MONASH UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Noise-reduction mechanisms in jet engines: chevrons are the answer. This project aims to develop new models to study the influence of chevrons on the exhaust of aircraft engines, which is one of the strongest sound sources during take-off. As constant exposure to high-amplitude noise in areas close to airports leads to a myriad of health problems, new strategies have been sought to mitigate this noise component. Chevrons may modify the dynamics of the noise-generating coherent structures, but most of their parameters are chosen by trial and error, and the mechanism that maximises noise reduction is not clear. By understanding the underlying noise-reduction mechanisms, this project will facilitate the optimal design of quieter exhaust nozzles, ameliorating the effect of aircraft noise on the local community. Field of research: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering Due to the high correlation between high-amplitude noise in the vicinity of airports and the reporting of health issues in the surrounding communities, aircraft noise has been the focus of study among researchers across the world. This project aims to uncover noise reduction mechanisms in one of the most important components of aircraft noise: the jet flow. Current noise reduction strategies use serrations across the nozzle lip to reduce noise; however, most of the parameters of these devices are chosen by trial and error, and the physical mechanism of noise reduction is still unknown. By shedding light on this mechanism, this project aims to propose physics-informed nozzle design to optimally mitigate jet noise, leading to benefits for both the community and aircraft manufacturers, which are often constrained by noise regulations. This would also lead to significant savings for the Australian Government, who has been investing in noise mitigation strategies, including insulation for homes affected by aircraft noise and alternative operating plans for Australian airports.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Genomics of extinction and isolation on Australian island arks. This project aims to measure the genetic health of key populations of threatened Australian mammals. With the highest rate of extinction in the world and over 30% of surviving species under immediate threat, Australian mammals require urgent focus to secure their future. This project focuses on island populations, which are increasingly used as sources to rewild mainland Australia. Using cutting-edge genomic tools, this project plans to determine the extent and nature of genetic variation, including harmful mutations, on islands and in declining mainland populations. The anticipated outcome is to understand how genetic factors contribute to extinction, to improve conservation strategies for threatened species. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world, with 36 species already lost and over 30% of surviving species under immediate threat. The genetic health of surviving populations – a factor which can increase extinction risk – remains largely unknown. The Australian Government’s 2022-2032 Threatened Species Action Plan has a bold target of zero new extinctions. Using cutting-edge tools, this project will help achieve this goal by measuring the genetic health and resilience of threatened Australian mammals. Focusing on federally threatened species (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, List of Threatened Fauna) and populations of key conservation value, the project will determine whether, and which, small populations are at greater risk of extinction. By knowledge-sharing with conservation managers and policy makers, this project will improve genetic management and conservation, and equip Australia with the tools to secure the future of threatened species in the face of ongoing environmental change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Economic analysis of child maltreatment and child protection. This project aims to investigate the economic causes and consequences of child maltreatment. It expects to generate new knowledge by applying microeconometric methods to large Australian administrative databases that track children’s health, education and welfare receipt over time. The expected outcomes of this project include an expanded knowledge base on how economic shocks affect maltreatment, the economic consequences of placing children in out-of-home care, and the value of economic policies for reducing the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. This should provide significant benefits, such as providing practical evidence to policy makers and service providers that help prevent child maltreatment and reduce its harms. Field of research: 3801 - Applied Economics Children who are victims of maltreatment – such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse – experience considerably worse life outcomes in numerous domains, with large associated costs on individuals and society. There is an urgent need for high-quality evidence from multiple perspectives to support the prevention of child maltreatment and its harms. Child maltreatment is highly correlated with economic disadvantage, yet there is a shortage of causal evidence. This project will investigate the economic causes and consequences of child maltreatment and out-of-home care placements in Australia. The project will produce new evidence on the extent to which economic downturns affect rates of child maltreatment, how child maltreatment and out-of-home care placements are associated with the economic potential of young Australians, and how economic policies may prevent the transmission of child maltreatment to subsequent generations. This novel evidence will benefit Australia by supporting the development of policies to help prevent child maltreatment, improve the targeting of effective services to parents and children, and ultimately, improve economic and health outcomes for our most vulnerable children.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Diversity Oriented Clicking - Streamlined Synthesis of Molecular Frameworks. Innovation in synthetic chemistry drives the discovery of new life-changing drugs, agrochemicals and functional materials. This project aims to use a novel chemical concept, termed Diversity Oriented Clicking, for new sustainable and streamlined synthetic transformations. The new chemical processes are expected to deliver improved economy, efficiency and precision in the synthesis of bioactive molecules and functional materials that are inaccessible or challenging to prepare with existing technologies. The conceptual and practical outcomes of this project are expected to benefit both academia and industry as the synthetic routes to diverse complex molecules can be greatly streamlined, and reducing chemical waste and required purification. Field of research: 3405 - Organic Chemistry The chemical sector is the third largest manufacturing sector in Australia, contributing $38 billion to the economy. The discovery of new approaches to synthesise chemicals is vital to ensure current and future manufacturing demands for fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, functional materials and agrochemicals are met. This project develops new chemical reagents that are uniquely designed to enable the rapid construction of complex molecules, delivering new sustainable strategies to access valuable chemicals with improved efficiency and economy and decreased energy consumption. The discoveries from this project will offer more efficient manufacturing processes, strengthening Australia’s chemical sector and enhancing Australia's supply chain resilience for key chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Existing links to national and international chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors will assist putting project discoveries to use. The research program will provide a valuable training platform that produces a highly skilled workforce to support the Australian chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Quantum sensing for communication & navigation in challenging environments. This research aims to address outstanding navigation and communication difficulties in challenging undersea and underground environments by developing quantum magnetic sensing technology. Unlike conventional high-frequency electromagnetic signals (e.g. GPS), low-frequency magnetic signals can penetrate through conductive media such as sea-water and soil. This project will combine applied physics and manufacturing capability to translate research into compact, robust, high-performance, low-cost and deployable quantum technology. Resulting in enhanced capability and autonomy for underwater and underground vehicles. This will benefit our sovereign capability in industry-backed quantum technology and our defence and security capability. Field of research: 4009 - Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware Australia has a unique coastal defence challenge, as demonstrated by the significant Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) trilateral submarine program. Since electromagnetic signals (e.g. 5G, GPS, WiFi) do not penetrate well into water, there are communication challenges that limit our defence capabilities underwater, particularly with autonomous missions (e.g. drones), as vehicles are unable to accurately determine their location or receive commands without coming to the surface. The challenge is similar underground, limiting underground mining vehicle automation and tracking. This project will develop high-precision magnetic field sensor technology using quantum physics to meet these challenges. With this technology, we will be able to communicate underwater and underground using magnetic fields, giving vehicles the capability to navigate and perform missions without needing to come to the surface. Partnering with the high-tech domestic defence manufacturer Defendtex will enable the translation of this technology into practical and deployable hardware. This hardware will strengthen our defence capabilities and help keep all Australians safe.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Implications of Global Economic Forces for Domestic Monetary Policy. The project aims to quantify and understand the extent to which international factors affect key macroeconomic variables such as inflation and interest rates in open economies. The aims will be achieved through the development and application of new macroeconomic and econometric models. Expected outcomes are new insights and policy recommendations on how to appropriately conduct monetary policy for an open economy such as Australia. This should provide significant benefits to the broader Australian economy through the conduct of suitable policy by institutions such as the Reserve Bank of Australia. Field of research: 3801 - Applied Economics Australia is an open economy which is not immune to developments within the broader global economy. Recent macroeconomic events such as high inflation and rising interest rates are not just isolated to Australia, but linked to the global surge in inflation and recent movements in global interest rates. By seeking to quantify, and thus understand, the implications of these international developments on open economies like Australia, the research will contribute to the policy debate, and in turn, better macroeconomic policy. In particular, the outcomes from the project will be important for institutions such as the Reserve Bank of Australia as they formulate a policy response to dealing with recent economic events that have such a clear international dimension.