University of Wollongong

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Shaping a sunburnt country: fire, climate and the Australian landscape. Fire shapes Australia’s landscape, biodiversity and resources. This project aims to quantify the recent history of fire intensity and severity using several novel proxies in the fire-prone landscapes of south-eastern Australia. Calibration of these new proxies to recent wildfires will be used for a better characterisation of fire regimes. This research will be applied to sedimentary archives to investigate how fire regimes have evolved over the past 100 years. The outcomes will inform debates about the relationship between climatic variability and fire severity, and this will contribute to increase the preparedness of natural resource management to potential future climate and land-use scenarios. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Bushfires are Australia's worst natural hazard in terms of loss of life. It is critical to understand how fire regimes will respond to future climate change in south-eastern Australia, where most of the Australian population is concentrated. To achieve this, models need data of past relationship between fire and climate. So far, data available only go back 20-40 years, which limits the robustness of forecasting models. This project will develop novel tools to identify the intensity and severity of past fire events, and produce a 100-year record of fire history in south-eastern Australia. By extending up to five-fold our knowledge of past fire regimes, outcomes from this project will improve our ability to forecast how they will change in the future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Learning kernel-based high-order visual representation for image retrieval. Image retrieval plays a key role in many practical applications. The recent increase of real-world applications calls for higher retrieval accuracy. This project aims to address this issue by exploring advanced visual representation that models the high-order information of image content. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of computer vision by developing a novel image retrieval framework. Expected outcomes include theory development on visual representation and more effective retrieval techniques. This should provide significant benefits, such as improving public information access services, facilitating environmental monitoring, and enhancing smart traffic management. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing Image retrieval aims to find the images from a large database that meet the requirements submitted by a user. It is a fundamental task in practical applications involving visual information. Developing advanced retrieval techniques has great potential to contribute to Australia's national interest. For the economic benefit, this technique can significantly automate visual information access, increasing the efficiency and precision of information extraction. This not only lowers labour costs but also improves productive efficiency. For the commercial benefit, image retrieval is an efficient means to connect customers with suppliers. Given a photo of a product, image retrieval can find the best supplier online. For the environmental benefit, this technique can be applied to vegetation monitoring or inferring the sea-level change of the Great Barrier Reef. For social and cultural benefits, image retrieval improves public access to the visual information in archives, libraries, and museums.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

A History of Foreign Multinational Enterprises in Australia from Federation. We aim to deliver the first history of foreign multinational firms in twentieth-century Australia, connecting to, and enhancing, a rich overseas literature on global business. Foreign corporations have played a critical but poorly understood role here with public and policy opinions polarised between approval for new investment, job creation and innovation against concern for their impact on tax revenue, competition, and economic policy. Through a closer, long term understanding of multinationals – their magnitude, motives to settle here, corporate structures, and adaptation to local conditions – our findings will inform public debate and policy about the roles of foreign investment and foreign enterprises in the Australian economy today. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics Overseas multinational enterprises have occupied an important place in Australian business for over a century. Their contributions to our economic, commercial, environmental, social and cultural life have been the subject of strenuous debate over decades. Their right to settle in Australia and under what terms is the subject of ongoing policy development. This project will provide a long run account of the nature and impact of multinational enterprises in Australia and, as such, will offer an important voice in better understanding these major institutions. It will explain where these firms have come from, what motivated their decisions to invest in Australia, and in which industries they have been predominantly located. Their impact in Australia will be assessed from multiple perspectives including their contributions to capital formation, export earnings, employment, and improvements in production, product and managerial technologies. In brief, the project will inform public debate and policy, in Australia today, about the roles of foreign investment and foreign enterprises in the Australian economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Global climate change and coastal landscape evolution in southern Australia. This project aims to reconstruct environmental changes that occurred in southern Australia during a geologically recent time interval termed the Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition (1.2 million to 700 thousand years ago) and an interglacial period some 400,000 years ago. Using innovative geochronological, geochemical and modelling techniques, the environmental changes that shaped modern Australian coastal landscapes, including the intensification of aridity and their timing will be examined. The project will yield new knowledge about the sensitivity of landscapes to current and ongoing environmental changes and derive explanatory models of the rates and characteristics of landscape response to assist future coastal environmental management. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Focusing on a period of profound environmental and climatic change that occurred in the geologically recent history of Australia, this project will derive information about the sensitivity of Australian landscapes to future climate and environmental changes. The research findings will assist in the management of landscapes in the Lower Murray-Darling drainage system, a critical issue for the Australian nation. In economic terms, the research will assist in reducing the costs of land management by identifying the key drivers of landscape change and their impact on human land use. The derived geological information will also refine the understanding of coastal environmental processes, sea-level changes and global climate-changes as they relate to fisheries, construction and engineering industries and potential geohazards. In a cultural and social heritage context, the research will enhance the understanding of the inherent nature of Australian landscapes and their perceived influence on a national identity, as well as providing important geological information of commercial significance in geotourism.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Securing Public Cloud Storage with Protection against Malicious Senders. Public cloud storage offers low-cost solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, cloud data leakage is a major concern. Encrypting data with a security policy before storing in the cloud does not solve the problem due to the presence of malicious senders who deliberately make encrypted data accessible beyond the described policy. This project aims to enable secure public cloud storage by developing new practical cryptographic solutions that provide protection against malicious senders, in contrast to the existing knowledge that can only cope with malicious receivers. The expected outcomes are innovative technologies, which will lower infrastructure costs and provide cybersecurity for cloud storage. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format In the context of secure cloud storage, the involvement of malicious senders has not been studied. It directly hinders the adoption of public cloud storage as it diminishes cloud users' confidence in using the cloud solution. Providing secure cloud solutions, and hence secure cloud technologies, in the presence of malicious senders will directly enable frontier technologies with the aim of improving cybersecurity for all Australians. The outcomes of this project will bring direct benefit to Australian industries by lowering costs and increasing productivity. The project impacts include significant changes in Australian cybersecurity standards, which will be influenced through the Australian Signals Directorate. It will enable research training for the best available Australian and international researchers through research collaboration. This project will deliver research outcomes directly to Australia and will enhance Australia’s research capability, and secure data storage by enabling secure and environmentally friendly cloud storage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Do novel diets reshape wildlife microbiomes and resilience to stressors? This project aims to investigate how bacteria can assist wildlife in adapting to the accelerating threat of environmental change. Using an innovative, interdisciplinary approach this project expects to identify interactions between environmental change and the diet, microbial communities and stress resilience of wildlife, using the threatened Grey-headed flying fox as a model system. Expected outcomes include detailed understanding of the role of microbial communities in shaping wildlife adaptations and development of ecological interventions to enhance wildlife resilience in Australia and globally. Such outcomes may reveal opportunities for management strategies that safeguard threatened species and reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Identifying optimal daily levels of movement behaviours in early childhood. This project aims to discover how much physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep young children need each day to best support their development. Through the creation of an international database and the application of innovative analytics, the project seeks to determine the optimal daily balance of these behaviours that results in the best developmental outcomes for young children. The project is expected to inform national movement behaviour guidelines. The expected benefit for parents and professionals is improved confidence in supporting children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep. The expected benefit for children is positive development, given the broad impacts of these behaviours on health and well-being. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services This project is expected to have important social benefits for the Australian community through identifying how much physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep young children need each day to best support their development. The discovered knowledge on the optimal daily levels of each movement behaviour to best support children’s development is expected to be beneficial for: i) parents aiming to support their children’s development; ii) professionals, aiming to enhance developmental outcomes in young children, and; iii) government health departments seeking to develop evidence-based guidelines for the public. Specifically, the new evidence is expected to inform updates of the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0-5 years), which provide recommendations on daily levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for young children. The new knowledge will allow the creation of more effective strategies and public health messages designed to promote optimal development in children, and contribute to the promotion of their physical, mental and cognitive development.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Stable Lithium-Sodium Metal Anodes for Rechargeable Alkali Metal Batteries. The project aims to address the safety issues derived from the dendritic growth and volume variation of alkali metal anodes, which are a challenge for the practical application of rechargeable alkali metal batteries. This project seeks to design a novel 3D lithium/sodium host featuring a lithiophilic-lithiophobic gradient interfacial layer to achieve uniform deposition and structural stability. The expected outcome of this project is to successfully develop alkali metal batteries that are stable, safe and have high energy density. This project should have significant benefits such as the advancement of knowledge in alkali metal batteries and strengthen Australia’s competitiveness in the area of next-generation energy storage technologies. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Economical electrode materials for safe sodium ion batteries. The project aims to address the lack of effective anode materials for high performance sodium-ion batteries, through the development of functional titanium-based materials, realizing high energy/power density, long cycle life, low cost and high safety sodium ion batteries. Expected outcomes of this project will address the limitation of current energy storage technologies and be beneficial for the development of large-scale energy storage systems that are efficient, cost-effective and reliable in Australia. This project will explore titanium-based materials with advantageous architectures and deeply doped heteroatoms by novel synthetic strategies and will be assessed as electrode materials for high performance batteries. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

