University of Wollongong

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

ARC Training Centre for Innovative Composites for the Future of Sustainable Mining Equipment. The Centre aims to train industry-focused researchers in advanced manufacturing of new-generation mining equipment and sustainable mining technology, through close collaborations among key universities and mining and manufacturing companies. The Centre will cultivate a team of world-class academic researchers and industry leaders to deliver an innovative program on research of innovative composites coupled with work-integrated learning, to not only produce a workforce that meets future skills demand but also develop sustainable and cost-effective mining equipment and high-efficiency mining technologies, benefiting the nation's manufacturing and mining sectors and significantly enhancing the competitiveness of the Australian mining industry. Field of research: 4014 - Manufacturing Engineering The Composites & Mining Training Centre aims to improve the global competitiveness of Australia’s mining industry by deploying innovative materials in equipment used in challenging, harsh mining environments. The Centre links world-leading Australian and global mining equipment manufacturers, steel producers and mining companies to develop advanced manufacturing processes and fit-for-purpose composite materials with significantly higher resistance in corrosive and high-wear conditions, extending the life of key components, thus increasing sustainability in the sector. The Centre also enables holistic digital approaches to maintenance centred around safety, maintainability and reliability of equipment in Australian mining operations, reducing costly maintenance and downtime in mines. The diverse cohort of researchers, engineers and technology leaders trained by The Centre will build a talented workforce that sustainably grows Australian mining equipment manufacturing, while the application of innovative composite materials can extend to other industries including shipbuilding, construction and transport.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Secure Crowdsourcing Classification with Privacy Protection against Servers. This project aims to enable comprehensive quality data classification via secure crowdsourcing. The quality of a data-intensive process, such as a Machine Learning algorithm, depends on the input data quality. By using a crowdsourcing classification, the project expects to overcome the painstaking and costly process of humans correctly annotating extensive input data from diverse real information. The expected outcomes are innovative technologies, guaranteeing accuracy and confidentiality of annotation results whilst protecting the privacy of data classification results. It enhances data-intensive outputs quality, which will benefit large data-intensive applications, such as cybersecurity protections via intrusion detection. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have proven to be successful in delivering cybersecurity services, such as intrusion detection. The key challenge in this area is obtaining large volumes of quality data that has been correctly classified for training ML algorithms. This project aims to deliver a breakthrough technology, namely secure crowdsourcing, which facilitates data classification by the crowd workers while protecting the results for the data owner. Reducing false negative outputs from ML algorithms will reduce the need for manual maintenance through human intervention, thus lowering expensive labour costs and increasing productivity for a more innovative economy. This will be of benefit to Australian and international communities. Through this project, we plan to make the outcomes of this available to influence changes to Australian standards via ASD, DST Group and Data61 to secure Australia’s industries, thus enhancing their productivity. It will also enable research training for the best available Australian and international researchers through research collaboration.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Understanding chaperone function, one molecule at a time. This project aims to determine how molecular chaperones, a class of proteins represented in all phyla of life, work together to keep proteins folded and functional, particularly following cellular stress. This is important as proteins are involved in virtually all biological processes. This project will exploit innovative microscopy techniques to watch these molecular chaperones as they work. Expected outcomes of this project are the first definitive description of how molecular chaperones interact to refold proteins, and the development of novel methods to study dynamic biological processes. This should provide significant benefits including enhanced collaboration and scientific capacity in Australia. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology By elucidating how molecular chaperones work to keep proteins in a folded and functional state, this project will provide direct insights into the processes that keep cells and organisms viable during times of stress. As such, this knowledge has the potential for economic, commercial and environmental impact since cellular stress affects all living organisms - a failure in the molecular processes that ensure cells and organisms remain healthy following periods of stress can detrimentally influence agriculture, ecosystems and health. By developing new cutting-edge techniques to study dynamic biological processes, this project will boost the research capacity of scientists nationally and internationally. This project will also provide training for students and young researchers in cutting-edge techniques, putting them at the forefront of biophysical and biochemical research around the world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Reassembling the pandemic city: shifting geographies of creative work. This project aims to address the critical knowledge gap around COVID-19 disruptions to city centre economic geographies. It will longitudinally document and analyse post-pandemic reassembling of these geographies, focused on a bellwether sector—creative work—hard hit by the pandemic yet central to urban economic recovery planning. Spatial ethnographies of creative work will reveal shifts in space use, work practices, economic diversification, networks, and on-the-ground adaptations. The project will generate essential new practical knowledge of city centre reconfigurations and networks of creative industries across metropolitan spaces. Its benefits will include vital insights for urban policy to support resilient and inclusive recovery. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography Effective post-pandemic planning and policy are critical to the prosperity of Australian cities and their disrupted city centres. This requires in-depth knowledge of pandemic-induced change in the geography of metropolitan economic activity. Through a focus on the bellwether economic sector of the creative industries, this project will identify on-the-ground patterns as enterprises respond to pandemic constraints and opportunities. New methods integrating qualitative interviews with GIS mapping will reveal continuity and change in enterprise use of central city, inner industrial and outer suburban space. Crucial empirical data on shifting dynamics and motivations will enable practical policy measures that accurately respond to needs. Australian cities will benefit from leveraging disruptions to generate social, environmental, economic and cultural benefits: more resilient, inclusive city centres, and suburban jobs and enterprise growth. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to study disruptive dynamics in real-time, positioning Australia as a leader in innovative urban development and policy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Topological stability from spectral analysis. The aim is to use mathematical scattering theory to find and study new topological features of the spectra of linear transformations on Hilbert space. The significance derives from mathematical models of low temperature conducting quantum materials. These have revealed `topological phases of matter' that are stable with respect to a range of variations in the parameters that determine the system. The stability is desired for applications to quantum devices. Our results will give topological stability from the scattering spectrum, a feature not previously seen. The benefits stem from new results in mathematical scattering theory with a primary novelty being the analysis of ``zero energy resonances'' in mathematical models of graphene. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Newly discovered exotic phases of matter with tuneable electronic properties have potential applications across the quantum engineering revolution, most importantly to quantum computation. The theoretical work from our team, which advances the mathematical models describing a range of quantum materials, contributes predictive and computational tools for these quantum technologies. The development of these technologies is supported by a range of Government funding initiatives, including DST’s Next Generation Technologies Fund. The highly skilled graduates from this project will be able to contribute to these development efforts, as well as the nascent Australian quantum engineering industry. These graduates will also be well positioned to work with commercial enterprises spun off from universities’ investment in quantum computation hardware, by supporting further experimental developments and applications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Ambient Electrochemical C-N Coupling via Co-electrolysis of N2 and CO2. To overcome the hurdles in N2 fixation (massive energy consumption and CO2 emission), investigators creatively hypothesize that the simultaneous electrocatalytic coupling of N2 and CO2 would enable the selective formation of N-products and thus realize their conversion into N--fertilizers and acetamides. Based on the CI's recent discoveries, this project will develop an innovative / sustainable system, which could promote the N2 fixation along with CO2 conversion process, a significant alternative approach to simplify the pathways of C-N bond formation. It will thereby contribute to mitigation of greenhouse emissions and create an ecofriendly protocol/technology for distributed production of C-N products under ambient conditions. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) Nitrogen-containing C-N bonds based organic compounds possess the most important status in drug molecules and agricultural chemicals. The fixation of earth-abundant N2 along with CO2 reduction has significant benefits from both social and economic point of views. The use of N-fertilizers (consuming 80% of the global ammonia) has been estimated to have supported 27% of the world’s population over the past century, while acetamides (C-N complexes) are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industries. However, the traditional approach for C-N bonds formation (such as urea, etc.) is challenging both scientifically and technologically due to the high inertness of N2 molecule, and consuming approximately 3-5% of world’s energy and contributing ~2% CO2 emission annually. The project will thereby contribute to mitigation of greenhouse emissions and create a technology for distributed production of C-N based N-products via taking the advantages of the combination of N2 along with CO2 reduction process.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Making Meta-learning Generalised . This project aims to develop novel machine learning techniques, termed generalised meta-learning, to make machines better utilise past experience to solve new tasks with few data. It expects to reduce the undesirable dependence of current machine learning on labelled data and significantly expand its application scope. Expected outcomes of the project consist of new theoretical results on meta-learning and a set of innovative algorithms that can support the building of next generation of computer vision systems to work in open and dynamic environments. This should be able to produce solid benefits to the science, society, and economy of Australian via the application of these advanced intelligent systems. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Two major obstacles limiting the application of machine learning are its data-demanding nature and the lack of capability in transferring and utilising the knowledge gained from a set of task to another set. This project aims to address these two pressing issues by proposing a series of novel meta-learning models that can adapt to entirely new data domains and solve new tasks distinct from existing ones in a data-efficient manner. This expects to advance Australia's research excellence in Computer Vision and Machine Learning. The research outcomes produced from this project could bridge the gap between current machine learning techniques and the applications that require quick and adaptive decisions. In light of the envisaged impact of machine learning, the project anticipates to generate solid economic and social benefits. Potential application scenarios include, but far not limited to, self-driving to quickly identify safety issues in unforeseen circumstances, robots to swiftly learn to perform new tasks, computer-based diagnosis systems to identity rare diseases from novel imaging modalities, and so on.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Sodium-Metal-Free, Safe and Sustainable Sodium-Ion Sulfur Batteries. This project aims to develop sodium sulfide cathodes via effective single-atom catalysts and elaborately regulate the solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode by using a new class of electrolytes. Thus, the obtained low-cost, high-energy, safe sodium-ion sulfur batteries can serve as a novel technique for large-scale stationary energy storage, especially for intermittent solar and wind energy storage in Australia. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive understanding and a breakthrough in advances of innovative and affordable battery storage technology, leading to significant scientific, economic, environmental, and social benefits to Australia by integrating this battery system with renewable energy. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Through the development of novel sodium sulfide cathodes, the thus developed room-temperature sodium-ion sulfur batteries can serve as safe and low-cost storage devices for renewable energy in Australia, especially our abundant solar, wind, and ocean energy. The outcomes from this research will provide an incentive for the Australian industry to develop new energy storage devices, thus establishing a leading national position in the development of new energy storage technology. The broader impacts of the proposed research are both educational and technological. Training graduate students through fundamental research will offer a broad range of career opportunities for the students in the current competitive job market. The development of new scientific knowledge related to this project will encourage more researchers and industries into these emerging and promising fields.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Aqueous-based potassium ion batteries for scalable energy storage. The aim of this project is to develop aqueous-based potassium ion batteries for new energy storage applications that currently have barely been studied. This project will design novel cathode/anode materials and electrolytes to significantly advance knowledge in this new technology. The expected outcomes include high-performance aqueous-based potassium ion batteries, while new fundamental knowledge of the reaction mechanisms will enhance our research capabilities to position Australia as a leader in potassium ion storage. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering The success of this project will pave the way for future potential applications of aqueous-based potassium ion batteries and expand both fundamental knowledge in materials engineering and innovative technologies for new sustainable energy storage system. The outcomes are expected to lead to a safe energy storage devices with long life. This project will develop new capabilities in materials science and advanced manufacturing to lead research and development that will position Australia as a leader in the renewable energy sector. This project will also help Australian researchers to initiate a new research direction, have a positive impact on the environment, and accelerate Australia's progress in solving the problems of efficient large-scale energy storage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Bioinspired hierarchically Intelligent Hydrogels for Soft Machines. This project aims to develop new bioinspired hydrogels capable of performing life-like functions. It expects to generate new knowledge in the area of advanced polymers for soft robotics using an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemical design, micro-nano fabrication and additive manufacturing. Expected outcomes of this project include new macromolecular design concepts to achieve intelligent hydrogels with sophisticated functions enabling the integration of high-performance artificial muscles and soft robotics. This should provide significant benefits in strengthening Australia’s competitiveness in manufacturing soft machines with much safer human-machine interactions and being able to be operated in diverse dynamic environments. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Currently, most of the existing smart hydrogels developed in laboratories have focused heavily on the proof of concept. The proposed macromolecular engineering concepts in this project have the potential to surpass the proof-of-concept stage of smart hydrogels and move ahead to practical use in real applications. This soft actuation technology will have the broad impact on a number of advanced manufacturing areas. For example, the developed hydrogels could be manufactured by 3D printing into soft robotic prosthetic hands with compliance similar to that of human tissue, which could assist Australian individuals with hand loss to grasp various delicate objects. Moreover, these fabricated robust soft machines could perform the complex tasks for human beings such as exploring underwater environments, examining explosive devices or conducting remote surgery. This project, if funded, would put Australia at the forefront of the efficient manufacturing of soft robotic devices and lead to an explosion of growth in the consumer robot industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Optimal reaction pathways towards advanced energy technology. This project aims to develop a novel lithium-ion battery (LIB) system that delivers high energy-density, a long cycle life, low-cost, and high safety based on conversion-type lithium oxide cathodes. Expected outcomes of this project will address the preliminary challenges for the practical use of lithium-oxide, which requires innovative designs of reaction pathways to lithium oxide cathode and lithium metal anode architectures as well as a fundamental in-depth understanding of the electrochemical and growing mechanisms. This project will establish a manufacturing road-map for a novel lithium-ion battery system in Australia with practical reliability by integrating active lithium oxide cathode, optimized electrolyte, and lithium metal anode. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering This project targets zero-emission high-energy technologies, closely aligned with Australia’s new road-map on energy technology, which aims to reduce the emission by the development of affordable, clean and reliable energy. Outcomes of this project will strengthen Australia’s research capability and bring large-scale energy storage technologies to Australia, as well as power Australia's sustainable economy. This project will keep Australia as a global forerunner in building new renewable energy and demonstrating to the world its rapid transition towards low-carbon, renewable power generation from a fossil-fuel-dominated electricity system. This project will also yield new academic knowledge and research outcomes to strength high-quality education in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Locating the household in post-carbon regional economies. Industrial and resource regions that have felt the effects of automation and economic adjustment for decades now face an imperative to transition out of carbon intensive industries. This project aims to address household capacities to mediate and plan for this new challenge which is already reconfiguring working life in regional Australia. The project will use qualitative methods to understand how industrial change and working futures are negotiated in spaces beyond the workplace, and how this might contribute to socially just transitions. Outcomes include an empirical evidence base that will produce novel insights into the types of support households will require to negotiate future work transitions. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography Regional workers across Australia have been on the front line of structural transformation for at least 40 years. While experiences of redundancy are often the most critical point of transition, less is known about how workers and their households negotiate longer-term, ongoing change, especially in industries that remain vulnerable to global forces. Amidst challenges such as automation and concern for the environment, this project seeks to examine the experiences of coal workers and their families in a test-case region in which households have long negotiated the patchy, partial and uneven nature of regional transformation. The project uniquely situates workers within the context of the household unit to reframe how work and the future are made sense of beyond the workplace. The research will benefit Australia by enabling governments, institutions and employers to better understand the values and needs of regional worker households, and their capacities to participate in transitions to more just and sustainable futures.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Seeing the Black Child. This project aims to provide a deep understanding of the manner in which Black (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, African and Afro-diasporic) people understand their children’s situation. While dominant conceptions of childhood are typically assumed to be universal, they generally take the figure of the white child, emerging out of a predominantly European body of knowledge, as paradigmatic. This project seeks to expand, reconfigure and present a more complex understanding of childhood, one which more adequately reflects Australia today. It is thereby expected to contribute to the work of ensuring that as befits a just, plural society, those whose roles relate to children have an inclusive rather than a parochial grasp of childhood. Field of research: 2002 - Cultural Studies Childhood is a fundamental category, one in which every Australian community is deeply invested. Uneven social outcomes that are race-based, for example disproportional rates of Indigenous youth incarceration or claims of widespread gang culture among African youth, raise troubling questions about potential unequal treatment and mainstream perceptions of children from those communities. This project is of social and cultural benefit to Australia by way of its potential contribution to shared understanding and enhanced intercultural dialogue. The academic work of facilitating more informed and more just perception and understanding may contribute to a different approach towards Black children on the part of service providers in the criminal justice system, education, social services, health and so forth. Such work, by expanding the dominant understanding of experiences of childhood, may also inform the policy process. This project therefore contributes to the National Interest by making it more likely that noble intentions, at the level of policy or service provision, are not thwarted by misunderstanding.