Deakin University

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-03

Quantifying the long-term economic impacts of bushfire smoke in... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Complex Time-series System Forecasting Reinforced by Expert Knowledge Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Complex Time-series System Forecasting Reinforced by Expert Knowledge Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Youth Futures After Mobility: a longitudinal study of mobile transitions Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Youth Futures After Mobility: a longitudinal study of mobile transitions Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Youth Futures After Mobility: a longitudinal study of mobile transitions Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Collaborative Food Security Solutions among Migrant Populations Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-02

Collaborative Food Security Solutions among Migrant Populations Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Attracting and retaining a culturally diverse teacher workforce Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Attracting and retaining a culturally diverse teacher workforce Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Evolving escape: anti-predator adaptations in threatened bird species. This project will examine how escape responses to predators evolve through natural selection, a critical question in the conservation and management of threatened species. We will examine whether protection measures select for increased tolerance to threats, thereby making populations more vulnerable to predation. Using field studies of two threatened Australian birds, we will generate behavioural, genetic and demographic data to identify how management regimes influence escape responses, whether these responses are heritable, and how these responses affect survival. The project will be beneficial by enabling conservation groups to make evidence-based choices about management of protected threatened species. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Australia is facing a biodiversity crisis with more than 1900 species currently listed as threatened and at risk of extinction. To prevent future extinctions of our native animals, we need to understand how human and other threats affect their behaviour and survival, and assess their ability to adapt to those threats. This project will examine the evolution of predator escape behaviour, a vital element of survival in the wild, in two iconic threatened bird species: the hooded plover and the helmeted honeyeater. The project will assess how escape behaviour varies in response to environmental threats, and how conservation measures affect this behaviour and ultimately the survival of the birds. The findings will fill a knowledge gap about the potential long-term evolutionary consequences of environmental disturbance and management on Australian fauna. The research will generate important information on behaviours that affect the survival of threatened species, and thus provide environmental and social benefits associated with preventing future extinctions. By working with government and non-government organisations, such as Zoos Victoria and BirdLife Australia, the project results will be communicated to land managers to inform future conservation measures.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Copyright Protection of Deep Neural Network Models Based on Watermarking. This project aims to develop robust watermarking techniques for copyright protection of deep neural network models. Existing techniques to protect this copyright are preliminary, difficult to apply and susceptible to abuse. This project employs novel approaches, methods and techniques to solve these shortfalls. Expected outcomes include a set of innovative mechanisms and algorithms that provide solutions to the key challenges in deep neural network watermarking. Expected benefits include significant advance in deep neural network watermarking research, greater commercial opportunities, expansion of deep learning for real-world applications and economic gain through greater protection of intellectual investment. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy As a driving force of artificial intelligence, multi-layered artificial neural networks, called deep neural networks, have been widely used in many fields of society. Deep neural networks enable computer systems to learn from data in a manner similar to the functioning of the human brain. Consequently, they can build the capability of performing complex operations on massive amounts of data and making decisions. The training of such powerful network models is challenging and costly. Such models are also vulnerable to copyright infringements, causing major losses for model owners. This project examines the vulnerabilities of deep neural network models to various attacks and develops innovative watermarking mechanisms and algorithms for the copyright protection of deep neural network models, which will deter illegal and nefarious players from exploiting those vulnerabilities. Benefits will include curbing cybercrime and other illegal activities caused by copyright infringements, greater commercial opportunities for Australian companies, expansion of deep learning for real-world applications such as autonomous driving, and economic gain through greater protection of intellectual investment. The research outcomes and their use in practice will be promoted through workshops, industry meetings, and industry networks such as the Australian Industry Group and Australian Information Industry Association.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Models of adolescent brain development to predict socioemotional function. This project aims to understand what drives brain development leading to variability in socioemotional functioning in adolescence. Adolescence is a dynamic developmental window for brain development, and current models of adolescent development fail to predict why, when and to whom, changes lead to socioemotional difficulties and poorer outcomes. Timing and progression of puberty is emerging as a better marker of where an adolescents’ brain is up to in development. Having established the largest internationally collaborative dataset, this project will reveal the role of pubertal maturation and hormones in adolescent brain development, with significant beneficial consequences for age-based benchmarking decisions in policy and society. Field of research: 5202 - Biological Psychology Adolescence is one of the riskiest times to be human. Changes in developing brains of young people can lead to socioemotional difficulties and poor outcomes, like reckless driving, assaults, unsafe sex, substance use and self-harm. Current models of adolescent development fail to predict why, when and to whom, changes lead to socioemotional difficulties and poor outcomes. However, the timing and progression of puberty is emerging as a better marker of where an adolescents’ brain is up to in development. This project focuses on understanding the drivers and timings of brain development, and the role of pubertal maturation and hormones. This will have implications for how we benchmark brain development across adolescence at population levels, and provides opportunities to have a positive impact on developmental trajectories relating to health, education, and social success across the lifespan. This project will strengthen Australia as the hub of an international, collaborative, open-access dataset on adolescent brain development, available for researchers to access worldwide with ongoing capacity to help answer key questions about adolescence brains. To enable the translation of evidence-based knowledge, results will be promoted to parents, health and education professionals, and policy makers across Australia and internationally. The implications span science, education, policy- and law-making and may influence how legal competency and educational levels are measured.

