University of Wollongong

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Quasi-active vibration control of seat suspension to improve ride comfort. This project aims to improve the ride comfort of vehicles by developing a quasi-active seat suspension, which outperforms passive, semi-active and active seat suspensions in vibration reduction performance, system simplicity, energy consumption, stability and fail-safety. The expected outcomes of this project include the theory development of quasi-active control using smart materials and structures, a prototyped quasi-active seat suspension, and experimental evaluation of the seat suspension. The benefits of this project will promote the research of quasi-active control, and improve the working conditions and protect the health of vehicle occupants who suffer long-term vibrations, such as truck and heavy-duty vehicle drivers. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Seat suspensions play a key role in reducing the vibration transmitted from the vehicle body to the occupants. Seat vibration can cause fatigue and physical discomfort, which reduces the ride comfort. Long-term exposure to excessive seat vibrations can contribute to health problems, including musculoskeletal issues, such as back pain and joint discomfort. It can even cause occupational health risks, particularly for professional drivers of trucks, mining machines and other heavy-duty vehicles. This research program aims to reduce the vibration of seat suspension and improve ride comfort by developing a quasi-active seat suspension. The proposed seat suspension fills the gap between active and semi-active seat suspensions, and it possesses advantages over them in terms of structural complexity, energy consumption, cost-effectiveness, etc. The project is expected to reduce the health issues caused by seat vibrations and accidents caused by fatigue and discomfort. Australian automotive component manufacturers can benefit from this project by commercialising the quasi-active seat suspensions. They can also gain profits by exporting knowledge, products, and services to the international market, boosting the national economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Mass Spectrometer for Label-Free Molecular Imaging at Ultra-High Resolution. This project will establish next-generation mass spectrometry capabilities for imaging and identification of molecules in complex systems such as tissue, cells, plants and marine organisms. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the biological, chemical and environmental sciences and realise high spatial resolution (1 µm) capabilities 5-fold higher than currently available in Australia. Expected outcomes include new technologies for multidisciplinary research and a critical mass of expertise to position Australia at the forefront of spatial-omics. This should provide significant benefits, such as new capabilities for studying spatially-defined systems that benefits areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceutical and materials science. Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry New molecular imaging will be deployed for comprehensive mapping and structural analysis of molecules within complex systems (e.g. tissues, cells, plants and marine organisms). This can lead to an improved understanding of agricultural and marine systems that can reduce fertiliser inputs and help preserve the Great Barrier Reef. Fundamental molecular knowledge gathered can help develop new disease classification tools that complement conventional histopathology and benefit the health of the Australian population. The project will position Australia at the forefront of the emerging mass spectrometry imaging and spatial-omics fields attracting significant industry interest (e.g., instrument vendors and pharmaceutical companies). It will provide early access to cutting-edge new technologies that are currently only available in one other laboratory globally, providing a significant competitive edge to Australian research. Developments made may lead to new Australian intellectual property and industrial collaboration, with carry-over benefits to the economy. The research program will also train young researchers in developing and applying state-of-the-art technologies that position them well to contribute to Australia’s knowledge economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A Self-Driving Automated Molecular Synthesis and Formulation Platform. This LIEF will build a NSW-wide machine-learning powered, self-driving, automated chemical synthesis platform. These robotic systems will put us at the forefront of the revolutionary transformation of chemical synthesis and formulation into data rich disciplines. Based on technological advances in chemistry robots and machine learning, these specialised systems will carryout reaction and formulation optimisation with a range of chemical classes across scales. They will conduct online analysis of reaction outcomes and using machine learning algorithms operate in a self-driving mode to decide upon the next round of experiments. They will accelerate the optimisation of processes for advanced applications in medicines, mining and agriculture. Field of research: 3405 - Organic Chemistry New molecules, prepared in a sustainable manner, are required to solve challenges in healthcare, materials, and energy. However, the synthesis of new molecules and the optimisation of novel chemical reactions to produce them is a laborious and time-consuming task that hinders novel applications occurring in a timely fashion. This equipment will use advanced chemical handling robots and machine-learning algorithms to rapidly speed up the discovery of efficient methods to prepare new molecules for these applications. Infrastructure for automated chemical synthesis is not well developed in Australia, so this equipment will fill this critical capability gap. The equipment will have broad benefit as it will enhance multiple research programs that have downstream impact on the preparation of enhanced materials, agrochemicals and medicines. It will also identify more efficient conditions for manufacturing high-value chemicals and therefore it will have both commercial and environmental benefits for Australians. The research team is broad ranging in terms of areas, which intrinsically maximises the possible pathways to translation and adoption. Commercial impact will be explored through the CIs' existing network of commercial collaborators. This network includes local pharmaceutical companies and international links through a key partner investigator in the Netherlands.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Regional and Urban Greenhouse Gas Emission Detection (RUGGED) . The facility proposed here will establish a network of sun-sensing spectrometers for detection of changes in atmospheric composition. The instruments can be deployed to regions or facilities of interest to capture the total change of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to these regions or facilities, for example at urban scales, or areas of intense natural or anthropogenic emissions or uptake. The greenhouse gas quantification system will provide valuable independent estimates of emissions, to enable verification of bottom-up greenhouse gas inventories and satellite-based estimates of emissions.. Field of research: 3702 - Climate Change Science Application of the equipment in this project will enable targeted, independent, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and verify Australia's progress towards NetZero and meeting obligations under the Paris agreement. The quasi-continuous measurements provided by the proposed network will enable detailed temporal information about emissions to be quantified, and reduce uncertainties associated with current estimates. A 20% error in Australia's GHG inventory has a spot price value of approximately $3.5 billion. Through the research enabled by this infrastructure, targets for emissions reductions can be identified. Reducing uncertainties and emissions has a direct economic benefit. In applying the network of instruments, we will be undertaking training of next generation scientists, industry and government professionals in state-of-the-science work to estimate emissions, and develop a method for applying this to multiple locations. In this growing area, which is now a billion dollar industry, there are currently an inadequate number of people able to undertake the work necessary in the near future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Voices, Listening and Law and Policy Reform on Violence Against Women. This project aims to develop innovative approaches to listening to women’s voices in law and policy reform on violence against women, which is a national priority. While reform processes now commonly elicit victim/survivors voices, with the implicit promise of listening, participants often report that they are not heard. Research shows meaningful change is limited. There is a gap in research on how women’s voices are adduced, heard and responded to. This project addresses this gap by generating new knowledge on best practices for listening to diverse groups of vicitm-survivors, with the potential to enhance the outcomes of law and policy reform and to address the urgent need for new pathways and processes for justice for these women. Field of research: 4804 - Law In Context This project addresses issues identified by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments as urgent priorities for Australia: domestic and family violence (DFV); sexual violence against women and girls; and sexual harassment in the workforce. It is the first systematic study, in Australia and internationally, to focus on the ethics and politics of listening to women's voices and law reform in these areas, and to produce a best-practice model of effective listening to foster transformative change. By engaging with victim-survivors from a variety of lived experiences, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and women from LBGTI+ communities, we ask how can law reform implement better listening practices. The project aims to develop new knowledge which will assist with ensuring that the law effectively listens and responds to the lived experiences of violence against women. This knowledge can also contribute to improved wellbeing of women in Australia from listening to their voices and being heard, and from improved law reform efforts responding to those voices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A new "Treating Customers Fairly" law for Australia's financial industry. The project aims to investigate the Treating Customers Fairly regime law (put forward by an Australian Law Reform Commission (Commission) Inquiry into reforming our financial sector legislation), by utilising, for the first time, an internationally comparative critique of existing Treating Customers Fairly regimes in the UK, South Africa and New Zealand. This project will generate new knowledge: a blueprint for adoption into Australia of such a regime, in line with the Commission’s suggested government policy direction. The outcomes include significantly enhanced consumer protection and effective law enforcement. Benefits include a much simplified, more effective law, governing every consumer, and every financial product in Australia. Field of research: 4803 - International and Comparative Law This project will provide a blueprint for principles-based legislation, based on the "Treating Customers Fairly" model, for our financial industry (banks, insurers, financial advice, Superannuation). It will analyse the successes and failures of the adoption of the same model into the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand. It will address the gap identified by the Banking Royal Commission, namely that our current legislation is not fit for purpose and should be replaced with a model in which norms of behaviour are enforced, instead of relying on narrow, technical prescriptive provisions giving rise to tokenistic responses. Our hypothesis is that this model will more effectively address misconduct and consumer harm, as it is arguably the leading model, internationally, for driving good conduct and preventing consumer harm in the financial industry. This project has significant potential to restore trust in our financial industry and prevent misconduct. No other industry affects as many consumers, and to such a great degree. As such the potential for impact for the community and the broader economy from this project is unparalleled. We will promote our findings to members of Parliament, regulators, policymakers, journalists, to the Attorney-General's department and Treasury and to government inquiries as we did with pilot research to the Australian Law Reform Commission which, as a result, recommended a regulatory architecture that would accommodate a TCF model.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Sustaining critical infrastructure: the integral role of port workers. This project will investigate the integral work sustaining critical infrastructures for the safe, reliable movement of shipped goods. Maritime ports are key trading zones for the nation but also chokepoints facing geopolitical, economic and environmental disruptions. The project will take a place-based approach to understand how port workers interact, advance local environmental knowledge, and foster teamwork to ensure the circulation of goods amidst ever-present disruption risks. Expected outcomes include new insights on the workforce collaboration and knowledge required to cope with a more disruptive world, an evidence base for sustaining critical infrastructures, and recommendations for reproducing key skills in safety-critical domains. Field of research: 4406 - Human Geography Infrastructure is critical to the national economy and the prosperity of Australian society. Yet, there is a poor understanding of the skilled workforces sustaining critical infrastructure amid heightened disruption risks related to economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and natural hazards. Responding to this research gap, the project will focus on Australia's maritime ports to advance knowledge regarding the mix of skills, collaboration, and environmental knowledges needed to sustain critical infrastructures. The research will benefit Australians by contributing new understandings of how worsening disruption risks are managed collectively by groups of interconnected workers who sustain the networked functions of critical infrastructure. As a trade-dependent island nation, Australia relies on maritime ports as infrastructure for connecting commodities, businesses and households to the wider world. Through on-the-ground and on-the-water research, the project will provide new knowledge on how place-specific knowledge and skilled labour sustain critical infrastructure in working environments that are dynamic and risky. To maximise understanding and translation of the research, outcomes will be promoted beyond academia through the creation and dissemination of material, including StoryMaps, an open-access, public-facing interactive spatial dataset, a plain-English policy brief, and stakeholder consultation culminating in a research showcase and roundtable.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

