well as being charismatic, and we will work with documentary makers, artists and educators to ensure our research enriches the lives of Australians from diverse sectors of the community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

4D Printed Origami Structures: Deformation Mechanisms and Mechanics. This project aims to understand the physics and self-folding mechanisms of 4D printed origami structures and materials by utilising interdisciplinary approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of origami engineering and structural mechanics. The success of this project will form a foundation for studying shape-shifting and sequential control of smart origamis. The fundamental mechanics will be applied to characterise and design novel smart materials/structures with tuneable shape-morphing and mechanical performance. This should provide significant benefits to improvement of their safety, stability and reliability performance in applications such as space engineering, wearable technology and smart robotics. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Origami is the art of folding paper. Over the past few decades, increasing attention has been drawn to the development of origami mathematics, as origami-based structures show desirable properties such as stability and strength. When combined with the latest 4D printing techniques, these structures become capable of self-reconfiguration like folding, unfolding, bending and twisting in reaction to certain stimuli such as temperature, water and light. Such materials will be of great use to applications in space engineering and biomedical engineering. This project focuses on understanding the deformation mechanisms and mechanics of origami-based structures and materials. The knowledge gained will lay the foundation for new inventions of shape-shifting structures and materials, providing opportunities for Australian industry to lead the world in design and manufacture of these devices. Potential applications of smart origami-based products include self-folding packaging, smart robotics, solar panels, flexible wearable devices and tissue constructs for medical uses. New inventions will provide economic benefits for Australian businesses, and applications in bioengineering and energy research have the potential to provide medical and environmental benefits both to Australia and international communities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Manufacturing Nanostructured Metallic Materials via 3D Printed Polymers. This project aims to develop additive manufacturing processes capable of rapidly producing nanostructured polymer and metallic materials with tuneable physical and chemical properties. This project expects to develop new knowledge and chemical processes, allowing the rational design of functional materials with applications in catalysis, energy storage, and chemical separations. Expected outcomes include more energy efficient and environmentally benign methods for functional materials synthesis, and increased understanding of structure-property-performance relationships in nanostructured materials. This should provide benefits to Australia by providing cost-effective routes for materials used in energy, health, and water. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Materials that have features as small as one-billionth of a metre, known as nanomaterials, are critical for the manufacture of green technologies, such as batteries. However, making nanomaterials involves slow, expensive, resource-intensive processes that create a lot of waste. This project will solve these issues by developing a novel 3D printing process for making nanomaterials more quickly, sustainably, and affordably while using cheap and readily available chemicals. The process will also be more energy efficient than current methods thanks to an innovative use of energy from light (instead of the conventional use of heat) in 3D printing. The project will generate IP of commercial benefit to manufacturers across a range of industry sectors, including energy, water, and health, through applications related to batteries. By licensing IP to industry partners, the project will enhance Australia’s ability to make “greener” nanomaterials and accelerate the adoption of new commercial manufacturing processes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Animal cultures and anthropogenic change. This project aims to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic change on the elaborate song cultures of declining Australian songbirds. Culture is fundamental to the biology of social animals, and has profound implications for biodiversity conservation; however, the drivers of animal cultural change are unclear. This project will analyse how lyrebird song cultures respond to anthropogenic environmental change, including Australia’s 2019-20 megafires. Furthermore, it will assess the mechanisms linking environmental and cultural change, and examine the utility of vocal cultures as bioindicators of ecological health. This project will advance fundamental research in animal culture and enhance the conservation of cultural diversity in the wild. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Australia’s songbirds produce some of the most elaborate songs in the world and these songs are learned in part from others, creating a network of song cultures across our continent. Like human languages, avian song cultures can be impoverished by environmental change, therefore leading to a loss in an important component of biodiversity. Yet, we do not have the information required to understand and conserve animal cultures in the wild. This project will analyse archival and new song recordings at a subcontinental scale to determine how lyrebird song cultures respond to human-mediated environmental change, including Australia’s recent Black Summer megafires. This project will deliver explicit recommendations for the conservation management of song cultures in Australian birds and provide a model for the conservation of animal culture more broadly.