MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Context and Activity Recognition for Personalised Behaviour Recommendation. The Internet of Things (IoT) together with the rising popularity of smartphones opens a new world for many exciting opportunities. The overall goal of this project is to develop new algorithms and data analytical techniques in an IoT environment that can accurately monitor and analyse personalised daily activities on a continuous, real-time basis. The expected result of this project will support many critical applications such as better wellness tracking and lifestyle-related illness prevention, which will be particularly critical to Australia's aging population. This project will also serve as a vehicle to educate and train Australia’s young scholars and engineers. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems Lifestyle-related illnesses such as lack of exercise are on the rise globally and such problematic lifestyle choices often result in significant disease burdens and economic impact on healthcare systems. The technical outcomes resulting from this project will not only add significant capability to the partner organisation, but also be readily used in developing many innovative and high payoff applications that will provide significant contributions to human society and the Australian economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Advanced lanthanide-doped nanomaterials for new-generation security inks. Current security labelling technologies using pattern coding (“barcoding”) and/or UV-excited phosphorescent inks are relatively easily counterfeited. The project aims to identify optimal design, fabrication and surface treatment of infrared-excited lanthanide nanoparticles for use as pigments in UV-curable polymer inks. This is expected to result in a new-generation of jet-printable security inks with ultimate capability for multidimensional coding (using multiple luminescence wavelengths and lifetimes) and robust readability. Expected outcomes are world leadership in codable inks for secure labelling against counterfeiting, greatly enhancing both global ink-product sales and the value of Australian exports subject to product substitution. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology The research is expected to make major contributions to the Australian economy both directly through the competitive advantage derived by the Partner Organisation through the development of world-leading security labelling products, and indirectly through enhanced market share of Australian export products vulnerable to product substitution in the international market. In particular, the research will ensure MOS Technologies are able to produce nanoparticle pigments with high reliability and repeatability in commercial production, with a precision which allows security inks to be customised for special applications. The capability to time-code the inks will provide a unique, world-wide advantage in the market for security labelling because of the additional dimension of security afforded by the patented lifetime coding capability. Such advanced security labelling technologies can effectively eliminate counterfeit labelling, with the potential to substantially increase the value of authentic Australian products, for example high-end wine and foods, in our major export markets.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

A safety-preserving ecosystem for autonomous driving. In this project, Macquarie University will collaborate with UTS and SilverQuest to develop an innovative safety-preserving ecosystem for autonomous driving. This system will not only be adopted by SilverQuest’s customers (automotive companies) to secure their latest autonomous driving models, but also be commercialised as a toolset that can be plugged into existing autonomous vehicles to detect and prevent malicious attacks on autonomous driving models. The project will lead to two innovations: in theory design an attack detection and prevention ecosystem for autonomous driving and in application implement a safety analysis toolset for industry-scale autonomous systems. Field of research: 0803 - Computer Software Our system will fundamentally reshape existing security analysis in the autonomous driving environment. The outcomes will not only benefit automotive companies, but also lay the foundations for security analysis in other domains such as autonomous military systems, autonomous flying drones and other mission-critical autonomous systems in Australia. It will provide a safety guarantee and improve robustness for autonomous systems that will maximize Australia’s competitive advantage in autonomous industry and military systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Improving the effectiveness of electronic deterrents to prevent shark bites. Existing commercial electronic shark deterrents, which attempt to deter sharks by emitting strong electric pulses into the water, are either ineffective, have limited deterrent range, or have only been tested with great white sharks. Moreover, uncertainty regarding the way in which pulsed electric fields deter sharks, and whether they may even attract sharks, hampers the development of improved deterrents. This project aims to investigate the effects of pulsed electric fields on shark physiology and behaviour, develop novel electronic pulse waveforms that maximise the deterrent effect on a range of shark species, and deliver innovative improvements in electronic shark deterrent technology that will save the lives of humans and sharks. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This project will save the lives of water users (especially surfers and paddlers) by increasing the uptake of personal shark deterrents and improving the effectiveness of electronic shark deterrent technology. It will also protect sharks and other marine animals by reducing the need for costly and indiscriminate shark meshing/culling programs, which have a significant environmental impact through bycatch of non-target species and yet have little effect in reducing shark attack risk. The project will create innovative shark deterrent technologies suitable for commercialisation into a global market. It will also help to protect and enhance the significant direct and indirect economic benefits of watersports-related industries to local and regional communities in Australia and around the World.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Predicting the impacts of groundwater drawdown on groundwater ecosystems. This project aims to tackle a critical challenge of groundwater management – to understand and predict the impacts of declining groundwater levels. Over pumping and declining groundwater tables are a global problem, yet the effects on the ecosystems that exist within aquifers are poorly known. This project will create a world first evidence-based model of how lowering water tables affects the microbes, invertebrates (stygofauna) and ecological processes in groundwater ecosystems, and will demonstrate the consequences of such changes to groundwater quality and availability. This model will allow impacts to be reliably forecast and avoided or mitigated, vastly improving how major developments affecting groundwater are planned and implemented. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Over 3500 gigalitres of groundwater is used annually in Australia to meet domestic, irrigation and industry needs, with an estimated direct value of $1.8–7.2 billion per annum. The continued supply of clean groundwater depends on the services provided by microbes and invertebrates (stygofauna) that inhabit aquifers, yet they are threatened by the immense demand and frequent overuse of groundwater. This research will address key areas identified by both industry and government as being fundamental to the ecologically sustainable management of water resources in Australia. In 2018, the Senate Inquiry into Water Use by Extractive (mining) Industries recommended the Commonwealth Government identify current research gaps on the impacts of extractive projects on underground water ecosystems, including the potential impacts on stygofauna and microbial communities. This research directly addresses the recommendations of that inquiry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

How do neural circuits coordinate to produce adaptive changes in behaviour? This project aims to discover how neurons alter their function in coordinated ways to produce adaptive changes in behaviour. Behavioural outputs result from the activity of multiple cells in a functional network, but current methods are limited to studying signalling effects on single neurons. To address this, I will develop new methods to visualise every cell in the brain of the living nematode worm to provide a unique systems-level understanding of a model brain. Through collaboration with engineers and psychologists, I will describe molecular switches that trigger reorganisation of entire neural networks. Expected outcomes include new insights on neural circuit plasticity, which will advance discovery in neuroscience and robotics. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Nonlinear harmonic analysis and dispersive partial differential equations. This proposal is devoted to linear and nonlinear harmonic analysis. It aims to unify the most significant attributes of harmonic analysis such as restriction estimates, dispersive properties of differential operators, spectral multipliers, uniform Sobolev estimates and sharp Weyl formula. Such unification will strongly improve tools for mathematical modelling in all areas of technology and science. Notable applications include medical imaging, fluid dynamics and subatomic modelling using quantum interpretation. It will solve several important open problems in spectral analysis of partial differential operators and develop new cutting-edge techniques in harmonic analysis with application to nonlinear partial differential equations. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics This project will enhance Australia’s international profile in harmonic analysis and nonlinear partial differential equations, which are traditionally strong mathematical research fields. The particular knowledge discovered for partial differential equations has potential impact in modelling physical, environmental, engineering and economic processes. In particular, It will open up new opportunities for the development of technologies, conducive to Australia’s economic growth, such as medical imaging and financial modelling. The research training of PhD students and Postgraduate Research Associates involved in this program will contribute to a higher quality of the workforce in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Towards a Reliable and Explainable Health Monitoring and Caring System. This project aims to unleash the power of deep learning on health monitoring and caring domain through a safe, reliable and explainable way. Its innovations lie on 1) developing a set of robust and explainable deep learning models that are guaranteed to be safe to complex environmental uncertainty; 2) designing an intelligent health monitoring and caring platform, powered by robust deep learning models, to better support the home-based health monitoring and caring for the elderly. The result will enable end-users to trust the decisions of deep learning models in safety-critical systems and significantly contribute to Australian aging society and national healthcare economy. Field of research: 0805 - Distributed Computing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Routing shapes of light for the next generation of fibre optic networks. In 2016, the United Nations declared access to the Internet as basic human right. Our communication networks are facing a capacity crunch, which will transform a basic human right for everyone into a privilege for a few. This project aims to avoid a capacity crunch by creating innovative solutions for the next generation of optical fibre communication networks. This project stands to generate new knowledge in photonics, optical communication and advanced manufacturing. The expected benefits are new academic collaborations, enhancing Australia’s international standing and economic benefit through commercialisation and training of students for the growing photonics industry in Australia. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering The Internet has undoubtedly transformed both our economy and society. While optical fibres are the backbone of the Internet, the currently deployment optical fibres suffer from a fundamental capacity limit. To avoid a capacity crunch, that would bear unimaginable consequences, new technologies are required that can keep up with the ever-growing demand for data. This project aims to develop innovative solutions to make future ultrahigh bandwidth communication networks a reality to avoid such a crunch. Through commercialisation, this project will have a direct economic impact. New collaborations with leading research institutions will strengthen Australia’s reputation in the field. Moreover, the training of students in cutting edge technology will contribute to a skilled workforce for Australia’s growing photonics industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

History, heritage and environmental change in a deindustrialised landscape. As the first collaborative and multidisciplinary, scholarly and community-based study of a forgotten shale-mining settlement in the environmentally and culturally significant Jamison Valley, this project aims to advance knowledge and enable cross-generational engagement with the history and heritage of an industrial landscape, thereby improving our understanding of the long-term impact of deindustrialisation. By combining archaeological, archival and oral evidence the project aims to provide new insights into everyday working and family life, community, gender, transiency and migration that can contribute to conservation of this site and its industrial heritage, cultural heritage tourism and education at a time of environmental change. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies 2020 provides an unparalleled opportunity to work with our partners National Parks and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute (BMWHI) to produce a test case assessing the impact of brutal bushfires on valuable heritage sites, while also providing resources for industrial heritage conservation, education and cultural heritage tourism in the context of immense environmental change for the local community. By producing new knowledge about Jamison Valley shale mining communities and past and current landscapes, this project will benefit scholars, heritage managers, local community members, students, lifelong learners and other end-users. Enhanced knowledge of the area’s material and intangible culture resulting from collaborative research and innovative outcomes, including traditional and multimedia digital resources, will add social and economic value to Australia through contribution to heritage conservation, education and cultural tourism that engages with local, labour, community and family history and attracts new visitors to one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations in the Blue Mountains.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Saving Lives: Mapping the influence of Indigenous LGBTIQ+ creative artists. Saving Lives aims to map the unique contribution, influence and impact of Indigenous LGBTIQ+ creative artists, to understand how modelling complex diversities enhances well-being in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Communities. Using queer and critical race theories and a positively-charged mapping of complex identities found in art and art-making, the project expects to challenge simplistic ideas of what constitutes ‘Indigenous Australia’, their unique contribution, voices, and resistance. Expected outcomes will advance understandings of positive, diverse role modelling to the creative sector and national and international First Nations' communities, and provide significant benefits to well-being and identity-affirmation. Field of research: 2002 - Cultural Studies For Indigenous peoples and communities, art is intrinsically connected to the maintenance and growth of our cultural connections and as a tool of well-being, affirmation and acceptance. Indigenous LGBTIQ+ people contribute uniquely to this diverse and complex creative expression, while conversely facing the highest rates of depression and suicide of any group in Australia. The Fellowship will focus on hearing and reflecting leading Indigenous voices from within the creative practice community, to form a platform in which the voices and visibility of queer First Nations’ Peoples are amplified, and the impact of their contributions on our Communities is understood and amplified. A key national impact will be the development of tools to assist queer Indigenous people who may feel isolated in their own communities. These tools will support a greater understanding for our communities and in the broader population of the power of visibly diverse members presenting and promoting who they are, and in doing so it will challenge circumstances that can foster the feeling of isolation in LGBTIQ Indigenous People.