MONASH UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Formal Explainability for Neuro-Symbolic Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely used in decision making procedures in many real-world applications, but weaknesses in the reasoning capability of black-box AI has led to the development of neuro-symbolic AI combining the strength of black-box learning with reasoning. This project aims to develop methods to formally reason about and explain decisions of neuro-symbolic AI systems. Expected outcomes of this project are effective methods to explain to humans why a neuro-symbolic AI system makes a certain decision, using formal methods so that explanations are guaranteed to be correct. This should provide significant benefit since widespread use of neuro-symbolic AI will require the trust engendered through explainabilty. Field of research: 4602 - Artificial Intelligence This project will create the first methods able to explain the behaviour of next-generation neuro-symbolic AI systems, enabling users and developers to ask for explanations of decisions made by the systems. This will allow Australian companies developing and utilizing AI systems to evaluate, correct, and improve them. This advancement is crucial for Australia's economic and societal progress as it will increase reliability and trust in AI systems, which will be used ubiquitously, and sometimes in safety- and privacy-critical applications. AI is vital to Australia's future prosperity, and estimated to be worth at least AU$315 billion to Australia by 2028. But despite the recent success, AI systems can be brittle, biased or make drastically wrong decisions. In order to take full advantage of the AI revolution, Australians need to trust the AI systems that make use of, which the results of this project will help make possible. The research outcomes of this project will be made widely available as easy to use, well documented open-source software packages for evaluating AI systems, thus making it simple for developers of neuro-symbolic AI systems to interrogate the reasons why their systems make certain decisions, and hence improve them. We will run tutorials at major AI conferences to disseminate the results of the project as well as through publications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Can Machines Unlearn? Toward Next-Generation Safe Artificial Intelligence. This project aims to develop new principles, theories, and methods to unlearn undesirable artifacts from an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system. It expects to produce new knowledge, algorithms, tools, techniques, and intellectual property to a new field of machine unlearning. Expected outcomes can be used to efficiently implement responsible use of AI such as protecting users’ data from existing trained AI models or safeguarding contents generated by them. It will enhance Australia's leadership in AI research and practice; deliver trustworthy technology which benefits not only scientific and translational knowledge advancement but also in accelerating AI innovations and filling the AI skills demand in Australia. Field of research: 4611 - Machine Learning Our discovery project introduces strategies for "machine unlearning" in Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, with an emphasis on vision and image/video understanding. This technology is central for developing safe and trustworthy AI, ensuring compliance with privacy laws, and providing Australians with the "right to be forgotten," allowing for the deletion of personal data, such as medical records, upon request. Furthermore, machine unlearning addresses the challenge of removing harmful content from AI applications, such as the generation of pornographic images, thereby safeguarding the ethical use of technology. By enhancing compliance with privacy laws and correcting harmful content, our project supports the broader use of AI in sectors such as healthcare, mining, energy, and public services in Australia. This will potentially lead to improvements in personal data security for all Australians, promoting a safer digital environment. Another advantage of our project is that it ensures AI systems can comply with regulations without the need to retrain from scratch, promoting a more sustainable technological environment. We will actively promote the outcomes of our research through public engagements, educational workshops, and industry collaborations. These efforts will make our advancements accessible and advantageous for all Australians, supporting Australia's leadership in ethical AI research globally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advancing high resolution soil moisture and vegetation dynamics monitoring. This project aims to address a gap in high resolution monitoring of soil moisture and vegetation dynamics by leveraging a new radar satellite capability about to be launched. Accordingly, this project expects to develop mature algorithms for accurate high resolution mapping of soil moisture dynamics, woody plant & forest biomass, and fire burn areas and their recovery under Australian conditions. Expected outcomes include subsequent use by operational satellite monitoring repositories and carbon accounting systems. Benefits arising from this high resolution time-series information on soil moisture and vegetation status include a powerful tool for understanding the dynamics of carbon stores and consequent climate change impacts on Australia. Field of research: 4013 - Geomatic Engineering A detailed and accurate soil moisture and vegetation monitoring capability is critical for the Australian carbon accounting system that is fundamental to Australia’s response to reducing its carbon emissions, and hence contribution to global climate change. At the continental scale, high resolution soil moisture and vegetation dynamics information will also result in better climate and extreme weather prediction and the ability to assess effects of climate change on Australia. The new NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite mission called NISAR will provide the data needed to make this possible, but the algorithms to interpret the data still need to be developed and tested for Australian conditions. This project not only lays the foundation for the new satellite capability required to meet this need, but will also provide the necessary verification of NISAR soil moisture, burn and biomass estimates for Australian vegetation types and environments. The algorithms developed will be deployed globally through its NASA, ISRO and TERN partners and have the specific environmental benefit of gaining an understanding of carbon and climate change impacts in Australia. Results will be shared with application communities and policy makers through workshops, meetings, and conferences to achieve the best possible adaptation strategies. Successful demonstration of this radar sensing technology will also cement Australia’s position as a leader in soil moisture and vegetation monitoring.