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Understanding cytokine-modulated antigen processing and presentation. This project aims to investigate the molecular basis of cytokine-modulated antigen processing and presentation using both cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches, thereby providing novel knowledge in cytokine-modulated cellular biology and immunology. This project leverages transcriptomics, functional proteomics, immunopeptidomics, and computational biology techniques to investigate multiomic level molecular mechanisms and their contributions to remoulding antigen processing and presentation upon cytokine stimulation. This project is also expected to construct innovative experimental and computational pipelines for multiomic data generation and analysis, to push forward Australia’s innovative life science research. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Cytokines are ancient signalling molecules that form a part of the immune system in animals and humans, providing molecular cues to different cell types to help them grow, develop, and promote immune responses to fight infection and cancer. Due to their important role in health and disease, these signalling molecules are important targets for the pharmaceutical industry. However, there is a lack of understanding of how the machinery within cells is changed by cytokine signalling, and how these changes contribute to cell growth, development, and the initiation of immune responses. This project will address this knowledge gap by exploring alterations to cell machinery in response to cytokine signalling and, in particular, how these alterations lead to superior activation of immune responses. The findings of this research will uncover molecular targets that can be harnessed by the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries for future development of cytokine-based treatments against cancers, infections, and autoimmune diseases in humans. This research will therefore provide important fundamental knowledge on a critical component of the immune system, and promote applications to reduce the chronic burden of disease in Australia, benefiting our health, environment, and economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Translational Design: Product Development for Research Commercialisation. Australia is a world leader in fundamental research. Yet, ranks as one of the worst developed nations for translating research into new-to-market innovation. This project explores a new role for design as a critical component of research commercialisation and innovation ecosystems. It expects to contribute novel insights into how designers can be better integrated into interdisciplinary research directed towards commercial outcomes. Expected outcomes include a framework and toolkit for a paradigm-shifting design approach to translating fundamental research into products commercialised and manufactured in Australia. This should provide enhanced economic benefit, building Australia’s sovereign capability in new-to-market innovation. Field of research: 3303 - Design The University Research Commercialisation Action Plan (Australian Government, 2022) outlines the need to reform our poorly-performing commercialisation ecosystem to match the calibre of Australia’s world-leading fundamental research. Designers and product development consultancies play a pivotal role in bringing new innovations to market. Design practice has evolved to take on a strategic, upstream role in innovative companies (ed. 3M, Apple). Yet little is known about how designers effectively interface with research organisations to further early-stage product development. Based on an investigation of world-best practices and current Australian practices, this project will develop, evaluate, and disseminate a framework and toolkit to empower designers to engage in early-stage research commercialisation. Embedding design skill sets in research commercialisation projects has the potential to enhance the dissemination of research to non-academic audiences, advance innovation in Australian universities, and ensure more new-to-market innovations are designed and manufactured in this country.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Building Molecular Complexity Through Enzyme-Enabled Synthesis. Many valuable natural molecules are too complex to be commercially synthesised by current technologies. Despite advances in synthetic chemistry there is great need to adopt the elegant biocatalytic strategies for complex molecule synthesis found in nature, employing sophisticated enzyme catalysts. This interdisciplinary research program aims to address the shortcomings of traditional synthetic methods through the development of enzyme catalysts to rapidly generate complex molecular structures. These novel molecules can be readily converted into pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals leading to advancements in the bio-enabled production and application of organic molecules in these vital fields. Field of research: 3405 - Organic Chemistry The isolation of molecules from nature has for decades contributed to the discovery of new therapeutic agents and agrochemicals. Finding a reliable method to access these important molecules within a laboratory provides great advantages, allowing for commercial availability, but often comes at the cost of energy-intensive and environmentally harmful reactions. This project aims to develop efficient routes to synthesise important molecules by incorporating natures catalysts (enzymes) into organic synthesis. This multi-disciplinary project focusses on the use of enzyme catalysts to access complex chemical scaffolds in an efficient, more environmentally benign manner. The outcomes of this project will increase Australia’s global research standing whilst also enabling the generation of novel bio-enabled syntheses with decreased environmental impact for Australian industry. The development of the designer biocatalysts envisioned in this proposal will ultimately pave the way for environmentally benign syntheses of novel pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, thus providing important commercial gains for Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Intergenerational Play: A right for all generations. Disconnection is an increasing phenomenon across all generations. Intergenerational play is a connecting force to exchange values, knowledge, skills, traditions and ideas. While intergenerational programs exist, missing is understanding of what intergenerational play actually is, how it can be encouraged and identified benefits for all participants. This project will: 1) engage with leading researchers to understand intergenerational play globally; 2) develop an online repository of examples; 3) develop guiding principles for intergenerational play to focus on outcomes for all participants; 4) implement, document and test principles in intergenerational play programs in Australia; and 5) inform future programs and policies. Field of research: 3903 - Education Systems Disconnection is an increasing phenomenon across all generations, presenting deeply social, economic and urgent challenges. We must ensure that our ageing population lives well, that all children experience the best start to life, and that all generations feel connected to one another. Intergenerational programs are often conducted in isolation from one another and evidence-based examination of benefits for all participants are often overlooked. At a time when social isolation and loneliness are among the most potent determinants of mortality, this research looks to Intergenerational Play as a connecting force where participants exchange knowledge, skills, information, ideas and values while simultaneously boosting the wellbeing of all people. The scope, constructs and possibilities for Intergenerational Play across cultures and in the context of divergent knowledges and value systems are not yet realised. This project will develop internationally-informed principles for Intergenerational Play, that will be implemented and tested within Australia to inform future programs and policy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Quality Assurance of Mobile Applications by Effective Testing and Repair. This project aims to create advanced techniques that will enable software engineers to effectively develop quality assured and robust software systems. This project expects to generate new and innovative approaches that automate software testing and repair. The expected outcomes of this project include new knowledge of software engineering, development of an automated and cost-effective testing system with improved coverage, greater bug detection and repair, and faster testing protocols. This should provide significant benefits to software users by providing reliable and user-friendly systems and to software companies to position Australia as a global leader in software development and technological advancement. Field of research: 4612 - Software Engineering With the significant increase in demand for high-quality software and the forecast workforce shortage, Australia’s software industry needs to find ways to provide reliable and high throughput software systems. Current testing of software systems uses manual testing protocols which are labour-intensive and unreliable because they often leave bugs undetected causing major disruptions in software usage. This project will develop an effective GUI testing and repair framework for quality assurance of mobile apps based on program analysis and machine learning methods. This research will likely lead to significantly improved economic, commercial and social benefits to the Australian community. This proposal relies on new methodologies that only exist in our laboratory and will enable Australian software development teams to integrate automated and cost-effective steps in their GUI testing and repair processes. Application of this technology will lead to a faster and more effective communication platform to avoid potential financial losses or even serious harm to human life due to software malfunction.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

New insights into female reproductive tract formation and tubulogenesis. Aims: This project aims to improve our understanding of female reproductive tract formation by studying its developmental origins. Most of the female reproductive tract derives from a pair of embryonic tubes called Müllerian ducts, the formation of which is incompletely understood. Significance: Using chicken and mouse models and innovative genetic approaches, the project will undercover novel genes and cellular pathways in Müllerian duct formation. Expected outcomes: This work will enhance knowledge in the biological sciences, in the area of female reproduction and how tubes form in biological systems. Benefits: It will train research scientists, develop collaborations and enhance Australia’s high standing in the field of reproduction. Field of research: 3105 - Genetics (1) This project is about the identification of genes that control formation of the Müllerian ducts, paired embryonic tubes that give rise to the female reproductive system. (2) It will address current gaps in our knowledge on how genes and cellular processes regulate female reproductive tract formation during embryonic life. (3) The female reproductive tract forms during embryonic life as a pair of simple tubes. This project will shed new light on how tubes form in other biological systems. (4) It will benefit Australia by enhancing knowledge of basic cell biology, informing areas such as reproduction and organ regeneration. It will also train highly skilled scientists, upon which our research capacity, future discoveries, and prosperity are based. (4) Translation potential and outcomes. This work will be of value to areas such bioengeneerring, stem cell biology and growing replacement organs. It will do so by deepening our understanding of how tubes form in biology. Tubes are an essential component of many organs, from the testis and kidney to lungs and gut. This project will provide new insights into how tubes form, and how tube development might be manipulated for developing stem cell therapies and for organ bioengineering.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-01

