University of Technology Sydney

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Deep correction of DNA sequencing errors by data mining algorithms. This project aims to investigate the many layers of error correction problems in the terabytes of genomic sequence data, and aims to solve these problems by novel data mining algorithms. High-throughput sequencing platforms have generated massive amounts of useful raw data, but also made widespread errors. The new algorithms are capable of correcting errors at deeper layers to further enhance data quality. Expected outcome includes the knowledge advancement of genomic data industry and interdisciplinary collaboration between biotechnology and data mining. This also provides significant benefit for genomic decisions in forensics and personalised medicine which demand accurate genomic information. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Towards interpretable deep learning with limited examples. Existing visual concept detection systems are incapable of detecting ever-evolving concepts in daily life. This project aims to extract patterns that describe the semantics of visual concepts and to develop or adapt knowledge transfer learning technologies for new concepts with limited examples. The expected outcomes will provide major technological breakthroughs for building efficient and interpretable learning systems for visual analysis and will open an entirely new research direction: interpretable deep learning with communication mechanism. This new field and its technologies will help us to recognise misuse of home patient medical devices and unauthorised activity, and enable us to devise effective responses to prevent cyberattacks. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Room temperature single photon emitters in atomically thin materials. This project aims to address deterministic engineering of individual fluorescent defects in a single monolayer. This is a pressing challenge in the production of two dimensional materials as candidates for new generation devices in nanophotonics and in nanophotonics and nanoelectronics. This project will employ atomically thin, two dimensional materials to develop a platform for room temperature devices that generate single photons on demand. The project will provide significant benefits, such as enabling new commercial markets in nanotechnology, quantum technologies, cryptography and cybersecurity. nanoelectronics. This project will employ atomically thin, two dimensional materials to develop a platform for room temperature devices that generate single photons on demand. The project will provide significant benefits, such as enabling new commercial markets in nanotechnology, quantum technologies, cryptography and cybersecurity. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Diagnosing coral health tipping points under accelerating coastal hypoxia. This project aims to unlock the role hypoxia plays in shaping the healthy functioning of corals over space and time. Climate change and land use development are rapidly deoxygenating shallow water coral reefs and amplifying hypoxia exposure, yet we have no knowledge of the oxygen thresholds that sustain ‘normal’ coral functioning, or the mechanisms corals’ employ to tolerate hypoxia. This project will couple advanced oxygen sensing, metabolic physiology and functional genomics techniques to transform our understanding of how corals and their associated microbial communities respond to reduced oxygen conditions, which is essential to improve coral reef ecosystem management. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Biological bet hedging in a variable ocean. This project aims to investigate how the functioning of photosynthetic plankton changes as they respond to increasing environmental variation, a significant uncertainty in ocean forecasts. The project will advance knowledge about phytoplankton nutrient acquisition strategies in increasingly variable environments. Expected outcomes include improved predictions of ocean ecosystem services. This knowledge will enhance food security, assisting the fisheries, aquaculture and environment sector to develop effective adaptation strategies, and thereby safeguard the social and economic wellbeing of the communities that rely on them. Field of research: 0699 - Other Biological Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Enforcing labour standards in supply chains through voluntary frameworks. This project aims to investigate the potential of multi-stakeholder initiatives to ensure the enforcement of labour standards in supply chains by examining the cleaning accountability framework - an initiative comprised of diverse representatives in the commercial cleaning supply chain in Australia. It is expected that this will result in the development of new regulatory methods/technology to improve compliance. This is expected to improve the quality of life of vulnerable workers in supply chains and the mitigation of reputational risk for business. Field of research: 1503 - Business and Management

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Next generation material imaging, spectrometry and fabrication techniques. This project aims to solve a common, fundamental problem limiting the performance of mass spectrometers and high resolution electron microscopes: surface modification caused by unintended chemical reactions due to electron impact. The intended project outcomes will advance current understanding of electron restructuring of surfaces and open the door to next-generation material imaging, spectrometry and fabrication techniques. It will develop a superior detector for mass spectrometry and improve the imaging and nanofabrication capabilities of state-of-the-art electron microscopes. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Shrinkage, cracking, self-healing and corrosion in blended cement concrete. This project aims to investigate the effects of binder quantity and composition on early-age cracking in Australian concretes caused by restrained shrinkage, the subsequent self-healing capability of the cracks, and the possibility of detrimental early chloride induced steel reinforcement corrosion, particularly in marine locations. This project will focus on concrete mix designs and the blends of cement, fly-ash and blast furnace slag that are prescribed in the revised version of the concrete bridge standard for the most severe exposure. This project will lead to a significant improvement in the serviceability and durability of concrete structures in severe environments. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Reshaping superannuation practice in Australia using big data analytics. This project aims to reform superannuation investment practices in Australia. Using sophisticated data analytics and machine-learning techniques, combined with economic modelling and quantitative finance. The project will try to understand the broad characteristics of Australian superannuation investors and their practice from a ‘big data’ perspective. The expected outcomes of this project are the identification of key determinants for successful superannuation behaviour to inform decision-making for better superannuation practices and policies. It is expected that the insights arising from this project will contribute to safeguarding the future of Australia’s superannuation schemes, and to better financial security at retirement. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Lowering noise emissions from gas turbines. This project aims to advance our understanding of the transmission and radiation of structure-borne noise in ductwork. The project expects to generate new and innovative techniques to lower structure-borne noise from the intake and exhaust systems used by gas turbines in the power generation industry. Expected outcomes include the development of advanced computational models, that are validated against experiment, and suitable for integration into a commercial design process. This will provide significant benefits for organisations working in the noise control industry, and lead to new ways of lowering environmental noise caused by ducts and pipes. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Functional carbon composites to power a sustainable future. This project aims to address the limitation of current energy storage technologies though the development of functional carbon-based materials for the next generation of energy storage systems with high capacity, high energy/power density, excellent retention and low cost. The progress of energy storage technology plays a critical role in the development of portable devices in daily life. This project will synthesise a series of carbon-based composites via an electrospinning method, and their properties will be assessed and characterised as electrode materials for high performance energy storage devices. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Engineering two dimensional polymers for membrane-based chemical separation. This project aims to develop novel two-dimensional polymers with precisely controlled pore-sizes for preparing membrane materials which can efficiently separate these gaseous chemicals at ambient temperatures. Key industrial chemical mixtures with similar size and boiling points are difficult to separate by conventional distillation methods. Currently, purification of olefins alone accounts for 0.3% of global energy use. The expected outcomes of the project will have a huge impact on industrial purification processing by providing a disruptive membrane technology, and will significantly reduce energy consumption and open up new routes for resources. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Low cost, efficient and more reliable power switching network. This project aims to propose new power electronics circuit integration concepts and control techniques to reduce power supply cost by at least 30 per cent while improving efficiency and reliability. Photovoltaic combined battery storage application will be implemented and tested in detail to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concepts. The outcomes of the project will benefit many emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and energy storage systems, wireless communications and portable devices. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Synthetic energy absorbing composite for improved track performance. This project aims to study the performance of a novel synthetic energy absorbing composite (SEAC) placed beneath the railway ballast to minimise degradation. The use of coal wash and steel slag blended with shredded recycled rubber as SEAC constituents is environmentally beneficial. The role of SEAC with respect to impact and cyclic loads will be assessed through extensive geotechnical laboratory and numerical analysis. The research outcomes based on the proposed energy considerations will lead to improved track design and analysis in view of stability, safety and operational efficiency. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Reducing youth unemployment through social procurement in construction. This project aims to produce new conceptual insights into effective cross-sector collaboration in construction, in order to provide solutions to address youth unemployment. Youth unemployment is a significant economic, social and health problem. Yet Australia’s largest youth employer, the construction industry, faces skills shortages to deliver an unprecedented construction and infrastructure pipeline. Social procurement is a potential solution to both these challenges but requires new approaches to cross sector collaborations. This project aims to develop new insights, practical knowledge and practical tools for effective social procurement. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Trust-aware internet of things service recommendation. This project aims to develop innovative techniques and tools to recommend Internet of Things resources as services for trustworthy and cost-effective applications. Internet of Things connects billions of physical things over the Web, offering exciting opportunities to improve life quality and reshape human society. The project is expected to underpin innovative applications like smart home, urban computing, and mobile social sensing, which can significantly contribute to Australian society and the national economy. It also holds the potential to place Australia at the forefront of research and development in the vibrant and growing area of trustworthy Internet of Things. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

High performance cathode materials for rechargeable lithium ion batteries. This project aims to address the limitation of current battery technology though the development of innovative high energy/power cathode materials for next generation rechargeable lithium ion batteries with high capacity, high power density and outstanding retention. This improvement will dramatically reduce the costs necessary for the market competitiveness of electric vehicles (EVs). By promoting greater EV uptake, this project will contribute to Australia’s emissions targets by helping to decarbonise the transport sector. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

A neural fuzzy fusion engine for human-machine autonomous systems. This project aims to develop an intelligent engine to adaptively fuse multiple trust-based information from various agents in human machine autonomous systems (HMAS). The project will develop new techniques to detect covert-state drift, model trustworthiness between humans and machines, and adaptively fuse information under various kinds of uncertainty and trust levels. These techniques will be integrated to produce a general framework to facilitate human-machine interaction and enable better collaborative decisions in HMAS. The outcomes will benefit human-centric automation systems in general and next-generation autonomous vehicles in particular, which will contribute to the Australian economy. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Chinese-language digital/social media in Australia. This project aims to study the production, content and use of digital/social media by mainland Chinese migrants in Australia. China’s global rise has generated widespread anxiety about its possible use of diasporic Chinese media to influence the world. This project expects to generate a new framework for analysing soft power and propaganda in digital/social media, while also undertaking a major rethinking of the concept of flexible citizenship. The study will produce a more accurate assessment of China’s influence through migrant media in Australia and elsewhere. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Nanosilver antimicrobial resistance in target pathogens. This project aims to elucidate the important phenomena of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial nanosilver, currently one of the most developed and commercialised products of nanotechnology. The integrated research approach comprises of concurrent identification of the origins and routes of nanosilver toxicity in bacteria and the arising emergence and mechanisms of bacterial defence to the toxicity. The generated knowledge is to form a base template for novel nanosilver engineering with less tendency for resistance development and to facilitate tracking of resistance and its spread amongst microorganisms. The knowledge has far-reaching implications on the better governance of nanosilver use, including its disposal. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Does coevolution or ecological context determine predator-prey coexistence? This project aims to deliver the first robust evaluation of the evolutionary and ecological conditions that combine to enable introduced predators to drive extinctions of native mammals. The project will bring together disciplines of invasion biology and trophic cascades to model predator-prey systems in the presence and absence of apex predators. This globally unique study will provide an informed and transparent toolset for preventing decline of threatened species and will enhance Australian conservation policy by untangling contrasting perspectives of introduced predators and the conditions that lead to native species extinction. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Rechargeable room-temperature sodium-oxygen batteries. This project aims to develop high performance room-temperature sodium-oxygen batteries as a green and low-cost power source for large scale electrical energy storage. Through electrode architecture design, this research intends to significantly improve the performance of sodium-oxygen batteries, including specific capacity, cycle life and round-trip energy efficiency. Expected outcomes include reducing consumption of fossil fuels to generate electricity, with benefits for the environment, climate change and energy security. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Reconceptualising Indigenous access to justice in civil law. The project aims to research enhanced Indigenous access to justice in civil and family law, specifically in areas of housing, discrimination, social security, consumer matters, credit and debt and child protection. The research will identify and examine Indigenous understandings of access to justice and the ways that these may differ from non-Indigenous society. The research is centred on 24 male and female focus groups in Indigenous communities, and stakeholder interviews in a range of geographic contexts across Australia. It will investigate Indigenous-specific frameworks that most appropriately reflect Indigenous perspectives of access to justice, and the way that these can be applied in certain civil and family law contexts. Field of research: 1801 - Law

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Drought-induced mortality in arid-zone tree species: a mechanistic study. This project aims to determine the relative importance of elevated temperature and increased vapour pressure deficit during drought in causing drought induced mortality (DIM). The outcomes of this project will be an enhanced ability to predict future mortality in response to a warmer and atmospherically drier climate. This will benefit the development of future management strategies and our ability to predict drought impacts on landscape function and productivity. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2018 · 2018-01

Particle segregation and dynamics in inertial microfluidics systems. This project aims to produce microfluidic devices suitable for high-throughput cell sorting and cellular therapy in the biopharmaceutical industry. This project will combine state-of-the-art experimental approaches with advanced modelling techniques to design and develop the new generation of filtration systems for the pharmaceutical industry. The knowledge and models developed in this project will assist design and development of a unique platform for scalable, high-throughput, low-cost and continuous cell separation. Field of research: 1003 - Industrial Biotechnology