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Encoding Material Agency: Generative Design for a Sustainable Future. This project aims to revolutionise design methodologies by controlling the spontaneous dynamics of emergent systems with the guidance of new artificial intelligence techniques. The project expects to develop novel design processes that embed material behaviour within agent-based and machine learning computational design strategies. Expected outcomes of this project include new design knowledge demonstrated through architectural prototypes that fuse computational design, robotic craftsmanship, and biomaterials. This should provide significant benefits by opening new territories in architectural creativity while delivering a sustainable blueprint to minimise waste, curtail mineral reliance, and reduce the carbon footprint of construction. Field of research: 3301 - Architecture Architectural design and construction are currently facing major sustainability challenges, as building construction accounts for 18% of the nation’s carbon emissions and 25% of materials end up as waste. Recent progress in robotic 3D printing offers promising solutions for sustainable material fabrication, especially using renewable biomaterials. However, current generative computational design systems struggle to effectively design with these complex, heterogeneous materials. This project will accelerate digital transformation in Australia’s creative industries by enabling practical realisation of radically new forms of design. By creating zero-emission, sustainable prototypes, it will promote awareness and adoption among design professionals, yielding environmental, economic, and cultural benefits and advancing Australian design innovation. Additionally, the project will help catalyse innovation in building construction and enhance the uptake of additive manufacturing. The research will be disseminated through architectural demonstrators, academic papers, online media, and open-source code libraries. Architectural demonstrator projects will showcase the research’s direct application to architectural design. A public media hub will provide access to computer code, material processes, robotic configurations, and other essential data for fabricating with biomaterials, allowing others to replicate and expand on the project's research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Development of Allosteric and Bitopic Ligands to Tune Receptor Signalling. G protein-coupled receptors are the largest protein family encoded by the human genome and the largest class of drug target. These receptors are located on the cell membrane and transduce extracellular signals into physiological effects within the cell. This proposal aims to develop new chemical-biology probes for selectively targeting signalling pathways mediated by these receptors using the M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor as an exemplar. Novel ligands that possess different binding modes to the natural ligand (i.e. allosteric and bitopic ligands) will be developed and their potential to act as pathway selective agents that can preferentially activate the desired signalling pathways and reduce unwanted side effects will be explored. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology A significant challenge in the life sciences is understanding how chemicals outside the cell signal to proteins inside the cell, how this produces a biological response and how these responses can be controlled by synthetic molecules. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface signalling proteins and are responsible for the regulation of numerous vital physiological functions. They are also an important drug target, with over 30% of currently approved pharmaceuticals acting at these receptors. Despite their importance, much remains to be learned about the way in which small molecules regulate GPCRs. This project will generate new knowledge on how these receptors signal into the cell to produce their associated biological effects and will also develop novel approaches to control these processes. These goals will be achieved by developing tool molecules which interact with these receptors via novel binding modes that confer greater selectivity for the desired biological response and reduce unwanted side effects. In terms of expected outcomes, the proof of concept achieved in this study has the potential to advance new paradigms for the development bioactive molecules with more selective modes of action. This would provide significant benefits to Australia such as the generation of new intellectual property as well as the catalysis of commercial/translational activity and has the potential to afford significant downstream health benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unravelling the secrets of tooth enamel: implications for human evolution. This project aims to investigate the intricate relationship between morphology, wear and internal tissues of primate teeth by utilising advanced 3D computer methods, engineering and food science tools. This project expects to generate novel insights about the form and function of dental enamel and its significance in mammalian evolution. Expected outcomes include refining theories and models on primate dental adaptations, enhancing capacity to build interdisciplinary collaborations, and the development of novel methods to examine chewing efficiency. This should provide significant benefits to Australian research in evolutionary anthropology, dental biomechanics and in food industry. Field of research: 4401 - Anthropology The aim of this project is to resolve the longstanding questions about the form, function and evolution of human and non-human primate dental tissues and their adaptive significance with respect to diet. The project contributes to Australia’s national interests by shedding a new light on the fundamental mechanisms of human tooth wear and its specific role in the efficiency and health of our masticatory system. It is our intention to establish a new hub in evolutionary dentistry, which may eventually have the capacity to promote and shape new national strategies in preventing tooth decays, teeth grinding and gum infections. Furthermore, the results of this project can potentially attract the interest of food industry for designing and manufacturing new food products with particular benefits for people with difficulty in swallowing. The findings will engage the non-scientific community about dental functional biology through outreach programs (such as visiting schools, participation in events that promote sciences awareness, and giving public lectures) and they will raise the profile of Australian science around the world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unified Model Building and Estimation in Dynamic Econometrics. The aims of this project are to develop a new dynamic system of econometric models that simultaneously address high-dimensionality, nonlinearity and time-varying features. It is expected that the project will provide empirical researchers from a wide range of areas with a unified model building and estimation procedure, and user-friendly computational techniques and software packages for them to tackle challenging empirical issues in identifying factors influencing Australian house prices, and forecasting national and global energy demand. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced statistical capacity to empirical model building and estimation for energy, environmental change and health, which are high priority areas for Australia. Field of research: 3802 - Econometrics The research objectives of this proposal will bring unique national benefits to help address three pressing empirical challenges in the Australian context: (a) Modelling and analyzing the housing price and rent data to help address the housing affordability and availability issue, which is a central issue as outlined in the Federal Government 2024 Budget Papers; (b) Projecting energy demand response to global warming and macroeconomic impacts from climate change, which aligns with the Federal Government's Science and Research Priorities in energy and environmental change; and (c) Building a new empirical model for the unified estimation of fiscal multipliers, the analysis of the transmission mechanism and assessment of the distributional effects of monetary policy. We therefore believe that this proposal will result in scientific, economic, environmental, and social benefits to Australia. In order to promote these benefits, we will work with the Monash Data Futures Institute, E61 Institute at Macquarie University, and Institute for Climate Risk & Response at UNSW to organize workshops for this team to demonstrate the research outcomes, along with online computational algorithms, the data and software packages. The target audiences include empirical researchers and industry practitioners from different governmental organizations and industry partners, such as the Australian Bureau of Metrology, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the CSIRO and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Controlling magnetism and topology with an electric field. This project aims to investigate the prospects of electrical control of both magnetism and topology in new layered magnetic topological insulator structures. These structures can pass current without resistance losses, and are predicted to have magnetic properties that can be switched with an electric field, making them ideal for next-generation low-energy logic and memory. This project aims to create new layered magnetic topological structures, fabricate devices and study their electronic and magnetic properties. Expected outcomes of the project will be understanding of electrical switching of magnetism and topology, which will benefit the search for more efficient logic and memory devices for sustainable information technology. Field of research: 5104 - Condensed Matter Physics Information and computing technology, built on 20th century technologies, currently consumes almost 10% of the world’s energy, easily surpassing the aviation industry in CO2 emissions. The IT industry has identified a need for new technologies to reduce the energy used in both information processing and data storage. This project aims to address this need by designing new quantum materials where both the electronic switching and magnetic memory properties can be controlled with an electric field making them ideal for next generation low-energy electronics and memory. As a result, this project will develop intellectual property for such technologies, and falls within the Government’s Research Priority “Advanced Manufacturing”, and National Quantum Strategy. A combined platform for low-energy electronics and memory storage technologies would help revolutionize the >$400B IT industry, as well as sustainably continuing the IT revolution, and its numerous societal benefits. Additionally, the project will train the next generation of researchers in forefront nanoelectronics that will be essential in tomorrow’s electronics technologies. Results will be promoted via public science websites aimed at a broad audience, and shared with industry/government through a series of workshops and site-visits in order to forge new partnerships to develop these new quantum technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Mitochondrial apoptosis signals more than death in innate immune cells. This project will investigate how mitochondrial cell death is triggered in innate immune cells to microbial threats and the downstream molecular and cellular events that control the immune response. This project is expected to generate new knowledge surrounding how mitochondria respond to environmental threats using advanced genetic, molecular and cell biology approaches. Expected outcomes include an enhanced understanding of cell death signalling networks, advances in cell biology research methods and new interdisciplinary collaborations. This should provide significant benefits to our basic understanding of how mitochondria shape immune responses and identify ways to manipulate cell death for future research and commercial applications. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology All animals rely on an immune system to defend against damage and infection. Immune cells use different cell suicide programs to regulate this process. We will address a major knowledge gap by providing a fundamental understanding of the biological processes that control the lifespan of innate immune cells. These immune cells are vital to maintain tissue health by controlling the level of inflammation. This project will reveal a crucial way the body attempts to maintain status quo when challenged by its environment. It will enhance Australia’s research capacity by combining immunology with molecular and cell biology to expand our understanding of how the conserved process of cell death affects the immune system. As this work will be shared via research papers and presentations, and via news, social media and public lectures, it will boost Australia’s profile and direct future research. While still in the discovery phase, this research could eventually bolster Australia’s biotechnology sector via the creation of new tools. By identifying therapeutic targets, it may lead to immunomodulatory drug development to protect Australia’s $34.6 billion livestock industry from threats, such as respiratory infections in cattle that cause >50% of all feedlot deaths. Alternative strategies to tackle antimicrobial resistance in agriculture is a major priority according to the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, so this work will have long-term economic benefits to Australian society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

How does glacier retreat threaten mountain biodiversity? Glaciers are retreating worldwide and are expected to disappear or decline by the end of century. The impacts of this ice loss on sea level rise and river flows are the focus of much attention. In contrast, the biodiversity impacts resulting from glacier retreat are poorly understood and existing evidence is compromised by direct human influences. Here, we focus on a globally unique setting with pristine biodiversity - Heard Island in the Sub Antarctic - a World Heritage listed Australian territory. We will assess and generalise the impacts of glacier retreat on biodiversity at Heard Island, helping to understand the future of indigenous mountain biodiversity worldwide, and securing the value of this unique asset for future Australians. Field of research: 4101 - Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Worldwide glacier retreat due to global warming is causing sea level rise and changes in global water availability, risking coastal assets and geopolitical security in Australia. However, a less understood but critically important risk of glacier retreat is on mountain biodiversity worldwide. As ice retreats, exposing bedrock and new environments to colonisation, and removing ice-associated habitats, biodiversity devastation plays out. Heard Island, Australia's only glacier-covered territory is uniquely at risk because it contains a largely pristine ecosystem unaffected by local human impact. Our project will assess the changing biodiversity values of Heard Island which underpin its World Heritage status, and the impacts associated with current and projected glacier retreat. Alongside scientific publication and articles written for the public, our work will form the basis of policy briefs to government, outlining the impacts and risks posed by glacier retreat, and advising on strategies for securing its unique value. Doing so will help to ensure that Heard Island remains one of Australia's most important environmental assets for future generations of Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Investigating mtDNA as a danger signal across the tree of life. Mitochondria (the powerhouse of cells) originated from ancient bacteria. Many mitochondrial components (eg mitochondrial DNA; mtDNA) retain bacterial-like features, and must be separated from the rest of the cell, to prevent inflammation. Host cell recognition of mtDNA as a potent immune trigger has been widely studied in mice and humans, but nothing is known of other eukaryotes. In a world-first, this project asks if mtDNA is a danger signal across kingdoms – both plant and animal. It builds on discoveries made by a team with renowned expertise in mitochondrial biology and microscopy – combining innovative, cutting-edge techniques to investigate a fundamental evolutionary question with wide-reaching benefits to many agricultural industries Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Mitochondria, the powerhouses inside our cells, were once bacteria. Despite two billion years of evolution, mitochondria still harbour bacterial-like components which are potent immune triggers if not properly contained. For example, mitochondria possess their own DNA (mtDNA), which causes debilitating inflammatory diseases in humans if released outside mitochondria. However, it is unknown whether the same is true in other animals, or beyond the animal kingdom, in plants. We will address whether mtDNA is a danger signal in multiple species of animals & plants, and potentially identify entirely novel receptors that function in plant immunity. The knowledge gain from this study could lead innovative future research & industry collaborations into the treatment of multiple agricultural conditions. Specifically, this project utilizes cells from cows, sheep and rice, and thus may have direct implications for cattle & sheep immunity, and rice crop production – three industries that each generate revenues in the billions for Australia every year. Long term, this research could provide significant economic benefits to Australian agriculture, with the potential for decreased loss of animals/plants, and increased yields for multiple industries. To maximise the understanding and translation of our research, all findings will be freely available through open access journals online, and directly communicated with any consumer/industry groups with potential benefits from our work.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The next great escape – how does mtDNA become extracellular? . Eukaryotic cells contain two genomes, nuclear and mitochondrial (mtDNA). There are myriad conditions in which mtDNA escapes its mitochondrial confines and once outside of its organelle, mtDNA becomes a potent danger signal to the cell, with potentially debilitating consequences to the organism. This project is focused on understanding the biological processes that allow mtDNA escape outside not just the mitochondria, but outside the cell itself. The study builds on discoveries made by a team with world-leading expertise in mitochondrial biology and microscopy – and brings innovative, cutting-edge techniques in cell biology and imaging to investigate a fundamental biological phenomenon for which the cellular mechanism is currently unknown. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, contain their own DNA (termed mtDNA). In some cases, mtDNA escapes from mitochondria and outside the cell. Once outside, mtDNA causes inflammation in humans and animals alike. This project addresses a fundamental unanswered question: how does mtDNA escape outside a cell? We will provide the first clear picture of mtDNA release and novel insights into this biological process. As such, the knowledge gain from this study has the ability to significantly impact the direction of future research & industry collaborations into the treatment of multiple agricultural and human conditions. For example: cell-free mtDNA has been found in cattle suffering mastitis- a condition that costs the Australian dairy industry ~35 million/yr- with no understanding of how the mtDNA got there. Thus, insights from this project could have major economic benefits to our nation’s third largest rural industry. Further, mtDNA signalling is an emerging target in neurodegenerative and auto-immune conditions, thus (whilst beyond the scope of this project) our findings have the long-term potential to uncover new avenues for treating these major health burdens, with significant social and economic benefits to the Australian population. To maximise the understanding and translation of our research, all findings will be freely available through open access journals online, and directly communicated with any consumer/industry groups with potential benefits from our work.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Securing Privacy-Preserving Cloud Computation Against Active Attacks. This project aims to devise practical cryptographic tools for securing privacy-preserving cloud computation applications from active attack threats that go beyond eavesdropping. It expects to remove a fundamental barrier to secure deployment of privacy-preserving cloud computation technology. The project is expected to generate novel methods to significantly reduce the risk of cloud data privacy breaches which have plagued enterprise and personal data in recent years. Expected outcomes of the project include a practical active security toolkit for deployment in cloud applications such as privacy-preserving Artificial Intelligence services. This should benefit cloud services by bolstering privacy and reducing the frequency of data breaches. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy Cloud computing applications, including Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, are vulnerable to data privacy breaches and cybercrime, which have been estimated to cost over $40B annually to the Australian economy. Homomorphic Encryption (HE) is an emerging encryption technology that allows computation on encrypted data and has the potential to significantly reduce the likelihood of cloud computing data privacy breaches. However, a major practical barrier is that existing HE technology only provides privacy against cloud data eavesdropping attacks, but is vulnerable to a more realistic class of attacks known as active attacks, involving malicious data modification and injection. This project will address this problem by devising novel practical cryptographic algorithms for safeguarding a range of HE-based cloud computation applications against active attacks, enjoying strong security guarantees. The project will develop and evaluate an open-source active security software toolkit suitable for integration with existing HE technology. The toolkit will help enable Australian businesses to securely adopt HE technology to their cloud computing applications and significantly reduce their risk of data privacy breaches. The project will also train sovereign research and development capabilities in a cutting edge cybersecurity technology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Uncovering heme regulation, handling & transport in mitochondria. Life is sustained through many important biochemical reactions that can extract energy and build new molecules for the cell to grow. Important to many of these reactions is a metal-containing molecule called heme. Heme is made in the mitochondria and it is still unclear what the consequences are when there is too much or too little of this molecule. Additionally, we do not know how heme gets out of mitochondria once made. This project addresses these two important questions using new and complementary approaches. Staff and students trained during this project will develop highly sought-after skills that will showcase Australian innovation and research capabilities and lead to new insights that will benefit agriculture and the life sciences. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This research project focuses on understanding the critical roles mitochondria play in animal cell function beyond their well-known role as the cell's powerhouse. Here, we will investigate how mitochondria produce, manage, and transport iron packaged into heme, which is essential for many proteins to function in cells. This study fills a significant research gap in Australia by exploring how mitochondria react to changes in heme levels and how heme travels from mitochondria to other cellular locations. Understanding heme regulation is crucial for farming and livestock, as excess heme causes mastitis in dairy cows, and environmental metal poisoning blocks heme synthesis leading to animal deaths, which is detrimental to Australia's $13 billion cattle industry. The processes discovered here may also benefit biotechnology by developing new heme-binding proteins that can improve human health or have industrial uses. To ensure our findings reach beyond academia, we will share discoveries through social media, highlight research in mainstream media, and engage with industry leaders who may benefit from this work. Additionally, this project will train the next generation of scientists, improve international collaborations by partnering with leading global research institutions, facilitating knowledge exchange and fostering future joint projects. These efforts aim to maximise the understanding, application and adoption of our research, ensuring it positively impacts Australian society

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Untangling the mechanisms of visual attention. No area of the brain works in isolation - brain areas are vastly interconnected and work together with precise temporal precision. How does the brain keep track of different connections and integrate them to control behaviour? This project aims to investigate the mechanisms the brain uses to integrate different information to guide visual attention. This project expects to generate a foundational knowledge about a fundamental brain process. The expected outcomes include novel research capacity in Australia and the development of novel methods to study brain function. Understanding neural communication will provide significant benefits to the development of neural engineering projects like neural prosthetics and computer vision. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences Networks of brain areas orchestrate their activity with exquisite timing to support complex, cognitive behaviours like attention, decision-making and memory. How does the brain keep track of different connections and combine them to control behaviour? Despite being a fundamental brain function, we have a very poor understanding of how brain areas communicate information to one another to support behaviour. The overarching aim of this project is to understand how the brain integrates information to guide visual attention. Visual attention is a useful behaviour for studying how brain areas communicate because brain networks must combine incoming visual information through our eyes with our internal goals and intentions. The aims of this project do not study or address any diseases. However, we know that dysfunction in communication across brain areas can have devastating consequences. Many brain disorders - from Alzheimers to Autism, have symptoms affecting cognitive behaviours including attention, decision-making and memory. Understanding how healthy brains support cognition will give us insight into why this occurs. This project will generate a foundational dataset that we intend to make publicly available, to be shared with other researchers, as well as industry and clinical partners.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Internationalizing Epidemic Control in China, 1912–2022. This project aims to investigate the historic origin of China’s international roles and practices in epidemic control and the government’s involvement with domestic epidemic control schemes over the past century. It expects to generate new knowledge about ways the power of the Chinese state is exercised using historical and comparative approaches. Expected outcomes include fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and socio-political historians by working with an international relations scholar to contribute to the study of the politics of epidemic control. This will significantly enhance the capacity of the Australian Government to respond to future global crises in which China is a prominent stakeholder. Field of research: 5002 - History and Philosophy of Specific Fields We live in a globally interconnected world where diseases spread rapidly. The rise of China as a major geopolitical and economic force globally means that the actions of the Chinese state in response to public health emergencies influence outcomes both within and well beyond its borders. China is Australia's major trading partners and the world’s second largest economy pursuing its geopolitical ambition in the Asia-Pacific region. This project adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the exercise of the power of the Chinese state in epidemic control to pursue global and domestic outcomes over the past century. It will significantly advance historical and contemporary knowledge of how China responds to pandemics and their resulting public health emergencies. This project's social and cultural benefits are intended to improve understanding of China’s potential responses to future pandemics, which will be of benefit to Australian (and international) scholars and health policymakers. This study will also help the wider public understand the geopolitical impact of pandemics and a new surveillance culture facilitated by AI and digital surveillance technologies. Results will be shared with the Australian public through the creation of a new database on the history of epidemic control, published media commentaries, and a project website.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Microalloying design to improve precipitate strengthening in green steels. The worldwide steel industry is currently responsible for ~8% of CO2 emissions. Decarbonising steel production is an acknowledged priority. One possibility for greener steels is much greater use of the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), even for high quality steels requiring tight compositional control. The problem is the EAF results in higher impurity levels than traditional steel making approaches. This project aims to develop a new understanding of the effect of higher nitrogen contents (150ppm) on alloyed carbide precipitation and precipitate strengthening. We aim to design new, multi-microalloyed steels for the automotive sector that are able to tolerate, and even benefit from, the much higher nitrogen contents present in green steels. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The project is about developing the tools to produce high performance steels with a much lower carbon footprint than those available today. The worldwide steel industry is currently responsible for ~8% of CO2 emissions and this must change. Decarbonising steel production is a priority, although the path to decarbonisation will happen at different times in different countries, depending on the individual circumstances. Steels play a critical role in construction, transport (e.g. cars), energy conversion & transmission, etc. We use them because they have suitable properties: cost, strength, toughness, deformability, recyclability, etc. These properties depend very sensitively on the chemical elements in each alloy and the processing. Low carbon routes for steel production (green steel) do exist. A problem is these green approaches tend to leave much greater levels of chemical impurities in the steel and these impurities can decrease the properties: they are not as strong, or as tough, or as recyclable, etc. This project aims to design new steels that are better able to tolerate the impurities present as a result of green production routes. Australia's steel industry will also soon have to decarbonise. This project will benefit Australia's future decarbonised steel industry by demonstrating how steels can be redesigned to not only tolerate, but benefit from the impurity levels present in new green approaches to steel production.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Saving Endangered Australian Species Through Reproductive Hormone Analysis. Aims: This project aims to dramatically enhance the success of breeding programs for marsupials (koala, wombat) and monotremes (platypus, echidna). Significance: Many Australian species have or will go extinct. Current captive and wild breeding programs are having mixed successes. This project will improve the success rates. It will safeguard the survival of Australian species. Expected Outcomes: The provision of cost-effective, non-invasive methods for measuring reproductive steroid hormones in faeces from marsupials and monotremes. These will be used to monitor reproductive status. Benefits: The project will enable wildlife industries to overcome major roadblocks in their animal breeding programs needed to support conservation. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management This project will overcome major obstacles to conserving Australia's monotremes and marsupials. It will develop innovative, non-invasive methods for monitoring their reproduction. Current conservation practices rely on invasive blood sampling, which stresses the animals and do not necessarily monitor the best steroid hormone for assessing reproduction. By examining steroid hormones in blood samples and faeces by advanced techniques the best steroid hormones for monitoring reproduction will be identified. Optimised methods for measuring the steroid hormones in faeces and urines will eliminate the need for invasive blood sampling. By integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence, the project will also identify species-specific pathways of steroid hormone synthesis and metabolism, thus improving accuracy in monitoring reproduction. These outcomes will benefit conservation efforts and breeding programs for species both in captivity and the wild. A collaborative workshop with participants from wildlife conservation groups, government, and universities initiated this project. This group will continue to serve as a platform for sharing new discoveries and tools. Additionally, outreach programs and media efforts will help promote better wildlife breeding practices. The research will directly impact zoos and wildlife sanctuaries committed to sustaining Australia's biodiversity. Significant environmental benefits are also expected, particularly for endangered species.