Deakin University

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

Biogenesis of extracellular vesicles from Plasmodium-infected RBC and... 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.

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.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Collaborative and Reliable Machine Learning in Edge Computing Environment. This project aims to deliver a suite of methods and techniques to enable collaborative and reliable machine learning (ML) over 5G/6G networks. It will generate new approaches to tackle the scalability and security challenges in training ML models in Mobile Edge Computing where data processing occurs near end users. Expected outcomes include novel techniques, mechanisms, and schemes for developing and deploying 5G/6G artificial intelligence (AI) applications with performance and privacy guarantees. It will drive Australia's 5G/6G initiatives by enabling edge AI applications in various areas such as smart cities and remote learning. It will strengthen post-COVID economic resilience and enhance Australia’s leadership in global 5G/6G research. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science Australia’s industry, government, and society heavily rely on artificial intelligence (AI) in areas like telehealth, remote work, and online education, all of which need fast and reliable AI applications. With the use of 5G/6G networks, software providers can deliver smart services quickly by placing AI applications close to users’ devices, known as edge AI. These applications depend on machine learning (ML) to make decisions based on large amounts of data from these devices. However, this requires significant computing power, generates heavy network traffic, and raises concerns about user privacy, such as identity and location protection. The key question is: how can we improve ML efficiency while ensuring accuracy in decision-making, reducing network traffic, and safeguarding privacy? This project aims to design and create new techniques and methods to develop and deploy fast, reliable edge AI applications over 5G/6G networks. The results will help Australian businesses transition to 5G/6G more easily, especially in fields like smart buildings, virtual reality, and online education. These innovations will be shared publicly through open-access publications and social media to encourage further 5G/6G advancements and create broad social benefits, such as providing Australians with faster and more reliable AI-powered services like remote emergency assistance.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Heritage and Displacement: Intersections of Exile, Culture and Conflict. This project aims to investigate the intersections between heritage and displacement, and the differing ways these are understood by displaced people, governments and global agencies. This project expects to generate new knowledge via an innovative interdisciplinary approach that includes developing a novel conceptual framework, creating an original database and conducting interviews. Expected outcomes include unprecedented empirical insights into how displaced people from the Middle East perceive their heritage, and the extent to which this aligns with the policies of relevant actors. This should provide significant benefits, shaping further intellectual inquiry and the responses of key international agencies to heritage and displacement. Field of research: 4302 - Heritage, Archive and Museum Studies The world currently faces the largest crisis of human displacement in history, creating significant challenges for Australia and its interests. This project addresses an important research gap for Australia as the world’s first study of the complex and dynamic relationships between displaced peoples from the Middle East and their heritage. This will have several significant benefits. First, Australia has made, and continues to make, a considerable investment in the region via various ongoing military, humanitarian and peacebuilding initiatives. This project has the potential to further the goals of these efforts by understanding the causes and consequences of mass migration, thereby advancing peace and stability in the Middle East and mitigating against attacks on Australia. Second, this project will enhance Australia’s relationship with important allies (UK, Germany), key Middle East states (Jordan) and prominent global actors (UNESCO). Finally, this project will strengthen relations with increasing numbers of Middle East refugees and migrants, furthering Australia’s status as a peaceful multicultural nation. To maximise understanding and adoption beyond academia, the outcomes of this research will be communicated via policy reports, national and international workshops, community outreach, media engagement and online content.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Reducing drug-related harms in Australia through a new Reform Collaboratory. In Australia, the harms associated with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) cost over $35 billion per year. This project aims to address harms by reviewing Australia’s drug laws, policies and practices. The project expects to generate new knowledge and reduce harms through a ‘collaboratory’ of professionals, affected communities, families and legal and human rights experts. Working together, the collaboratory will investigate ways to implement systems-wide changes to law, policy and practice to create a less punitive and discriminatory system, and to ensure compliance with human rights. This should provide significant benefits, by reducing harms associated with drug use, and through a roadmap for comprehensive law, policy and practice reform. Field of research: 4410 - Sociology Harms associated with drugs (e.g. overdose, blood-borne viruses, mental health effects) cost Australia over $35 billion per year. Experts now agree that prohibiting drugs has not always been effective in reducing harms, and instead can actively contribute to them. Several countries have therefore begun reforming their laws, policies, and practices, focusing on harm reduction, social supports, and prioritising human rights. Australia has yet to undertake this vital work and is falling behind global reform efforts. Via an innovative collaboration approach, this project will unite professionals, affected communities, families, and legal and human rights experts to create a clear, practical reform agenda to reduce harm, improve outcomes, and prioritise human rights-based responses to drug-related issues. Through interviews with local and global experts; collaborative legal, policy and practice analysis; and human rights review, the project will: generate critical new knowledge on the extent to which existing laws, policies and practices comply with rights obligations; enhance industry capacity to recognise and comply with rights obligations through practical guidelines; move Australia into line with reforming countries; and outline an agenda for further, rights-respecting law reforms. Findings will be widely disseminated, supported by an advisory board of policymakers and industry partners representing consumers, professionals and families.