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Financial Innovation and Sustainable Solutions for Electricity Markets. This project aims to investigate financial innovation for electricity markets that are transforming from fossil-fuel fired power generation to a higher share of renewable energy. The project will create new knowledge on impacts of the decarbonisation of power markets, utilising cutting-edge econometric models, innovative financial products and new measures for market performance and financial risk. Expected outcomes of the project include recommendations for facilitating investment into renewable energy, pricing intermittent generation, guidelines for stress tests and sustainable energy policy. This will help regulators and market participants to better ensure the long-term economic sustainability and financial resilience of the sector. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics The current transition of electricity markets from predominantly fossil-fuel fired power generation to a higher share of renewable energy poses significant challenges for participants and regulators of these markets. Australian wholesale electricity prices are among the highest in the developed world and extremely volatile. This project will deliver new techniques and research infrastructure for the analysis of electricity markets. It will develop a framework that allows for evaluating market performance, financial risks, and the pricing of new financial products related to intermittent energy generation. The project will help to facilitate optimal investments into renewable generation, enhancing clean energy, lower emissions, and the transformation of the electricity sector. The outcomes will contribute to the resilience of electricity markets by reducing the risks faced by participants. By proposing strategies on how to guarantee the economic sustainability of the sector and decreasing the associated cost flow-on to electricity end-users, it will enhance the long-term viability of Australia’s industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Australian understandings of infectious disease symptoms in the COVID era. This project aims to study how Australians interpret symptoms of acute infectious diseases and how those beliefs shape their health-seeking behaviour. Using mixed social science methods, the project will document how Australians decide when to seek medical treatment at clinics or hospitals and when to stay at home, how they believe disease spreads and how they decide whether to go to work, school, social commitments, shops, or stay home when unwell, and what they think about government health policy regarding infectious disease in the wake of COVID-19. Humans spread diseases through culturally coded patterns of behaviour, and this project will offer critical public health insights in an era of infectious disease epidemics and pandemics. Field of research: 1601 - Anthropology This project will investigate Australian health beliefs and practices that shape the transmission of infectious diseases in the wake of a pandemic that is historically unprecedented. Viruses are not only biological phenomena; they are social because they are transmitted through specific sociocultural practices. Understanding behaviours and beliefs regarding infectious disease will generate critically important knowledge that can inform health policy and messaging. According to the WHO, we live in an era of unprecedented infectious disease transmission, with more infectious diseases crossing international borders in the past 20 years than in the entire previous century. With each epidemic, an understanding of the social mechanisms of diseases transmission has mitigated their spread by informing public health responses. The proposed project thus offers a unique opportunity to understand Australian cultural beliefs and social behaviours that contribute to or mitigate the spread of infectious disease, informing policy and public health responses not only to COVID-19 but to the next pandemic Australia will face.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Public Intimacy: A Biography of Anne Deveson. This project aims to investigate the life of Australian journalist Anne Deveson (1930 – 2016), utilizing a biographical approach based on historical research. It seeks to understand the ways that Deveson’s work, often drawing on her experiences, helped to change public attitudes towards issues then regarded as ‘private’, including child abuse and mental illness. Expected outcomes include the first biography of Deveson and new knowledge about the ways her advocacy changed public attitudes towards many social problems in late twentieth century Australia. The project will benefit the Australian community by providing an historical case study of the ways that public interest journalism can positively impact on public health and social cohesion. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies Anne Deveson was a celebrated public figure and award-winning journalist, particularly influential in Australia from the 1960s to the 1990s. She drew on her own and others' experiences to produce documentaries and books on social issues including the role of women, child abuse and mental illness. This biography will enhance our understanding of these key debates and how, through Deveson, the broad Australian public engaged with them. By recognising Deveson's unique and wide-ranging contribution to Australian society, the project will make a timely contribution to gender equality. In generating new knowledge about the development of new forms of public interest journalism, the project will remind Australians about the vital role the media can play in fostering social cohesion and social justice. This is especially important, as the problems that Deveson addressed in her work remain some of the most urgent issues facing us today. Finally, in adding value to the collections of Australia’s cultural institutions