UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Annual temperature variability and abrupt climate change over the Holocene. This project intends to generate a near-continuous annual temperature reconstruction for the past 10 000 years using low-elevation Huon pine from south-western Tasmania. The unprecedented length and temporal resolution of the reconstruction would offer new insights into temperature variability at decadal, centennial, and millennial time scales and establish a unique record describing the nature, timing, and intensity of abrupt temperature changes associated with known events in the palaeoclimate record. The detailed understanding of historical temperature variability and past abrupt climate change provided by the tree-ring record would provide a historical context for recent and future climate variability. Field of research: 0406 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Algebraic groups and Springer theory. This project aims to explore representation theory, which is a study of the basic symmetries that occur in nature. By its nature, representation theory has applications to number theory, physics, national security and internet security, and other sciences. Generalised Springer theory plays an important role in representations of finite groups of Lie type. The project aims to develop an analogous theory in a more general setting that includes symmetric spaces. Moreover, the project aims to address various outstanding problems in algebraic groups. The project also plans to explore the connection between the geometry of certain null-cones and deformations of Galois representations. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Quantum integrability and symmetric functions. This project aims to develop new connections between quantum integrability and a central area of pure mathematics, symmetric function theory. Quantum integrability is one of the most important areas of mathematical physics, in view of its application to modern physical theories and its mathematical richness. The project intends to use advanced symmetric function techniques to calculate quantum mechanical quantities without any approximation, and to use the framework of quantum integrability to provide new results in symmetric function theory. The intended outcomes of the project will be new asymptotic expressions for correlation functions and more efficient computer algorithms for the calculation of a variety of symmetric functions. Field of research: 0105 - Mathematical Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Connections between imperfect detection and ecological inference. This project is designed to resolve whether or when it is important to account for imperfect detection when modelling communities of species. Robust conservation and environmental decisions require reliable estimates of biodiversity, yet current modelling methods may be biased because they fail to account for the imperfect detection of species. Improving the models requires good understanding about levels and patterns of species detectability, which is currently lacking. The project intends to bridge this gap by producing a global synthesis of species detectability across taxa, geographical regions and survey methods. The project then aims to evaluate the performance and limitations of existing and emerging community modelling methods in ecology to enable better biodiversity conservation decisions. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Visible talk: Using Australian Indigenous sign languages. This project aims to investigate how traditional sign languages are used in Indigenous communities. Traditional sign languages are part of everyday life in Indigenous communities in central and northern Australia. The project aims to investigate how speech and sign are coordinated, the ways that new signs are added to traditional repertoires, and the ways that other forms of communication, such as drawing, are used together with sign. It is intended that the results of the study will assist Indigenous people in safeguarding their cultural heritage, and support cross-cultural communication in the education, health and legal sectors, and contribute to international debates about how sign languages of the world vary. Field of research: 2003 - Language Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Translation of tobacco control policies from Australia to India. This project aims to generate legal, behavioural and attitudinal knowledge on tobacco control – in particular plain packaging – to inform translation of policies from Australia to India and assess the impact of these policies. Tobacco causes 1.2 million deaths per year in India. Yet it is well known what works to reduce these deaths and Australia has been at the forefront of developing such interventions. The project seeks to understand the political, legal and social feasibility of introducing plain packaging in India, then develop, pilot and introduce a surveillance survey to inform policy production and impact monitoring. If evidence supports India to introduce plain packaging, then other regional countries will potentially follow suit. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