High-resolution imaging of mitochondrial DNA replication. This project aims to study the molecular mechanisms of the mitochondrial replisome, the machinery that copies mitochondrial DNA. While DNA replication in the cell nucleus has been extensively studied for decades, processes that define mitochondrial DNA replication are poorly understood. This interdisciplinary effort will merge cutting-edge cryo-EM with novel single-molecule biophysical tools to establish the architecture of human mitochondrial replication and define how it coordinates synthesis of the two DNA strands. Expected outcomes of this project include a high-resolution understanding of a fundamental biological process, development of novel biophysical methodology, and training of the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Every time a cell divides, its mitochondrial DNA must be precisely duplicated to ensure the cell's energy production and viability, a fundamental aspect of cellular biology. This project will delve into the core mechanisms of the copying of human mitochondrial DNA. By employing advanced electron and light microscopy techniques, we aim to reveal the structures and dynamic activities of the proteins that copy mitochondrial DNA on their native DNA substrates. This research will deepen our fundamental understanding of mitochondrial biology. The resulting biochemical reagents and novel imaging methods will be useful to biotechnological research and anyone studying chromosome biology at the molecular level. Additionally, the findings from this project could open new avenues for exploring how cellular energy metabolism is linked to maintaining broader biological functions in aging. The project will also provide outstanding multidisciplinary training opportunities for Australian researchers and strengthen Australia’s capabilities in the cutting-edge fields of biophysics and electron microscopy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Laser-Ionisable Tags for Broad Metabolic Imaging of Tissues and Cells. Mass spectrometry imaging can map molecular distributions within tissues for investigating region-specific metabolic processes. However, many important molecules are not detectable. This project aims to develop new chemical approaches and imaging technology for enhanced imaging of elusive metabolites. This will greatly improve the scientific impact of mass spectrometric imaging and create new insights into metabolite compositions, distributions and reprogramming in biological systems. Expected benefits are development of new technology and chemistry to unravel biochemical distributions and functions in heterogeneous tissues and cells that, in the future, could improve disease understanding and support biotechnology development. Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry New molecular imaging technologies and chemical methods will be developed to allow for more comprehensive mapping of biomolecules present in tissues and cells. This can lead to the development of improved disease diagnostic and disease classification tools relevant for humans, animals and plants that complement conventional histopathology and benefit the Australian population. This project will position Australian research at the forefront of the rapidly emerging mass spectrometry imaging and single cell metabolomics fields that are now attracting significant interest from industry practitioners, including instrument vendors and pharmaceutical companies. Developments made within the project may lead to new Australian intellectual property and industrial collaborations, with carry over benefits for the Australian economy. The research program will also train young researchers in developing and applying state-of-the-art technologies that will ensure they are well placed to contribute to Australia's knowledge economy beyond this project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Enabling Design of New-Generation SiC Anode Battery Technology. This project aligned with Sicona Battery Technologies (Sicona) is to develop next generation Si-composite anode technology of lithium-ion (“Li-ion”) batteries that enable electric-mobility and storage of renewable energy. Understanding the interactions between these anodes and binders/electrolytes in the battery will allow us to address the industry challenge of faster charging and higher capacity batteries. This proposal aims to identify the interplay among the components in Si-C anodes and to apply these insights to the development of new anode protocols. The superior battery technology produced in this industry/academic research collaboration will deliver Australia a competitive advantage in battery evolution in the future. Field of research: 3406 - Physical Chemistry This project aligns with the following relevant Government strategies, frameworks and plans: - Advanced manufacturing is identified as a unique growth opportunity for Australia, including developing knowledge-intensive, high value products for global markets. It identifies the need for Government to encourage collaboration between the research sector and manufacturers to research, test, and commercialise new technologies. This aligns perfectly with UOW-Sicona’s project, which is being able to ensure sector competitiveness in advanced manufacturing for sustainable economic growth. - Net Zero Plan highlights priorities to achieve net zero. This LP project aligns with Priority 1 (drive uptake of proven emissions reduction technologies) and Priority 3 (invest in next wave of emissions reduction innovation), as it represents a next generation technology to improve output from electric vehicle batteries, which will encourage uptake and assist in reducing emissions. These improvements will help overcome customer concerns regarding EV functionality and drive uptake of this emission reducing technology.