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Investigating complex mortuary practices in the Neolithic Near East. The main aim of this project is to investigate complex multi-stage mortuary practices through the integration of archaeo-anthropology, forensic science and ethnology. The methodological principles of funerary archaeology will be expanded by experiments at the only Australian and Canadian body farms, and integrated into the study of Neolithic Near Eastern burials. Combined with ethno-archaeological research in Indonesia, anticipated outcomes include new methods for the study of multi-stage mortuary processes, together with refined knowledge about social differentiation and ideology in the world’s first proto-urban settlements. This study will emphasise Australia’s pioneering role in combining archaeo-anthropology with forensic science. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology This project will deliver outcomes in Australia’s national interest through social and cultural benefits spanning the sciences and the humanities. Frontier research at Australia’s only body decomposition facility will produce results of immediate benefit to forensic science that are directly applicable to medico-legal contexts and police work in Australia. This pioneering interdisciplinary project will also reveal novel insights into the archaeology and anthropology of how past societies treated their dead, a topic of enduring interest to different cultures, both in Australia and around the world. In particular, the research findings will enhance our appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous Australians by advancing our knowledge of early mortuary practices and the application of ochre to human remains. The cross-cultural nature of the study also offers a unique means to engage with the Australian public on conversations that can be problematic for many people, especially the elderly, and to view sensitive issues such as body donation through the lens of ancient and modern cultural practices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Landscape change and the archaeological record in the Willandra Lakes, NSW. The primary aim of this project is to systematically construct a high-resolution record of landscape and vegetation change within the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area over the past 50,000 years. Using state-of-the-art dating techniques and a multidisciplinary approach, this project will provide critical environmental context for the region's world-famous archaeological record, charting the environmental changes that occurred as NSW's largest inland lake system ran dry at ~15,000 years ago. Anticipated outcomes include a refined understanding of: the drivers, timing, and periodicity of lake desiccation; the influence these changes had on regions landforms and vegetation; and how this impacted the lives of people living here. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience This project, set within the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area (WLRWHA), will have significant environmental and cultural benefits to the Australian community. By constructing a high-resolution framework of landscape, hydrological and vegetation changes between 50 and 15 thousand years ago, this project will strengthen the WLRWHA's geological heritage values that, up until now, have remained poorly constrained and understood. Furthermore, the integration of this projects geological findings with the archaeological record of the Willandra, will strengthen the cultural heritage values and allow for a deeper understanding of the the Willandra’s settlement history over this time period. Finally, this work is conducted in partnership with, and support of, the WLRWHA Aboriginal Advisory Group and will strengthen their cultural connection to Country and aid in the development of Care of Country policies and procedures.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Better oceans, better futures:Indigenous knowledges and oceans governance . This project aims to re-imagine oceans governance by drawing inspiration and guidance from Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies. Using an Indigenous lens, it will explore opportunities for more inclusive approaches to oceans governance and economic development. Current systems privilege and valorise ‘rational’ knowledge and data, marginalising subjective, relational and cultural values. The project outcomes will include the identification of opportunities for better consideration of diverse values, knowledges and worldviews in existing governing systems.This will provide significant benefits, including greater agency for civil society, especially Indigenous communities at local, regional, national and international scales. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Current systems of governance are failing to address the many threats that our oceans face, including resource depletion, ocean warming, habitat loss and pollution. This project will look to Indigenous ways of being as inspiration for a different way of governing our oceans. It will explore how principles of stewardship and custodianship, embedded in Indigenous approaches, might drive reform of law and policy, renewal of stakeholder engagement practices and realignment of economic development activities. As we enter the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development this project will provide invaluable new knowledge to inform Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, community members, Governments and the private sector on the practicalities of ensuring equitable approaches to ocean governance. This will include guidance on how to consider diverse values, beliefs and aspirations in ocean governance through a values based decision making framework. It will also identify potential areas of reform in legal systems and ocean based business incubation and acceleration models.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids. The proposed Future Grids Training Centre will advance Australia’s transition to a clean energy future. It will address the complex and challenging issues currently limiting the growth of renewable energy through innovations that facilitate widespread integration of these resources into electricity grids while maintaining grid stability. The Centre will deliver the next generation of industry leaders and specialists in future grid technologies for renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, supported by renewable hydrogen energy storage and market driven customer responsiveness enabled by new information and communications technologies, to provide a more sustainable, reliable, secure and affordable electricity system. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering The Future Grids Training Centre aims to accelerate Australia’s transition to a more reliable, affordable, cleaner and resilient energy future through technology innovation and policy reform consistent with the Australian Energy Policy Blueprint. The Centre encompasses all supply sectors from generation through to transmission and distribution to the customer, as well as the emerging hydrogen sector enabling a holistic approach to the complex issues and opportunities associated with the growth, integration and stability of renewable energy. The Centre aims to deliver innovations that facilitate widespread integration of renewable resources into electricity grids and customer engagement while maintaining grid stability. To do this, the Centre brings together energy utilities, consumers, developers and manufacturers and it will train a new generation of researchers, engineers and industry leaders. The innovations and reform options emerging from the Centre will drive growth, productivity and competitiveness and help Australia meet the societal and market challenges presented by the future clean energy economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Geopolymer concrete for thin-walled structures in marine environment. This project aims to develop ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete thin-walled structures for the critical infrastructure in the marine environment. It is expected that this project will develop novel design rules for ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete thin-walled structures based on experimental testing, numerical modelling, validation, and simulation. This project is expected to increase the durability of coastal infrastructures and significantly reduce the loss of their capacities due to corrosion-induced damage. The development of ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete thin-walled structures is a significant engineering discovery, which is in line with the Australian government 2030 vision for sustainable development. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Infrastructures in Australia, especially reinforced concrete structures located along the vast Australian coastline, are exposed to, and potentially vulnerable to, the effects and extremes of climate and weather causing degradation and loss of capacity and durability. In marine structures and structures located in moist atmospheres, steel reinforcing bars are prone to corrosion. The corrosion of steel reinforcement reduces the lifespan of the structure, increases maintenance costs, and increases the potential for structural failures. It is noted that in 2010, the annual cost of corrosion to the Australian economy was estimated to be between 36 billion and 60 billion dollars. Also, ordinary Portland cement used in the concrete causes about 5-7% of the total global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere. The proposed project will develop ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete thin-walled structures, which will ensure the durability of the coastal infrastructure and contribute significantly to the Australian economy and environmental sustainability.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Efficient Multi-key Homomorphic Encryption and Its Applications. Multi-key homomorphic encryption (MKHE) is a key technology that functions to allow multiple users to supply their private input for collaboration in the cloud while keeping the user data confidential. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to obtain efficient MKHEs. This project aims to overcome this challenge by enabling novel efficient MKHEs. The expected outcomes of this project are to develop innovative cryptographic technologies which realise efficient MKHEs, together with their cryptographic libraries and practical applications in solving industry problems. This will provide direct economic benefits to Australian industry through the enablement of advanced technologies and low-cost business solutions which are developed in Australia. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format The use of the public cloud for data storage has expanded rapidly in Australia, bringing direct benefits to Australian industries by lowering costs and increasing productivity. However, ensuring data security while still allowing data processing remains a challenge, particularly when multiple users’ contributions are involved. This project aims to develop novel technology to overcome this challenge and allow the cloud to act as a secure collaboration platform. Such a platform will enable and multiply innovation and economic creativity, opening up a whole new range of opportunities for Australian industry to collaborate in the development of advanced technology products and services while protecting their intellectual property. This in turn will facilitate new synergies and value-add across traditionally siloed industrial sectors. Significant and necessary updates to Australian cybersecurity standards will be identified and research training for a new generation of cyber-security experts delivered through research collaboration between Australian and international participants.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Functional topological materials for superior thermoelectric applications. The efficient generation of electricity from waste heat remains a significant technological challenge, hampered by the absence of efficient materials for conversion. This project aims to develop functionalized topological materials with ultra-high thermoelectric and photothermal performance for harvesting heat into electricity. A recent breakthrough in device efficiency will be a game-changer and position Australian academics and industries at the forefront of next generation of renewable power generation and refrigeration products. The outcomes will provide an advantage to end-users and industry, and will open a new market for advanced thermoelectric devices in multidisciplinary fields, communities and emerging industries. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering The potential to create electricity from waste heat in Australia has not been tapped significantly due to the lack of suitable waste-heat-to-electricity conversion technology. Thermoelectricity is one of the most promising technologies for waste heat conversion, but the biggest challenge has been to find a reliable, high performing and cost-effective thermoelectric material that can work at a broad range of temperatures. The successful implementation of this project will provide the impetus for manufacturing, mining, renewable energy and many other organisations to adopt strategies for the sustainable adoption of clean energy-conversion technology across the sector. It is clear that the community and end-users stand to benefit greatly from the adoption of highly efficient energy-conversion technology. At a broader level, the project will aid the national interest to meet future economic, social and climate requirements around emissions, worker safety and health while substantially improving the productivity and enabling reduced operational costs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Raman Spectroscopic System for In-Operando Electrochemical Studies. This proposal aims to establish a Raman microscopic system with real-time tracking capability, which will allow investigation of the activities of battery components during charging. An instrument that allows this level of interrogation is currently not available in Australia. Expected outcomes include advanced knowledge for improved battery technology, which will meet the increasing demand of electronic applications and provide commercial opportunities in Australia. This system will be highly versatile and extendable to other fields of energy and materials-related research, providing high-quality training of researchers, as well as a platform from which to enhance materials research capabilities in Australia. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering This powerful Raman microscopic system will significantly enhance the current understanding of how batteries operate by examining the variation of battery components during charging in real-time. The success of this project will strengthen the fundamental and advanced knowledge of rechargeable batteries and will have significant impacts on the social, environmental, and economic aspects of Australian society. Notably, the project aligns with the “Clean and renewable energy” Science and Research Priority identified by the Australian Government. The outcomes could be key to facilitating the transformation from fundamental materials research to its practical application: the established advanced battery technology. This outcome will not only help to provide employment and commercial opportunities in Australia, but also enhance the research reputation of Australian materials researchers. The system will be used by independent research groups across major institutions in New South Wales and Adelaide regions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

High-throughput camera system for biological cryo-electron microscopy. Visualising the structure of biological macromolecules such as proteins and other subcellular components is critical to understand the fundamentals of life. The integration of the Gatan K3 high-throughput camera system with one of the most advanced cryo-electron microscopy facilities in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere will transform the capacity of Australian researchers to study the world around us at the molecular detail needed to advance innovative research. The addition of this equipment to the University of Wollongong's research facility Molecular Horizons will result in a step change in the areas of bionanotechnology, advanced manufacturing, diagnostics, and many other areas at the interface of biology, chemistry and physics. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The introduction of the newly-developed Gatan K3 high-throughput camera system to the world-leading microscopy infrastructure at the University of Wollongong will greatly enhance access of researchers and engineers to revolutionary molecular imaging capabilities, cementing Australia’s leading role in the life sciences, bioengineering, advanced materials and nanotechnology. This new technology will meet an existing need within Australian industry for access to molecular characterisation capability. The molecular visualisation technology will further strengthen Australia's global position in this rapidly evolving area that underpins production of high-tech and high-value goods. It is highly relevant to industry as understanding of molecular structures allows us to develop resistant crops, new and improved drugs, or create enzymes that catalyse reactions for biotechnology and bio-processing applications. The knowledge acquired with this equipment will ultimately play a key role in the development and manufacturing of diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and materials for energy capture and storage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Investigating professional learning lives in the digital evolution of work. This project aims to investigate learning practices of professionals working in professions effected by digitalisation. The project expects to generate new knowledge about how professionals’ learning practices shape and are being shaped by evolving work practices. Expected outcomes of the project include new conceptual thinking about professional learning, and a contemporary and nuanced evidence base to inform innovative teaching and learning solutions for individuals, workplaces and education providers; particularly higher education. This project should provide significant benefits for a national policy on lifelong learning to address Australia’s agile skills development needs. Field of research: 1301 - Education Systems This project is expected to have important economic and social benefits for Australia by identifying current and evolving professional learning needs of its workforce being significantly effected by digitalisation. The discovered knowledge will inform how professional learning can be designed and scaled to meet Australia’s growing demand for agile skills development and lifelong learning. It is expected to be beneficial for: 1. Individuals to help them self-regulate their own professional lifelong learning; 2. Employers and professional bodies to cater for and anticipate their employees/members learning needs; 3. Education providers, particularly universities, to co-design with employers and professional bodies coherent and innovative teaching and learning offerings; & 4. Government to inform a national policy on lifelong learning. The flow-on effects are expected to benefit the Australian economy through a more adaptive and responsive workforce and benefit the Australian community through greater job satisfaction and enhanced wellbeing at work; ultimately ensuring a sustainable innovative workforce.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Roadblocks in DNA replication. This project aims to develop the technology to visualise and understand the molecular processes responsible for the faithful copying of cellular DNA in the presence of roadblocks caused by chemical pressures and competing intracellular events. Understanding this process is important as DNA replication is responsible for copying the DNA genetic blueprint of cells and is crucial to all life on earth. This project will have as key outcomes the development of novel molecular visualisation technology and the first molecular description of the dynamic processes used by the DNA-replication machinery to navigate roadblocks. These outcomes should provide significant benefits including enhanced collaboration and scientific capacity in Australia. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology By developing and using methods to visualise at the molecular and cellular level how cells copy their genetic blueprint, this project will generate new diagnostic technology and provide insight into the processes that keep organisms viable. By visualising and understanding what happens to the DNA-replication process under environmental and chemical pressures, this project provides critical knowledge and tools to protect agriculture, environment, and health. As such, this project has the potential for economic, commercial and environmental impact by introducing new monitoring and diagnostic tools and generating knowledge applicable across sectors. By developing new techniques to study dynamic biological processes, this project will boost the research capacity of scientists nationally and internationally. This project will also provide training for students and young researchers in cutting-edge techniques, putting them at the forefront of biophysical and biochemical research around the world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Structures to Solve Conflicts of DNA Replication and RNA Transcription. This project aims to understand how new DNA is made so quickly and without mistakes in cells that are about to divide, in spite of competition from other processes happening at the same time on the DNA that should stop or interfere with it, such as the synthesis of RNA. The project expects to use the latest available methods to uncover what the microscopic natural machines that make DNA and RNA look like, and how they compete with each other for access to DNA. Potential outcomes include the identification of processes that can be compromised by small molecules that may be developed into new antibiotics. This would be of great benefit - new antibiotics are urgently needed as one approach to countering the threat of antimicrobial resistance. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Bacteria are able to proliferate at remarkably rapid rates. This is exploited when using bacteria as ‘cell factories’ for the production of high value products (vitamins, growth factors, molecular medicines), but is a problem when fighting pathogenic bacterial infections. Understanding how bacteria proliferate so rapidly will provide key fundamental information for exploitation in medical biology applications. This project is designed to establish at the structural level how blocks to DNA synthesis are removed and how the DNA copying machinery is able to make DNA so rapidly without making mistakes. We will use cutting-edge techniques, generating data of use for research science, synthetic biology and for use in antibiotic discovery and development. This project will furthermore provide excellent research training to students and early career researchers in a revolutionary area of structural biology, preparing the next generation of our workforce with experience of contemporary research tools. This project fits within the Health NRP under the “.. emerging local and regional health threats” research challenge.