The experience of becoming a mother in Australia since 1945. By investigating experiences of becoming a mother in Australia since 1945, this project intends to provide an historical perspective on mothering in the present. Over the past 70 years, Australian motherhood has undergone vast changes: the average age of becoming a mother has increased, sources of maternal advice have proliferated and maternity has become seen as optional rather than compulsory. The project aims to analyse how these shifts have affected the experience of adopting a maternal identity for several generations of Australian women. This project aims to illuminate the historical development of current debates, contextualising topical social issues such as optimising pre and post-natal health services and maximising the participation of mothers in the workforce. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Rethinking Positive Emotion Regulation. This project aims to explore and challenge assumptions about the ‘right way’ to regulate emotions, articulating a new theoretical perspective on appropriate expression and suppression of positive emotion. People generally assume there are social benefits to expressing positive emotion and social costs to suppressing positive emotion. This project introduces a new perspective on emotion regulation that recognises that different contexts may call for different strategies. The project plans to test whether the positive emotions we think bring us closer can actually worsen social relations, and whether suppressing positive emotion, long believed to have negative social effects, can bring people closer in unexpected ways. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Spatial distribution of star formation and metals in cluster galaxies. How do galaxies evolve? The project aims to help to answer this key astrophysics question by identifying and characterising processes that regulate star formation in dense environments. It intends to study spatially resolved star formation across a wide range of environments. By taking advantage of observations from a large Hubble Space Telescope program targeting galaxy clusters, it plans to advance the understanding of how galaxy properties evolved in the last six billion years, focusing in particular on the rate of stellar mass assembly. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Quantification of whole brain structural connectivity and fibre densities. The project is intended to develop and improve accuracy in tools used to measure brain connections. Its overall aim is to produce definitive evidence of the biological accuracy of quantitative measures of brain structural connectivity as derived from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Discovery in the quantitative field of MRI research is important to worldwide efforts to identify the human ‘connectome’. The project plans to bring together novel diffusion MRI post-processing methods and state-of-the-art 3-D glass-brain histology techniques using mice. Investment in MRI research that specifically addresses methods to accurately measure structural brain connectivity may ultimately contribute to improving non-invasive imaging methods. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Understanding the Causes of Political Trust through Survey Experiments. This project intends to improve our understanding of the drivers of political trust and point to ways that political trust could be improved. Despite the importance of political trust to the functioning of democratic systems, we have no experimental data on what the causes of political trust are, and political trust has been said to have reached crisis levels in many democracies. By integrating existing survey data with experiments in five established democracies, this project aims to identify the causes of political trust and how these differ by country. Understanding political trust and how it can be improved may provide input to successful policies to deal with challenges such as ageing populations and environmental change. Field of research: 1606 - Political Science

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Secure and Private Machine Learning. This project intends to answer the question: How can machines learn from data when participants behave maliciously for personal gain? Machine learning and statistics are used in many technologies where participants have an incentive to game the system (eg internet ad placement, e-commerce rating systems, credit risk in finance, health analytics and smart utility grids). However, little is known about how well state-of-the-art statistical inference techniques fare when data is manipulated by a malicious participant. The project's outcomes aim to ensure that statistical analysis is accurate while preserving data privacy, providing theoretical foundations of secure machine learning in adversarial domains. Potential applications range from cybersecurity defences to measures for balancing security and privacy interests. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Invariants, geometric and discrete structures on manifolds. This project aims to develop practical methods for finding geometric and discrete structures on manifolds in both low and high dimensions and advancing our understanding of the information that physics is providing about these spaces. Recently there have been spectacular advances in understanding 3-D spaces and the interaction between ideas in mathematical physics (quantum invariants, string theory) and such spaces. In this project, the first aim is to construct structures with good geometric properties on 3- and 4-manifolds, using triangulations. The second aim is to study combinatorial decompositions of n-manifolds, using our new technique of multisections and also searching for polyhedral metrics of non-positive curvature. The third aim is to connect quantum invariants and geometric structures, again using triangulations. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Phase transitions in stochastic systems. This project aims to understand models of physical and biological phenomena in the presence of uncertainty/randomness. Such models often exhibit phase transitions if a variable defining the model is modified. For example, a population explosion can occur if the average number of offspring per individual is larger than one, while macroscopic defects can occur in a material if the density of microscopic defects is larger than some threshold. This research could lead to strategies for directing physical and biological systems towards preferred states or phases, and better prediction of adverse events such as fracturing of Antarctic sea ice. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