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

Improving sustainability and equity of youth physical activity... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Understanding the role of sex in ageing muscle. This project aims to explore cause-and-effect relationships between molecular regulators and age- and sex-specific traits in skeletal muscle loss. Females live longer and are more susceptible to the functional and metabolic consequences of muscle ageing. Yet, our knowledge is overwhelmingly inferred from findings from male cohorts. Our results will establish the role of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on the origins, progression and consequences of age-related muscle loss, identifying transition points when risks to well-being and windows of opportunity are greatest. The project will produce essential knowledge allowing appropriate mitigation of the sex-specific consequences of muscle loss in males and females to promote healthy ageing. Field of research: 3105 - Genetics Why do females live longer than males but are paradoxically more susceptible to age-related muscle loss? By 2053, 10 million Australians will be aged over 65 years and the majority will be female. We hypothesize that sex hormones and sex chromosomes can independently affect the progression and consequences of age-related muscle loss, yet the origins of these differences are unknown as our current knowledge overwhelmingly comes from findings from male cohorts. This project will start to address this knowledge gap by examining the cause-and-effect relationships between molecular regulators and age- and sex-specific traits in skeletal muscle loss. The novel fundamental knowledge generated will not only be valuable for all pre-clinical research into age-related muscle loss, but also inform the development of future interventions to promote healthy ageing in Australian males and females. Our team is ideally placed to build research capacity in this space, in Australia and internationally, and to communicate our results to industry groups, policymakers and health professionals interacting with ageing Australians, ensuring rapid and effective translation. Improving healthy ageing is an Australian research priority. By paving the way to sex-specific anti-ageing interventions, this project will deliver economic and social benefit for Australians and ensure that future research accounts for the largest segment of our ageing population.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Artificial Intelligence Designed 3D-printed Solid-state Li Metal Batteries. This project targets challenges in solid-state Li metal batteries (SSLMBs), lithium dendrite growth and poor interfacial contact, with cutting-edge 3D printing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques. Leveraging AI’s predictive capabilities on extensive databases, optimal materials and structures for SSLMBs will be identified. The designed SSLMBs will be precisely fabricated with 3D printing techniques. Expected outcomes include novel solid-state electrolyte formulations, smart battery structures, and high-performance SSLMBs. The project will benefit Australia’s energy storage innovation and economic growth, bolstering Australia’s global leadership in advanced energy technologies. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering This research proposal aims to address the research gap in safer and more efficient solid-state battery technologies by integrating additive manufacturing (3D printing) and artificial intelligence (AI). By utilizing AI to design battery structures, we aim to enhance performance, while leveraging 3D printing to produce smaller and more efficient battery cells to meet the increasing demand from Australian society and industry. This convergence of 3D printing and AI in battery design represents an emerging area of research that has yet to be extensively explored within the Australian research community. The potential outcomes of this research extend beyond technological advancement; they have the capacity to significantly bolster Australia's research capabilities in energy storage, advanced manufacturing, and AI. Furthermore, the benefits extend to facilitating the transition towards a smarter society and contributing to environmental protection efforts. Successfully achieving these objectives will not only create new opportunities for commercialization but also stimulate job growth, as demonstrated by the track record of our research team.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Understanding place-based repair in climate-affected communities. Community-based repair work is a vital but often overlooked aspect of responding to the impacts of climate change and to mitigating the increasing costs of disasters. Through storytelling and creative methodologies, this project will document, map and analyse how people are responding to environmental change through diverse, locally attentive practices of repair. Generating understandings of the nature of repair work for researchers, governments and communities, as well as practical tools, guides and resources, the project will contribute to improved strategies and actions for more inclusive and equitable community-led responses to climate change. Field of research: 4702 - Cultural Studies Climate change, biodiversity loss and disasters pose serious environmental and socio-economic challenges to Australia. This project aims to generate knowledge of how people living in three Australian regions (the Wimmera-Mallee in Victoria, the Northern Rivers region of NSW and the Perth-Peel metropolitan region) are responding to long-term, place-based environmental change. It considers this in relation to two international regions facing similar challenges (Gotland, Sweden and Northeast England) to understand what community-led repair looks like on the ground, and what formal disaster response can learn from this. Previous research has focused on documenting the causes of environmental change, and how to prevent and manage this change, whereas less research has considered how to repair the harm and loss associated with altering environments. This research is particularly significant in light of the enormity of the reparative task and the need to prioritise limited resources for environmental repair work. This project will benefit the future adaptation efforts of Australia, leading to improved understandings of what supports the success of localised repair work. In addition to academic outcomes, including PhD and early career pathways, the project will produce creative and publicly available outputs, including an atlas, story maps and field guides, and engage with community and policy stakeholders to inform responses to ongoing environmental change.