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Transforming Current Design Practice for Controlled Modulus Columns . Current design methods used for Controlled Modulus Column-supported embankments are outdated and uneconomical. This project aims to use innovative numerical and image processing techniques to develop new design methods that use 100% recyclable, environmentally friendly and highly durable EPS geofoam. Outcomes will advance the fundamental knowledge of bearing capacity increase of columns due to formation of smear zone and damages to nearby columns during installation. Numerical tools and design guidelines will be developed for engineers. The benefits include the design and construction of lighter, cheaper, safer and more stable embankments with significant cost and environmental gains from future infrastructure developments in Australia. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Many Australian roads and railways are built on deep deposits of soft soils, so the ground must be prepared using columns and weight-bearing elevated platforms (embankments), to enhance load bearing and stability before construction. This project aims to transform the outdated and uneconomical current practice combining better-engineered columns and all-weather-durable, lightweight polystyrene ‘geofoam’ for platform layers in the construction of embankments. Outcomes include simplified engineering construction analysis methods, software and new column installation processes. These are to be shared with practicing engineers and industry via workshops and new design guidelines. Environmental benefits include the use of 100% recyclable materials in embankment construction. Economic benefits include significant cost savings in transport infrastructure and maintenance, eliminating column damage during construction. Creating resilient transport infrastructure is a national priority, maintaining access between remote, regional and metropolitan areas, for social and economic equity, and supply chain connectivity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal. Vibrant democracies require generational renewal as norms, values and cultures evolve. This project is a systematic study of Australian students in the climate change movement. Examining who the students are, why they participate, how they organise, how they represent themselves and are represented by others in social and mainstream media, the project ethically advances ways of co-researching students’ civic and political participation in offline and online settings. Expected outcomes include improved capacity for investigating student political action, new knowledge of the motivations, norms and practices that characterise student climate politics and concepts and tools for democratic renewal through engagement with young people. Field of research: 4410 - Sociology The mass mobilisation of school students for action on climate change suggests many young Australians want a more participatory, inclusive form of democracy. This project examines how student leadership, organising and participation is shaping Australia’s political and democratic culture at a time of global, social and political change. Working with young people to document and analyse how they are participating in politics in new ways, this project will create a unique digital media library and novel resource for democratic renewal. Social and cultural benefits include understanding young people’s political values, actions and future commitments to democracy. These insights will inform political parties, civil society groups and educators on engagement with a younger political generation about democratic processes. The project will share research findings via the media library, public reports and a major international workshop with policy-makers, educators, civil society organisations and students.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Can eco-evolutionary theories explain outcomes of microbiome coalescence . Environmental microbial communities are among the most abundant and diverse natural communities, responsible for many ecologically and economically important ecosystem functions, including primary productivity and climate regulation. This project aims to identify the biotic and abiotic factors that regulate community and functional outcomes of microbiome coalescence (the mixing of two different communities) caused by natural and anthropogenic activities. The outcomes will provide a unifying ecological framework to predict variation in microbiomes across different scales, ecosystem types and disturbances, and will generate critical knowledge for the development of effective microbiome products, a rapidly growing industry Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Microbial communities of soil, plant and water are vital for healthy ecosystems, agriculture and climate regulation. Natural microbial communities frequently mix (coalesce) that can lead to drastic but unknown changes in biodiversity, crop health and other ecosystem functions. This project examines how microbial communities interact by transplanting different communities from one environment to another, using new modelling and experimental techniques. Outcomes include a detailed mechanistic understanding of how these microbial communities mix, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of larger ecological systems. This should lead to improved natural resource management and conservation policies via continuous engagements with project stakeholders in land-management, industry and government. Environmental and economic benefits include ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture and improved plant biosecurity—all national priority areas. Engineering microbial communities, including probiotics for soils and people, has huge commercial potential and is one of the fastest growing industries globally and nationally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC isoforms with desirable properties. Ultimately, the project aims to identify isoforms that improve plant fitness under stress conditions. Optimising PEPC activity will provide next generation solutions to improve water balance and carbon assimilation to keep C4 crops productive under future climates. Field of research: 3108 - Plant Biology The agricultural cropping sector is