- The Regional Investment Attraction Strategy identifies the need to create an environment conducive to attracting and growing emerging industries. This LP project fits and will deliver the objectives of the Strategy by 1) developing a skilled workforce for current/future needs and 2) connecting world-class, industry focused innovation with global supply chains.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advanced reproductive technologies to protect amphibian biodiversity. This project aims to develop new reproductive and biobanking technologies to capture and preserve the genetic diversity of endangered amphibians and harness sophisticated genomic and quantitative genetic approaches to genetically rescue imperiled species. Expected outcomes include: 1) the development and implementation of new cryopreservation technologies, 2) the refinement of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) techniques to integrate biobanked material into threatened species management, and 3) critical data on the multigenerational genetic consequences of mixing gene pools. Findings will significantly benefit wildlife conservation organisations by enabling more cost-effective restoration and protection of Australia's unique biodiversity. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management This multidisciplinary project will develop new reproductive and biobanking technologies to capture and preserve the genetic diversity of endangered amphibians and harness sophisticated genomic and quantitative genetic approaches to develop a new framework to genetically rescue threatened populations. The project will provide environmental and economic benefits by developing innovative and practical technologies for conserving and protecting endangered species. By assisting with the preservation of biodiversity the project will significantly contribute to a National Science and Research Priority (Priority 4: Protecting and Restoring Australia's Environment) and Australia’s strategy for nature 2019-2030 (Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Inventory). New knowledge will expedite conservation-decision making and advance the efficiency with which conservation managers are able to propagate and genetically manage insurance colonies, enabling more cost-effective conservation programs. In turn, new guidelines to improve the genetic health of wildlife will help address the biodiversity crisis and improve the sustainability of natural systems and societal well-being.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Climate-optimised building envelopes: new evidence & accurate design tools. The Australian construction industry is adapting rapidly to create low-emissions buildings that are resilient to the changing climate and meet higher standards of indoor environmental quality. However, this transition is currently hampered by known problems with calculation methods involving 'interstitial' air flows within building components. This project aims to provide new evidence on the nature of such air flows and develop new methods to model their effects. Expected outcomes include significantly improved accuracy in predictions of building thermal performance and condensation/mould risk, providing lasting benefits in the health and safety standards, and carbon emissions intensity, of Australian buildings. Field of research: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering Naturally occurring air flows within the walls, roofs and floors of buildings can have large impacts on important aspects of building performance, including energy consumption for heating and cooling, the risk of mould growth, and health and wellbeing outcomes for occupants. However, the nature of such ‘interstitial’ air flows is poorly understood within the context of Australian construction practices and Australian climates, and standard methods used to model these air flows when designing buildings are known to be inaccurate. This project will fill gaps in the scientific understanding of interstitial air flows through targeted experiments and simulations. It will develop new calculation and simulation methods to address specific sources of inaccuracy in two standards that set minimum performance standards for new Australian buildings via the National Construction Code. Further impact on Australian and international construction practice is likely to occur through improved design guidance and regulatory instruments. These contributions will provide social and economic benefits by improving the health and safety standards of future buildings, e.g. through increased heatwave resilience and mitigated risk of mould growth. They will also provide environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, as building designers will be enabled to predict the thermal performance and associated energy consumption of buildings more accurately.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