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Re-imagining concrete as a carbon sink. This project aims to revolutionize concrete - one of the most used construction materials worldwide - to make it a carbon sink and a significant contributor to climate change mitigation. Concrete production results in around 8-9% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This project expects to better understand the interaction between CO2 and concrete towards capture/storage of CO2 within concrete. Expected outcomes include a model for climate friendly concrete production, a pipeline for concrete research harnessing big data, and nurturing the future workforce of multi-disciplinary researchers. Significant benefits of the project include reducing the carbon footprint of the concrete industry towards the eco-friendly urban development. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering The research aims to address a critical gap in climate change by developing carbon-capturing concrete that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions while enhancing strength and durability. The Australian construction industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and there is increasing demand for sustainable materials that support urban growth and infrastructure development. Economically, the development of carbon-capturing concrete presents an opportunity to create a new market for sustainable construction materials in Australia stimulating growth in the construction sector and potentially leading to exports of green materials. Environmentally, this innovation addresses the need to reduce CO2 emissions in concrete production, which currently accounts for 8-9% of global emissions and supports Australia’s commitment to carbon neutrality. Socially, adoption of green concrete could create new jobs and reduce construction costs in resource-scarce areas. To maximise research impact, pathways for translation will include collaborations with industry partners for large-scale testing and field implementation. Engagement with policymakers will be key to integrating sustainable concrete into building codes and regulations. Educational outreach programs, media platforms, industry conferences, and professional networks will disseminate research outcomes and inform industry and the public regarding the environmental and economic benefits of carbon-capturing concrete.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Organosulfur surfactants as novel antioxidants. This projects aims to investigate new organosulfur-based surfactants for application in formulation science. The project expects to develop new surfactants and block copolymers that can attenuate oxidative stress, offsetting unwanted side effects or enhancing the function of pharmaceutical or agricultural formulations. Expected outcomes from the project include improved nanoparticle-based formulations incorporating the new organosulfur surfactants which are less harmful than previous formulations, and which can therefore be applied in diverse applications. This should provide significant benefits, such as agricultural formulations that improve crop yield or pharmaceutical and veterinary products that reduce side effects to the recipient. Field of research: 3406 - Physical Chemistry Liquid crystal nanoparticles are applicable to emerging applications in food science, agriculture and healthcare. As a result, the development of new surfactants and polymers that can be used to prepare such nanoparticles is a critically important endeavour, opening up new opportunities to develop new engineered materials with tuneable properties applicable in drug delivery, agricultural applications and veterinary medicine. The project has the potential to deliver economic and commercial benefits by providing opportunities for start-up companies, leading to employment and investment in Australian science and industry. Further, the new chemical entities synthesized will provide a robust intellectual property position for potential commercialisation, and the research team will work with industrial partners to develop these where appropriate. The project will provide additional national benefit by equipping PhD students and research fellows with strong cross-disciplinary skills that will be of benefit to industries recruiting graduates in science, technology and engineering. The project will enhance Australia's considerable international reputation as a leading country for colloid and interface science research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Reforming Australia's work disability benefit systems. Being unable to work due to injury or illness (work disability) is very common. This project aims to transform Australia's outdated work disability support systems of employer leave entitlements, workers' compensation and social security. Integrating approaches from multiple disciplines, the project will develop a new evidence base for work disability system design and delivery. Expected outcomes include new participant centred tools for assessing system effectiveness; new policy and service delivery options based on community preferences; and new knowledge about long episodes of workplace absence. Contemporary, evidence-based systems will deliver more cost-effective services and supports to reduce work disability and enhance productivity. Field of research: 4407 - Policy and Administration Work disability, the inability to work due to sickness or injury, affects millions of Australians annually and incurs direct costs to governments and employers exceeding $37 billion per annum. Despite the extraordinary cost and impact on society, there is a paucity of evidence to support the design and operation of our national work disability support systems. We do not have quality estimates of the prevalence or determinants of short-term work absences (which often precede longer periods of disability), nor validated methods for assessing participant experiences and outcomes in workers’ compensation, unemployment or disability benefit systems. To support system sustainability into the 21st century, we also need new policy and system design options that reflect our evolving labour force and contemporary society. This Laureate will develop knowledge, tools and policy models that will enhance the design and operation of work disability systems, leading to reductions in work disability and improved participant experiences (social benefit) and contributing to more effective and sustainable system operations (economic benefit). Program outcomes will be translated via a National Community of Practice and a work disability research training program engaging people with lived experience of work disability, policymakers and industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Temporal analytics for a complex, dynamic and ever-changing world. This project aims to transform the theory and practice of temporal analytics. The world is dynamic and ever changing, but most AI methods treat it as static, missing the important implications of change. This project expects to invent a new generation of AI technologies that derive greater value from temporal data -- technologies that unlock the troves of complex dynamic information in the world’s large and rapidly growing data stores. With broad applicability, these temporal analysis technologies have the potential to benefit myriad sectors, transforming AI for complex dynamics and supporting innovation in industry, commerce, research and government. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science Artificial intelligence is transforming all sectors of Australian society, through such developments as smart devices; self-driving cars; industrial automation; transformative modelling and analytics for science, and personalised education. Current artificial intelligence is poor at handling change over time, especially when it involves multiple actors with complex interactions. This Fellowship aims to create new artificial intelligence technologies that better understand change over time and can use that understanding to better inform decisions and actions. The fellowship will develop new widely-applicable AI technologies. This will unlock value and provide competitive advantage for industry, commerce, defense, governance, health, research and education by allowing them to gain greater knowledge and understanding from their large and ever-growing data assets. The technologies that are developed will be made available to all that may potentially benefit from them through open-source software. I will further educate the community through public lectures and media presentations.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Understanding structure, dynamics and function of receptor splice... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Integrated Resource-Energy-Industry Framework for Net-Zero Australia. This project develops an integrated framework to optimize Australia's transition to clean energy, industry and green exports. By connecting separate analyses of mineral resources, renewable energy, electricity networks and industrial development, we will create tools to evaluate pathways that maximize sector synergies, promote common infrastructures and align with trade partner demands. Working with The Superpower Institute and Geoscience Australia, we will help industry and government make better infrastructure investment and industrial development decisions. The open-source approach ensures broad access to these tools. The framework will help Australia maximize economic opportunities while supporting regional development in net zeros. Field of research: 4008 - Electrical Engineering This project develops a temporal and spatial planning framework to optimize Australia's renewable energy and mining infrastructure investments. Our research creates digital tools helping government and industry stakeholders identify ideal locations for renewable energy projects and green manufacturing. The project delivers three key national benefits: Economic: Our framework reduces infrastructure costs and maximizes export opportunities by identifying optimal locations for integrated industrial precincts. This supports Australia's emerging green industries including hydrogen, ammonia, and green metals production, strengthening our position in global clean energy supply chains. Strategic: The project helps Australia maintain competitive advantage in critical minerals and clean energy exports through evidence-based planning tools. This directly supports the Critical Minerals Strategy 2023-2030, National Hydrogen Strategy 2024, and Future Made in Australia initiatives. Social: The research creates opportunities for sustainable regional development and job creation through strategic infrastructure planning. We will ensure broad adoption through quarterly workshops with industry partners and government agencies, while providing tools via Monash Research Data Portal. We will conduct training sessions and present at industry conferences. The framework will be freely available through an open-source license, with documentation to maximize adoption across all stakeholders.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Aridification of the Australian dryland margins. This project aims to investigate how Australia evolved to become a fossil desert, and to identify what climatic conditions might cause these landscapes to become active again in future. Insights into the rates and timing of desert margin expansion will be gained using novel generation of large spatial and temporal datasets, and innovative integration of these data with climatic and hydrological models. Expected outcomes include clarifying how, and at what rate, aridification developed over time; the impact of land-use following European settlement; and recent triggers for dryland activity. The knowledge generated will improve our resilience to future climate change and enhance Australia’s reputation as a world leader in dryland research. Field of research: 3709 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience The world’s deserts are predicted to expand in the face of future climate change. Australia, as the driest inhabited continent, is therefore vulnerable to increasing aridity and more intense droughts, resulting in dune erosion, dust storms, and water scarcity as lakes dry out. These scenarios are likely because the semi-arid desert margins – one-third of the mainland - are essentially fossil deserts, set to become active again once certain conditions are breached. This fellowship will address the knowledge gap in our understanding of the long-term history of Australia’s dryland margins, and will identify the climate scenarios under which these landscapes become active, and how they stabilise. The project will generate a significantly better understanding of the long-term evolution and processes of dryland surface instability. This fundamental knowledge provides the basis for more informed land management and improves our ability to meet, and mitigate, the effects of climate change. Engagement with local indigenous and other community groups in the field areas provides scope to explore improvements to managing Country by integrating the project findings with existing knowledge and practice. Research outcomes will be promoted through (social) media, short films of fieldwork posted on my YouTube channel, annual “field walks” for community, and public workshops to increase awareness of the legacy, vulnerability, and opportunities for sustainable management of these landscapes.