A Next Generation Smart Solid-State Transformer for Power Grid Applications. The research aims to design, develop and implement a next generation, compact and light-weight, smart solid-state transformer with a newly developed high-frequency magnetic link and power converters that will provide a better and faster voltage transformation and regulation and support the power grids. The proposed research will revolutionize the power grids by replacing the traditional transformer with a new device made of solid-state power modules that will have multi-feature and multi-function ability and control facilities. The technology developed in this research will help make energy networks more efficient, smart, reliable and flexible, having direct benefits to renewable energy growth, with long-term impact on national economy. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering The research of this project will contribute to the development of a low cost, modular, compact, lightweight, smart solid-state transformer (S3T) with multi-functions and multi features to replace the costly and bulky traditional transformer in the power grids. In addition to the voltage transformation, the proposed S3T will provide improved adaptability in energy distribution, such as faster and better voltage regulation, renewables and storage integration, reactive power compensation, power-flow optimisation and management, power quality improvement, seamless conversion between AC and DC, automatic control and protection. This research will contribute to revolutionize Australia’s energy infrastructure by providing a new backbone of the power grid in the form of a revolutionary smart solid-state transformer technology with possible commercialisation. This new technology will have a great potential to improve the performance of our national grid and greatly strengthen the competitiveness of the Australian power industries in the world market, providing significant economic, social and environmental benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Mechanism and control of water droplets from condensation to defrosting. The deposition of frost/ice is inevitable and negatively impacts many fields and industries, such as the frosting of air source heat pumps and liquid natural gas vaporizers, and icing of aircraft and power cables. On the other hand, ice slurry is widely deployed for cold storage and transportation of food and organs. To accurately predict and control the frosting/icing process, this project aims to study and understand the interrelated heat, mass and momentum transport phenomena of water droplets from condensation to defrosting. Outcomes of this project should contribute to the development of new material, such as applicable anti-icing/anti-frosting surfaces, and relative technology and equipment, and thus benefit a number of fields. Field of research: 1202 - Building

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Electromagnetically Interconnected Suspension for Electrified Vehicles . This project aims to develop an innovative, electromagnetically interconnected suspension system to enhance vehicle ride comfort, stability and handling dynamics, and thus safety of electrified vehicles. Specifically, the project integrates a set of novel electromagnetic shock absorbers to form an effective electrical network so as to realise an electromagnetically interconnected suspension system. Advanced integrated control techniques can then be applied to improve vehicle performance and dynamics in three planes. The project will assist the rapid development of transportation electrification. The outcomes from this project will lead to tangible improvements in vehicle comfort and safety. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering Through exploring innovative electromagnetically interconnected suspension and integration of advanced control techniques, this project aims to improve electrified vehicle ride comfort, stability and handling dynamics with the intention of isolating vibration and preventing accidents. As stated in the Australian Government's 2015 report on the future of Australia's Automotive Industry, 'Australia is a country that relies heavily on the automotive industry...'; and 'Australia has a long history of excellence in automotive manufacturing, industrial engineering and design.' The expected outcomes will enable Australian automobile original equipment manufacturers to increase their capability and capacity in leading edge technologies and products in the automotive industry, leading to growth of the Australian economy. With improved vehicle safety from the new suspension, the prevalence of injuries and accidents can also be reduced, thereby realising a safer society. This project is expected to contribute to Australia's international leadership in automobile engineering, enhancing Australian innovation culture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