New directions in geometric flows. A geometric flow describes how an object's shape evolves under applied forces, such as a bubble floating through air or a rubber band returning to its natural shape by releasing bending energy. In this process, factors like area, volume, and curvature are optimised within given constraints. This project will explore two groundbreaking geometric flows: Sobolev curvature flow and the target flow, both specifically designed to build on the candidate's recent breakthroughs. Now is the perfect moment to drive forward transformative progress on two renowned open mathematical problems: the Cartan-Hadamard conjecture and a challenge posed by Fields Medallist S. T. Yau. Key benefits include new knowledge and research capacity building. Field of research: 4904 - Pure Mathematics This project focuses on advancing geometric flows, mathematical constructs developed mid-20th century to model phenomena in materials science, including phase separation in alloys, grain boundary motion, and thermal grooving. Geometric flows have since found extensive applications in mathematics and physics, with new uses continually emerging. Modelling bushfire fronts—a significant issue in Australia—is a recent application. Perelman's use of Ricci flow to solve the Poincaré Conjecture, a universally acclaimed breakthrough, illustrates their impact. This project aims to tackle significant mathematical problems by inventing and developing two novel geometric flows. Progress here will enhance Australia's international standing through noteworthy research. The project will establish new theoretical frameworks that can be applied to deepen understanding of other geometric flows, offering long-term benefits. The project also trains the next generation of mathematicians, who will positively influence Australia's economy. It will elevate Australian mathematics and universities, attract international students, and deliver economic and cultural benefits. To promote research outcomes from the project beyond academia, I will use my established YouTube channel and Zulip server, inspiring a broad audience with cutting-edge mathematics. This initiative maximises understanding and adoption of the research, enhancing its impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Mechanism-guided reaction design - next generation nickel catalysis. Catalysis is essential to producing high-value chemicals, however these processes often rely on increasingly expensive and difficult to mine metals. This project expects to overcome this limitation by developing a novel approach to examining the reactivity of earth abundant nickel-based catalysts, allowing substantial new knowledge and mechanistic insight to be gained. This innovative technique, and the extensive kinetic analyses it will allow, will have significant academic and industrial impact as Australia has the largest deposits of nickel in the world. The insight generated will facilitate new applications of nickel catalysts in chemical synthesis, which could enable Australia to become a leader in sustainable synthesis. Field of research: 3402 - Inorganic Chemistry Catalysis is a widely used approach in high-value fine chemical production, such as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Efficient and sustainable process design requires a comprehensive understanding of how the catalyst species function, and thus mechanistic studies are a key aspect of process optimisation. The proposed project involves the application of an innovative and user-friendly analytical method to investigate the reaction mechanism of important catalytic processes. This project is poised to facilitate growth of the national chemical industry through providing substantial new knowledge on the fundamental reactivity of earth-abundant nickel catalysts. As Australia has the largest deposits of nickel in the world, the unique catalytic insight gained in this project will have potential commercial applications. Importantly, the new foundational knowledge on nickel reactivity will be exploited to guide the design of unique synthetic technology, further increasing commercialization potential and economic benefit. The project is predicted to generate high-impact publications in internationally renowned chemistry journals that will promote Australia’s recognition as a leader in innovative chemical research. Furthermore, the project will provide excellent research and critical thinking training to the PhD and undergraduates students involved, equipping them with a range of synthetic, analytical and computational skills, creating career-ready graduates.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advanced Protection Techniques for Secure Code Reuse. This project aims to enhance protection against known vulnerabilities in reused code by contributing advanced knowledge and techniques. Code reuse has become prevalent to facilitate fast and convenient software development, especially with unfamiliar frameworks, but can introduce vulnerabilities from open-source code. The project will investigate known vulnerabilities on a large scale and develop countermeasures to identify and mitigate them across various platforms. Expected outcomes include improved rapid and secure software development and a robust and extendable vulnerability management repository for research communities. This will significantly benefit both developers and researchers by ensuring safer code reuse practices. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy Code reuse facilitates efficient software development, maintenance, and adaptation to technological advancements. This practice extends to AI code generators, which learn from open-source software and execute tasks through code reuse. Nonetheless, the widespread use of code reuse raises concerns about the security and consistency of software utilising such code from third parties. Existing studies on vulnerabilities in code reuse focus on exact reuses - code copied without modifications - addressing only a small fraction of code practices. To bridge this gap, this project will leverage insights from cybersecurity, software engineering, and deep learning to develop comprehensive defence strategies against all forms of code reuse. The research outcomes will be disseminated to academia and industry through workshops, demonstration seminars, and practical protection tools. This initiative will support Australian ICT industries in developing secure and reliable software and systems, yielding commercial and economic benefits by protecting against known cyber threats. Australians will benefit socially and economically as consumers are shielded from potential security breaches. Furthermore, the outcomes will enhance trust and safety for sectors integrating digital technologies and AI into their operations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unlocking community-wide adaptation to sea-level rise. Sea-level