through a biography, the project will make these collections more widely known to all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Fast predictive tools for suspensions of slender fibres in viscous fluids. This project aims to develop an effective toolbox for modelling suspensions of slender fibres in viscous fluids. Though little is understood about the interactions of fibres in viscous fluids, such configurations occur frequently in nature and industry: e.g. sperm gather together and swim by waving slender filaments, and collections of carbon fibres are injection molded to manufacture machine parts. Current models are qualitative or require large computations. This project will use ideas from colloidal suspensions and state-of-the-art asymptotic techniques to develop a refined toolbox for collections of slender fibres in viscous flow. These methods could help understand infertility, develop new technologies and optimise manufacturing. Field of research: 0203 - Classical Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Environmentally-friendly strategies for shoreline protection in lakes. Most current approaches to shoreline protection involve the use of ecologically damaging hard structures. Nature-based alternatives are increasingly adopted, but often without scientific evidence that they are environmentally-friendly. With rising sea-levels, the need for coastal protection will increase, so it is essential that we develop ecologically sustainable approaches to shoreline protection. The aim of this study is to assess changes to biodiversity and ecosystem functions associated with different protection strategies. The research outcomes will be an understanding of the broad ecological impacts from these approaches and will provide the basis for ecologically sustainable shoreline protection in coastal lakes and lagoons. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Australia’s coastal ecosystems are of enormous economic, social and ecological value, estimated at $895 billion per year. With 85% of the population living within 50 km of the coastline, these ecosystems are impacted by increasing coastal development. Coastal lakes and lagoons are among the world’s most productive environments, but most are low-lying so are also at significant risk from flooding and erosion. Shoreline protection against erosion and flooding has typically relied on hard engineering approaches such as the construction of seawalls in the past, but nature-based solutions are increasingly used in attempts to prevent ecological damage. This project will evaluate current shoreline protection strategies used in coastal lakes and lagoons to help develop environmentally-friendly strategies. Findings from this project will have direct relevance to balancing the protection of land-based assets from coastal erosion with conserving the ecology of these important coastal systems.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Early Prediction in Large-scale Time-variant Information Networks. This project aims to develop an early prediction system to predict possible outbreaks of malicious messages in time-variant information networks. The research will primarily leverage deep representations of time-variant subsequence and substructure patterns in large-scale social networks to signal malicious and malevolent messages before it has a chance to propagate. This project will lay the theoretical foundations of this emerging field to strengthen Australia’s world leadership role in data science. Practically, the novel theories and data analytics technologies developed will help to safeguard Australian business, industry, and society from cyberfraud, online rumour-mongering, and financial loss. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Single cell glycomics: mapping the surface glycan signature of cells. This project aims to develop a platform technology for multiplexed glycan mapping of the surface of a single cell to address challenges of functional glycomics by utilising a conceptually new approach. By combining newly designed plasmonic nanoparticles with surface-enhanced Raman scattering tags and multiple specific carbohydrate-recognising lectins, this project expects to produce a generic technology that is capable of non-destructive barcoding of the surface glycan signature of single cells in their native state and in response to metabolic perturbations. Expected project outcomes include advancing knowledge in nanobiotechnology, glycobiology and cell biology by being able to easily monitor changes to the surface of single cells. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The outcome of this project will significantly help us to understand the role of the sugar coating that exists on the surface of all cells. Our innovative, robust platform for analysis and mapping of cell surface glycan signatures down to the single cell level will provide a simple way to visualise the sugar barcode of the surface of every cell. This technology will allow us to measure how the cell changes in response to the environment, such as in inflammation, will provide new approaches to effectively control the response of the cell to metabolic changes and will enhance our understanding of the fundamental relationship of cell surface glycan structures to cell function. This knowledge will enable the detection of unique cell surface sugar biomarkers and drug targets that will ultimately impact on health and quality of life as well as give us the potential to commercialise the technology developed to discover these, which should provide significant economic and social benefits to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Cybersecurity ethics training simulations for values-based decision-making. This Project will investigate ways to train reflective ethical decision making in cybersecurity management through the design of interactive social simulations. The Project will advance understanding and management of human factors in cybersecurity breaches and the field of serious game design for cybersecurity training by using new techniques for building artificially intelligent virtual agents, drawing on interdisciplinary expertise in ethics, artificial intelligence and serious game design. Expected outcomes of the Project include a new framework and technologies for cybersecurity training. This should provide significant benefits through deeper understanding of the ethical impact of new cybertechnologies and training solutions. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Managing threats to cybersecurity requires the design of information systems that take into account human factors such as the values of individuals that may drive the individual to override organisational norms, policies and regulations. Designers and developers of these systems must be trained to be aware of how users may use their systems and consider the social and ethical impact of their implementation decisions. This Project will provide artificially intelligent serious game technology to improve this training through exploration of simulated cyberethical scenarios that range from cyberhygiene (e.g not sharing passwords); software design (e.g. ISO 27001 certification) to system administration (e.g. social engineering attacks, authorisation protocols) and managerial policy making (e.g. investment in cybertechnology and risk management). Such simulations aim to make ethics integral to everyday decision-making.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Understanding the link between reading impairments and emotional problems. This Project aims to understand why children with reading impairments are at increased risk for emotional problems. By integrating the statistical power of large-scale longitudinal studies with the causal testing power of intervention case studies, it seeks to fast-track the development of a comprehensive evidence-based theory of the mechanisms linking reading impairments and emotional problems. The outcomes will pave the way for future diagnosis and treatment of concomitant reading and emotional difficulties in children. These outcomes improve our capacity to reduce the incidence of two common problems that limit the life success of Australian children - poor literacy and poor emotional health. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology There is growing concern amongst educators, clinicians, and scientists that children with reading impairments are at increased risk for emotional problems - but we do not understand why. This ignorance is blocking our ability to help these children. Low literacy and poor emotional health put a huge burden on the Australian tax payer. It has been estimated that low literacy costs a developed country 2% of it GDP (31 billion Australian dollars), and that emotional problems cost Australia $11.8 billion in productivity, $1.23 billion in tax loss, and $12.9 billion in welfare payments. It has also been estimated that a 1% improvement in a nation's literacy level can translate into a 1.5% increase in GDP per person ($21 billion Australian dollars). Discovering why poor reading is linked to emotional problems will reveal how these concurrent problems should be identified and treated. This will reduce the incidence of literacy and emotional health problems in Australia, boosting its economy by reducing rates of school failure, unemployment, and poor physical and emotional health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

What Can You Trust in the Large and Noisy Web? This project will develop innovative techniques to efficiently and effectively distill truthful information from the inherently unreliable and large-scale Web environment, where misinformation has been widely regarded as a grand challenge for the next decade. The results of this project will not only maintain Australia’s leadership in this frontier research area, but also support many important applications that safeguard Australian people and economy such as emergency and disaster management and online healthcare. This project also serves as an excellent vehicle for the education and training of Australia’s next generation of scholars and engineers. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems Individuals, businesses, and government agencies increasingly rely on the information available on the World Wide Web to meet personal needs and make decisions. Unfortunately, there is a significant rise of fake news and doctored, misleading narratives online. An urgent need is to develop novel solutions to detect true facts from unreliable and conflicting Web sources. The outcomes from this project will bring a technological breakthrough in truth discovery and contribute to the improvement of the trustworthiness of online information environment. The results from this project will benefit Australia’s scientific knowledge base and help maintain its leading role in the Web technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The Effects of International Climate Policy on Financial Markets. This project aims to develop and test a new methodology to determine the potential consequences of effective action on climate change for the asset values of fossil fuel firms. Taking into consideration policy signals from the UN Climate Change Meetings, such as the Paris Agreement, this project attempts to determine whether the market was already factoring in a significant probability of effective action on climate change, and whether this impacted firm value. The project intends to provide an assessment of risk associated with stranded assets to policymakers and executives in fossil-fuel and carbon-intensive sectors, and seeks to develop data, models