DELIA PhD RISK STRATIFICATION OF POST INFARCT MALIGNANT ARRYTHMIAS Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Sustainable Reversible Polymerisation. This project aims to address the problem of the current lack of efficient chemical recyclability of polymers. For the majority of polymers, no methods exist so far that are scalable and economic at the same time. To reach this aim, we will utilise a mixture of clever chemical concepts with continuous flow engineering. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of depolymerisation and chemical recycling methods. The expected outcome of this project is a scalable process and its practical demonstration for full chemical recycling of various polymers used in everyday applications. This will provide a benefit to society as it allows to tackle plastic pollution problems, and creates avenues to green methods in plastic recycling. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry This project aims to address the problem of the current lack of efficient recyclability of polymers. For the majority of polymers, today no methods exist that are scalable and economic to retrieve the starting compounds from a plastic material, which would - if available - enable a circular plastic economy. To reach this aim, we will utilise a mixture of clever chemical concepts with continuous flow engineering. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of depolymerisation and chemical recycling methods. Expected outcomes of this project are a scalable process for full chemical recycling of various polymers used in everyday applications. This will provide a direct benefit to society as it allows to tackle plastic pollution problems, and creates avenues to green methods in plastic recycling. The ultimate goal of plastic recycling is reaching a full circular economy, which will only be reached if methods are identified to deconstruct current plastic materials in a chemical way into its original constituents.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Increasing the reach of syphilis diagnostics and management Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Increasing the reach of syphilis diagnostics and management Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Characterisation and treatment of patients with medium sized cerebral... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Meeting the demand for donor eggs: Ethical, social and regulatory issues. This project aims to address the significant shortfall of donor eggs needed for assisted reproduction. It expects to generate new insight into the ethical, social, and regulatory issues hampering egg donation in Australia. Expected outcomes include ethical and regulatory guidance, underpinned by comprehensive social research, on the procurement, management, and use of donor eggs to optimise the practice of egg donation. The project is expected to have major benefits, addressing the gap between the demand for and supply of donor eggs needed to service the needs of patients into the future and maintaining Australia’s position as a global leader in assisted reproduction. Field of research: 5001 - Applied Ethics People seeking to use donated eggs for assisted reproduction in Australia face a significant shortfall of available eggs. Australia’s assisted reproduction industry is hampered in addressing this shortfall by obstacles in the regulation and management of egg donation. This project aims to address this industry challenge by partnering with Monash IVF Group, a leading provider of assisted reproduction, the Royal Women's Hospital, as caretakers of the newly established public egg bank, and the FSANZ, the peak professional body for the assisted reproduction industry. It will incorporate the views of multiple stakeholders and identify new pathways for optimising the practice of egg donation in Australia. This project has the potential for significant social and economic benefits: it will benefit people seeking to donate eggs or access them for their own reproduction, and will provide ethical and regulatory clarity to the assisted reproduction industry in managing reproduction through donor eggs. The industry partners will enable the adoption of project findings, which will also be communicated through reports, presentations and media engagement to prompt public discussion. The project outcomes can help to maintain Australia’s position as a global leader in assisted reproduction and an example of a best practice industry internationally.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope for Beam-Sensitive Materials. This project aims to establish a transmission electron microscopy facility for the high-throughput characterisation of delicate materials, at the atomic scale and a broad range of temperatures. Unique in Australia, this capability will enable the location and type of atoms critical to materials properties to be determined for materials as diverse as lithium-bearing minerals, next-generation solar cells and drug-delivery agents. In this way it will foster the engineering of new materials for addressing current challenges in energy, environment, transport, health and manufacturing. This will be a national, open access facility for use by research institutions and industry, and for training the next generation of postgraduate students. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology With the capability to characterise delicate materials down to the atomic scale and at their temperature of use, the proposed facility will constitute a new tool in Australia for the understanding, optimisation and design of materials for a multitude of applications. This will benefit many industries including in the manufacturing, transport, health, environment, food, communication and energy sectors. This will also underpin research with the longer-term goals of engineering materials with entirely new properties. The new facility will enable the advanced training in sophisticated instrumentation of hundreds of students and young researchers, thus significantly contributing to the knowledge economy and to the education of a highly skilled workforce.