UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Walking the city: Digital infrastructure for pedestrian mobility. Pedestrian access, flow and management are critical for urban life. However, compared to other forms of mobility pedestrian mobility is significantly more complex. Currently, various incompatible pedestrian route graphs in both outdoor and indoor environments render any analysis biased and non-transparent. This project aims to solve this problem by developing a universal and necessarily hierarchical pedestrian route graph to support critical applications such as urban walkability (health), space and asset management (guidance, flow management), and public safety (evacuation). In contrast to conventional algorithms, we will take a novel approach based on human cognition to define this universal graph and then integrate topology and geometry. Field of research: 0909 - Geomatic Engineering With growing urbanization and more than half of the world’s population already living in urban areas, pedestrian mobility is critical to the lives of millions. Modelling pedestrian movement and flow, and how people find their way in urban areas is the first step in improving pedestrian mobility through better design and management of urban communities. This project will deliver a novel, universal model of pedestrian mobility that has many benefits for Australia and beyond. A common standard across applications, such as urban walkability, space and asset management, and public safety, will improve data availability and provide economic benefits. Commercial benefits will be gained through the model’s competitive advantage for service providers involved in supplying Building Information Models or Geographic Information Systems. Social benefits will be gained through the model’s improvement in quality and trust in planning and service provision. Finally, environmental benefits will be achieved by removing impediments to change in urban environments, which creates more habitable and healthy urban communities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Alt-right discourse and ideology in Australia and its threat to democracy. This project aims to uncover the anti-democratic threat posed by the circulation of alt-right discourse and ideology in Australia. Responding to growing concern about online hate speech and violent acts committed by extremists inspired by alt-right ideas, the project seeks to map the online spread of alt-right discourse in Australia and analyse the transnational influences, ideology, strategies and public influence of the groups that promote such discourse. The project will establish a new footing for understanding recent developments in online extremism, engage policy makers and professionals working in the field, and, through its public-facing outcomes, add a new dimension to public debate on the impact of the internet on civil society. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies The project will provide social and cultural benefits that contribute to Australia’s national interest by expanding knowledge of the alt-right and the threat they pose to democratic norms and processes. Consistent with government priorities to address online-inspired violence, such knowledge will be of benefit to policy makers, civil society organisations and intelligence and security organisations presently grappling with the problem of how to deal with new forms of networked online extremism. A particular point of national benefit will be increased understanding of the transnational correspondences between extremist groups, which will add to knowledge of the global forces driving homegrown groups. Further national benefit will flow from dissemination of the research findings among the national and international research community through its national and international conference presentations and publications, which are intended to establish a strong international profile for the project and enhance the growing presence of Australian digital media scholarship on the international stage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Understanding the life and death of Mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Cell death of naïve T cells in lymphoid organs is well-understood. However, T cells only gain their function upon activation, and how activated T cells regulate their life or death remains unclear. Mucosal-associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are abundant in non-lymphoid tissues as key local players in immunity, and share some features of activated conventional T cells. This project aims to define how MAIT cell survival and death are controlled. It combines methods we developed to track MAIT cells in vivo with expertise in cell death analysis. This project is expected to elucidate the complex mechanisms controlling MAIT cell survival/death and increase our fundamental understanding of cell death mechanisms of activated T cells. Field of research: 1107 - Immunology This proposal seeks to understand the biochemical processes that determine life and death in a unique category of immune T lymphocytes (MAIT cells) that protect mammals from bacterial infections. These cells are unusually long lived and are present in most tissues where they provide local immunity. Understanding the biochemical basis of their longevity and what finally triggers their death will unlock fundamental factors controlling cell fate. The project will expand fundamental understanding of the immune system and is potentially applicable to other immune T cells. This would open opportunities to manipulate the longevity of T cells to increase immunity when helpful or dampen immunity when harmful, knowledge applicable to improved animal production, veterinary and human health. Building on background IP, outcomes have potential translational and commercial value as well as impacting on academic research. The project will also strengthen Australia’s research capacity by training of research higher degree students.