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

Mind the gap: building a suicide prevention framework in cardiovascular... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Combining snow science and seed ecology to better manage alpine ecosystems. This project aims to determine how ongoing declines in snow affect the growth, development and regeneration of alpine plants. By linking snowpack parameters (depth, density and duration) with growth requirements (light, water and temperature), this project fills an important knowledge gap about how a contraction of the snow season affects spring flowering, seed development, germination, seedling growth and seedling survival through summer. Outcomes include targeted regeneration information for practical rehabilitation works and for conserving alpine plants in-situ and ex-situ. The project will provide tools to promote alpine ecosystem resilience amidst plant life cycle disruptions, of benefit to land managers and stakeholders. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Snowfalls across the Australian Alps are dwindling and further declines in snow are predicted for the coming decades. These decreases in snow are already leading to impacts on the biological, hydrological, cultural and economic significance of the region. Seasonal snow cover is also the single most important environmental driver of ecosystem processes in the mountains: protecting plants in winter from frosts and strong winds; insulating soils; and providing a steady slow-release water supply into summer. The timing of snowmelt itself acts as a cue for the start of the growing season and plant life cycles. This project addresses a research gap about how alpine plants will regenerate in the future with earlier melting snow and no snow. Using a combination of field and laboratory experiments, the project will reveal new knowledge about how snow affects small-scale environmental conditions and drives the timing of flowering, seed germination and seedling establishment, and how a contraction of the snow season will affect future alpine ecosystem function. This research will provide environmental benefits to Australia by guiding on-site and off-site alpine plant conservation efforts. Results will be collaboratively translated into alpine landscape management tools, thereby empowering managers tasked with conserving and rehabilitating alpine areas with bespoke plant regeneration ecology information. This project will thereby promote alpine ecosystem resilience into the future.

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

Collaborative Food Security Solutions among Migrant Populations. This project aims to identify policy priorities to combat food insecurity amongst Australia’s migrant and refugee communities in the current cost-of-living crisis. Collaborating with researchers, governments and local communities, the project expects to generate new data, community engagement, and policy implementation tools on food insecurity policies. Expected outcomes include new routine monitoring of food insecurity among migrant and refugee communities. Additional outcomes include strategies to instil community perspectives into food insecurity policy decisions. This should provide significant benefit through enhancing social, economic and cultural equity in Australia by accelerating policy actions to reduce food insecurity. Field of research: 3210 - Nutrition and Dietetics There has been a global rise in food insecurity since 2019, with 42% of the world’s population unable to afford sufficient nutritious food. In Australia, 35%-90% of refugee communities experienced food insecurity prior to COVID-19. Currently, we do not have data on the true extent or diverse experiences of food insecurity amongst most migrant and refugees – a major barrier to advancing effective food insecurity policies. This project aims to promote social equity in Australia by pioneering a co-design approach to actively involve migrant and refugee communities in identifying practical food insecurity solutions. Culturally sensitive data collection tools will be developed and community lived experiences will be integrated into food policy decisions. This research will directly connect migrants and refugees with government and non-government sectors working to address food insecurity. This will strengthen multisectoral partnerships and result in aligned actions to effectively reduce food insecurity across migrant and refugee communities. Results will be shared through policy journals, annual forums, policy briefs for civil society, parliamentarians, and public servants, and mainstream media such as the ABC. By developing pathways towards implementing culturally sensitive food insecurity policies during the cost-of-living crisis, the project will provide significant social, cultural and economic benefits for all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Responding to the harms of ultra-processed foods in Australia. This project aims to develop strategies to increase public awareness of the harms of ultra-processed foods in Australia. Ultra-processed foods make up nearly half of Australia's diet, with highest intakes among the youth and the most disadvantaged. Despite the surge in their intake each year, many consumers remain unaware of their detrimental effects. This project will develop a framework to guide stakeholders in tailoring messages to reduce ultra-processed food consumption, and create a novel warning label for ultra-processed food packaging to help consumers identify these foods. Outcomes will deliver significant benefits by informing strategies and policies to reduce the societal harms linked with ultra-processed foods consumption. Field of research: 4206 - Public Health This project aims to develop strategies to increase public awareness of the harms of ultra-processed foods in Australia. Despite their detrimental effects on human health, the environment, cultures, and the economy, sales of ultra-processed foods are increasing each year. These foods constitute nearly half of Australians' diet, with highest intakes among the youth and the most disadvantaged. Ultra-processed foods include not only 'junk foods' (e.g., soft drinks, fast food) but also many items that consumers may not perceive as unhealthy (e.g., sliced breads, frozen meals, and flavoured yoghurts). Approximately ¾ of ultra-processed foods have >2.5 health stars on their packages, which can contribute to consumer confusion. Using innovative research methods, this project will generate evidence on consumers’ understanding of ultra-processed foods that will inform a framework to guide stakeholders in tailoring messages to reduce ultra-processed food consumption in Australia. Additionally, this project will develop and test a new warning label for ultra-processed food packages to help consumers easily identify these products. This has potential to increase the literacy of the Australian population and public support for policies targeting ultra-processed foods to ultimately reduce their intake. The project includes strong engagement with consumers and stakeholders, including in the development of a communication toolkit, to optimise its relevance and translational impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Where, when and how do birds sleep in the city? This project aims to investigate changes to avian sleep in response to urbanisation. Using state-of-the-art monitoring techniques, the project expects to identify environmental conditions that are necessary for sufficient sleep in native birds. By combining field research, experimental studies and broader comparisons across species, the project will determine the capacity of different populations and species to tolerate or adapt their sleep to changing environments. The results will address a gap in our understanding of animal behaviour in cities, allowing us to identify vulnerable populations and species, develop new strategies for pest management, and work with governments and communities to inform habitat management and urban planning. Field of research: 3103 - Ecology Promoting native birdlife in cities has important benefits for conservation, ecosystem health, and human wellbeing. However, urban environments can also deter birds and cause them harm. Although most of us appreciate the importance of sleep in our own lives, we rarely consider whether or how sleep loss affects wildlife. This project will determine, for the first time, the extent to which native Australian birds avoid, tolerate or adapt to effects of urbanisation on sleep. By identifying where wild birds choose to sleep, as well as the consequences of these choices, this project will inform new strategies for protecting and restoring urban biodiversity. The project will determine whether Australian birds can adapt to increased disturbance and sleep loss, facilitating better predictions of the short- and long-term effects of human disturbance on populations. Through cross-species comparisons, this project will also assess how species traits (e.g. diet) predict responses to environmental change. Results will be shared with local governments, land managers and Australian communities through workshops, public seminars, media outreach and freely-available articles. The project will deliver environmental, social and economic benefits to Australian cities and their inhabitants, including benefits for urban biodiversity, ecosystem health, ecotourism, and improved coexistence of humans and wildlife.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Complex Time-series System Forecasting Reinforced by Expert Knowledge. This project aims to predict complex behaviours of multiple interconnected data streams, introducing a new forecasting framework compatible with big data and domain knowledge. It expects to provide actionable insights for informed decision-making, fostering the development of robust forecasting models crucial for Australia's leadership in the global AI era. Anticipated outcomes include more accurate predictions in critical domains like healthcare, potentially saving lives, and material science, expediting material discovery. The project should advance time-series prediction research, contributing to economic growth, environmental benefits, improved social well-being, and fostering commercial growth via innovative forecasting capabilities. Field of research: 4611 - Machine Learning Time-series forecasting--using computers to predict future values based on past data--plays a crucial role across industries from manufacturing to healthcare. Statistical methods and even recent big-data models face difficulties when dealing with complex time-series systems featuring multiple data streams. This project seeks to overcome these challenges by creating a framework that utilises adaptive forecasting and integrates domain knowledge. By enhancing efficiency and productivity across sectors like agriculture, energy and manufacturing, this project has the potential to deliver substantial economic and environmental impacts. For instance, the project's time-series forecasting can accelerate the discovery of novel materials for electric car batteries designed to meet the huge projected global market for sustainable, high-performance energy storage. By delivering better services and interventions in areas like healthcare and social welfare, this project has the potential to improve the quality of life for Australians. For example, application of the project’s time-series forecasting for COVID-19 mortality could have potentially prevented many excess deaths by enabling timely and effective pandemic responses. The DECRA candidate will collaborate with industry partners to implement the forecasting engine, develop open-source time-series forecasting tools, and engage with professional networks to promote the adoption of these tools in practical applications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Quantifying the long-term economic impacts of bushfire smoke in Australia. The project aims to provide a new understanding of the long-term economic cost of bushfire smoke in Australia. Individuals exposed to bushfire smoke suffer adverse economic outcomes due to multiple channels. To date, the data and methods available have been insufficient to evaluate long-term effects and inform an appropriate policy response. This project leverages recent data advances and builds upon methods employed in my past research to provide a new empirical method for risk profiling of long-term smoke exposure and to generate an improved understanding of the associated economic costs. The findings would aid government agencies, fire services, and local communities in re-evaluating bushfire management practices. Field of research: 3801 - Applied Economics Australia has experienced some of the worst bushfires in recent years. Since 2000, nearly half a million square kilometres have burned annually, on average. In addition to direct fire damage and other destructive losses, bushfire smoke has also been linked to multiple adverse economic and health outcomes in the short term. However, our knowledge of the overall economic costs of bushfire smoke exposure needs to be improved, particularly the lasting, accumulated long-term effects, which need to be better understood. The project will generate estimates of the long-term impacts of bushfire smoke exposure on individual earnings and quantify the cost to the Australian economy. The project will also identify those sections of the population most vulnerable to bushfire smoke exposure and determine the economic impacts for these subgroups. The project will benefit the Australian economy more broadly by enabling the government, environmental agencies, fire management services and local communities to re-evaluate bushfire management strategies and practices based on an improved understanding of the longer-term risk factors. To aid decision-making, the project outputs include a publicly available geospatial data portal providing information on smoke exposure across Australia and a series of workshops with key stakeholders to communicate the research findings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unravelling chiral recognition to improve sensing and separation efficiency. Chiral molecules, analogous to our hands, appear similar but don’t match exactly. Accurate identification of these molecules is crucial as the two different forms can have dramatically different functions, which can mean the difference between a drug helping or harming. This project will explore chiral interactions using an integrated single-entity electrochemistry approach. Investigating these interactions in real-time will reveal fundamental mechanisms of chiral recognition, enabling the ability to control surface chiral affinity. The project will benefit Australia by inventing effective detection and separation technologies for certain chiral molecules, hence improving the purity and efficacy of medicines, agriculture, and food products. Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry In chemistry, chiral molecules have identical molecular formulas, atom-to-atom connections, and bond lengths as their mirror-image counterparts. Surprisingly, these seemingly identical structures result in distinct properties and can lead to different biological effects. Consider Thalidomide, a drug administered to pregnant women in the past. One version alleviated morning sickness, while the other caused severe birth defects. Despite these consequences, efficient detection and separation methods for chiral molecules are progressing slowly due to lack of understanding of chiral recognition mechanisms. This project aims to uncover the fundamental mechanisms of chiral recognition at the molecule level. It employs an innovative real-time electrochemical Raman spectroscopy technique, poised to significantly improve our ability to accurately identify and separate chiral molecules. This advancement will transform product purity, safety, and efficacy. These capabilities are crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of pharmaceuticals, optimising agricultural practices and monitoring environmental pollutants. The knowledge generated by this project will directly benefit research in health, environmental science, biotechnology, and related industries. By providing practical solutions to domestic industries and disseminating outcomes through conferences and media, this project makes a substantial contribution to Australia's global leadership in science, innovation, and technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Enabling Australian aluminium recycling with rapid solidification . Existing metal recycling processes accumulate impurities that degrade aluminium alloys, reducing the value of scrap recycling. This project will investigate and assess the efficacy of rapid solidification of molten liquid metal to enable Australian recycling of high-value aluminium scrap. Expected outcomes include a new understanding of how impurities affect the microstructure and properties of rapidly solidified high-performance aluminium alloys and enhancing impurity tolerance without sacrificing alloy properties. Benefits include advancing metallurgical science, creating local industry opportunities for valuable resource recovery, securing alloy supplies, reducing environmental footprint and boosting the aluminium circular economy. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Over 95% of Australia’s raw aluminium scrap metal is exported to make lower-value products or sent to landfill because it is too costly to separate and purify. Scrap high-performance aluminium recycling is challenging due to impurities introduced during recycling that damage the properties and longevity of these valuable alloys. With rapid solidification techniques, which rapidly cool liquid metal into a solid, this project will create the necessary knowledge for new industrial opportunities to create new aluminium alloys from scrap materials with high impurity tolerance. These novel recycling-friendly aluminium alloys will be patented and commercially evaluated by local industries. To maximise impact and foster innovation, findings will be disseminated through academic publications, industry partnerships, international scientific events and public outreach. The outcomes will boost Australia’s recycling industry by creating sovereign high-performance aluminium alloys through local supplies that are secure against disruption, reduce waste going to landfill and significantly lower the high energy consumption and carbon emissions resulting from alloy production from virgin sources. These benefits will give Australia a growing reputation as a frontrunner in the battle against climate change and resource depletion and strengthen Australia’s sovereign alloy sources for high-value aluminium manufacturing.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Ensuring reliable deployment of deep neural network models. This project aims to develop novel techniques for the reliable deployment of deep neural network models in machine learning as a service. It addresses the important and urgent problem of how to ensure secure and flexible model access and robust model infringement tracing. The project will result in a set of innovative methods involving deep neural network model access control, model piracy detection and model ownership identification. This should provide significant benefits by empowering Australia's leading position in artificial intelligence security research, enhancing the competitiveness of the local artificial intelligence industry, and preventing cyber crimes and huge financial and job losses caused by model infringements. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy Machine learning is the driving force behind artificial intelligence. Deep neural network models that enable computer systems to learn from data like the human brain are the backbone of machine learning. However, developing such models requires resources which are beyond the reach of most businesses. In response, companies provide machine learning as a service to deliver tailored deep neural network models to users. Reliable deployment of deep neural network models requires access control, piracy detection and ownership identification methods that do not yet exist. By developing such security tools, this project will enable the Australian artificial intelligence industry and other related high-tech sectors to prevent financial and job losses caused by unauthorised use of deep neural network models. These advances will ensure a safer cyberspace, bring tremendous benefit to Australia’s economic growth and cybersecurity, and enhance our competitiveness on the global stage. To demonstrate these outcomes in a real-world setting, a prototype machine learning service system will be developed and then deployed by our partner organisation. The research outcomes will be shared through workshops, industry meetings and industry networks such as the Australian Industry Group and Australian Information Industry Association to promote this essential technology.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

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

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

SYNDICAT: Synergy for the Development of Innovative Clinical Treatments... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

ZenZone: a randomised placebo-controlled trial of fermented dairy for... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

Leveraging implementation science and systems thinking for eating... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

Leveraging implementation science and systems thinking for eating... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

The BLOOM program: A digital intervention integrating social and... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-12

CALM-Kids: Co-design and evaluation of family-based lifestyle therapy... Category: Medical Research