MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

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

Poverty and rare genetic diseases in Australia: How precision medicine... Category: Medical Research

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

Philosophical Foundations of Mechanistic Understanding in AI Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Philosophical Foundations of Mechanistic Understanding in AI Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Philosophical Foundations of Mechanistic Understanding in AI Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Functional Panel Data Analysis: Harnessing Big Data for Society Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Functional Panel Data Analysis: Harnessing Big Data for Society Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Mapping the Development of Emotional Reactivity in Childhood. This project aims to discover how emotional reactivity develops in early childhood. Using psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the role of child and parental emotional reactivity in the development of empathy and aggression in childhood. Expected outcomes include novel evidence about when and how emotional reactivity may contribute to risk for adverse child outcomes. Benefits include earlier detection and intervention of risk factors for childhood mental health problems, which can significantly alter developmental trajectories for children and their families, in ways that are socially and economically beneficial for communities. Field of research: 5201 - Applied and Developmental Psychology In Australia, mental and behavioural disorders have the fourth greatest ‘area of disease’ burden. Moreover, mental health is a National Health Priority Area. Even gold-standard interventions for child mental health problems only result in clinically significant change for about 50% of children. Research shows that intervention outcomes can be predicted by emotional reactivity – i.e., the internal physiological arousal experienced as part of an emotional response. To create better interventions, it is critical that the development of emotional reactivity is mapped in childhood. This project aims to understand the typical development of emotional reactivity, and how emotional reactivity relates to child outcomes, such as empathy and aggression. Moreover, as extensive research shows the important role of parents in optimising child outcomes, the influencing role of parental emotional reactivity will be examined. Findings from this research will further refine models of child development, and the relationship between emotional reactivity and functioning. This will help to develop more precise early detection and intervention targets. Early detection and intervention for childhood mental health disorders has the potential to alter adverse developmental trajectories in ways that are clinically significant for children and their families, as well as socially and economically beneficial for communities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Philosophical Foundations of Mechanistic Understanding in AI. This project aims to design a comprehensive theoretical framework to understand the behaviour of AI systems mechanistically. By integrating insights from philosophy, cognitive science, and computer science, the project will bridge the gap between the low-level mechanisms and observable behaviours of AI systems. Expected outcomes include the development of novel interpretability methods, significant academic publications including a monograph, an international conference, and enhanced collaborations across global academic and industry sectors. The project is anticipated to advance our theoretical understanding of AI systems and apply these insights to critical safety issues, thereby contributing to the responsible evolution of AI technology. Field of research: 5003 - Philosophy The rapid progress of AI technologies presents both extraordinary opportunities and challenges for Australia. As AI becomes more embedded in critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and administration, its reliability and safety become paramount. The proposed project directly addresses this need by developing a novel framework for understanding how AI systems process information. It will provide a theoretical foundation to transform AI systems from opaque 'black boxes' into more transparent tools, enabling us to predict and control their behaviour, thereby ensuring their safe and ethical application. Beyond its contribution to knowledge, it will significantly benefit Australian society and economy. By increasing the interpretability of AI systems, we enhance trust and efficiency in AI applications, paving the way for more robust, ethical, and reliable AI usage across various industries. This not only bolsters Australia's position as a leader in ethical AI but also safeguards the Australian public from potential risks associated with this technology. Moreover, the project will involve international collaboration with industry leaders and position Australia at the forefront of global AI research. Key outcomes will be disseminated through public engagement to inform the discourse on AI safety. Ultimately, this project aims to ensure that AI, a transformative force in modern society, can be used in a manner that is transparent, ethical, and beneficial for all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A lone or lonely life? Lived experiences of loneliness in autistic women. Autistic people experience depression, anxiety, and suicidality to a greater extent than non-autistic people. Loneliness has been shown to be an important, causally contributing factor that can exacerbate suffering. Yet, experiences of loneliness in autism remain poorly understood; particularly in the case of autistic women, who are often un-, mis-, or late-diagnosed due to the dominant male-based conception of autism. In redressing this problematic gap, the aim of this project is to characterise