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

Responding to the burden of chronic diseases attributable to... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Youth Futures After Mobility: a longitudinal study of mobile transitions . This project aims to investigate what helps and hinders the social and economic integration of young people after living abroad. Through surveys & interviews conducted over 10 years, it will track the integration of 800 mobile youth as they age, face decisions about remaining or returning, and seek to settle. The unique longitudinal mobile youth dataset will be used to generate important new theories linking mobility, integration and ageing. Outcomes will be enhanced knowledge of mobility and settlement and training of youth migration scholars. This will assist governments and businesses design programs and policies to help Australian society benefit from youth mobility including resettling young expats and retaining talented migrant youth. Field of research: 4410 - Sociology Australians increasingly venture overseas for work or study during their youth. This international movement of young Australians is part of a global trend for young people. Indeed, Australia is also a destination for similarly mobile youth from abroad – many of whom pay to study at Australian universities or come for a working holiday. Although quite a lot is known about what drives youth to be mobile, we know little of what happens in the longer term as they enter a new life stage and face decisions about returning and settling down. This study will address this gap in knowledge by tracking the experiences and intentions of a group of 800 mobile youth through surveys, network maps and interviews conducted over a decade as they travel and transition into adulthood. By understanding the longer term drivers of mobility and enablers of settlement, governments and businesses will be better able to design programs and policies to help Australian society benefit from youth mobility. These include Australians reintegrating with knowledge, skills, entrepreneurial capacities, industry networks and new cultural experiences and ideas, but also retaining migrant youth, many trained with desired skills in our university system. Research outcomes will be disseminated to the project advisory board, government and industry stakeholders through workshops, a data dashboard and policy papers. This engagement will promote translation of the research into programs and policies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Scaling nature-positive agriculture to support species climate resilience. This project enhances biodiversity and climate resilience by integrating conservation into agricultural supply chains across Australia. As agricultural expansion and climate change pressure biodiversity, it is vital to identify at-risk species and develop targeted conservation actions. I will assess vulnerable species impacted by climate and land-use changes. By leveraging innovative methodologies and expert collaboration, I will create scalable, actionable conservation strategies tailored to specific species' needs. This project will develop investment-ready biodiversity initiatives that align with industry goals, promoting climate-adaptive practices and nature-positive production that benefit biodiversity and people. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Producing food and protecting nature are often seen as competing priorities in Australia, where iconic wildlife species are disappearing due to habitat loss and degradation from agriculture. Climate change and shifting diets are adding pressure, making it critical to safeguard both biodiversity and agricultural productivity. This project addresses this challenge by integrating conservation into agricultural supply chains across Australia, enhancing biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. It aims to identify key species at risk from climate change, trade and food demand scenarios and recommend suitable conservation actions for agricultural systems, that create environmental, economic, and social benefits. The project will offer actionable solutions to secure Australia's environmental and economic future by promoting biodiversity-friendly and nature-positive practices that support both agricultural productivity and wildlife. The outcomes will provide pathways for industries, policymakers, and land managers to adopt these practices. Findings will be shared widely through workshops, open-access resources, and collaborations with industry and government, ensuring the research leads to practical, sustainable solutions that benefit people and nature. This research will make a lasting contribution to protecting Australia’s biodiversity while also promoting sustainable growth in agriculture.