rise is a pervasive threat to almost all Australian coastal communities, yet adaptation actions are constrained by conflicting community values. This project will produce new knowledge about place-based values held by groups underrepresented in adaptation planning and research: Indigenous peoples, migrants, renters and youth. It will conduct the first longitudinal analysis of Australian coastal values, advance knowledge of the dynamics of place-based values and pilot a new deliberative method that addresses conflicting and changing values. Expected outcomes include strategies that support communities and governments to negotiate diverse coastal values to deliver fairer adaptation solutions where decades of policy have failed. Field of research: 4406 - Human Geography Despite two decades of government-led adaptation planning, regional coastal communities are not prepared for rising sea levels. Existing planning processes are not designed to deal with community conflict, reconcile the full spectrum of community values impacted by sea-level rise, nor do they accommodate changing values over time. This project aims to develop adaptation responses that navigate the diverse and conflicting values of Australian coastal residents. This requires first documenting the values of people who have been underrepresented in adaptation planning to date: Indigenous peoples, migrants, renters and youth. It will then develop a new community engagement method that encourages residents with the full range of values to explore and find adaptation options that most align with their values. By sharing the lessons learned with local, state, and federal governments, this project will lead to more effective use of the millions of dollars spent each year on adaptation planning, enhance the representativeness and effectiveness of community engagement, and sustain the diverse community values associated with Australia’s unique coastline for the next generations. The new knowledge will strengthen Australia’s capacity to respond to current and future environmental changes, and specifically coastal adaptation to sea-level rise.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Innovations in ocean governance for sustainable and equitable blue futures. Oceans play a critical role in combating climate change and biodiversity loss, while supporting global economies and livelihoods. As the world increasingly relies on oceans for energy, food, and carbon storage, ocean governance faces new challenges. This project explores how innovative governance models can transform ocean management to be more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. By examining trends such as Nature Positive approaches, Indigenous co-governance and deliberative methods of engagement, the research aims to identify new pathways to addressing the multiple planetary crises impacting our oceans and rising inequalities linked to environmental issues, as well as enhance public trust in ocean governance. Field of research: 4803 - International and Comparative Law This project addresses the need for innovation in ocean governance, focusing on how these innovations can be applied in real-world scenarios. While global attention on ocean sustainability is growing, there is little research on the practical enablers and barriers to transformative governance. By examining governance models like Indigenous co-governance and nature positive approaches, this research will guide Australia toward more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable ocean management. The project will benefit Australians environmentally, economically, and socially. It will support national goals to protect marine ecosystems and contribute to Australia’s transition to net-zero emissions through the development of sustainable ocean industries like offshore renewable energy and aquaculture. Socially and culturally, it will promote the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and local knowledges systems in ocean governance, by fostering more participatory approaches. The research will involve stakeholders from industry – including offshore wind, aquaculture and fisheries – as well as government, and communities. Findings will be shared through public reports, policy recommendations, audio-visual and social media content and workshops. By focusing on real-world applications, this research aims to support Australia to meet its sustainability goals by driving effective and transformative change in ocean governance.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Development of an Ultra-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Imaging System. Through close industry collaboration, this project aims to develop new mass spectrometry technologies for label-free imaging of tissues and cells at sub-micron resolution. The project expects to generate new knowledge around new ionisation technologies, the spatial localisation of biomolecules within tissues and cells, and the diversity of neuronal cellular responses to neuroinflammation within cell populations. Expected outcomes include strengthening industry collaboration potential for instrumentation development and providing new imaging and single cell analysis tools. Benefits include increased technological capability of Australian spatial-omics research and industry training of researchers to cement long-term collaboration. Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry The proposed research will strengthen collaboration between the University of Wollongong and Bruker and develop new molecular imaging techniques that overcome limitations of current commercially available technology. It will develop new technologies to provide world-leading spatial resolution for the imaging of molecules within complex systems such as tissue and cells. This will enable academic and industry researchers to track changes in molecular composition and distribution at the cellular and sub-cellular level and offers information not obtainable with other techniques. This can benefit many industries such as the pharmaceutical industry where knowledge on the uptake and metabolism of drugs is essential. The project will position Australia at the forefront of the emerging mass spectrometry imaging and spatial-omics fields that is attracting significant industry interest (e.g., instrument vendors and pharmaceutical companies). Developments will likely lead to new Australian intellectual property and strengthened industrial collaboration, with carry-over benefits to the economy. It will also provide industry-relevant training to the CI and early career researchers, providing them the skills to contribute to the Australian economy during and after the project. Beyond the project it will likely lead to new collaboration, such as with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, they are increasingly relying on imaging techniques to aid product development and understanding.