experiences of loneliness in autistic women by prioritising their own voices; to determine what these reveal about the autistic self in relation to others; and to use this knowledge to improve the well-being of autistic women across the lifespan. Field of research: 5003 - Philosophy This project aims to characterise the experience of loneliness in autistic women. Despite the fact that loneliness contributes to heightened levels of depression, anxiety and suicidality in this cohort, these experiences remain poorly understood. Aligned with the Australian Government's National Autism Strategy (2022), this research will be of significant socio-economic benefit. Firstly, it will give important insight into loneliness as a complex and interrelated driver of poor social, economic, health, and mental health outcomes for autistic women. Secondly, according to the Productivity Commission report (2020), mental ill-health and suicide costs the Australian economy up to $70 billion per year and, as the 'Ending Loneliness Together' project suggests, this cost is compounded by the adverse impacts of loneliness. Loneliness is an important, causally contributing factor to mental ill-health in autistic women. By increasing knowledge about the complex ways in which these experiences intertwine and affect the well-being of autistic women across the lifespan, this project will help to reduce a significant socio-economic burden whilst contributing to the Government’s Strategic Priority of a ‘Healthy, equal and resilient society.’ By facilitating the participation of autistic women in a range of academic and public-facing outputs, including an audio documentary, this project will contribute to a more inclusive Australian society in which autistic women can thrive.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Reliable and Efficient Massive Long Range Connectivity. This project aims to revolutionize Internet of Things (IoT) gateways for next-generation citywide long range networks to keep pace with rapid advancements introduced by Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT). The project will generate new knowledge in three domains: full duplex communication, downlink beamforming, and resource-efficient on-device AI processing. Outcomes will reshape the current design of IoT gateway to significantly improve the transmission reliability, downlink efficiency, and lightweight the model deployment for future applications. This provides significant benefits to Australian IoT industry, broader manufacturing, and even application-oriented services by getting them ahead with IoT products for the future AIoT era. Field of research: 4606 - Distributed Computing and Systems Software The Internet of Things (IoT) has been embraced as a means of reducing costs and increasing competitiveness in industries such as advanced manufacturing. However, technical challenges exist in developing advanced IoT gateways which require massive transmission of multimodal sensory data. This project aims to improve transmission reliability and processing efficiency in long range networks to meet the increasing demand for massive connectivity. The outcomes will significantly improve the existing design of IoT gateway in long range networks regarding transmission reliability, downlink efficiency, and lightweight model deployment. With successful commercialisation, this project will gain significant benefits in new lines of hardware and software products.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A Digital Literacy Program Empowering Seniors with Sensory Loss. Current Australian programs that build digital confidence of seniors have overlooked sensory loss challenges. This study will tackle this gap by aiming to merge cognitive resources from different disciplines and organisations, to develop a digital literacy program that caters to the needs of seniors with sensory loss (vision and/or hearing loss); and then enable its delivery by staff and volunteers from consumer groups and social enterprises, who will be digital mentors. Resulting knowledge and digital inclusion tools will advance ongoing work on accessibility requirements for seniors with sensory loss and best practices. Direct benefits include increased digital participation of these seniors, enhancing their social and economic inclusion. Field of research: 3903 - Education Systems Over 3.5 and 13 million Australians have hearing or vision loss, respectively. Seniors with sensory loss (vision and/or hearing loss) access and use online information and services less than those without sensory deficits. As society advances towards a fully digital paradigm, these seniors face exclusion from vital aspects of daily life such as banking and shopping. Current programs in Australia that build the digital confidence and online safety of older adults do not address the challenges and needs of seniors with sensory loss. This innovative project aims to close this growing digital divide, by adopting a participatory approach and developing a novel conceptual framework to guide the co-design and delivery of a bespoke digital literacy program that meets the needs and preferences of seniors with sensory loss. The resulting digital inclusion tools and resources will be embedded into existing services offered by 7 partner organisations who are community-based charities, social enterprises and small business, thereby, ensuring long-term adoption of study findings and uptake on a national scale. This Australian-first project has economic benefits, including addressing the high costs of online fraud by empowering these seniors with the skills to navigate the internet safely; and by leveraging digital technology and accessibility tools, seniors with sensory loss can maintain independent living, reducing residential numbers and leading to substantial government cost savings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Generative AI and Creative Industries: Ethical, Legal and Work Implications. Generative AI is creating significant new challenges in the