and new analytical approaches that contribute to valuing environmental risk factors. Field of research: 1502 - Banking, Finance and Investment International policy action on climate change has prompted financial economists and central bankers to examine the consequences of such action for the value of fossil fuel firms. The expected national benefit of this project will be to create knowledge about whether and how Australia’s carbon-intensive industries will be impacted by international efforts to mitigate carbon emissions. Although Australia has not yet taken any stringent action on climate change, Australian resources companies are exposed to overseas market developments. Limits on carbon emissions imposed by overseas countries or jurisdictions are beyond direct Australian political control, but will have a direct impact on Australian companies; it is estimated that the ASX200 resources companies are holding about 80% of Australian reserves. Consequently, it will be important to have a detailed understanding of associated carbon risks. Additional outcomes and benefits of the project include the development of a new methodology and the training of graduate researchers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Becoming expert navigators with tiny brains: Learning in desert ants. Desert ants with tiny brains learn to use their surrounding visual landscape to navigate. This project investigates in detail how they do that in a few carefully orchestrated trips around their nest called learning walks. Desert ants are known now to use magnetic cues to orient during their learning walks. The project also probes the role that magnetic cues play in the ants’ learning, as well as the sensory basis of the perception of magnetic cues. Geomagnetic cues in the area of the nest will be artificially manipulated to test how ants use this cue. Probing the use of magnetic cues has potential benefits for projects of artificial autonomous navigation in situations when visual cues are unavailable, such as exploring a deep mine. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology The project’s major national benefit is the training of higher-degree students and one highly talented postdoc who participate in the project. In addition, this line of work has links and applications in artificial intelligence and robotics. Past findings on ant navigation have already found application in autonomously navigating systems in silico or in vehicles. The proposed research will offer two new aspects to explore in artificial intelligence (AI): learning, and the use of geomagnetic cues. One mode of AI is to throw lots of information into the system and let the system sort it all out, in various forms of deep learning. But in some situations, copious navigational information is not available, and the autonomous agent needs to explore and learn the space on its own. The exploration of mines and underwater spaces furnish examples. Bio-inspired strategies for learning could help such enterprises. Geomagnetic cues may be useful as a compass cue in situations in which visual cues are poor, such as navigating at night or deep under water.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The perception/production link in child language. Children with hearing loss experience continuing language difficulties, with major knock-on effects on educational and social outcomes. This project aims to uncover the connected perception and production processes that underpin these language challenges for children with hearing loss, focussing on a speech patterns also found in younger normal-hearing toddlers, and using innovative technologies that can generalize to the clinical practice. The project outcomes will significantly advance theories of child language development, and promise to inform more accurate and better-targeted intervention for children with hearing loss, providing social benefit by improving their listening and speaking skills. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences Australia leads the world in hearing interventions, but children with hearing loss still lag behind their normal hearing peers in communication skills. This leads to lower academic success and poor social wellbeing, with substantial associated societal costs. This project aims to uncover the listening and speaking processes that underpin some of the communication challenge of children with hearing loss. The outcomes will provide clinicians with the much-needed tools to pinpoint the source of these challenges in order to develop evidence-based interventions that scaffold the natural learning process. Such improvements to Australia’s speech, language and hearing interventions will provide significant health-economic benefit, including better educational and social outcomes for children with hearing loss, enabling them to more fully contribute to Australia's increasingly high-quality workforce and economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Success and the city: biodiversity responses in urban environments. This project aims to quantify the species traits and environmental conditions that enable wildlife to persist in an increasingly urbanised world. Through developing and testing a framework linking unprecedented urban expansion and biodiversity change, this project will identify favourable conditions that support biodiversity in the face of global urbanisation. Project outcomes will inform appropriate real-world management actions and equip scientists, policy-makers and planners with tools to forecast the persistence of biodiversity in Australian cities. By discovering the attributes species need to survive city life this project will help prevent future catastrophic declines of global biodiversity in our increasingly urbanised world. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management