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

The urge-to-tic: Examining the neural and experiential bases of Tourette... Category: Medical Research

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

Improving sustainability and equity of youth physical activity... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Embedding Net Zero Carbon Emissions in Northern Australia. This project aims to examine how people in northern Australia view the local, national, and global value of large net zero carbon emissions projects. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how local social factors shape the embedding of the net zero paradigm in place through industrial infrastructures. Expected outcomes of this project include insights into how climate change policy agendas are normatively evaluated at a local scale and therefore the potential challenges and opportunities faced by governments, industry, and others as they seek to realise net zero goals. This should provide significant benefits, such as improved success, improved planning capacity, and reduced negative effects in future net zero implementation. Field of research: 4401 - Anthropology Net zero is being actively pursued as a solution to Australia's linked challenges of climate change mitigation, industrial development, and regional employment. Building large industrial infrastructures has become a key government strategy for implementing net zero policy, however political polarisation and limited understanding of local priorities could hinder their realisation. Through interviews, fieldwork and other activities, this research project will engage residents and professionals involved in a large net zero infrastructure in northern Australia to uncover their priorities and insights. The project will reveal new knowledge about the causes of local support and opposition to net zero policies and infrastructures and therefore opportunities for more effective net zero implementation with greater social and economic benefits for local communities and others. Findings will be shared with participants, industry bodies, and policymakers through a range of outputs including a short film and project website to directly improve the design and implementation of future Australian climate and energy policies.

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

Transforming resource allocation decision-making for obesity prevention Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Protecting young people from novel gambling marketing strategies. This project aims to understand the broad range of gambling marketing strategies that young people are exposed to and influenced by, beyond televised advertising. This project expects to document how the gambling industry and their allies frame gambling using novel marketing strategies to shape gambling attitudes and resist regulatory reform. Outcomes include new insights about how young people (16-24 years) interpret novel forms of gambling marketing, new frameworks to map and monitor gambling marketing strategies, and youth informed policy recommendations. These youth informed policies are expected to benefit young people (and the broader community) by protecting them from future social, financial and health harms. Field of research: 4206 - Public Health The social, financial and health harms caused by young people’s exposure to gambling marketing are well recognised. To reduce young people’s exposure to gambling marketing, Australian governments have implemented partial restrictions on the content and placement of this advertising – mainly during sport. However, there is limited knowledge about how newer forms of gambling marketing and public relations strategies may be influencing young people’s gambling attitudes and behaviours, particularly around the legal gambling age of 18 years. This research will provide rigorous evidence on the gambling marketing tactics focusing on 16-24yo Australians (including girls) who are a key gambling market. The project will increase public transparency about how industry marketing tactics are normalising gambling and engaging a new generation of customers. This will enable comprehensive policy responses that increase restrictions on the gambling industry, with an aim of protecting young people from future harms. Results will be disseminated to stakeholders from different levels of government, regulators, youth advocacy organisations, lived experience groups, public health organisations (e.g. VicHealth and Healthway), and treatment providers. This will be achieved through reports, presentations, media and a final year workshop with invited policy advisors, practitioners, and the youth advisory group members to translate findings and explore opportunities for future research and policy.