creative industries as it consumes the copyrighted outputs of creative workers to generate content that can compete with the outputs of those same workers. Using an innovative interdisciplinary approach and industry collaborations, this project will generate solutions to the ethical, philosophical, legal, and workplace problems created by Generative AI in the creative industries, a sector contributing $90 billion and over 700,000 jobs to the economy. The national benefit of this project will be the design of an innovative framework for responding to this economy-altering technology in a fair and ethical manner, while drawing on the perspectives of impacted creative workers. Field of research: 5001 - Applied Ethics This project will develop solutions to the problems raised by Generative AI for the nation's creative industries, which contribute $90 billion annually to the economy and employ over 700,000 people. As Generative AI rapidly transforms creative work, it is essential that Australia develops responsible strategies to harness these technologies for productivity gains while mitigating risks. By examining the ethical, philosophical, legal, and work-related implications of Generative AI in diverse creative industries such as literature, screen writing, software development, and graphic design, this project will deliver actionable recommendations to support Australia's creative professionals. The project will generate real-world benefits by translating research insights into practical outcomes through a multi-stakeholder workshop and an evidence-based Industry Report. Scholarly publications and popular media pieces will further disseminate findings. The project will enhance Australia's research capacity in this field while fostering valuable domestic and international collaborations. This research will help position Australia as a global leader in responsible AI innovation, safeguarding the nation's creative ecosystem. This project directly advances Australia's national interest across multiple domains: promoting responsible technology development, supporting workforce adaptability, protecting creative professionals' rights, stimulating economic growth, and enriching cultural life.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Detecting visual stimuli from mobile versus static perspectives. This project aims to understand how a viewer’s perspective (mobile/stationary) determines signal saliency and defines the features of the nervous system used to detect stimuli and mediate behavioural responses. We will use mate-seeking butterflies as an empirical system to elucidate the optimal way to transmit visual information in noisy environments, a universal yet little understood problem in nature. The research will generate new knowledge and models in visual ecology and neuroscience that can inform human applications in image analysis, signal detection and telecommunication. It also promises future impact for Australian agriculture and public health by identifying what is visually salient to insect pests and vectors of disease. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences This project will identify the solution generated by thousands of years of evolutionary trial-and-error for how to most effectively detect target objects against complex, distracting visual backgrounds. A truly realistic accounting of visual noise for the first time in any real-world biological system has significant application potential and could be game-changing because it is fundamental to communication, object characterization, spatial orientation, and navigation. The knowledge advance from this project will directly inform challenges faced by industry partners (e.g., Horticulture Australia) and government (e.g., CSIRO, DPI). Revealing how visual signals are optimally detected has the potential to improve the design of visual guides such as traffic signage across land, air and sea, pedestrian management and hazard alerting. It will also generate new and important insights for emerging technologies across robotics, autonomous sensors and self-navigating vehicles. An enhanced understanding of how insects view and orient around their world will also inspire the design of technologies such as lures and traps to manage agricultural pests and carriers of human disease such as Malaria and Dengue fever.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Neural basis of spatial navigation in three-dimensional environments. Ensuring optimal capability to navigate within a complex three-dimensional environment is a challenge for technical systems, which has been elegantly solved by biological systems. This project aims to understand how animals enhance their brains to travel towards their goal in complex environments. It will leverage previous ARC funded research on navigation along horizontal planes and apply sophisticated analytical tools to quantify neural connectivity to navigate in 3D environments. Expected outcomes include understanding how the brain regions required for efficient navigation in 3dimensional environments for developing miniature and autonomous agents, enhancing research capacity and institutional collaborations. Field of research: 3109 - Zoology We live in a three-dimensional world with complex horizontal, vertical and oblique structures. Travelling within cluttered landscapes to detect and find a specific goal that is often occluded is a challenge for both animals and machines. While we rely on the 86 billion neurons in our brain to carry out spatial tasks, a jumping spider, with a brain smaller than a pinhead and just a few million neurons has determined ways to accomplish this task. This project will determine how animals with mini-brains navigate to specific goals in complex 3D environments and identify the required brain circuitry to solve such spatial tasks. This project will (i) highlight the strength of evolutionary biology and neuroscience in Australia, (ii) build research capacity by training young scientists in advanced microscopy and engineering methods, and (iii) discover how animals with miniature brains solve spatial computation. The project clearly aligns with the National Research Priority – Advanced Manufacturing. This project has enormous potential to generate IP and patents bringing economic and commercial benefits to Australia’s technology industry. The project builds on substantial prior investments from the Australian Research Council that has led to the development of technologies and insights. This enables us to advance our knowledge of the common but overlooked phenomenon of spatial navigation in complex landscapes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Bending Spines for Next Generation Spectroscopic Survey Telescopes. The Universe is big; with many billions of stars in each of many billions of galaxies. Open questions in astronomy: what is dark energy? what is dark matter? how do galaxies evolve? can only be answered by obtaining data from huge samples of stars and galaxies. With this grant we aim to develop technologies critical to enable future telescopes to build spectroscopic surveys of over 100 million objects. We propose an innovative concept for a “bending-spine” optical-fibre-positioner using technologies from medical and photography sectors. This will benefit: Australian scientists through access to future facilities; Australian industry, through reverse knowledge transfer; and Australian society, through enhanced understanding of the Universe. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences This project will develop a new type of optical fibre positioning robot for astronomy. This critical technology will enable future generations of large-scale international astronomy facilities to collect huge datasets required to answer questions on the origin and evolution of the Universe. This research will raise the profile of Australia in the global astronomy community and will cement our position as a partner of choice in astronomy technology. This research will have a long term societal and cultural benefit to Australia through astronomy science outcomes, both from the perspective of improving our understanding of the universe and our place in it, and from the perspective of communicating such results to the wider community and thus improving their knowledge and interest in science and engineering fields generally. This research has great potential for commercialisation. By further advancing the level of technological maturity of our technology, we improve our chances of identifying and capitalising on new applications outside of astronomy within the broader industry sector, particularly in areas such as advanced manufacturing and medical endoscopy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Stand-alone zero-gap photoelectrochemical eletrolyser for ammonia synthesis. Due to the energy crisis and surging demand for ammonia, the imperative of ambient ammonia synthesis has never been greater. This project aims to develop a stand-alone zero-gap photoelectrochemical electrolyser for ammonia generation from aqueous nitrate solution, driving by a tandem perovskite/silicon photocathode with cocatalysts. Anticipated outcomes encompass innovative engineering strategies to enhance sunlight absorption, minimize resistance, and achieve highly selective ammonia production, ultimately leading to a scaling-up electrolyser prototype. The success of this project will advance the manufacturing of sustainable ammonia, promote balance in the nitrogen cycle, and position Australia as a global leader in a sustainable economy. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Ammonia forms the cornerstone of modern agriculture as a fertilizer, and it has recently emerged as a promising solution for hydrogen storage and distribution—a key component of a net-zero emissions future. However, the current methods of industrial ammonia production operate under harsh conditions and are far from sustainable, accounting for 1-2% of global energy consumption and nearly 2% of carbon dioxide emissions. This project aims to tackle this challenge by developing a cost-effective approach to ammonia production, powered entirely by abundant solar energy in Australia. The rational design approach will be employed to address the insufficient charge conversion efficiency of the photoelectrodes and long-term stability challenge of the perovskite-based photoelectrode. With the new materials in hand, a novel stand-alone zero-gap photoelectrochemical electrolyser system using inexpensive aqueous electrode will be developed to enable sustainable ammonia manufacturing and mitigate the carbon footprint associated with ammonia production. The impact of this technology will be profound as it moves the Australian economy closer to zero-emission goals, provides a boost to the local advanced manufacturing, hydrogen export, and creates new skilled jobs.

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

Paradigm-changing strategies to reduce global asthma mortality and... Category: Medical Research

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

Making it stick: Using memory rehearsal to improve exposure therapy... Category: Medical Research

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

Advancing Childhood Anxiety Treatment with Intensive Exposure Therapy Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-11

An equity-focused prospective evaluation of patient registration in... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-11

2024 Equipment Grants Category: Health and Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

Defence research and policy Category: Defence

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

Defence research and policy Category: Defence

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

Design, build and test a sub-scale uncrewed flight demonstrator to... Category: Industry Innovation

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

Design, build and test a sub-scale uncrewed flight demonstrator to... Category: Industry Innovation