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

Design and Advancement of All-Solid-State Batteries Operated in Extreme... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

Design and Advancement of All-Solid-State Batteries Operated in Extreme... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

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

LANTERN Category: Technology

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

2024 Equipment Grants Category: Health and Medical Research

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

Building Tools to Create Molecular Complexity for Next Generation Drugs Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-03

The Optimal Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship in General... Category: Health and Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

New Frontiers for Anonymous Authentication. The project aims to investigate the new concepts and constructions of anonymous authentication protocols, which can both fill existing research gap and address new challenges raised by new computing technologies. The expected outcomes are novel concepts and methods in constructing anonymous authentication protocols with enhanced functionalities and better efficiency. The project will contribute to safeguard cybersecurity for all Australians and provide significant benefits, such as advancing theoretical knowledge in the research field and enhancing privacy and security of all Australian online services. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy The project will deliver new concepts and tools in the field of anonymous authentication, which allows users to authenticate himself/herself to a service provider in an anonymous manner. Its aim is to develop cryptographic primitives that can be used to protect the privacy of online users. The project will provide new definitions and constructions of anonymous authentication protocols, which are of great significance to prevent cyber-attacks that damaging the privacy of online users by stealing their personal information. The outcome of the project will help transit the traditional online identity-based authentication method into a new set of privacy-preserving authentication protocols, which would provide a better protection for online services and bring benefits across commercial, research, and governance fields.