crucial to Australia's economy and needs fortification to ensure continued and productive cropping against a backdrop of increasing future climate variability and the serious decline in water and arable land. By increasing the efficiency and resilience to hotter and drier climates farmers will be able to make crucial decisions which crop to plant depending on the predicted climate for that season. Fortifying a significant part of the Agriculture sector ensures future jobs and sufficient supply of food and fodder. Giving farmers opportunities to mitigate variability in seasonal climates provides increased protection of future yield. Providing sufficient quantities of food will be important to insure the nation's food security. Furthermore, we have observed the social and economic impact on farmers in the recent drought with graziers not having enough supply of fodder for sheep and cattle. The proposed research provides the next step to mitigate these serious threats to agricultural productivity by providing new solutions to improve crop production.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Addressing Misinformation with Media Literacy through Cultural Institutions. Misinformation can harm democratic processes, social cohesion and public health outcomes. Media literacy prepares citizens for misinformation by developing critical analysis abilities. This project partners with Australian public cultural institutions to increase adult media literacy. Through an action-based, mixed methods approach, the project investigates adults’ experiences with online misinformation and assesses their ability to identify and challenge it. Research findings will inform the design and evaluation of targeted evidence-based media literacy training and resources that will be shared across broadcast media, physical spaces and online. Through these initiatives Australians will be better equipped to combat misinformation. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies Research by the Australian Communications and Media Authority reports that misinformation undermines public health efforts, causes harm to individuals, businesses and democratic institutions, and can incite individuals to carry out acts of violence. While a range of approaches is needed to address misinformation, media literacy has proven to be essential to any comprehensive national strategy. By working with leading Australian Public Cultural Institutions to develop a nationally coordinated approach to increase adult media literacy, this project benefits the nation by: 1) producing a strong empirical evidence base to inform the design of effective media literacy initiatives, 2) developing educational initiatives that help prepare citizens for misinformation so they can be part of efforts to combat it, and 3) enabling inter-organisational collaboration by producing a toolkit that supports public cultural institutions to collaborate to address issues of national significance, including misinformation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Improving aged care with memory conversations. This project aims to investigate conversational techniques known as "elaborative reminiscing" as a tool for aged care staff to practice relationship-based care in their day-to-day interactions with older clients. The project expects to generate new knowledge about which specific techniques increase reminiscing during routine care, and how these tools have ongoing benefits for aged care clients. Expected outcomes include an evidence-based training program and improved understanding of facilitators and barriers to meeting aged care clients' social needs. This should provide significant benefits by improving wellbeing of clients in aged care, reducing hospitalisations, and enabling aged care providers to meet new industry standards. Field of research: 5203 - Clinical and Health Psychology Placing the person at the centre of aged care is a key principle from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality & Safety. With over 1 million Australians receiving aged care, supported by $18B+ from the Australian government, there is an urgent and growing need for new ways to reduce isolation and build connection in aged care. Collaborating with partner Whiddon and their workforce, this project aims to introduce memory conversations as a tool to encourage deep interaction and more meaningful relationships between aged care staff and their clients. In developing this evidence-based, low cost and high impact staff training program with demonstrated outcomes, our research will provide tools to immediately enhance staff and client relationships, increasing wellbeing of people in aged care. A reduction of 10% in older people's hospitalisation would reduce Australia’s costs by $256M. The resulting training program and resources will be readily available for wide and rapid dissemination in the aged care industry and broader community, enabling aged care organisations in Australia to lead in person-centred care.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The plight of the bogong moth: a model for conservation in Australia. This project aims to direct conservation actions for the bogong moth, an endangered species of profound cultural, ecological, and economic importance to Australians. Although iconic and famous for their epic migration to the Australian Alps, the bogong moth's distribution and flyways are unknown making conservation actions impossible. This project expects to forge the key partnerships and harness public enthusiasm to generate the data needed for conservation actions via a National Bogong Moth Observatory. The expected outcomes of this project are enhanced capacity to identify and mitigate threats to bogong moths. This should provide significant benefits such as a highly transferable model for continent-wide conservation in Australia. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Listed as Endangered in 2021, bogong moths are of profound cultural, ecological, and economic importance to Australians and their conservation requires continent-wide cooperation. Despite being famous for their migration to the Australian Alps, conservation activities are currently impeded by a major knowledge gap: their distribution and migratory flyways are unknown. This project will address this knowledge gap by creating a National Bogong Moth Observatory to facilitate collaborative data collection and sharing among all key interest groups including Traditional Owners, environmental charities, citizen scientists, government scientists, and academics. This research will benefit Australia by establishing the bogong moth as a globally significant flagship species for insect conservation, uniting diverse scientific conservation activities, and creating important opportunities for connections to Country. Our project will establish an exemplar conservation program adaptable to a broad range of Australian species to protect and recover our unique biodiversity across our vast land.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat. The project aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource. Si uptake by wheat has been proven to alleviate stress from drought and pests, but mechanisms and agronomic feasibility remain to be fully assessed. The project will deliver a mechanistic understanding of how Si alleviates stress in wheat, from gene to farm scale, providing cost-benefit analysis and a best–practice toolbox for implementation by farmers. Outcomes are anticipated to provide a cheaper and more environmentally sustainable solution to issues of water scarcity and yield losses to pests in Australia’s leading crop. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Australia stands to increase exports of its leading crop, wheat, for export and domestic consumption because of recent declines in global production and supply. To achieve this, innovative approaches are needed to reduce costs, increase yields and minimise losses caused by drought and pest damage. Additionally, some synthetic insecticides that are widely used in wheat production are likely to be banned in the future because of harmful impacts on pollinators and the environment. By leveraging a key national resource, amorphous silicon (Australia has 86% of global supply), and through targeted collaboration between researchers, industry and farmers, this project will deliver an innovative solution to improve drought and pest resilience in Australian wheat production. This, in turn, will produce significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Transforming pastefill delivery system for next-generation mining industry. This project aims to develop a new type of mining pipeline design platform that can vastly improve pastefill (slurry) delivery systems. Using an Artificial Intelligence-based design platform, understanding complex and numerous variables in the fluid dynamics of abrasive pastefill flow will inform a new pipeline design. Consisting of a vertical casing, with our new composite pipeline chokes to replace costly friction loops, improvements in flow efficiency and pipeline deterioration can significantly reduce maintenance costs. This novel and adaptable next-generation pipeline design and analysis platform can be employed by the manufacturing and mining sectors for pipeline failure analysis, managing production and developing new products. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering 1. This project aims to develop a new type of mining pipeline design platform that can vastly improve pastefill (slurry) delivery systems for filling holes left from mining. The platform’s AI system can be used to dynamically adjust pastefill pipeline designs, according to varying site conditions and slurry composition. 2. Outcomes include the construction of a new pipeline design platform and composite pipe chokes, replacing multiple pipe loops that cause too much costly wear and tear due to slurry friction. 3. Economic and commercial benefits include huge cost-savings in reduced maintenance and operation shutdowns, and adaptability of the platform for widespread use in the mining industry. 4. Commercialisation is possible with the project’s mining industry Partner Organisations, who will assist with the design, construction and testing of pipeline components and systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Examining Youth Digital Wellbeing in Australia and the Philippines. Digital technologies are being harnessed for their potential to enhance health and wellbeing. How digital health interventions provide support across national borders in the ‘real world’ and lives of young people are key questions in the realisation of global health. Focused on sexual health and mental health interventions for marginalised young people, this DECRA project is a direct response to this concern. The project examines the promise of transnational digital health interventions from the perspective of these marginalised young people across two key sites: one high-income country (Australia) and one middle-income country (Philippines). Field of research: 4410 - Sociology Better digital health support services are crucial for positive health outcomes of young Australians. Digital services offer new opportunities for health interventions to be delivered to diverse young people. Initiatives such as mental health and peer-support programs promise lower costs of implementation and greater accessibility for young people. However, further research is required into how such practices can best enhance the wellbeing of young people in and across different settings. This project responds to this concern by assessing young people’s experiences of digital mental and sexual health interventions across Australia (a high-income country) and the Philippines (a middle-income country). By working closely with professional stakeholders and young people in each country, the project will co-design and co-develop targeted public health messaging, practitioner guidance and support as well as policy frameworks that enable youth health and wellbeing. The project aims to reduce disparities between young people across Australia and the Philippines, positioning Australia as a world leader in the use of supporting research into digital technologies for health. Australian youth and society at large will benefit from innovative solutions and strategies to improve wellbeing.