UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

From cells to whales: A mathematical framework to understand navigation. This project aims to understand what drives the navigation of small and large organisms. To achieve this, the project seeks to develop a mathematical framework that unifies models of navigation, communication and uncertainty, for the first time. This is significant as navigation underpins fundamental behaviour such as migration. Expected outcomes of this project include novel insights into the mechanisms underlying navigation, and new mathematical techniques required to construct the framework. The mathematical framework will be employed to explore and explain critical biological phenomena such as the impact of noise pollution on whale migration, and the conditions required for successful cellular navigation. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Beyond Skin-Deep: Social and Emotional Work in the Beauty Industry . Hair and beauty salon workers are in frequent contact with diverse members of the community. This project aims to investigate the under-explored role that salon workers play in the emotional lives of their clients. It also aims to understand how salon workers might be a unique avenue for addressing pressing social issues such as family violence, mental health, and social isolation. Expected outcomes include co-designed solutions to facilitate connection between community services and salon workers, to utilise salon workers as a community resource as well as more effectively support workers in negotiating an emotionally complex workplace. Field of research: 2002 - Cultural Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Harnessing innate immunity to mitigate bovine respiratory disease. Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most significant health problem faced by the beef industry worldwide, causing economic losses of up to $40 million annually in Australia alone. This Project aims to assess an immunostimulant for its ability to induce resistance to infection with bovine respiratory viruses associated with BRD. The Project is expected to generate fundamental new knowledge in veterinary virology. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications. The Project will provide significant benefits, such as advances to fundamental knowledge, training of higher research degree students and proof-of-concept data to promote collaborations with commercial partners to develop novel treatment strategies to limit BRD. Field of research: 0702 - Animal Production Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a major health problem faced by the beef industry in Australia and worldwide where feedlot-based beef production is practiced. BRD is a multifactorial condition involving viral and bacterial pathogens and is associated with economic losses of up to $40 million annually in Australia alone. Current vaccines and antimicrobial treatments have not been effective in reducing this disease. This Project will investigate an alternative prevention strategy in the form of an immunostimulant which can be administered intranasally, at feedlot entry, to activate innate immunity and provide immediate defence against multiple respiratory pathogens. Immunostimulants have the potential to improve animal welfare, feedlot productivity and profitability by improving weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in cattle by decreasing the incidence of BRD. The outcomes of this Project have the potential to transform treatment of BRD in Australia and worldwide, promoting effective beef production and reducing reliance on antibiotics in the beef industry for treatment of BRD.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Single particle imaging: x-ray imaging of individual dynamic biomolecules. X-ray lasers produce powerful ultra-short pulses of light that can take temporal snap shots of small radiation-sensitive biological complexes. Thanks to superconducting technology, the next generation of x-ray lasers will be able to produce x-ray pulses at greater rates than ever before. But because of the sheer number of possible molecular configurations, these molecular movies will have only a small amount of data per frame, posing an enormous challenge for current imaging methods. I aim to meet this challenge by developing an innovative multi-conformational image reconstruction algorithm. This will provide a new window into the molecular dynamics of biological systems, the building blocks of life, and enable rational drug design. Field of research: 0205 - Optical Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Personalised assistive robotic systems: Optimised collaborative teaming . Robotic assistance for humans performing physical tasks provides significant benefits in various sectors from advanced manufacturing and defence through to rehabilitation, prosthetics and aged care. However, most robotic systems are designed with an average user in mind rather than tailored to the individual. This innovative project will focus on developing new techniques for adapting the interface between human and robotic systems, leading to personalised physical interactions that outperform traditional approaches in achieving a shared performance goal even in unstructured environments. The tools developed will be demonstrated using state-of-the-art facilities, and will leverage the unique skill sets of the international project team. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering Two of Australia's main challenges over future decades revolve around an ageing population and maintaining a high-value added manufacturing industry. Assistive robotic systems offer significant potential benefit in both these (and more) domains by alleviating manual tasks from users, yet the uptake has been limited. One contributing factor is the assistive robotic systems are, for cost reasons, typically designed around a population-averaged human model, leading to less than optimal performance amongst for a given individual. This project will utilise recent developments in systems theory and human motor dynamics to provide methods that can personalise collaborations between humans and robotic systems, thereby leading to higher performance without compromising on cost of the assistive robotic platform. The outcomes will be demonstrated in our state-of-the-art facilities, and communicated through extensive industry networks to enhance the benefit to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Liberalism, Youth, and the Practice of Politics in India. This project investigates the role of youth in India in challenging or defending notions of equality and freedom. The project will generate new knowledge on liberalism, youth, and political practice using an innovative approach to data collection termed project ethnography and deploying interdisciplinary methods. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced capacity in Indian studies in Australia, new interdisciplinary collaborations around the topic of youth agency, the development of theory related to liberalism and youth, and a refined set of methods applicable to youth research. Benefits would include greater India literacy in Australia, better knowledge of youth action globally, and an enhanced knowledge base for policymakers. Field of research: 1604 - Human Geography This project examines the role of youth in undermining or defending liberalism in the sense of a belief in formal equality and individual freedoms. This is explored with reference to India, a country that contains a quarter of all the world's young people and which is crucial for the future of Australia. Through innovative methods, the project will examine whether and how Indian youth are challenging notions of equal rights and individual freedom or defending these principles. The project emphasises a need to train early career researchers in qualitative research. It also stresses building networks with scholars in other countries and disciplines, leading to enhanced capacity in Indian studies in Australia. In focussing on liberal values and youth, the project would inform policymakers in Australia on key aspects of social change in India, including government, NGOs and foundations, and improve public understanding of India in Australia through disseminating research findings in an accessible way to a wide range of audiences.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The role of gene isoforms in human brain development. This project aims to investigate how genes vary their products to control human brain development, by creating new methods to study gene activity in individual brain cells. Using these innovative methods, this project expects to generate fundamental new knowledge of how the human brain forms. Expected outcomes of this project include widely applicable techniques, strengthened international (UK) research collaborations and highly trained personnel in genomics and neuroscience. This should deliver many benefits, including a better understanding of how the brain forms, training of higher degree by research students, as well as tools and methods of benefit to the academic research and biotechnology sectors. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics This project will contribute to Australia’s national interest in a number of ways. Outcomes will include widely applicable new techniques and software tools for genomic analysis. These will form the basis for intellectual property development and could be of use in agriculture, environmental monitoring, biotechnology and human health services. In the medium-term our tools have the potential to improve the productivity and competitiveness of these areas, benefiting the Australian economy. The training of students and junior scientists in cutting-edge stem-cell and genomics techniques and in software development will provide them with valuable skills they can apply in the knowledge and biotechnology economy, bringing economic and commercial benefits. In the long-term, an improved understanding of how the human brain forms and functions will likewise improve our understanding of human behaviour. This will have economic and social benefits by facilitating the design of social programs better suited to the needs of all members of society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Improving the avoidance and prediction of turbulence from thunderstorms. One of the most critical weather-related safety issues for aviation is atmospheric turbulence caused by thunderstorms. Thunderstorm-generated turbulence is responsible for frequent serious injuries and significant costs to airlines that are ultimately passed on to passengers. Using extensive new data, case studies and state-of-the-art simulations, this project aims to improve our understanding of the dynamics and behaviour of thunderstorm-generated turbulence and its representation in weather forecast models. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of new methods to avoid and predict turbulence for use by the aviation industry. This research should provide significant benefits, such as safer and more efficient air travel. Field of research: 0401 - Atmospheric Sciences Turbulence is the leading cause of weather-related aviation accidents and costs the global aviation industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Of all the turbulence sources, thunderstorm-generated turbulence is the leading contributor to injuries; it is particularly relevant in thunderstorm-prone regions of Australian airspace (e.g., Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin), and flights to Asia and across the Pacific, where tropical thunderstorms are prevalent. Yet, methods to avoid and predict thunderstorm-generated turbulence have been mostly unchanged for decades, making commercial aviation more dangerous and less efficient than it should be. This project will use extensive new turbulence datasets and state-of-the-art simulation capability to study thunderstorm-generated turbulence and develop new methods for its avoidance and prediction. The research outcomes will ultimately lead to safer and more efficient air travel for all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Fairness in Natural Language Processing. Natural language processing (NLP) has achieved spectacular commercial successes in recent years, and has been deployed across an ever-increasing breadth of devices and application areas. At the same time, there has been stark evidence to indicate that naively-trained models amplify biases in training data, and perform inconsistently across text relating to different demographic groupings of individuals. This project aims to systematically quantify the extent of such biases, and develop models that are both more socially equitable, as well as less prone to expose private data in the learned representations. In doing so, it will make NLP more accessible to new populations of users, and remove socio-technological barriers to NLP uptake. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing As AI technologies becoming increasingly pervasive, it is critical that they work equally well for all members of our society, irrespective of age, gender, and cultural and linguistic background. This is particularly pertinent in Australia, one of the most diverse nations in the world in terms of multilingualism and multiculturalism. This project will systematically quantify the degree of inequality that exists in current AI technologies for different segments of society and develop methods to mitigate these inequalities. This will remove a potentially damaging bias when AI is used as part of the decision making in life-impacting applications such as loan approvals or criminal sentencing and extend the benefits of AI to encompass all Australian demographics and socio-economic classes, including benefits in productivity gains, reduced human error, and accelerated innovation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Creating subject-specific mathematical models to understand the brain. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework that bridges the different scales of brain activities to provide a new tool for understanding the brain. Methods will be developed that unify individual neural activity with large scale brain activity. The approach will be validated by comparing predictions of interconnected models of neural populations (called mean-field models) to experimental data. The creation of subject-specific models from data is important, as there is large variability in neural circuits between individuals despite seemingly similar network activity. The intended outcome is new insights into the processes that govern brain function and methods for improving functional imaging of, and interfacing to, the brain. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics This project will provide a framework to enable the creation of subject-specific neural circuit diagrams. Through this project we will link the activities of microscopic neurons to macroscopic brain behaviour, providing a novel technique for neuroimaging. This technique will enable insights into brain function and provide potential benefits for understanding and treating neurological disorders as well as for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The outcomes may be applied to better image and understand the brain, and in turn develop powerful bioinspired computing technologies; this will provide benefits to Australia by advancing commercial application of AI. The outcomes will also enable new physiologically- and scientifically-grounded ways to track, monitor and modulate brain states in health and disease using bionic or brain-computer interface technology; this will have a significant impact on the treatment of neurological conditions in the future through greater understanding of diseases, improved diagnostics and subsequent treatments.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Adaptive reprogramming of metabolism in regeneration. . Biologists have long been intrigued at the phenomenon of organ regeneration. Unlike most human organs, the liver exhibits the remarkable capacity to regenerate. Despite decades of research, the molecular underpinnings of liver regeneration are poorly understood. This research proposal aims to use zebrafish to elucidate the pathways involved in sensing injury and activating an adaptive transcriptional and metabolic response to orchestrate regeneration. Ultimately, this works aims to understand the metabolic requirements for regeneration. Expected outcomes include scholarly publications revealing fundamental principles of regeneration, new resources and pipelines for the research community as well as training for research students. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The studies outlined will provide fundamental insights into the role that metabolism plays in regulating growth during organ regeneration. We will leverage our innovative imaging, metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches in zebrafish to illuminate the key role Nrf2 plays in reprogramming metabolism to fuel tissue growth during organ regeneration. Our multidisciplinary studies will forge strong collaborative ties across research organizations, enhancing Australia’s research capacity, producing high impact research. We anticipate that a better understanding of the metabolic requirements for tissue growth and regeneration will reveal important molecular insights that will provide opportunities for future pharmacological and commercial development. For example, there is the possibility that our insights into the metabolic requirements for tissue growth may have commercial value for the fisheries industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Digital photography: mediation, memory and visual communication. This project aims to address the social impact of major shifts in the production, distribution, viewing and storage of photographic images which have profoundly altered their everyday use. By adopting an interdisciplinary, user-centred approach to digitally networked photography, the project will provide a more holistic understanding of how photographs mediate communication, sociality and memory in the present. Expected outcomes include generating original empirical data, building international collaboration, and creating a new conceptual framework for assessing contemporary photographic practices. The research will provide community benefit by enabling insight into the social and ethical tensions affecting photography in the present. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies Taking and sharing photographs is a popular activity engaged in by millions of Australians. This project will examine profound changes in how photographs are made, circulated, viewed and stored in digitally networked societies. While photographic technology has never been so widely available, understanding this availability simply as ‘democratization’ is complicated by the growing use of photographs as data-collection tools, with digital images becoming subject to new forms of algorithmic analysis. Experiences such as receiving ‘memories’ individually curated by a software program from a set of personal photographs raise new social and ethical questions. This project aims to generate rich empirical data about user experience in order to provide a more holistic account of the contribution of everyday photography to practices of communication, memory and the mediation of social life in the present. The key benefit to the Australian community expected from this research is an evidence-based, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the social and ethical tensions affecting photography today.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The Abbey Art Centre: Reassessing postwar Australian art, 1946–1956. In fully documenting Australian artists who worked at the Abbey Arts Centre, London, 1946-56, and the British and European avant-garde in which they mixed, this DP throws light on this historically neglected art colony and recasts conventional understandings of post-WW2 Australian artists’s role in the European postwar period. At a time when this period is being extensively revised within a postcolonial frame, this DP is a timely contribution to current art historiography that will add significance to Australian art, especially within global institutional contexts. Outcomes include a state gallery exhibition, monograph and catalogue for retail, and potential additions of artworks and archives to national collections. Field of research: 1901 - Art Theory and Criticism By developing new knowledge about the depth and breadth of the involvement of Australian artists with post-WW2 European artists and intellectuals and the connections they forged both in Europe and with developments in Australia, we will will provide new insights into the impact of WW2, the demise of European empires and the rise of the postcolonial world order on Australian national culture, including their legacy in the contemporary realignments of identities that today disturb national polities in Australia and across the globe. As windows onto individual and collective social feelings, the arts offer unique insights into the life of a place, a time and a nation, and are increasingly recognized for being as important as economic and political factors in understanding and finding solutions to social disaffection. Further, working with scholars involved in the current international interest in developing new perspectives on national cultures in the post-WW2 period, we will strengthen Australia’s place in international research and the wider art world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The cost of roughness: predicting the drag penalty of fouled ship hulls. Roughness on ship hulls is a prevalent global problem, causing up to 80% increases in resistance compared to ideal smooth surfaces. Targeting a key capability gap, this project aims to build practical tools for predicting the performance penalty in shipping due to hull roughness, requiring only hull observations as an input. Observations made with a custom-built underwater surface scanner will be combined with world-first laser-based flow measurements on the hull of an operating ship, and backed-up by complimentary laboratory experiments. This project will deliver an advanced fundamental understanding of hull roughness and enable more informed decisions for ship operators and regulatory bodies, leading to increased shipping efficiency. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering Owing to its geographic isolation and dispersed population centres, Australia is unusually reliant on long-haul transportation with shipping contributing substantially to Australia’s energy usage. Roughness on ship hulls due to fouling is a prevalent global problem, causing up to 80% increases in resistance compared to ideal smooth surfaces. This project will deliver a set of tools that enable accurate prediction of the drag penalty on shipping due to hull roughness. This will permit more informed decisions for ship operators, enabling the cost of the fuel penalty due to fouling (estimated globally to exceed $10 Billion) to be accurately weighed against the cost of improving the hull state. The project expects to provide much-needed data to regulatory bodies - in terms of energy expenditure, emissions and health impacts due to hull roughness - leading to improved international regulation. Accompanying fundamental advances to predictions of air and water flows over rough surfaces will also benefit a diverse range of engineering, environmental and meteorological studies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Modelling human brain development with stem cells and biomaterials. With limited resources to directly study and advance our understanding of human neural development, this proposal will establish models of 4 key stages. Employing innovative, interdisciplinary approaches, biomaterials will be fabricated to provide structural and chemical support for human stem cells during: (i) neural induction, (ii) specification into neuronal progenitor subpopulations, (iii) neuronal maturation and integration into complex neural networks as well as, (iv) the organisation of neurons into larger 3-dimensional brain structures, namely folding of the human cortex. Further, biomaterials developed here have commercialisation potential, targeted at standardizing the culturing of human stem cells to defined neural populations. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences This proposal is intended to create models in which to study key aspects of human brain development including the maturation of different subpopulations of nerve cells (neurons), their integration into complex neural networks, and establishment of larger 3-dimensional brain structures. These models will provide a significant benefit for developmental biologists to study specific aspects and/or regulators of neural maturation, thereby advancing knowledge of human biology. Furthermore, fabricated biomaterials developed within this proposal have the potential for commercialisation, targeted at standardising the culturing of human stem cells into neuronal subpopulations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Pore-forming toxins: more than one way to make a hole. Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria all use pore-forming proteins as cell-killing weapons of mass destruction. Despite their lethal nature and their roles in infection and immunity, how these proteins work remains enigmatic. This project aims to unravel missing molecular details of how a major superfamily of such proteins is able to drill holes in cell membranes. The outcomes could reveal novel mechanisms general to these proteins and provide fundamental insights in understanding vital physiological processes across all kingdoms of life. Ultimately, this knowledge may guide the design of artificial protein pores that are selective for specific molecules with applications such as measuring metal ions, sugars, pesticides or pollutants. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project will provide insights into fundamental biology of bacteria including many with known importance in agriculture, biotechnology and human and animal disease. This could lead to the development of novel approaches in the biotechnology industry for the control of both bacterial and insect pests, as insects such as mosquitoes host some of these bacteria.The project also has the potential to lead to development of engineered proteins with great importance in the biotechnology industry, placing Australian science at the forefront of an emerging technology. This may have significant impact on the Australian economy through spin-off companies and licensing agreements. For example, Oxford Nanopore, a UK company that specialises in applications of engineered pores, has been valued at 1.5 billion pounds.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Mapping a complete visual circuit in zebrafish. Our senses perceive the outside world and permit appropriate behaviours, but the underlying brain circuits are poorly understood. This project will use new technologies to observe all active brain cells in zebrafish during the important behaviour of visual predator avoidance and characterise the underlying circuits comprehensively. This approach's significance is in its breadth, spanning functional imaging, anatomy, computational modelling, and behaviour, with the major outcome of producing the first complete map of a visual behaviour at the level of brain circuits and the individual brain cells composing them. Benefits will include new insights into visual processing and the refinement of new genetic, optical, and informatics approaches. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology The outcomes from this work will have three major benefits for Australia. The first is in the basic discoveries that it will provide about brain function. Discovering the circuit-level mechanisms of vision will benefit fields as diverse as animal welfare (social/cultural benefits), behavioural ecology (environmental benefits), and medicine (health benefits). The second is in technology development. The CI has been central to the development of new technologies in behavioural analysis, microscopy, optical physics, and neuroinformatics, and the current proposal aims to merge these new technologies in a novel way that will allow important biological questions to be addressed for the first time. Combinations of these technologies, as described in the proposal, also hold the prospect for future commercialisation. Finally, this technically challenging work will be an excellent training ground for young researchers who are developing their skills in optical engineering, computer programming, big data analysis, and other fields that will be in great demand in the academic and commercial sectors in the future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Empirical and computational solutions for multi-omics single-cell assays. Emerging single-cell sequencing technologies are transforming molecular cell biology, but identifying novel cell types and their functions requires the integration of highly heterogeneous data. The development of computational methods able to extract biologically relevant results is hindered by the lack of high-quality datasets. This project aims to develop novel sequencing methodologies and generate data to drive our dimension reduction multivariate method developments for data integration. By combining in silico and in vivo approaches, the project is anticipated to benefit scientists willing to work in cutting-edge single-cell research by providing useful protocols and tools to generate novel insights in cell biology. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Australian researchers have contributed substantially to the generation of big biological data across research and industry, and its dissemination through national and international consortiums. To capitalize on these costly experiments and highly complex data, the outcomes of this project are anticipated to empower researchers to extract relevant information that would not be otherwise obtained with current methodologies. As our project sits at the interface between multiple disciplines (bioinformatics, applied statistics, molecular biology), it is anticipated to accelerate scientific innovation and translation across Australia's research and industry sectors that rely on single-cell applications to deliver quality outcomes. As such, this project expects to build intellectual and human capacity, and place Australia at a competitive advantage at the interface of cutting-edge biotechnologies, genomics, and bioinformatics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Antigen selection mechanisms control T cell immunity against bacteria. CD4+ T (T helper) cells are required to control many important bacterial infections. This Project aims to identify the key targets of CD4+ T cells responding to a model bacterial infection, and to correlate potential antigen effectiveness with native expression, antigen presentation, and the function of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells over time. Our validated experimental 'pipeline' has unprecedented potential to define potent CD4+ T cell antigens within the thousands of proteins expressed by a bacterial pathogen. Our unbiased analysis may help establish the rules that define effective antigenicity. Our work will improve the understanding of bacterial immunity, and inform future design of T-cell based vaccines in the agricultural sector. Field of research: 1107 - Immunology Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within infectious diseases is one of the major health threats worldwide. Vaccines are a fundamental component of the solution, and one of the key priority areas identified by Australia’s first National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy (2015-19). The efficacy of vaccines critically depends on the 'correct' selection of a set of antigens that effectively mimic the pathogen and, when recognised by the host immune system, will lead to the formation of long term immunity. This Proposal aims to address the critical knowledge gap on the mechanism and specificity of protective immunity conferred by an important subset of immune cells called CD4+ T cells. Building on our discovery, we hope there will be economic opportunities to develop new and improved animal vaccines in order to protect the efficiency of intensive animal husbandry settings without generating AMR. The same technologies, proven at scale in veterinary use, might also ultimately be deployed in human vaccine development to combat, for example, multi-drug resistant hospital acquired pathogens.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Efficient Compression and Querying Techniques for Massive Text Collections. Web search services have become a fundamental tool used by governments, businesses, and individuals, and play a key role in our access to knowledge and information. In this project we aim to develop new techniques for representing the indexes at the heart of web search services, and to devise new processing algorithms with reduced resource requirements for resolving queries and providing useful and topical answers. Higher query throughput and reduced storage load will benefit providers though reduced hardware and electricity costs, and will benefit society through better access to information, enhanced opportunities to connect and collaborate, and greater long-term scalability as on-line resources continue to multiply. Field of research: 0807 - Library and Information Studies Web search and on-line access to information are one of the most powerful tools to have emerged over the last twenty years. People in all walks of life -- business, government, and individuals -- perform billions of web searches a day, seeking the mundane (tomorrow's weather forecast), the personal (long-lost school friends, or family connections in another country), the vital (information in regard to a diagnosed health condition), and the professional (recent research findings, and legal precedents). But those web search services come at a significant cost in terms of computing hardware and electricity consumption. This project aims to develop new web index storage techniques and innovative web query processing algorithms, reducing the resource footprint of web search both in Australia and the rest of the world. The new techniques can be expected to allow more scalable web search for everybody, including all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Superconducting silicon nanodevices. This project will investigate superconductivity in silicon nanowire devices exhibiting both p-type and n-type conductivity. It builds on the recent demonstration at the University of Melbourne of superconductivity in nanowire devices at length-scales suitable for realisation of a broad range of superconducting device structures and utilises standard semiconductor-industry processes. This project will create a new platform for superconducting device development in silicon with potential for building devices with new functionality and improved performance for applications in quantum information technologies, enhancing Australia’s global reputation in quantum information science and assisting emerging industries in this high-valued added area. Field of research: 0204 - Condensed Matter Physics This project is within the Science and Research Priority area of Advanced Manufacturing: contributing to development of new and advanced manufacturing capabilities in high value-added materials. The emphasis on development of superconducting devices is highly relevant to quantum information science and quantum sensing and will enhance Australia’s research strength in quantum computing. The fabrication processes devised in the program will promote expertise in nanotechnology and manufacture and measurement of nanoscale devices. The research will lead to advancement through technological development of superconducting devices in silicon; bringing together superconducting and semiconducting elements into the one material platform and utilising the high-quality materials and device engineering skills of the semiconductor industry to design and build entirely new electronic devices. It is complimentary to research in two ARC Centres of Excellence: CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems and CoE for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, and will enhance Australia's track record in nanoelectronics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The Sounds of Time. In our age of rapid technological acceleration, understanding how time shapes social life and cultural production is an urgent task. This project aims to write an important new chapter in time’s history from the origins of the mechanical musical clock in fourteenth-century Europe to the spread of European time across the world by missionaries in the sixteenth century. Traversing histories of science, religion, and time, the project expects to be the first sonic history of time, and to develop innovative transdisciplinary approaches to the global history of material culture. It aims to benefit Australian culture by providing a richer history of the origins of time measurement, opening up alternative visions of how we might live in time now. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Structural insights into activation, dynamics and bias of GPCRs. The project aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying activation, biased agonism and G protein selectivity of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by utilising the adenosine A1 receptor as a model system. This project expects to generate knowledge in the area of GPCR biology using an interdisciplinary approach including structural biology, pharmacology, biochemistry and protein engineering. The expected outcomes include (i) understanding the structural mechanisms underlying GPCR activation, (ii) biased agonism and (iii) G protein selectivity. This should provide significant benefits, such as advancement of fundamental knowledge in GPCR biology and pharmacology that could also one day lead to therapeutic development. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Atomic scale ion microscopy via laser cooling and correlated imaging. This project will develop next-generation focused ion beam microscopy and nanofabrication using a novel cold ion source based on photoionisation of a laser-cooled atom beam. The low temperature and complex internal state structure of the constituent atoms combine to allow generation of ions with unprecedented brightness and resolution. We will use three unique and innovative ideas: field ionisation of atoms in so-called 'exceptional' states to reduce chromatic aberration; electron-ion correlations to enhance control of the ions at the nanoscale; and atom-atom interactions to isolate and manipulate individual ions. The new technology will enable advances in semiconductor nanofabrication and material characterisation. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics Focused ion beam microscopes are an important and nearly ubiquitous tool in nanotechnology, for example to create sub-micron sections of biological tissue for high resolution electron microscopy, or to prototype and characterise next-generation semiconductor devices. But advances in these areas are in many cases constrained by the 10nm resolution limit of existing focused ion beam sources. We have been leaders in development of new cold-atom ion sources which have already demonstrated 20 times improvement over conventional devices. This project will continue that progression of cold-atom ion source technology, in particular enabling the ultimate goal of nanoscale device fabrication - the creation of single ions and placement of those ions with atomic scale resolution. That capability will support Australia's advanced manufacturing and development of advanced materials for the future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

International law and the Challenge of Populism. Populist political movements pose a threat to international law because they oppose supranational authority. And yet, populism and international law are grounded in a common source – national sovereignty. The relationship between them is poorly understood. This project will undertake new interdisciplinary research in law and political philosophy to provide a new account of that relationship, and to establish new ways of thinking about how to advance the project of international law in ways which are both commensurate to global challenges and consistent with democracy and political freedom. This account will contribute to wider debates about the future of the international legal and political order in times of uncertainty and crisis. Field of research: 1801 - Law This project will contribute to Australia's national interest through economic, strategic and social benefits to the Australian community. It will provide new insights into one of Australia's major strategic challenges by articulating the nature of the threat to the international legal order posed by populist political movements in Australia's two longest-standing and important strategic allies, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, and those states' rejection or abandonment of international key institutions and treaties. As a middle power which is both committed to, and relies on, a rules-based international order, the Australian community (academic, policy and general) must have the benefit of research into how that system can be maintained and improved in the face of threats to its operation. This is relevant to all policy areas which are influenced by international cooperation, including security, migration, the environment and trade.