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Proving the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory correspondence. This project aims to provide the first precise mathematical statement and geometric proof of the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory (LG/CFT) correspondence for simple singularities, a physically motivated principle that relates hypersurface singularities in algebraic geometry to representations of vertex algebras in conformal field theory. The formalism developed here is expected to clarify the nature of the correspondence and lead directly to generalisations beyond simple singularities, as well as provide a dictionary to translate methods of CFT into singularity theory and vice versa. These results will further cement Australia's reputation as an international leader in pure mathematics and mathematical physics research. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Fundamental research in mathematics and mathematical physics contributes to Australia's national interest in ways that are hard to anticipate because they often arise through unexpected interactions between fundamental science and commercial or economic activities. A case in point is quantum computing, which relies on a wide range of advances in fundamental science and is potentially a significant future industry in Australia. In the same way, the research proposed here has long-term potential for translation into new technologies, for example machine learning or quantum computing. In another direction, the involvement of PhD and MSc students in this proposal will train young Australians to the highest international level in mathematical research. While the precise mathematics involved may not be useful in domains outside of research, the research experience nonetheless develops highly transferable skills and attracts brilliant young scientists to work and live in Australia. An additional benefit is in facilitating interdisciplinary communication and promoting Australian research strengths internationally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Albrecht Dürer’s Material World – in Melbourne, Manchester and Nuremberg. This project aims to analyse prints in the world-class collection of the iconic Nuremberg artist, Albrecht Dürer, in Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, and to track their 20th-century migration as objects of civic identity from Manchester to Melbourne. A focus on Dürer’s fascination with the technology and craft of objects aims to show how his creativity was rooted in the vibrant entrepreneurial climate of Nuremberg c.1500 and to provide a new scholarly path for exploring the relationship between prints and material culture. Expected outcomes include major collaborative articles, an agenda-setting book, exhibitions, website, and community masterclass. These will benefit ongoing research, museums and galleries, and the broader public. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies An Australian-led international team aims to research Australia’s world-class collection of prints by the iconic Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, held in the National Gallery of Victoria. Manufactured objects such as metalwork and textiles from Melbourne, Manchester and Nuremberg collections will provide new ways to understand Dürer’s economic and creative success. The project will establish Australia as an agenda-setting location for research on Dürer and the history of manufacturing. Exhibitions and linked events will stimulate public engagement with Melbourne’s world-class collections and contribute significantly to its international reputation as a cultural powerhouse, driving arts and heritage tourism. The story of how the Dürer prints came to Australia from Manchester in 1956 will be revealed in twinned exhibitions in Melbourne and Manchester, prompting new connections between these cities which share a Victorian heritage and vibrant arts cultures. A new interdisciplinary model for exhibition collaboration will directly shape professional museum practice and benefit Australian audiences.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Banking System Competition and the Macro-economy. Australia has one of the most concentrated banking sectors in the world, generating concerns regarding its efficiency. This project aims to develop unified frameworks to understand and evaluate quantitatively how the structure of the banking industry affects the macro-economy and provide policy recommendations for establishing a healthy and efficient banking industry. This project expects to improve understanding of the welfare trade-off between bank competition and economic well-being to enable policymakers to better determine the optimal concentration of banking sector in Australia. This will enhance the productivity and international competitiveness of Australia’s financial system and the broader economy. Field of research: 1401 - Economic Theory Australian banking industry is one of the most concentrated banking sectors in the world. In 2017, the top five banks possessed nearly 94 percent of total bank assets. The lack of competition in the banking sector has raised serious concerns that the inefficiency in the financial system may reduce Australia’s economic growth and long-term living standards. The government stated its intention to address this concern by introducing initiatives to strengthen the “second tier” of smaller financial institutions that provide an alternative to the larger banks. Since 2010, this has remained an objective of each successive government. The proposed project will provide a long- and short-run perspective on how the structure of and frictions within the banking industry affect the aggregate economy to derive policy implications including how monetary and macro prudential policies can be formulated to enhance aggregate welfare by establishing a stable and efficient banking sector in Australia. Our findings will strengthen the international competitiveness of Australia’s financial system and the broader economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Cognitive Foundations of Fast Decision Making. This project aims to develop a new theory of fast decision making. In all walks of life, from the sports field to the battlefield, fast and accurate decisions are central to human performance. This project will develop and test mathematical models of the processes involved in making decisions with continuous choice sets and decisions requiring integration of multiple sources of information and decisions in which information varies over time. It is expected to contribute to our understanding of factors that characterise and limit human performance in settings in which fast and accurate decisions are required. It is expected to benefit the design of systems and environments in which safety and efficiency depend on human decision making. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology Human decision making and its consequences are ubiquitous in the culture and across the economy. In elite sport, the military, and occupations like air traffic control that require processing of complex visual displays in real time, the ability to make fast and accurate decisions distinguishes success from catastrophic failure. Such decisions depend on rapid matching of the elements of a perceived situation to existing knowledge rather than on deliberation or reflection. This project will develop and test mathematical models of cognitive processes common to decision making in diverse settings, including decisions made among a set of alternatives when interacting with the environment. It will consolidate Australia's leading role in an international, multidisciplinary research program into the cognitive and neural basis of decision making. It will yield national benefits by working out the factors that improve the accuracy of fact decisions. Application of this knowledge will be critical to social, economic and industrial settings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Unravelling the complexities of cell death pathways . This project aims to test if cells can flexibly rewire their cell death pathways to ensure that the absence or inhibition of one type of cell death can be compensated through the triggering of another. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of programed cell death, and more specifically will address why cells have multiple programmed ways to die. Expected outcomes of this project include the provision of unprecedented insights into the molecular regulation of how cells orchestrate and integrate cell death pathways. This should provide significant benefits, such as providing the knowledge base needed to improve our abilities to manipulate cell death both in basic research and commercial applications of cell death. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The knowledge generated by the project and the high-level international training of HDR students will increase our understanding of cell death and provide new ways of manipulating cell death. Manipulation of cell death is a key component in the manufacturing of so-called ‘biologicals’ that are used widely as research tools and therapeutics. Biologicals make up a large share of new drug developments, with the global market for biologicals, such as monoclonal antibodies estimated worth over U$130,000,000. The intellectual property generated through this project can therefore be further developed by Australian Biotechnology companies into novel products for veterinary and health services. This will increase competitiveness of the biotechnology sector in Australia, thus leading to enhanced productivity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Justice in the Streets? Responses to Public Homelessness and Public Dissent. This project focuses on legal and social regulation of city streets, including the impact on the increasing numbers of Australians experiencing public homelessness or engaging in public protest. Typical legal and policy responses tend towards criminalisation, exclusion and surveillance; the consequences for affected individuals include intensified social stratification and disadvantage along with risks of involvement in the criminal justice system. This project examines legal, social and municipal strategies regarding public homelessness and public protest and investigates their impact on individuals and groups affected. Expected benefits include proposals for ways of reforming law and policy to achieve ‘spatial justice’ in city streets. Field of research: 1801 - Law This project facilitates Australian social inclusion by investigating the ways we respond to public homelessness and public protest, both of which can involve unauthorised use or occupation of city streets. The conventional responses of criminalisation, exclusion and surveillance have been shown to result in intensified social stratification and in increased numbers of individuals within the criminal justice system. Research shows that criminal justice involvement and social exclusion adversely impact on employment capacity and on individual and social well-being. With homelessness in Australian cities on the rise and increasing numbers of individuals taking part in public protest, authorities face the challenge of developing laws and policies that maintain social order without exacerbating social disadvantage. This project will make a valuable contribution to that challenge by investigating the impact of existing law and policy on affected individuals and proposing new ideas to achieve ‘justice in the streets’.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dispersal and recruitment of species across landscapes: a new synthesis. This project aims to ask: does failure to disperse successfully across landscapes limit the abundances and diversity of species in habitat patches? This is a central question in ecology. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the links between dispersal success and population numbers by using recent advances in river ecology that have overcome logistical barriers to hypothesis tests. Expected outcomes include new insights into why dispersal failures occur and how they are associated with low population numbers. Benefits should include improved advice to conservation managers about extinction risks, and unique, tangible outcomes for fundamental ecological research in Australia that will spring from international collaboration. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology This research will produce high-impact findings to help solve a core question in ecology, which will be of great interest to the international community. As such, a major national benefit is that the project will enhance Australia’s research capability and competitiveness out on the international stage, which is a key aspect of the ARC’s charter. Moreover, the project will also inject new ideas for preventing biodiversity losses. The 2016 Federal Government’s State of the Environment report highlighted that Australian biodiversity continues to decline and that we lack the knowledge and tools to stop it. This research will firstly provide fresh methods for measuring ecosystem health that will provide more insightful data. Secondly, the research will focus attention onto human impacts that exacerbate population bottlenecks, which put species at risk of extinction. Such risks have been amplified immensely by recent, catastrophic bush fires, and so research of this kind is urgent. Our re-focused way of looking at human impacts should result in fresh solutions for protecting Australia’s biodiversity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Light new particles at electron-positron colliders. This project aims to perform new searches for light feebly interacting particles. The existence of these particles can address long-standing open problems within the Standard Model of Particle Physics, such as the nature of dark matter or mysteries surrounding the origin of the Higgs mass. This project aims to use the unprecedented dataset of the Belle II electron-positron collider experiment and new theoretical techniques to reveal the existence of light new particles, placing Australian researchers in a position to lead a major discovery of new physics phenomena to complete the theory of the universe at the smallest scale. Predictions for future experiments at high and low collision energies will also be developed. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics This project places Australian researchers at the centre of a global hunt for new light feebly interacting particles, which could provide an explanation for the particle nature of dark matter or solve puzzles surrounding the Higgs boson's mass. Resolving these questions will have historic impact comparable to the initial discovery of the Higgs boson, both in the field and to society. This research will maintain Australia's role at the forefront of particle physics research, and provides unique training in theoretical physics, big data science and particle detector technology: all of which have applications outside the field, such as medical imaging, and complex data modelling for industry and government. This program will generate new knowledge, where outcomes will be disseminated within the scientific community and to the general public, where results are expected to excite interest in fundamental science.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Artificial light at night as a driver of evolutionary change. This project aims to investigate whether artificial light at night drives evolutionary change using a combination of field observations, laboratory experiments and advanced genetic techniques. This multi-disciplinary study expects to provide a significant advance in understanding of the impact of light at night for animals and will enhance our capacity to predict the outcome of future urban expansions for all species. The outcomes will have broad implications for estimating the future biodiversity and health of our urban areas and will benefit both globally and within Australia by providing much needed data regarding the likely resilience of species currently residing in our major cities. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology This cross-disciplinary project will aid our understanding of the long term evolutionary impact of artificial light at night and enhance international collaboration in the field. The data will be of significance, and provide much needed data, for a wide range of stakeholders involved in the areas of urban planning and biodiversity monitoring, including government agencies, the lighting industry and the wider public. It will increase the profile of Australia in the burgeoning field of ecological light pollution and create an outstanding international networking and research platform for at least three early career scientists. The outcomes will have broad implications for estimating the future biodiversity and health of our urban areas and provide much needed data regarding the likely resilience of species currently residing in our major cities.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Multiscale models in immuno-epidemiology. The spread of a pathogen (for example, a virus or bacteria) through a population is a multi-scale phenomena, influenced by factors acting at both the population and within-host scales. At the population scale, transmission is influenced by how infectious an infected host is. Infectiousness in turn depends on the balance between pathogen replication within the host and immune/drug control mechanisms. This project aims to develop new mathematical frameworks for simultaneously modelling these two scales. This will provide a platform for the rigorous study of complex biological interactions - such as the emergence and combat of drug-resistance - that shape society's ability to control infectious diseases in human, animal and plant systems. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics Infectious diseases - of humans, animals and plants - pose a continuing threat to Australia's health and economic prosperity. Their successful control, or maintenance of existing control (in health, agriculture and the natural environment), is crucial. Mathematical modelling is a key capability required for this control as it provides the tools necessary to predict the likely impact of interventions, interpret data and contribute to our understanding of the fundamental biological processes of infection and transmission. In particular, disease spread is a multi-scale process resulting from how a pathogen replicates within an individual host and is then able to transmit to another host. This project - by developing mathematical frameworks that allow this process to be modelled and studied - will directly contribute to an improved understanding of disease transmission and ultimately to more effective control of infectious diseases.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Gravity Current Driven Smoke Dispersion In a Stratified Ambient. Smoke from bushfires transported by gravity currents, and known to occur nationwide, caused the shutdown of businesses, education and events in Canberra in 2019. Recent scientific investigations have shown that the speed of propagation and concentration of smoke in these three-dimensional gravity currents have a long term ‘memory’ of their initial configuration. In this project, high-fidelity computational and experimental techniques will be used to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of gravity current entrainment and propagation. This knowledge will set a strong foundation to improve operational forecasts of smoke transport that will allow government agencies to better respond to the negative impact of these complicated flows. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering Pollution from bushfire smoke impacts community and business activities in many big Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Gravity currents, which are the flow caused by difference in fluid density, is one of the major ways in which smoke is transported from bushfire affected areas and was the cause of smoke inundation in Canberra, 2019. Despite its common occurrence, the flow physics of gravity currents are still very poorly understood. This research will elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of gravity currents entrainment and propagation, providing a strong foundation to improve operational forecasts of smoke dispersion that will benefit fire, meteorological, and environmental agencies. The research outputs will lead to better understanding and prediction of the speed and concentration of smoke transport due to gravity currents which will directly benefit the wider community. Through our research network we will engage risk analysts and community managers within Australian state-based fire agencies to develop practical utilisation strategies as a result of this research program.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Demographic and evolutionary inferences from large, whole-genome datasets. A new data structure for genome-wide datasets has allowed great improvements in the efficiency of genomic data storage and in population genomics simulations, which are crucial to developing and testing mathematical models of population history and species evolution. We will take these advances in new directions, using efficient data structures to dramatically improve inferences about: the demographic histories of populations, rates of genome change, and phylogenetic networks, and we will develop the first inference methods for the multispecies coalescent with recombination. Outcomes will include advances in understanding the evolutionary histories of humans and other species, including pathogens of importance for global health. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics Our research will improve computational methods for analysing genetic data to determine ancestral history applicable to animals, plants and humans. The project will develop improved statistical models for genetic processes such as the development of mutations leading to the acquisition of antibiotic resistance in microbes and insecticide resistance in pests. Understanding and predicting these forms of drug resistance are crucial to managing infections and control of pests that threaten our agricultural sector. The methods will also have applications in forensic medicine and family ancestry mapping. The helping technology will enhance analyses of how the malaria parasite evades the human immune system, to control of this major disease of humans, as well as informing control and elimination of pathogenic and insect-borne diseases. Development of these new methods will help create new knowledge while training computational scholars, enhancing Australia’s approach to global health challenges, conservation and effective management of our environment.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Dissecting non-equilibrium effects in wall turbulence. This project aims to progress understanding of wall-bounded turbulent flows under non-equilibrium conditions. The focus is on turbulent flows over rough surfaces where the bulk flow decelerates along the streamwise length of the surface. Such flows are regularly encountered in important practical applications, such as over the trailing edge of an airplane wing or inside a flow diffuser, which are ubiquitous in industry. Novel experiments and numerical simulations will provide the definitive data needed in order to uncover the scaling laws of these flows, thus enabling their reliable prediction. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering The effects of turbulence on fluids, including air, are far-reaching. Turbulent flows near solid surfaces or wall-bounded turbulence are everywhere: they are central to skin friction drag on aircraft and ships, the flux of water vapour and CO2 from the ocean’s surface, and the interchange of nutrients in river beds, to name a few. While our understanding of these flows has been limited by a lack of verified models, recent advances in experimental hardware and computers provide new tools with potential to unravel these complex interactions. This project addresses one of the most challenging of the class of wall-bounded turbulent flows, which is commonly found in practical applications. Better predictions of such flows will improve the way we operate in many areas of science and engineering that involve turbulent flows. Increased energy efficiency in transportation will provide commercial, economic and environmental benefit to all Australia. Better models of industrial flows will benefit the environment and the commercial success of many sectors throughout Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Economics of Biased Beliefs: Implications for Diversity Gaps in Workplaces. By developing state-of-the-art experimental and behavioural methodologies to study biased belief formation, this project aims to improve our understanding of the factors contributing to diversity gaps in labour market outcomes in Australia. The project investigates biases in the beliefs formed about the performance of women and minorities, and how these biases can be reduced through policy interventions and improved organisational structures. Expected outcomes include informing policy makers of appropriate interventions and expanding scholarly knowledge of the economic impact of discrimination. The insights gained will enhance Australia’s economic performance by improving workplace diversity and dynamics. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics As the global economy becomes increasingly competitive, there is growing recognition that greater diversity in key decision-making roles can better position organisations to respond and prosper in a competitive global market. Despite the recognised need to increase diversity in both private and public sectors, evidence suggests that differences in labour market outcomes, such as financial compensation and leadership, continue to exist along gender and ethnic lines in Australia. This project aims to investigate a key contributing factor to these outcomes by examining biases in beliefs that impact performance evaluation. The specific target groups in our study are women and Asian-Australians. An important aspect of the project is to evaluate possible interventions that reduce the biases in performance evaluation. The findings will therefore help inform policies targeted at increasing female and minority representation in decision-making roles across all levels of society within Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer search, and platform adoption. This should yield substantial benefit by modernizing competition policy for the digital age through novel data-driven screens for collusion, and policies to encourage platform adoption and enable consumers’ use of data in decision-making to increase competition in markets. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics Online information platforms are revolutionizing markets both in Australia and worldwide, yet little is known about their impact on competition in markets. This project leverages large, real-time datasets on companies’ pricing and consumers’ search decisions along with policy experiments to create new economic models of collusion and consumer search that will inform competition policy in the digital age. This includes the creation of data-driven screens for collusion, and incentive- and information-based policies for encouraging the adoption and use of online search platforms. By promoting informed decision making by consumers and discouraging collusive pricing among companies, this project will help ensure competitive outcomes in Australian and international markets where online search platforms and `open data’ policies are emerging such as healthcare, banking, energy, petrol, or superannuation. Moreover, our research will inform the targeting of platform adoption and use policies to help socio-economically disadvantaged groups reduce both their discretionary and non-discretionary cost of living.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Uncovering New Physics with Advances in the Cosmic Microwave Background. This project aims to measure how quickly the Universe is expanding by looking at images of the Big Bang's primordial fireball that will be made by two new astronomical surveys. These improved measurements are expected to test our current understanding of cosmology, with the potential to discover new constituents or new physics in the Universe. Answering these questions about the Universe will have far-reaching consequences for our knowledge of fundamental physics. The project will also train students and researchers in data science and petabyte-scale data processing, contributing to a highly skilled STEM workforce. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences Origin stories, "Where did we come from?", are significant to all human societies as they speak to identity and purpose. By studying how the universe began, this project will contribute to understandings of our origins, providing cultural benefits to all Australians that emphasise the role of scientific inquiry in modern society. Outreach to schools and media advances the national goal of "Engaging all Australians with science"; astronomy is a gateway to STEM fields because it inspires the general public. National benefits include building Australia's scientific capability by training the next generation of scientists and engineers in advanced scientific analysis and practical skills in ‘Data Science’. It will also enable the transfer of key data science technology from international partners to Australia. Experience shows that many project members will cross over to industrial, financial and technology sectors, bringing state-of-the-art data science skills to Australian industry, enhancing innovation in these critical fields.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Submerged Histories: Memory Activism in Indonesia and the Netherlands. This project aims to investigate the recent emergence of joint Indonesian and Dutch activism to demand recognition of submerged and marginalised cases of historical violence, economic exploitation and racism. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the interdisciplinary field of memory studies by discovering the motivations, strategies and future plans of these unique forms of collaboration. Expected outcomes of this project include new insights into how these activists are affecting change in public institutions such as museums and setting trends in global social movements. This should provide significant benefits for understanding how memory activism is changing complex multi-ethnic societies. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies The Australian nation comprises Indigenous people and people from diverse countries, some with complex experiences of historical violence that continue to shape their lives. This project explores growing calls for greater public recognition of such historical experiences and their ongoing impact upon individuals, communities and the nation. Its national and social benefits lie in providing the basis for an enhanced understanding of how Australian public and cultural institutions can enable recognition of historical experiences of violence and contribute to social cohesion. Research outcomes will be disseminated in accessible forums and lead the public conversation on historical legacies and contemporary social inclusion. The project will strengthen Australia’s research profile in global memory studies, building interdisciplinary research capacity in areas critical to the public humanities. It will create strategic international research linkages by bringing together scholars of Asia, Europe and Australia to collaborate in areas of high mutual and social benefit.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Innovative composite systems with enhanced resilience to extreme loads. The rapidly increasing global population (projected to be 9.8 billion by 2050) and global urbanisation have created a demand for the construction industry, thereby increasing the pressure on our planet’s limited resources for the construction industry. This high demand can yield detrimental effects to the environment due to the high carbon footprint of conventional construction materials, and is amplified by the threat of accidental or deliberate extreme loadings to buildings, which can trigger fatal progressive collapse events. The proposed project aims to develop an innovative structural system with that possesses superior structural resilience to extreme loads and progressive collapse using lightweight eco-friendly materials. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering The project addresses significant problems in the construction industry, that is environmental impacts and structural resilience under extreme loads to avoid disastrous building collapse, by proposing hybrid sustainable structural systems that can shape the future of the industry. This will reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry, which globally contributes 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of future building structures by using an innovative, holistic approach which will enhance the resilience of proposed hybrid system. The innovative design of the proposed hybrid sustainable system and standardised design guidelines will allow the new class of structures to be used for future buildings with immense potential to revolutionise the construction sector in Australia and overseas, thereby propelling Australia as a global leader in construction technologies. The project will contribute to social and economic sustainability in Australia and around the world by lifting the market share of the construction industry and creating jobs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Understanding the Origin and Development of Extreme and Mega Bushfires. Extreme and megafires result in significant damage to property and infrastructure and are associated with large suppression costs. These events form when separate fires Merge. Their increase occurrence in recent seasons highlights the importance of developing tools and technologies that better predict extreme events to aid fire response and inform strategies for greater resilience. This project combines fire field experiments with computer modelling to determine factors driving extreme fire development, and develop new knowledge and models. These enable better prediction of active fires, enhance the knowledge base of fire managers for critical decision making and to improve risk modelling and mitigation planning for fire-prone communities. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Australia has recently experienced several instances of extreme fire development and megafire formation because of merging fires. Merging fires create large-scale fire fronts resulting in disproportionate risks to environmental, economic and human assets. Indeed, average costs relating to bushfire amount to over $300 million per annum, while extreme events can cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage in an afternoon. Our proposed research into extreme and megafire dynamics will lead to improved risk assessment methodologies, more accurate tools to assist fire managers and fire behaviour analysts, and better understanding of societal and environmental impacts. As such, the proposed research is of significant national benefit as it provides a means to improve the way we prepare for and respond to catastrophic bushfires, and alleviate the considerable costs associated with bushfires.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Activity-based chemogenetics: a novel approach to modulating brain function. Aim: To unravel the astounding complexity of the vertebrate brain by developing a completely novel method, that enables manipulation of the activity of defined nerve cells to study behaviour. Significance: Such technical advances are essential for understanding the intricate function of the brain. Expected outcomes: We will provide a technical advance of broad scope that will lead to novel neuroscience throughout the world. We will also increase understanding of body weight control through the experiments planned to validate our tool. Benefit: Our technical advance has the potential to alter experimental protocols, and the information obtained by experimental neuroscience, across all areas attempting to understand brain function. Field of research: 0606 - Physiology Understanding how the brain functions is a frontier of International scientific research and of broad interest to humanity. Our understanding is impeded by the complexity of brain organization and requires novel experimental tools that enable selective modulation of the activity of specific brain cells. We have developed a new method for inhibiting brain cells and shown the utility of this method. Our research proposes to extend its use to become specific for different cell types in a controllable way using small molecule drugs to turn inhibition on and off. We also will adapt the technology to specifically excite cells in a controllable manner. These approaches will provide unprecedented control of neurons within brain circuits and open the way to novel understanding of many brain functions applicable to understanding cognitive processes, behavioural pyschology and neurological disease. This will benefit Australian and International researchers as they seek to understand the brain's complexity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

When stabilization and optimization meet: a codesign approach. The next generation of engineered systems need to perform complex tasks with precision, and be robust, resilient and adaptive to their environment enabled by the confluence of control, optimization, learning and computation Understanding the interplay between robust stability and optimization is key to this endeavor. Many techniques, such as model predictive control and reinforcement learning, rely on an intricate interplay between an optimization-based control algorithm and an optimization routine used to calculate the control law. This project aims to develop a general design framework for stability, suboptimality and robustness of such algorithms, that can be used in range of novel applications, such as driverless cars and drones. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering Our technological world relies on the continual advancement of omnipresent engineered systems operating across our society. This project will explore the design of advanced control algorithms used in engineered systems by addressing fundamental properties of important classes of optimization-based controllers. The capabilities of these engineered systems will be enhanced considerably through artificial intelligence, which can learn about their environment, adapt to it and perform complex tasks with precision. Operating autonomously, this next generation of engineered systems will be essential for smart highways, driverless cars, swarms of drones, various types of robots and advanced manufacturing systems to name a few examples. Project outcomes will benefit transportation, environmental monitoring and defence, improve our quality of life in overpopulated cities by providing better use of our energy and water, reducing pollution and waste. Finally, it will provide economic benefits to Australia by maintaining and growing our competitive edge in the global market.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Developing the dunnart as a marsupial model for conservation research. The Australian bushfire crisis of 2020 has taken an enormous toll on our unique wildlife. With no halt in sight to rising global temperatures, more extreme weather events are predicted to increase in frequency and severity. We simply must act now to preserve our unique native mammals in Australia and safeguard against species loss and irreversible declines in genetic diversity. This project will develop methods for the generation and preservation of stem cells from a range of our most endangered and vulnerable marsupial species. These cells not only allow us to ‘bank’ species and genetic diversity but also provide a route to enabling genetic manipulation, opening up a completely new niche for conservation biology in marsupials. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology Marsupials are iconic to Australia, but we have the worst rate of mammal extinctions of any continent in the past 200 years. Many native marsupial species remain threatened due to habitat destruction and introduced pests and their vulnerability has been exemplified by the recent bush fires. While ongoing conservation management strategies are important for delaying extinction, permanent solutions would have immeasurable value for conserving biodiversity for the benefit of future generations. By developing methods for stem cell generation and preservation in marsupial, this project will not only provide valuable information on marsupial biology, it will also greatly enhance our capacity protect marsupials from further extinctions by developing new technologies for novel conservation approaches for our most iconic and precious fauna.