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Harnessing the power of ordinary people to prevent cyber abuse. Cyber abuse is a serious social problem that requires an urgent solution. The project aims to improve our understanding of cyber abuse intervention by ordinary citizens by utilising innovative research methods. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the mechanisms of prevention of cyber abuse victimisation and to produce an evidence-based intervention training program. Expected outcomes of this project include a new theoretical paradigm as well as evidence-based policy recommendations for preventing cyber abuse. These could provide significant benefits, such as reduced physical, psychological and economic costs associated with victimisation and the burden on the police and criminal justice system. Field of research: 4402 - Criminology Nearly half of adult Australians have experienced some form of cyber abuse at least once in their lifetime with such abuse associated with various psychological, social, physical and economic harms. Effective solutions to cyber abuse in Australia are yet to be identified with traditional policing approaches proven ineffective. The present project will examine whether ordinary Internet users can help disrupt cyber abuse and reduce harm to victims. It will do this by identifying the underlying factors that support or inhibit third-party intervention in cyber abuse and develop a new theoretical framework to inform practical crime prevention efforts in cyberspace. The benefits of the project include the development and testing of a new intervention for encouraging ordinary people to intervene in cyber abuse. In so doing, the work has the potential to reduce the burden on the police and the criminal justice system in dealing with cyber abuse. The resulting evidence will be shared with various stakeholders and the public through the provision of policy briefings and media communications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Rethinking Mao’s China from a Global Economic Perspective: A History. The project examines how China was connected to the global economy through international trade and technology transfer during the period of Mao Zedong’s leadership (1949-1976). It will provide the first comprehensive historical account of Maoist China’s economic relationship with its major trade partners, including the Soviet Union and Japan, by analysing key archival documents in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and English. Expected outcomes include a new understanding of Maoist China as a part of the economic Cold War and the East Asian model of economic development. The project’s findings could benefit Australia by providing new insights into how China’s early policies under Mao shaped its present and future. Field of research: 4303 - Historical Studies China’s recent global emergence has provided arguably the largest economic opportunity and challenge to Australia. This project seeks to develop a new understanding of China’s recent economic history and its standing in the world during the leadership of Mao Zedong, by examining archival records of relationships with key trading partners. The project will challenge the conventional notion that Mao’s China was secluded from the world and has little relevance today, by instead examining how Maoist China was economically linked to the outside world, including Australia, through trade and technology. It will also explore how the legacies of the Mao era are more relevant to China today than is often assumed. Expected outcomes include a new understanding of Maoist China’s contribution to the economic Cold War and to the East Asian model of economic development. The findings of the project will be shared with the Australian public, government officials, and business people to help understand how China’s economic policies are made and implemented, and how Australia can engage with them constructively in the future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

The Global Structure of Sparse Networks. Graph theory (the mathematics of networks) models many real-world problems and is a major area of modern mathematics. This project aims to investigate the global structure of graphs using product structure theory, which is a recent breakthrough method that has been the key to solving several open problems. The goal is to extend the reach of product structure theory and to discover new fields of application, especially in theoretical computer science. It is expected that the tools developed will be widely applicable, for example, in network optimisation. The project aims to build collaborations between Australian researchers and world-leading international mathematicians, and provide advanced training for talented young researchers. Field of research: 4904 - Pure Mathematics Networks are a pervasive element of modern life: communication networks, social networks and biological networks are a few examples. This project aims to study deep problems in the mathematics of networks. The outcomes will include major advances on important open mathematical problems that will enhance Australia's already strong reputation for research excellence in pure mathematics. The project will strengthen existing collaborations and foster new ones between researchers in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium and Poland. Advanced training for talented young researchers will be provided in an area that is foundational to modern information and communication technologies. The project will provide a deep understanding of the global structure of networks. The tools developed will have widespread and long-lasting impact on future research across mathematics and computer science, as well as potentially having applications in network optimisation algorithms for use in any of the fields mentioned above, especially for optimisation in the road and transport industries. Outcomes from the project will be disseminated through publications in leading mathematical journals and presentations at major international conferences.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

New methods in network economics to study environment-friendly behaviours. This project aims to develop two new methodologies for measuring how people interact with each other and how one’s peers affect their outcomes. The project expects to test these new ground-breaking models for investigating the effect of peers and networks on environmental issues, such as recycling behaviours. The anticipated outcomes of this project include new theoretical and empirical advancements for studying the economics of networks and peers for better policy design. Benefits include clear policy recommendations to motivate environment-friendly behaviours. Field of research: 3803 - Economic Theory Research shows our behaviour is influenced by those around us, particularly those close to us, like friends, neighbours, and colleagues. However, there are significant gaps in this peer-effect research that make it difficult to predict what people will do in a given social situation. With environmental issues increasing in Australia, better policies are needed to motivate positive individual and collective action. This project will develop and test new improved models to understand people’s interactions and influence on recycling behaviours. The expected outcome of this project is to enable more effective policy design to support change through improved recycling behaviours. The translation pathway includes formal submissions to government commissions dealing with issues of health, environment, and education; media engagement, and stakeholder forums to disseminate research outcomes to a policy audience. The potential future benefits of using this method to support the changes required to address other societal challenges in Australia, and globally, is immense.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Data Driven Polymer Synthesis. This project aims at full digitalization of the synthesis of high-added-value materials via combination of chemistry with data science and by constructing a fully automated robotic synthesis machine. The project expects to provide the data basis for advanced artificial intelligence application and its implementation. If successful, this will enable the prediction and automatic optimization of chemical reactions, providing rapid and more precise development of new materials. This project will provide the benefit of significantly increasing the ability of Australian industry to use novel digital chemistry tools and to create revenue by faster product development, aiding in securing the over 60 000 jobs in this industry in Australia. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Digitalization and robotics have vastly changed lives in the past decades. Chemistry, especially in the area of development of new compounds, is until today fully manual. This project aims at full digitalization of the synthesis of high-added-value materials via combination of chemistry with data science. We will construct a fully automated robotic synthesis machine which in turn will provide the data basis for advanced artificial intelligence tools that can otherwise not be accessed today. If successful, this will enable the precise prediction and rapid automatic optimization of chemical reactions, hence providing significantly faster and more precise development of new materials. This project directly increases the ability of the Australian chemical industry to use novel digital chemistry tools and to create revenue by faster product development, aiding in securing the jobs in this industry in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Supporting teachers and teaching in the age of Artificial Intelligence. This project aims to investigate teacher capabilities to respond to, and engage with, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in their classrooms and online teaching. This project expects to generate significant new knowledge about teacher workforce development to work productively alongside AI and other automated technologies. Expected outcomes include insights into technical, organisational and social issues surrounding the deployment of AI tools in schools, and the development of models of AI best practice and professional learning. This should provide significant benefits such as improved classroom outcomes and better use of technical infrastructure investment. Field of research: 3903 - Education Systems This project will investigate how Australian secondary school teachers are beginning to make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in their work, and identify ways of supporting more effective future take-up of AI technologies by teachers. Amidst growing policy, professional and public discussion of the educational implications of AI technologies, this project addresses the need for in situ school-based research to test the largely speculative claims being made this emerging genre of digital technology. The project will result in innovative professional learning resources, policy guidelines, and product design protocols that will support the more effective future integration of AI tools into schools and classroom. This will be of direct benefit to Australian schools and the broader education sector, as well as Australian software developers and EdTech industry. The project will also make important contributions to ongoing policy debates over developing ‘AI literacy’ within the Australian education workforce, and policy oversight in terms of the take-up of AI tools in the public sector. The project will culminate in a series of research engagement and translation activities with education and IT industry end-users to ensure that project outcomes are adopted.