There and back again: operator algebras, algebras and dynamical systems. The aim of this project is to develop mathematics that enables us to transfer information back and forth between dynamical systems and algebras, including operator algebras. Dynamical systems - systems that change over time - are ubiquitous, and central to modern mathematics and its applications. In mathematics, dualities allow us to translate questions from one context to another in which they are easier to solve and then translate the answer back again. Expected outcomes include increased understanding of the relationship between operator algebras and the dynamical systems that they represent. Benefits include enhanced international collaboration, and increased Australian capacity in pure mathematics, particularly operator algebras. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Long-term commercial impact of fundamental research in mathematics is common, but hard to predict. It typically arises through the development of new technologies based on the use of mathematical concepts in other disciplines. The operator algebras central to this project underpin quantum mechanics, which in turn enabled the development of the transistors and LEDs from which your electronic devices are built. Impact also arises via mathematically skilled individuals who transition to industry. At least five recent doctoral graduates in operator algebras are currently working in Australian government agencies and driving policy. This project supports world-leading research in operator algebras, expands Australia's knowledge base in mathematics, and fosters Australian international competitiveness. Its capacity-building aspects will train individuals who will enhance Australia's international reputation, our ability to make decisions informed by evidence and data, and our broader economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Innovating urban governance: practices for enhanced urban futures. Across the world, innovations in urban governance are emerging as cities seek to address complex urban challenges. This project poses much needed critical questions of these innovations: who do they involve; how do they work; how do they intersect with longstanding practices of governing the city. It aims to build new understandings of urban governance by delineating the scope, mechanisms, limits and potentials of these innovations. Through integrating insights from Australian and international cases, project outcomes include new knowledge to inform urban governance innovation for the Australian context and enhanced capacity to facilitate the future prosperity, wellbeing and democratic inclusiveness of Australian cities. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography As cities become more complex, more is expected of urban governance. One significant response to these new expectations is innovation in how and by whom cities are governed. New roles for the government, business, civic and university sectors are emerging, as are innovations in financing and collaborative partnerships (such as CityDeals). Little is known about the governance capacities produced by these new ways of governing, their effectiveness, inclusiveness and legitimacy, or their ultimate benefit to future cities. This project will produce an Australian and international evidence-base to reveal and disseminate new knowledge on the actors, practices and processes involved in advancing urban governance innovations, their possibilities and limits. This new knowledge will benefit Australian cities as a support framework to help them recalibrate governance capacities and by informing national policies to help them fulfil their roles. The project will also benefit Australia by extending and deepening its international research linkages and nurturing the next generation of promising young urban scholars.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Past climate and environmental impacts on Great Barrier Reef paleoecology. This project aims to investigate the interconnected processes that led to past reef growth and demise. The iconic Great Barrier Reef and reefs globally are under threat. Yet reefs appear to have undergone cycles of death and recovery, though the causes are poorly understood. This project will reconstruct past climate, rainfall, water quality, coral bleaching and reef ecology feedbacks across Great Barrier Reef death events to establish which environmental stressors and paleoclimate variations are most critical for reef health. The outcomes will better constrain long term coral reef dynamics and provide significant benefits to those who manage reefs globally, since the Great Barrier Reef covers the full range of reef environments. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience The project will revolutionise understanding of climate-ecology feedback experienced by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – a unique World Heritage site. The project will capture the reef's natural range of variability and will give a clearer understanding of the timing rates and spatial variability of reef loss and recovery. An additional benefit is a more comprehensive understanding of climate, rainfall and drought variability in north Queensland and the tropical western Pacific, important for water managers and for improved climate modelling. This project will give environmental decision makers new quantitative information needed to maintain reef health and to ensure correct assessments of the state of the reef are made. Better reef management will benefit the ~$6.4 billion fisheries and tourism industries dependant on the Reef.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A smart functional lubricant for hot strip rolling. This project aims to develop a new generation smart lubricant system through an innovative polymer micro-encapsulation strategy that allows in-situ creation of hierarchical coating before rolling and during hot rolling contacts. This coating is expected to deliver the integrated lubrication and functions to suppress secondary and tertiary scale growth while providing effective lubrication during the hot rolling. This project will make a significant contribution to improved product yield, prolonged service life of work rolls, better strip surface quality, and overall improved process efficiency. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Liquid Metal for quench detection sensors and low resistance joints. This project aims to develop next-generation liquid metal-based superconducting joints and quench detection sensors to enable superconducting magnets to operate in “persistent mode”. This would make a significant contribution to improving the safety and performance of superconducting coil systems at a reduced cost. Furthermore, intelligent features will be formulated to prevent hazardous and inefficient operating conditions. The expected outcome is that an advanced superconducting coil system with improved stability and safety is delivered with newly developed liquid metal-based materials and relevant fabrication techniques. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Integrated Futures for the use of Motorised Mobility Devices. People using Motorised Mobility Devices (MMDs) face increased regulation. A pessimism exists about the future of MMDs because of the lack of evidence and explanation of MMD use in transport decision making. This project aims to fundamentally change knowledge about the everyday meanings and experiences of MMDs. The project seeks to provide comparative, trustworthy and in-depth baseline empirical data about how people who are reliant upon MMDs negotiate the current transport infrastructure. Expected outcomes with our Partner Organisation, Assistive Technology Services Australia, include a database of deliberative strategies. This project will benefit Australia’s urban and regional communities through a better understanding of transport. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Mapping dynamic lipid biochemistry with high spatial and molecular detail. Lipids are a complex and underappreciated family of molecules playing important roles in all of our tissues and cells. Yet, our fundamental knowledge of lipids is limited by current technology. This project aims to develop an innovative mass spectrometry imaging platform allowing lipid biochemistry to be visualised at a level of detail not before possible. This will push boundaries in molecular imaging technology and is expected to provide new fundamental knowledge about the structure, function and distributions of lipids in tissues and cells. Significant benefits should include providing new tools to unravel the functions and modifications of lipids in biology, that can be extended to many other research and industrial applications. Field of research: 0301 - Analytical Chemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Net-shape micro manufacturing of composite micro channels. This project aims to develop a high precision net-shape micro manufacturing technology for the production of composite micro channels in a one-step process with excellent overall performance in quality and productivity. The new technology will enhance the production of commercial micro channels which have extensive applications in micro-electromechanical systems, health, medical and communications industries. This project will improve the competitive advantage for Australia in the field of advanced manufacturing and has the potential to stimulate economic benefit and growth of the manufacturing industry. Field of research: 0910 - Manufacturing Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Assistive micro-navigation for vision impaired people. This project aims to develop novel algorithms to transform a simple camera into a smart sensor, that can enable a vision-impaired person to navigate freely and without additional aids in a crowded area. Such a smart sensor will be endowed with the capability to detect and locate obstacles, identify the walking path, recognise objects and traffic signs and convey step-by-step instructions to the user. The project outcomes are expected to improve the well-being and accessibility to public areas for vision-impaired people and reduce physical access disparities for this disadvantaged and vulnerable group. Furthermore, technologies developed in this project can potentially be adapted for use in related special navigation applications such as road safety, self-driving vehicles, and autonomous robots. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Mechanics of the shape of thin strip with varying thickness. This project aims to develop an innovative technology for the production of thin strip with controlled varying longitudinal thickness and shape. The project will propose a new thin strip rolling theory and strip shape control strategy providing an improved understanding of the mechanics of manufacturing thin strips with varying longitudinal thickness. The technology to manufacture rolled products with varying thickness for lightweight structures is in significant demand for the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries to reduce weight through optimum strip thickness and minimum joints. The benefits will include reduced weight, fuel consumption and construction time of automobiles and aircraft when the developed novel thin strip products are used, and therefore reducing manufacturing costs and negative environmental impacts. Field of research: 0910 - Manufacturing Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A place-based model for Aboriginal community-led solutions. This project aims to investigate the unique approaches used by Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to enable community ownership of holistic health and social programs in complex community settings. Focusing on a close analysis of regional south eastern NSW, the project will produce a robust theorisation of a place-based model for Aboriginal community-led solutions to health and social issues. This project will include mechanisms for the transfer and sharing of learnings to other locations, and the early engagement of key stakeholder groups to ensure the benefits from the project are accessible and widely disseminated. The project will also provide training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Nanostructures derived from metal-organic frameworks for sodium-ion batteries. This project aims to overcome poor reaction kinetics and the lack of effective anode materials owing to the large size of sodium-ions in high performance sodium-ion batteries. The project will explore a series of functional nanomaterials with unique nanostructures and complex compositions, enabled by metal-organic framework assisted synthetic methods. High performance sodium ion batteries are demonstrating great potential to meet the future demand for large-scale and low-cost stationary energy storage. However, their practical implementation is still hindered by their poor reaction kinetics and the lack of effective anode materials owing to the large size of sodium-ions. The project outcomes will promote the commercialisation of sodium ion batteries and power Australia’s sustainable economy in the long run. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Engineering of exotic electronic properties in atomically thin antimony. This project aims to introduce a new method of engineering electronic resistance properties of materials to reduce energy consumption in computation. Next-generation electronic devices require materials hosting current at near-zero resistance to reduce energy consumption and heat dissipation in computation. Using a novel air-stable topological material, the project will use band engineering techniques to enable the production of near-zero resistance electronic material. This project will advance the knowledge required for exploring and designing materials with novel electronic properties. The advanced materials engineering techniques and exotic phase of matter identified in this project will support the development of next-generation electronic device technologies. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering