MONASH UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Diving into deep-time: macroevolutionary patterns of aquatic tetrapods. This project aims to compare and contrast the broad-scale evolutionary patterns of the disparate lineages of aquatic tetrapod (e.g. whales, penguins, plesiosaurs). This project expects to generate new knowledge by utilising cutting-edge methods from several fields, e.g. three-dimensional scans, phylogenetic comparative methods and functional morphology. Expected outcomes include multiple high-quality publications and the development of new local and international collaborations. This will provide significant benefits, including revealing aquatic tetrapod evolution on an unprecedented scale and a better understanding of how some of Australia’s most iconic animals respond to global change, helping inform eco-tourism and conservation policies. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology This groundbreaking project seeks to generate fundamental new knowledge about how some of the most charismatic and iconic Australian animals have adapted to life in water. These Aussie wildlife symbols include the little penguins on Phillip Island, baleen whales migrating along the eastern seaboard, and the saltwater crocodiles in zoos and the tropical north. These animals are major drivers of Australia’s ecotourism industry, drawing overseas visitors to our shores. They also inspire the general public to engage in science and conservation. By combining cutting-edge technologies and methods from several fields, this project will show how these very different groups have evolved over time, revealing deep-time patterns of evolution. This interdisciplinary project will also generate lasting links between local and international organisations, cementing Australia’s place as a world-leader in the fields of zoology, evolution, and palaeontology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Impact of shift work on emergency performance, decision making and stress. Sleep and circadian disruptions due to shift work are common for emergency personnel, but their impact on team performance and decision making is poorly understood. Using an ecologically relevant simulated work environment, this project aims to examine how shift work influences work performance and team decision making and identify potential stress-related mechanisms that may underpin impairments in these outcomes. By understanding the role poor sleep and circadian misalignment due to shift work play on work performance, this project will inform industry practices and training approaches designed to optimise workplace safety and emergency performance. This project will benefit emergency personnel and the people who depend on these services. Field of research: 1799 - Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Emergency personnel, such as paramedics, experience a 7-fold greater risk of injury compared to other occupations in Australia. Furthermore, up to a third of these workers report having made a serious error at work. Sleep loss and circadian misalignment due to shift work are major contributors to workplace accidents and errors, which are estimated to cost the Australian economy over $400 million annually. By ascertaining the influence of shift work on work performance and team decision making in emergency personnel, this research has potential to optimise scheduling and occupational training, which would help promote safe workplaces for personnel and an effective and efficient emergency sector for the public. Beyond emergency services, findings from this project will be relevant to a wide range of shift working industries in Australia, which collectively account for 16% of all employees nationally. Therefore, findings from this research have the potential to enhance Australia’s emergency response capability and – through their broader applicability – benefit a significant proportion of Australia’s workforce.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

3D metafibre optics for advanced imaging. The aim is to design and interface multi-functional metasurfaces with optical fibres by using 3D laser printing technology. The anticipated goal is to develop innovative metafibres interfaced with achromatic meta-lenses, polarisation-selective metasurfaces, and Fourier-space imaging metasurfaces for all-on-fibre achromatic, full-Stokes polarimetric, and Fourier endoscopic imaging, respectively. Expected outcomes include new knowledge in fibre meta-optics and a novel metafibre manufacturing platform in a critical sector of the 21st-century economy. The novel ultracompact, flexible, and versatile metafibre technology is expected to have a profound impact on fibre-optic imaging in photonic, biological, and telecommunications applications. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology Fibre-optic endoscopes are widely used clinical tools, providing images of unprecedented resolution in real time. But miniaturisation and alignment of the optics for precise control of the fibre beam with minimal optical perturbation remains a challenge. By designing and 3D printing metasurfaces – nano-structured ultrathin surface devices – on fibre tips, I will create novel metafibres, offering superior imaging capabilities, as well as stability and flexibility. The metafibres will enable improved performance in fibre microscopy and fibre-optic endoscopes, and will offer social benefits for patients experiencing rapid, accurate disease diagnosis. This project will create economic benefits to Australia through translating a new metafibre manufacturing platform to local photonics companies, to create fibre-based products anticipated to have a global market. The higher degree research students trained in the areas of nanophotonics and nanotechnology will be well-prepared to do further research in this field, or to enter industry in a sector that will need a skilled Australian workforce.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Mechanofluorescent Surfaces for Understanding Complex Cell Traction Forces. This project aims to develop pressure-sensing surfaces that directly quantify surface forces, focused towards measuring complex cell traction forces. Understanding cell traction forces is a crucial challenge towards developing new materials for regenerative medicine. The surfaces, consisting of fluorescent polymer brushes, are expected to provide direct information on singular and clustered cell forces, which can reveal new insight into how cells interact together. This may provide currently missing information on how cell-surface interaction forces modulate cell growth, differentiation and tissue formation. This insight is crucial to providing the underpinning science that can position Australia at the forefront of regenerative medicine. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) With global health centre-stage in current times, developing new ways to understand interactions of cellular life is a high priority. In this project, new, cutting-edge, pressure-sensing surfaces will be developed that can advance our understanding of cellular interactions so as to explain and predict cell behaviour in a meaningful way. The ability to harness the power of cellular forces and growth unlocks huge potential towards new treatments for many of our most pressing health challenges, including in cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. This fundamental research will enhance the competitive standing of Australian science and bring Australia to the forefront in quantifying the forces exerted by cellular life, towards the rational design of materials as artificial tissues. This will empower the tissue regeneration industry, which has the capacity to boost the Australian economy and help numerous people affected by disease.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Evolution of mitochondrial diversity regulation. Mitochondria power cellular metabolism. Research suggests that genetic variation in mitochondrial genes can be detrimental and impair energy production, but it can also be advantageous and help organisms adapt to environmental change. How organisms and populations balance these conflicting demands is not known. This project will create and use innovative mathematical methods to provide the general theory of how bioenergetic genes of mitochondria evolve to adapt to shifting environments, while removing mutations that compromise bioenergetics. Expected benefits include informing future applications and new evolutionary understanding of the ongoing effects of climate change in conservation management, agricultural and health industries. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics Mitochondria are known as the energy producers of our cells, but they do much more than this. They contain their own mitochondrial DNA regulating energy production, and genetic variation in this DNA creates “mitochondrial diversity” in organisms and populations. This diversity has recently been linked to the capacity of organisms to adapt and cope with environmental stress, but it can also be detrimental and cause metabolic disease. This project will develop innovative mathematical methods to understand how organisms meet the dual demands of removing mutations that compromise energetic function while maximizing capacity to adapt to environmental change through adaptive mutations. The findings will provide new insights into how plants and animals adapt to cope with rapidly changing environments. These insights may ultimately assist the agricultural industry manage the ongoing effects of environmental change on production of crops and livestock, inform future applications in conservation management, and offer evolutionary insights into why mitochondrial mutations cause disease in some carriers but not others.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The interaction between injury compensation and social security systems. With the ultimate goal of reducing the road traffic crash burden in Australia, on individuals, their families, and on the nation's social support systems, the project will determine the impact of pre-claim social factors on compensation system outcomes including claim duration, benefits and costs, and the impact of compensation system design on claim and social outcomes of road traffic crash survivors. Addressing an unmet need, this project will determine the impact of macro-level compensation system design on social and claim outcomes and allows identification of groups at higher risk for poor post-crash outcomes, in whom earlier identification and intervention can improve these, and potentially save the Australian economy $300m annually. Field of research: 1605 - Policy and Administration The end goal of this project is to reduce the burden of road traffic crash in Australia, on individuals, their families and on the nation’s social support systems. This project will do so by addressing an area of unmet need in Australia - determining the impact of macro-level compensation system design on social and claim outcomes. By identifying social factors that influence the severity, duration and features of road traffic crash compensation claims, a critically important concurrent challenge that this project addresses is identifying groups in society at higher risk for poor post-crash outcomes, in whom earlier identification and intervention will improve outcomes. The proposed benefits of this project are substantial. A reduction of 1% in the burden arising from road traffic will result in $300m/year in savings to the Australian economy (based on the latest road traffic crash economic study). Further, given this project is unique internationally, it has the potential to impact policy in other countries with similar policy architecture and social structures such as Canada, the UK, and New Zealand.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Engineered multifunctional membranes for aqueous organic redox flow battery. This project aims to develop multifunctional membranes with high ion conductivity and selectivity and high energy density to address the key challenges in the development of aqueous organic redox flow battery for renewable energy storage. The project will develop novel methodologies for precisely tuning and functionalising microporous materials to achieve cost-effective and scalable fabrication of membranes with multi-functions, thus improving the energy efficiency and retaining the cycling capacity of redox flow batteries. The advancement of multifunctional membranes will enhance the efficiency of storage of intermittent and fluctuating renewable resources, thereby contributing to the reduction of carbon footprint in Australia. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering This project will contribute to the development of an economically viable electricity storage technology to address the key issue with intermittent renewable resources such as solar and wind energy. The large-scale and cost-effective storage of renewable electricity will create more opportunities for clean power generation in Australia. Advanced flow batteries are one of the most promising energy storage technologies currently being developed, but the lack of high-performance membranes (core component of batteries) is a key hurdle for widespread technology implementation. Multifunctional membranes will be developed in this project to achieve desirable properties and lower the manufacturing costs of advanced flow batteries. The project expects to lead to new intellectual property for further research and development towards full commercialisation of advanced flow battery technology in Australia. The successful completion of the project will help Australia to become a world leader in the field of renewable energy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Everyday Insurtech: Impacts of Emerging Technology for Insurance. This project aims to investigate the emerging insurance technology (insurtech) sector, better understanding how it uses digital innovations to disrupt the insurance industry. This project expects to conduct the first major empirical study of insurtech's implementation and impacts in Australia, with a focus on automotive, health, and property coverage. Expected outcomes include essential knowledge on the politics of insurtech that can inform interventions into industry practice and regulatory policy. Benefits resulting from this project include ensuring risks of insurtech are avoided (e.g. unfair discrimination and targeted surveillance), while realising positive benefits of more effective and efficient insurance services for Australians. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies According to market analysis, global revenue for the insurance technology sector is projected to be US$10.14 billion by 2025, with some foreign start-ups founded only a few years ago already valued in the billions of dollars. Many companies including banks, peak bodies and government agencies are working to grow the nascent domestic sector and capture the economic benefits of this innovation. However, there are serious concerns about the insurance technology being developed for the purpose of monitoring, managing, and modifying people’s behaviours to optimise profits in the insurance industry. These emerging technologies can therefore lead to new forms of exclusion and discrimination in insurance, which pose real risks of social and economic harm to Australians. By investigating the development and impacts of the insurance technology sector in Australia, this project is expected to generate knowledge essential for understanding and regulation in this area, thus helping realise its benefits and avoid its risks.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Reducing rocket resonance is the key to safer spaceflight. This fellowship considers a particularly dangerous component of rocket launch, which is the potential for destructive feedback loops to form either in the nozzle, or between the nozzle and the launch pad. CI Edgington-Mitchell is a world leader in the study of resonance in jet engines, having developed best-in-field methodologies for the problem. In this innovative fellowship, he will apply these methodologies to better understand the dangerous resonances that can occur during rocket launch, using a combination of experimental, numerical, and theoretical techniques, in partnership with NASA, Stanford, and the CNRS. Field of research: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering This project aims to improve the safety of rocket launches by predicting and ultimately controlling the intense sound waves generated by a rocket’s exhaust. These sound waves are so loud that they can damage the structure of the rocket, leading to catastrophic failure on the launchpad. In some cases, the sound becomes amplified by a feedback loop, making it even more dangerous. By better understanding the source of these soundwaves and feedback loops, this project will facilitate the design of safer, more reliable, and more efficient rocket nozzles. The project will also develop Australian capability in an important component of space launch, via a small-scale launch testing facility suitable for the Australian context. These developments will benefit Australia through the embedding of links with major space agencies and will enhance the competitiveness of the emerging Australian space industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Engineering twisted two-dimensional materials for mid-infrared detectors. This project aims to engineer twisted two-dimensional materials and develop efficient room-temperature mid-infrared detectors that sense both the intensity and polarisation of light. This project expects to generate a cost-effective, ultra-compact, and multifunctional mid-infrared optical platform with high energy conversion efficiency towards advanced sensing and imaging systems. The anticipated goal of this project is to deliver high value-added devices with reduced energy consumption for the electronics and photonics industries. This should provide significant economic and environmental benefits by realising technological innovations, savings in materials and energy costs, and reduced environmental impact in advanced manufacturing. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology The outcome of the project is the development of highly energy-efficient mid-infrared photodetectors with multifunctionality and ultra-compact integration that are operational at room temperature. The new prototype devices can lead to reduced costs in resources and energy consumption and decreased environmental impact, and become competitive alternatives to commercial bulky mid-infrared detectors operational under cryogenic cooling condition. By adopting the proposed technologies in this project, the Australian materials and photonics industries will be able to manufacture and export high-value products for next-generation integrated sensing and imaging systems that have huge potential to revolutionise healthcare, defence, and communications sectors in Industry 4.0. This project will expand fundamental knowledge of material science and engineering, enable technological innovations in advanced manufacturing, and enhance Australia’s research capacity by promoting high quality research opportunities for early career researchers in advanced nanotechnology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Improving outcomes for young people transitioning from out-of-home care. The central aim of this project is to generate the new knowledge needed to support the development, implementation, and diffusion of evidence-based innovations for young people as they transition from out-of-home care to adulthood. The project is significant because young people living in out-of-home care are more likely to enter juvenile justice, become a teenage parent, be socially excluded, have mental and physical health problems and addictions. Outcomes include a world first longitudinal data evidence base, exemplars of best practice, and guidance to advance the application of transition pathways and plans to inform future innovations in Victoria and across Australia for improving transition from care with, by, and for young people. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services Young people leaving out-of-home care (OOHC), as compared to their peers in the general population, are more likely to experience multiple and bewildering transitions that evoke feelings of instability, powerlessness, unpreparedness, abandonment and mistrust. This project will develop new insights with the ultimate goal of improving the transition for young people from OOHC to adulthood. Knowledge generated will provide the evidence base needed to impact policy and practice, ensuring that interventions for care leavers can be scaled up effectively to support this transitional life phase. For one potential intervention, the overall cost/benefit ratio of the program has been estimated as $1.84 in direct savings or in increased income to the individual and the community. Hence, this project will reverse the cycle of vulnerability and disadvantage experienced by young people living in OOHC, as they transition to independent living, and will reduce the financial burden on the Australian economy by fostering young people's ability to reach their full potential for social and economic participation in society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Socio-Legal Implications of Virtual Autopsies in Coronial Investigations. This project aims to assess how forensic imaging technology impacts coronial investigations in Australia. It expects to generate new knowledge on the implementation of post-mortem computed tomography in coronial investigations using a socio-legal approach. Expected outcomes include a framework for understanding how the technology has been developed in coronial investigations, and the social and legal effects of using virtual autopsies as a supplement or replacement of post-mortem dissections. This should provide significant benefits for stakeholders of the coronial process, through deeper understanding of how new technologies can be best implemented to improve the efficiency, accuracy and cost-effectiveness of coronial investigations. Field of research: 1801 - Law This project will be the first in Australia to study how forensic imaging technology impacts coronial investigations. Virtual autopsies allow for efficient, economical and accurate coronial investigations that minimise the use of invasive autopsies, which enables coroners to meet increased demands from families of the deceased who oppose post-mortem dissections due to religious or cultural beliefs. While Victoria is an early adopter of conducting whole-body post-mortem computed tomography for all deaths reported to the coroner, this practice has not been replicated across every state and territory of Australia. Through a report for the State Coroners of each state and territory in Australia, this project will provide a framework for understanding the social and legal effects of implementing pmCT in coronial investigations. The report will provide guidance on how Australian coroners can use pmCT to fulfil their statutory responsibilities under coronial law, make recommendations for reducing the occurrence of preventable deaths and carry out the administration of coronial justice.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Making eMaking Accessible for People with Intellectual Disabilities. This interdisciplinary research will create an evidence based eMaking program that empowers people with Intellectual Disabilities. eMaking benefits include collaborative problem solving and employment pathways; however, people with disabilities are often excluded. Through a unique, inclusive, outreach van, strategies to build accessible eMaking will be generated. Project outcomes include replicable, scalable eMaking activities and toolkits to facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for all. Project benefits include opportunities for people with Intellectual Disability to participate in meaningful recreational or work-focused eMaking, and changing community attitudes through shared eMaking participation. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems To create a healthy, wealthy and wise Australia for all citizens, we need a nation that embraces Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), yet people with significant and permanent disabilities are often excluded from everyday life. The benefits of inclusive STEM programs include greater autonomy and fostering of social connections, self-belief and trust. This project will run integrated STEM programs with local communities, empowering people with Intellectual Disability to engage in electronic design and fabrication (“eMaking”) of their own technology. The outreach aspect of the research – with an eMaking van travelling to communities – will provide a valuable cultural contribution, growing community capacity and changing perceptions about what people with disabilities can achieve. Australia will also benefit from the project’s potential economic contributions through employment for people with disabilities (e.g. microbusinesses; sales), and commercialisation of accessible eMaking tools.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Protocols for Indigenous-led creative practice. This project will investigate how Indigenous Design Charters improve the representation of Indigenous content in professional creative practice through in-depth Australian and Canadian case studies. It aims to generate new knowledge by utilising an Indigenous research paradigm to understand the significance of building ethical relationships between practitioners, stakeholders and Indigenous Knowledge. Expected outcomes include an enhanced Indigenous presence in creative practice and greater international collaboration between practice-based researchers. It should provide significant benefits such as increased Indigenous representation in industry and research training, and new resources to engage appropriately with Indigenous Knowledge. Field of research: 2002 - Cultural Studies The research will demonstrate how design projects, including in art and architecture, can strengthen cultural understanding between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people, bringing benefits to Indigenous communities, professional creative practice and the Australian public. Addressing the historical misuse of Indigenous designs, the research examines how professional creative practice can improve the representation of local and national identities by supporting the cultural self-determination of Indigenous peoples. Furthermore, the research aspires for global impact through a sustained collaboration with Canadian researchers. Specific benefits include increasing the representation of Indigenous peoples in creative practice in industry and research training and providing new resources to guide the appropriate representation of Indigenous Knowledge. Protocols will be developed through a series of workshops, interviews and test projects in both Australia and Canada. Public engagement includes a free exhibition, talks and publications to showcase successful projects.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

“New ways to see” - Reimagining Electron Microscopy . Understanding materials at the level of individual atoms can be critical for understanding their properties. This program aims to develop new ways to measure the structure of matter at the level of atoms by reimagining the fundamental concepts behind an electron microscope. This will enable subtle classes of structures in materials to be seen, that were previously not visible. This new knowledge will provide fundamental insight into the properties of materials and how they can be engineered to deliver new functions. Expected outcomes include a microscope with unprecedented sensitivity to atomic scale structures and new understanding of material’s properties. Field of research: 5104 - Condensed Matter Physics Electron microscopes can see features as small as an atom. They are used across Australia in universities, industry and hospitals to image small things, from the coronavirus to a computer chip to a solar cell, so we can understand how they work. This project aims to develop a new electron microscope capability that can achieve an entirely new level of sensitivity and thereby detect features that currently cannot be seen. This will provide scientists, engineers and industry with a new tool for investigating the natural world and for engineering new functional materials and devices. The new electron microscopy methods developed in the project will enable the precise design of materials and devices in areas as diverse as computing, energy storage and production, communications, drug delivery and lighting and will underpin advanced manufacturing industries. Through ongoing collaboration with industry, the project will also deliver a new analytical capability and intellectual property that could be commercialised and deployed worldwide.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

An in-situ and multiscale scanning electron microscopy suite. This project aims to establish a purpose-build in-situ scanning electron microscope for imaging during testing macroscopic samples together with a second microscope for correlative high magnification analysis. This unique facility is expected to create new knowledge and understanding of evolution of materials and devices during processing and performance. Expected outcomes are the development and better utilisation of materials for a range of applications. This should benefit research in many disciplines such as physics, chemistry, geology, materials, mechanical, civil and chemical engineering and provide societal impact for the environmental, transport and energy sector. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering In order to evaluate and improve materials we test and characterise them. The separation of these two things has hampered our ability to truly understand how materials perform in the environments they have been designed for. We will overcome this challenge by establishing a laboratory inside a scanning electron microscope, which will allow us to stress bulky samples, expose them to high temperatures and/or gases while we image and watch changes that take place as a result of the testing. We will also use the set up to watch how structures of materials develop during processing, which is related to manufacturing. At the same time, we will also be able to drill deeper into understanding the physical mechanisms that are responsible for our in-situ observation and with this we will develop new knowledge that can help us to use material better or develop new materials. This will ultimately help us in tackling some of the grand challenges we are facing as many of those require better and longer lasting material solutions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Near Infrared Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging Facility. This grant will establish a multi-institutional near infrared fluorescence and ultrasound photoacoustic imaging facility. The Facility will accelerate the development, characterisation and evaluation of new and emerging nanomaterials for a diverse range of applications, utilising fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging systems. Nanotechnologies including optical nanosensors, novel nanomaterials with tuneable quantum yields, and multi- modal imaging agents will enable discovery investigations of bio-nano interactions and bio-distribution interactions of nanomaterials in rodent models. The Facility will provide significant community benefits through the development of highly innovative bioimaging, biosensing and drug delivery tools. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology The Near Infrared Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging Facility will be Australia’s first research facility dedicated to photoacoustic and near infrared imaging and spectroscopy of nanomaterials, devices and biological specimens. The Facility will provide equipment for ultrasound, photoacoustic and NIR characterisation of nanomaterials in discovery research using phantoms, cell culture specimens, and animal models. The equipment will lead to the development of optical nanosensors and multi-modal imaging agents, the discovery of novel nanomaterials with tuneable quantum yields, and for investigations of bio-nano interactions and bio-distribution interactions in nanobiotechnology research. The research that will be supported by the Facility will achieve a deeper understanding of the extracellular and intracellular behaviour of nanoparticles to increase drug efficacy and lead to the development of new multi-modal nanoparticle imaging agents. Research using two dimensional materials with unique optical properties, such as phosphorene will provide unique to develop and test new multimodal imaging agents.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Advanced lattice light sheet microscope optimised for biological imaging. This project provides a lattice light sheet microscope optimised for biological applications and user utility. Lattice light sheet microscopy combines optical, physical and technical attributes that achieve high spatio-temporal resolution imaging of biological specimens for long periods with minimal phototoxicity, making practical for the first time high-resolution longitudinal volumetric analyses of living specimens. It is suitable for imaging cultured cells, organoids, small embryos, and small model organisms such as zebrafish larvae at cellular and subcellular resolution. Expected outcomes are high impact discoveries, training opportunities, international collaborations and publications addressing fundamental questions in biology. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy is a cutting edge imaging technology that for the first time permits researchers to undertake longitudinal volumetric imaging of biological specimens with minimal phototoxicity. This will allow Australian cell and developmental biologists to make fundamental discoveries about cellular processes, mechanisms, and biomechanics. This transformative imaging technology will generate national training opportunities in biology, and encourage new collaborations in computational image analysis and data management of large imaging datasets. There will be a direct impact on the development of new potentially patentable Australian-made intellectual property encompassing basic biological processes, the cellular responses to drugs and genetic lesions, developmental processes involved in embryogenesis, tissue repair, inflammation, stem cell biology and organ regeneration. In summary, this project will help to drive a diverse portfolio of Australian innovation in basic biological research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Sustainable recovery of gas hydrate using carbondioxide. This project aims to develop a gas exchange method to sustainably extract methane from gas hydrates – an abundant and far cleaner energy than coal – while simultaneously sequestering carbon dioxide in its place. This project expects to overcome existing methods’ risk of contaminating the ocean and killing sea life with methane gas. Expected outcomes of this project include a framework of the mechanics of gas hydrates during gas exchange; experimental exploration of the new method; and strategies for efficient gas recovery. This should provide significant benefits in that swapping waste carbon dioxide for an ample low-carbon energy source caters to ever-growing global energy demands while still reducing greenhouse emissions. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy Exporting coal has played a major role in supporting Australia’s economy for decades, but as nations across the planet transition their energy sectors away from coal in response to the challenge of climate change, Australia could greatly benefit from developing an alternative, greener energy resource to export. Evidence indicates there are significant gas hydrate deposits on the northwest margin of Australia facing Indonesia and in the Southern Fairway Basin on the Lord Howe Rise of the Tasman Sea. This project aims to deliver a new method for harnessing these deposits without damaging Australia’s marine environment. Obstacles to safely and economically harvesting gas hydrate have caused it to be overlooked globally, which means Australia could be at the forefront of this new resource sector if we act quickly. Leading the way with this cleaner energy could also improve Australia’s international reputation for acting on climate change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Elliptical nozzles: the shape of silence? This project aims to leverage the aeroacoustic properties of elliptical nozzle geometries to significantly reduce installed jet noise. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding methods to reduce installed jet noise, a serious problem for the aerospace industry. Regulatory constraints inhibit the implementation of efficiency-increasing configurations but still fail to eliminate public health impacts. Expected outcomes include a set of tools for optimizing nozzle designs capable of significantly reducing installed jet noise. This will provide significant benefits, as jet noise is a serious health issue for the Australian public. This project represents an opportunity to reduce its impact while improving fuel efficiency. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering Australia is dependent on air travel, given our geographic isolation from the rest of the world. The proximity of our airports to major population centres results in significant noise exposure with the attendant health and economic costs. Aircraft noise is also a significant issue for civil aviation, not only in terms of airport construction and management, and for the health of surrounding communities. This project will pinpoint the underlying noise-causing physics in modern jet engines, and develop models to guide development of new, noise-efficient aircraft engines. Success in this endeavour will enable significant fuel savings while still meeting strict noise regulatory constraints. The development of new design tools will allow the results obtained in the project to be transferred to industry applications, and thus could contribute to the Australian aerospace and energy industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Pipeline backfill reimagined to provide in-line corrosion protection. This project aims to innovate new resistive pipeline backfill materials, associated construction methods and numerical techniques to minimise corrosion at network level, considering interference effects among adjacent pipelines. In contrast to only providing mechanical support, this project will envision backfill for in-line corrosion protection by elucidating its role in pipeline corrosion. The expected outcomes are very effective and low-cost approach and tools to provide in-line protection, in contrast to other protection methods that are expensive and not always possible. The project will bring significant economic benefits by addressing corrosion-induced pipe failures for urban centres, where underground space is heavily congested. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Pipelines are efficient transport systems for essential commodities such as water and gas. Large funds are spent annually on new, maintenance and renewal of pipelines. For instance, Australia has around 260,000 km of pipelines valued at $200b used by water utilities, out of which 80% are buried and metallic. Corrosion induced pipeline failures is a massive problem, incurring costs as much as $1 billion annually. Corrosion can arise in a pipe’s own pipe-soil environment and (or) exacerbated by stray currents from interfering with adjacent pipelines, as underground space has become very congested with rapid urbanisation. Currently, sandy backfills are used to fill the pipe trench, only to provide adequate mechanical support. In contrast to other expensive techniques, a cost-effective way to minimise corrosion would be to electrically isolate the pipeline by providing a resistive backfill. Combining geotechnical and corrosion sciences, this proposal will innovate resistive backfill materials, pipe installation methods and software tools to mitigate corrosion damage to pipelines resulting in large cost savings.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Familial Separation, Emotions, and Jewish Child Refugees, 1933-1945. Drawing upon largely untapped wartime sources from refugee youth, this project aims to produce the first sustained study of the lived experiences and memories of Nazi era Jewish unaccompanied child refugees to the United States. It expects to generate new knowledge by tracing the links between children, emotions, and mobility; the role of ideas about the family in shaping immigration policies; and the emergence of Holocaust survivor identities. The expected benefit of this work includes advancing academic and public understanding of how age, emotions and mobility can broaden our understanding of the Holocaust experience, child migration, and familial separation. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies The last few years have seen a troubling rise of antisemitism and Holocaust denial across the globe, including very recently in Australia. In this context, politicians, teachers and scholars have called for greater Holocaust education in the Australian curriculum in order to combat these disconcerting trends. In order to address these twin developments, this project will broaden Holocaust scholarship, to augment and enliven the lived experience of Holocaust survivors (particularly children) driven to migrate during and after the Second World War. A key project outcome will be an online exhibit aimed at the public that will feature a range of Holocaust child narratives and primary sources relating to refugees and migration, familial separation, and the Holocaust and its memory. The project therefore will have social and cultural benefits to enhance social cohesion and may inform migration policy through a new understanding of child agency. Ultimately, this project brings to light a history that carries multiple implications for our own era and nation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The role of phosphoinositides in endosomal maturation dynamics. This project aims to investigate the regulation of an intracellular compartment within a cell called endosomes, which plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis, signalling and pathogen entry. New knowledge is expected to be generated in understanding endosome maturation and the signalling events that drive this process using a unique, multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art imaging techniques and high throughput protein analysis. The anticipated outcomes will be to define the molecular steps that govern the membrane-bound machinery on endosomes that directs endosomal maturation. This should provide significant benefits in delineating a process that is linked to almost all aspects of cell life. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project will investigate the mechanisms of late endocytosis, a fundamental biological process that controls the degradation of cellular cargo inside the cell. Many aspects of this dynamic process are poorly understood as it has been difficult to fully capture each step in the process with current imaging technologies. Our study will take a unique, multidisciplinary approach using state of the art protein and imaging technologies to delineate late endocytosis in unprecedented detail and provide a detailed roadmap of each step in the pathway. This will keep Australia at the forefront of cell biology and subcellular imaging. Endocytosis is critical for uptake of nutrients, cell signalling and pathogen entry into cells and their destruction, and understanding this process will have the potential for long-term benefits towards agriculture, aquaculture and drug development. The project will provide training for postgraduate and postdoctoral STEM researchers and building national research capacity in biochemistry and cell biology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Imaging Symmetry – A New Mechanism for Revealing the Structure of Matter. This project aims to develop a revolutionary method for imaging atomic structures. In this method, the image contrast derives from the symmetry of the structure, measured at the picometre scale, using tiny electron probes. This new conceptual approach is expected to overcome some of the key limitations of existing electron microscopy methods by providing increased sensitivity and reduced radiation damage, thereby enabling complex structures in technologically important materials to be determined. This should provide new ways to understand the properties of these materials advanced materials and engineer them for applications in the energy, transport, health, communications and other sectors of society. Field of research: 0204 - Condensed Matter Physics Almost everything you have touched today will, at some point in its design life, have been examined in an electron microscope; from toothpaste to mobile phones, from food, to clothes, to cars, to medicines, to the roof over your head. Electron microscopes are an essential and powerful way to image, understand and engineer the world around us. However, they are not always powerful enough! There are some classes of materials that have subtle structural details that we cannot see with existing microscope techniques, these include many functional materials, from next generation battery materials, solar cells, pharmaceuticals, transport alloys to catalysts. This project will develop an entirely new method that will enable us to examine these subtle structural details in important functional materials. It will provide Australia with a world-first technology for examining the structure of materials at the level of atoms, enabling new and better materials to be designed and engineered for a wide range of applications, from food, to minerals, to energy, to communications, to transport.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Metal Halide Perovskite Spin-Orbit Torque Devices. This project aims to demonstrate a new, highly efficient spin-based electronic device by developing a fundamental understanding into the generation and transport of spin in metal halide perovskite based heterostructures. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this project expects to exploit the beneficial spin properties, low cost and scalable production methods of metal halide perovskites. It is expected that this project will deliver new functionality to these emerging materials to enable their application in highly efficient spintronic devices. These outcomes should provide significant benefits to the Australian advanced manufacturing sector by developing new knowledge, advanced technology and training skilled professionals. Field of research: 0204 - Condensed Matter Physics Over the last six decades, the global semiconductor industry has made breathtaking advances in terms of developing new electronic technologies with ever increasing capabilities at reduced cost. However, to be able to continue this trend, new technologies and the supporting science for them need be developed. This project will deliver a fundamentally new and efficient electronic device based on low-cost and easily synthesised perovskite materials. By leading research on new advanced functional materials that play a key role in the development of such next-generation electronic technologies, this project aims to create new scientific and technological knowledge and generate foundational intellectual property. This project will also enable translation of the research to high-tech manufacturing value chains and train the future workforce with necessary skillsets. Each of these outcomes supports the needs of Australia’s manufacturing industry sector, particularly in its transition to high-tech, value-added production, and in ensuring its international competitiveness.