How plants produce their biomass. This project aims to investigate mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, the bulk of biomass in plant cells. Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide great raw materials for many industrial products. Understanding how cell walls are made would enable tailored plant biomass production, but understanding remains poor. The project will induce secondary walls at will and outline a framework for how secondary walls are made. The outcomes are expected to be relevant for the fuel, feed, food and construction sectors, and thus to Australia's future. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Quest for dark matter and new phenomena at the energy frontier. This project aims to develop technologies and techniques to detect dark matter. Particle physics research seeks to understand the universe at its most fundamental level. The Higgs boson discovery confirmed the Standard Model of particle physics, but many fundamental questions about the microscopic nature of the universe remain. The universe predominantly consists of dark matter, which the particles within the Standard Model do not explain. The Large Hadron Collider and Australia’s SABRE provide a huge opportunity to discover physics processes by enabling searches for new particles at the high-energy frontier and the direct detection of dark matter. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Enhancing impact in regional theatre for young people. Enhancing impact in regional theatre for young people. This project aims to understand and enhance the personal, affective and social impact of contemporary theatre for youth audiences in regional Victoria. Youth are often marginalised or lack creative opportunities in regional arts. This project will build a complex, longitudinal study informed by international best practice in the area of theatre for young people. It will develop research methodologies that harness the agency of young people, the live theatre experience, and their creative convergence with social media. This project is expected to deliver new methods of evaluating theatre for young people, and a creative and digital media strategy for enhanced audience engagement in dispersed locations over time. Field of research: 1904 - Performing Arts and Creative Writing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. Direct geothermal energy: Reducing the rural industries’ carbon footprint. This project aims to design poultry brooder houses using geothermal technology. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global priority. The lack of natural gas in rural areas and brooder houses’ heating and cooling needs make geothermal ideal. Direct geothermal systems use shallow ground both as a heat source and as a heat sink for cooling, using heat pumps. Their application to poultry brooder houses could reduce electricity consumption by up to 75% and thus greenhouse gas emissions, since 91% of electricity comes from fossil fuels in Australia; minimise the need for expensive bottled gas heating; reduce the levels of ammonia emissions; and increase farm productivity. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Printable technologies for high security documents and consumer products. Printable technologies for high security documents and consumer products. This project aims to develop two next-generation printable security feature technologies to protect users from counterfeiting, which costs the world economy billions in lost revenue and undermines the security of citizens. First, it aims to enhance the security of banknotes by developing printable active device patches with energy harvesting flexible polymers as a power source and thin film graphene/polymer nanomaterial as an electrode/energy storage media. Second, it aims to design invisible carbon nanotube inks for optical authentication via near infrared activation. Both technologies are expected to thwart sophisticated counterfeits, particularly those supported by organised crime. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. This project will investigate financial products that can harm disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers. It will use empirical research (surveys, interviews and focus groups) to explore how these products perpetuate financial hardship, poor health and social disadvantage. In doing so, it expects to contribute to consumer law scholarship and studies of financial exclusion, and provide practical assistance to policymakers, regulators and the partner organisations. The project will also assess the need for law reform, and, if appropriate, recommend detailed law reforms. The research is expected to help policymakers address damage caused by harmful and predatory financial products and promote the financial and social wellbeing of vulnerable, disadvantaged consumers. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qualified teachers. This project will identify where to intervene in the science and mathematics teacher supply pipeline, and policy levers to attract and sustain quality teachers. The project is expected to uncover what attracts or deters teachers of science and mathematics—disciplines essential to industry innovation, a skilled workforce and productivity growth. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Improving Indigenous health and wellbeing over the family life course. Improving Indigenous health and wellbeing over the family life course. This project aims to reduce Indigenous health inequalities, a major social and economic problem, by improving the policy relevant evidence base on the determinants of Indigenous health and wellbeing. This project will compare the impact of the family life course on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous and non-Indigenous mothers and children. It will use survey data that follows them over time to: 1) identify family structures that enhance or harm health and wellbeing, and; 2) track changes in health and wellbeing before, during and after family transitions (i.e. births, relationship changes). Anticipated results are better targeted policy interventions to reduce Indigenous health inequalities. Field of research: 1603 - Demography

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Multimodal retinal imaging provides "insight" into cerebrovascular ageing. Multimodal retinal imaging provides "insight" into cerebrovascular ageing. This project aims to develop a multi-modal imaging technology platform to simultaneously measure amyloid beta and its neurovascular sequelae to identify novel early biomarkers of ageing in the eye and brain. The growing ageing population is an increasing socioeconomic burden. The central nervous system is particularly susceptible to ageing, which is difficult to measure at its onset. Critically, as the eye is an easily accessible extension of the cortex, retinal imaging may be a non-invasive surrogate to assess ageing changes in the brain. Anticipated outcomes are a sensitive detector of neural ageing, improved preventative measures, reducing the socioeconomic burden of ageing, and improved quality of life. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Disability and the performing arts in Australia. Disability and the performing arts in Australia. This project aims to explore how the creative and aesthetic value of contemporary Australian disability theatre, dance and live performance can enhance the social and economic benefits of art-making. There has been little recognition of how performing artists with disability contribute to Australian cultural life. This project will map the field of current practice, develop inclusive models for collaborating with artists with a disability, and design a set of accessible examples of creative innovation for use by artists, the disability community and cultural policymakers. This project is expected to result in increased critical recognition, employment and funding opportunities for artists with a disability. Field of research: 1904 - Performing Arts and Creative Writing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2016 · 2016-01

Ultrafast optoelectronic characterisation for optical and wireless systems. Ultra-fast optoelectronic characterisation for optical and wireless systems: The project aims to establish an ultra-fast optoelectronic characterisation facility to measure a wide range of electronic and photonic signals, providing versatile tools for conducting research on ultra-high-speed optical communications, microwave photonics, and millimetre wave systems. There is an increasing need for parallel signalling using spatial, temporal and spectral degrees of freedom in both radio-frequency and optical communications. The facility expects to leverage the recent rapid advances in powerful silicon digital signal processors with unprecedented capabilities in bandwidth and accuracy and focus on detecting massively parallel signals. The project aims to support a wide range of research activities from sustaining the phenomenal Internet growth in telecommunications to strengthening Australia’s defence systems. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering