MONASH UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Organisations' Wrongdoing: from Metaphysics to Practice. This project aims to explain how organisations can do wrong and apply this explanation to the Banking Royal Commission and Paris Climate Agreement. The project expects to use the methods of analytic philosophy and law to contribute to, and integrate, three increasingly isolated fields: metaphysics, moral philosophy, and law. Expected outcomes include a much-improved scholarly, legal, and public understanding of how organisations exist, persist, act, have characters, and can be punished—as distinct from the individuals on whom they depend, and despite the fact that we cannot see or touch organisations. This should provide significant benefits, such as guiding commercial, legislative, and regulatory responses to organisational wrongdoing. Field of research: 2203 - Philosophy

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Fins to Limbs: Investigating the Evolution of complex Limb Musculature. This application aims to investigates the basis of the fin-to-limb transition, an event that set the stage for the entire tetrapod radiation. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the natural history of vertebrates using a multidisciplinary approach that combines paleontology and embryology of unique Australian fauna. While the skeletal changes associated with the move from water to land have been investigated, little is known about the origin of tetrapod limb muscles. This proposal has as an expected outcome, a determination of how limb muscles arose during evolution. This knowledge should provide significant benefits by transforming our understanding of the origins of the tetrapod body plan and our own natural history. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology Evolution is the guiding theory of biology, and yet how it acts to generate distinct morphological innovations remains poorly understood.This proposal tackles one of the fundamental transitions in vertebrate evolution, how limbs evolved from paired fins. This knowledge will provide insight into how evolution acted to produce diversity over 600+ million years, encompassing a period of our own natural history. A further tangible benefit is the development of the elephant shark system, a uniquely Australian "living fossil", as a critical tool for studying early vertebrate evolution. Using this species as well as developing the epaulette shark, another Australian species makes use of Australia natural biodiversity to advance human knowledge and advances Australia standing in International research collaborations. This is also evident in the specific fossil taxa utlised in the proposal which are sourced from unique Australian geographies and present with preservation profiles unique to the GoGo formation of the Kimberly. Thus, this proposal showcases the unique nature of Australian fauna both extant and extinct.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Investigating a novel factor impacting stem cell development. This project aims to investigate how stem cells are controlled during animal development, by exploring how a specific protein, essential for embryonic development, controls cell fate decisions during the early stages of life. This project expects to generate new knowledge in stem cell biology, embryonic development, and general mechanisms controlling cell fates, using innovative approaches in gene editing and high-throughput imaging. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity for fundamental stem cell biology in Australia. This should provide significant benefits, such as training of young Australian researchers in frontier technologies, and new knowledge in fundamental aspects of life, including embryonic development. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics How genes control the development of an embryo is not fully understood. This project expects to expand knowledge of how developmental decisions at this early stage of life are controlled, and may identify therapeutic targets for future study. Additionally, this work will train young Australian researchers in cutting-edge techniques and will expand this countries expertise in this vital area of genetic research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Encrypted, Distributed, and Queryable Data Store: Framework and Realisation. This project aims to design an encrypted, distributed, and queryable data store. Distributed data stores are used for a broad spectrum of applications. While creating unprecedented opportunities, long-standing data security and privacy concerns are yet to be tackled. This project expects to propose a new architecture for encrypted data stores, and devise practical query processing functions over encrypted and distributed data records. The intended outcome should bring users confidence for the secure adoption of cloud data storage services and significantly benefit enterprises that demand guaranteed protection on their proprietary data. Field of research: 0804 - Data Format The technologies proposed in this project should mitigate intentional and unintentional data breaches, and provide defence-in-depth data protection for enterprises, organisations, as well as governments. Expected outcomes should also enable Australia to create new cybersecurity-centric sectors, and further promote disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and machine learning in a secure and trustworthy fashion. Apart from economic benefits, the results should ease privacy concerns in society and significantly benefit financial and eHealth services that demand privacy-assured data processing. It will be of widespread interest throughout several communities, including security, databases, distributed systems, and beyond.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Sport as a Communications Platform for Environmental Issues. This pioneering project aims to investigate the range of environmental and sustainability messages communicated by sport media, and how these messages negotiate the dilemma of promoting environmental awareness through events and activities that also generate adverse ecological impacts. By engaging sport media professionals, environmental claims-makers, policy-makers and journalists, this project seeks to deliver valuable knowledge that informs industry decision-making, policy formulation and environmental awareness. The intended societal benefit is a new understanding of how environmental issues are communicated through popular media to large-scale publics, including how tensions in the communication of environmental change are negotiated. Field of research: 2001 - Communication and Media Studies Sport media is unique in its cross-demographic reach, and is increasingly engaged to communicate environmental issues, such as climate change and sustainability. This is true both of sporting event impacts on the environment, but also in the potential of mass market penetration of sport to communicate environmental messages of stewardship. Understanding the extent to which sport media transforms environmental discourse is important because such discourse influences the decision-making and policies of key actors in social, political and economic systems. This project will provide the first evidence base for how sport media informs Australian practices, policies and environmental discourse. This will reveal how media, commercial and environmental agendas intersect and are understood by Australian media sport professionals, environmental claims-makers and policymakers. Ultimately, the project will lead to new knowledge to underpin environmental policy in sport media organisations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Unlocking the secrets of metabolic variation in a highly diverse bacterium. This project aims to explore metabolic diversity of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium relevant to the agricultural, veterinary, medical and biotechnology industries. It is expected to reveal significant insights into the biology of this diverse organism via an innovative combination of DNA sequence analyses and metabolic modelling. Expected outcomes include 4500 novel metabolic models and a novel population metabolic framework. This should provide major benefits for understanding bacterial ecology and evolution, and for future studies seeking to optimise industrial processes or prevent disease. It will also directly contribute to building Australia’s capacity in computational biology- a key driver of biotechnology innovation. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics This proposal is in Australia’s national interests because; (i) it will build national research capacity in the growing field of computational biology, producing graduates skilled in computer programming and big data analysis; (ii) it will generate knowledge and resources that will vastly improve our understanding of a bacterium relevant to the Australian agricultural, veterinary and medical industries. This bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, is an important cause of animal and human disease, potentially transmitted via the food chain, infecting thousands of Australians each year with significant morbidity and economic cost. The knowledge generated herein will improve our understanding of K. pneumoniae, and potentially provide a mechanism to identify paths by which the bacteria spreads in the environment and food chain. The results will inform future efforts to design novel therapeutics, control strategies and policies. Hence this work is relevant to the national Science and Research Priorities for health and food.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

The impact of environmental toxicants on the fertility of female animals. This study aims to address a problem of national significance; determining the impact of commonly used environmental toxicants (pesticides) on the fertility and health of female animals, both agricultural and native. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the fields of ovarian biology, female fertility and toxicology by using a combination of mouse and marsupial animal models. The expected outcomes include the establishment of interdisciplinary collaborations and provision of world-class training for staff and students in the field of reproductive biology. This project should provide significant benefits, such as improved chemical management in livestock production and the development of marsupial conservation action plans. Field of research: 0702 - Animal Production A major neglected environmental issue is contamination from synthetic chemicals. Thousands of tonnes of these chemicals are used in our environment every year. We will develop tractable laboratory-based multigenerational mouse and native marsupial models as a platform to study how these environmental toxicants affect the health and fertility of female animals and their offspring. Specifically, this work will identify how exposure to the widely used pesticide atrazine impacts the ovary and fertility across generations. It is anticipated that the outcomes will be used to update guidelines for appropriate pesticide use in agriculture and the environment, which may improve livestock production and reduce chemical impacts on native species. Improving livestock production has economic benefits. Reducing chemical impacts on native species has environmental benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-based, high-throughput technology for defining bacterial gene regulation networks, and use it to understand siderophore control. This will provide new knowledge of siderophore function, enhance understanding of bacterial community and host interactions, and establish leadership in a new genomics technology in Australia. Field of research: 0605 - Microbiology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Imaging the T cell signalling machinery . The conversion of external stimuli to the interior of a cell is a fundamental process that underpins many unique facets of biology, including cellular movement, nerve transmission, response to hormones and immune recognition. However, the basic mechanism by which such signals are transmitted across cellular membranes is poorly understood. This proposal will seek to bridge this gap in our knowledge by imaging a multi-component “decision-making” machine that controls whether or not the immune system becomes activated. Accordingly, this proposal will provide far-reaching insights into molecular events that are of central importance to the initiation of immunity, and thus will ultimately benefit society via improvements in health. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This proposal will explore the use of novel tools and approaches to study the structure and function of multi-component membrane-embedded receptor. These include sophisticated protein engineering & expression systems, and structural/imaging methodologies (e.g. cryogenic electron microscopy and fluorescent based single molecule imaging). While many institutes around Australia are currently investing heavily in these methodologies, Australia currently lacks the necessary expertise to fully capitalise on these emerging technologies. Thus, this proposal will allow us to build Australia’s research capacity within this area via the training of a new generation of scientists with specialised skills. This will have direct implications for the biotechnology industry, because membrane embedded receptors encompass ~30-40% of the genome and over 70% of drug targets.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Control of developmental switches by importin 5. Aims: This project will study a key molecular switch called IPO5, a protein that is required for cells and organs to form and function normally, and it will reveal how it works. Significance: These experiments will provide the first complete description of how this molecular switch controls the behaviour of a cell across its lifespan. IPO5 is highly conserved, so these studies will be relevant to a wide range of animals. Expected Outcomes: This knowledge will reveal how IPO5 controls formation of sperm by revealing what other proteins it binds to and how this affects cell signaling and responses to the environment. Benefits: This will provide information about potential interventions to control fertility or to repair abnormal cells. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology We will be able to predict how changing the levels of the IPO5 protein inside an individual cell will control what that cell does next: does it die? does it change into a different kind of cell? Controlling cell fate and fertility are central to management of diseases and both human and animal welfare. By studying how a protein that is central to both of these, the outcomes from this project will help us learn how the environment affects fertility and health, for the benefit of agriculture and biomedicine. This information can be applied to design interventions that will reduce and enhance fertility, and it can be applied to reduce the incidence of diseases caused by malfunction of the immune system or inappropriate growth of cancer cells. Our highly experienced and internationally recognized team of experts will train students and postdoctoral researchers, increasing the workforce of highly skilled individuals with advanced capacity in the international leading research methods in which the investigator team excels: Proteomics, cell and molecular biology, bioinformatics and reproductive biology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Ferroelectricity in two-dimensions. This project aims to develop a new kind of electronic devices to store and process information. It will demonstrate a new category of ferroelectric material. By combining it with other materials like graphene, it will realise fully two-dimensional and completely new conceptual devices that are capable of preserving information in a non-volatile manner and performing non-destructive information readout. The outcomes will significantly enhance the information density, stability and readout protocols. Successful demonstration of non-destructive readout provides a key conceptual step forward for the ferroelectric random-access memory to be widely used as a universal computing memory and provides fundamental support for the electronic industry. Field of research: 0204 - Condensed Matter Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Selfless Minds: A cross-cultural theory with relevance for mindfulness . This project aims to provide a comprehensive philosophical and cognitive model of the sense of self. The project combines Abhidharma-Buddhist philosophy and cognitive sciences to propose a new model of subjectivity and agency, without postulating the existence of subjects or agents. The expected outcome is a new understanding of the mind as the locus of agency and moral responsibility. In addition, this projects opens up new opportunities for enhanced cross-cultural capacity and cross-institutional collaboration. The anticipated benefit is cross-cultural research training and providing a new theoretical foundation for the widespread practice of mindfulness meditation. Field of research: 2203 - Philosophy The project will lead to a better understanding of mindfulness meditation, which is very popular in Australian homes and workplaces but whose actual efficacy for mental well-being is still debated. It will also educate Australians about the Buddhist origins of mindfulness. This has the capacity to facilitate cross-cultural understanding and lead to social benefits in areas such as interfaith dialogue and general strengthening of cultural ties between Australia and one of our most important global cultural and trade partners, India.The project advances the understanding of mind and consciousness without a self and has the potential to transform debates and investigations of the sense of self, which will benefit philosophical, cognitive and psychological communities in Australia. It will also enhance Australia's cross-cultural research training, and our international reputation for inclusive and cutting-edge research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Defining signals that regulate intestinal stem cells during organ growth. This project will define the key signals that promote cell division in the stem cells which produce the inner epithelial lining of the gut. This fundamental knowledge is of significance as it will provide information about how key signals are delivered to promote repair of injury to this key cell layer. The gut is a vital organ conserved across species that is prone to injury as it is exposed to a very harsh environment of bacteria and the products of food digestion. The outcomes of this project will provide an understanding of development and regeneration of the epithelial lining and key signals that may augment repair. The future benefits include improved health outcomes for animals and humans and potential economic benefits. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This research project has benefit to Australia as it will provide knowledge about how stem cells in the gut maintain the integrity of the cell layer that prevents bacteria and the by-products of food entering the body but also acts to absorb nutrients. This project will support the training of students and early career researchers and generate knowledge of importance to scientists worldwide and of interest to the Australian community. The future applications of this work could potentially lead to strategies to improve the health of animals and humans and could give insights into products that may contribute to commercial applications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2020 · 2020-01

Reproducibility and transparency in the synthesis of research findings. This project aims to evaluate the reproducibility and transparency of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of health, social, behavioural and educational interventions. The project expects to determine how reliable, trustworthy, and reusable syntheses of research findings are, and provide critical insight into the education and technical infrastructure needed to improve them. Expected outcomes of the project include new methods to enhance open and reproducible research practices in research synthesis, regardless of discipline. This should provide significant benefits beyond the DECRA, such as more credible evidence to inform government policies and professional society guideline recommendations. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Interfacial and Structural Changes During Digestion of Milk-like Systems. This project aims to enhance the understanding of the behaviour of milk and milk-like systems during digestion. Utilising new Australian research infrastructure the project aims to unlock the complex behaviour across different types of milk (including human breast milk) and infant formulae, linking how enzymes behave towards fat droplets and the consequences for lipid structuring and nutrient transport. The rational design of systems that function much more closely to human milk will enable the development of new products with flow on benefits in human nutrition and increased utilisation of products from our dairy industry. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural)

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Printed back electrodes enabling low-cost perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address back electrode material, a bottleneck functional material in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering printable and conductive materials based on carbon and gold nanowires, the project expects to enable highly-efficient and scalable PSCs while reducing cost of materials and production. These expected outcomes are to be implemented in PSCs and their impact rigorously tested in research cells to large-area PSCs modules produced through industry-relevant, scalable, and low-cost printing and coating methods. This will provide significant benefits to Australian industry, from small to medium enterprises to larger utility power companies, while creating economic opportunities and enabling sustainable societies. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Multi-functional 3D imaging system for micro and nanoscale devices. This project aims to establish the most advanced all-in-one multi-functional 3D imaging system in the world. The facility is expected to combine broadband pulse lasers, optical and electronic measurement modules and electrochemical workstations with confocal Raman microscopy to realise 3D imaging and mapping of micro and nanoscale devices. The facility will offer optical tools for in-situ studying of how these micro and nanoscale devices are affected by interactions with external stimuli such as light, heat and stress. The facility will build capacity in Australia for research into advanced functional devices, and develop the workforce for device industries of the future. Field of research: 1007 - Nanotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Breaking patterns of violence to prevent family homicide. This project aims to quantify the relationship and interdependencies between risk factors and service utilisation among family homicide victims and offenders. These will be identified from an analysis of criminal justice and Coroners’ data on family homicide using Bayesian networks. This innovative approach will produce a model to predict the probability of a lethal outcome, and enable resources to be targeted for interventions to parties identified as high risk prior to escalation that could lead to death. The knowledge from this project will help save the lives of victims, change the life course of offenders and reduce exposure to violence by other family members to break intergenerational patterns of family violence. Field of research: 1602 - Criminology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A national Magnetic Particle Imaging facility. This project aims to establish the first Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) facility in Australia. MPI is a technique that detects the magnetic properties of iron-oxide nanoparticles to produce 3D images. MPI is a high-speed and high-sensitivity breakthrough technology with applications in the disciplines of cell tracking, material science and biotechnology. The facility will be critical for the generation of new knowledge in the industrial biosciences research sector and provide unique benefits to the national research community. It will also significantly enhance Australia’s leadership in nanotechnology and molecular imaging, strengthen Australia’s research and innovation reputation in biotechnology, and unlock opportunities for the Australian biotechnology industry. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Nanotechnology-based multifunctional smart window development. This project aims to develop a multifunctional smart window which combines thermal regulation of the indoor environment with solar energy harvesting by regulating thermal and light transmittance through the window while harvesting solar energy. This project expects to generate a low-energy building fabric for green building construction. The new product is expected to lead to a reduction in heating and cooling energy consumption in building and industrial applications, a reduction in carbon emissions and electricity generation for indoor lighting. This will provide significant benefits by expanding fundamental knowledge of material science and advanced manufacturing, and enhancing Australia's research capacity by promoting high quality research opportunities for early career researchers. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Dual child protection and youth justice clients: expanding the evidence base. This project investigates the phenomenon of children who cross over from statutory child protection systems into youth justice systems. The analysis will be draw data from Children’s Court files and international policy. It expects to generate new knowledge regarding the characteristics and trajectories of crossover children, and to improve understandings of how this group differs from children only involved with child protection or youth justice systems. The findings will inform novel and effective approaches to preventing and responding to the drift of children from child protection into youth justice systems which will improve social and economic outcomes for young people and the broader community. Field of research: 1607 - Social Work

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Intense thunderstorms in the tropics and subtropics under global warming. This project aims to determine how the frequency of intense tropical and subtropical thunderstorms will change as a result of future global warming. Climate models project that the energy available to such storms will increase in the future, but the reasons for this increase in available energy, and the implications for thunderstorm activity, remain uncertain. Using observations and high-resolution models, the project expects to generate new knowledge of the mechanisms driving changes in intense thunderstorm activity under climate change, and to provide more accurate projections of the frequency of intense thunderstorms in a warmer climate. This project should deliver benefits to sectors of the economy such as agriculture and transportation, which are significantly exposed to such hazards. Field of research: 0401 - Atmospheric Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The impact of social media on the employment prospects of young Australians. This project aims to investigate how young people present professional identities on social media when preparing for employment, and how employers use social media in recruitment. This project will provide insights into the positive and negative impacts of young people’s social media use on employability, providing an evidence base and guide for schools and educators to prepare young people for employment. This project will contribute to an understanding of how young people can effectively manage their social media use to enhance their career prospects. This knowledge will be translated into educational materials to inform and guide young people preparing for employment. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The effects of mitochondrial genetic variation on physiology and behaviour. This project aims to test how mitochondrial DNA variation drives molecular, physiological, and behavioural differences between genders and among populations. This project, through the testing of a new hypothesis, expects to generate new knowledge to understand why males and females differ consistently in key health-related traits like longevity. The expected outcomes of this project will provide new discoveries that deliver fundamental insights into the genetics of gender differences, with benefits that extend into the biomedical sciences. The project is also expected to enhance the international profile of Australian science through cutting-edge research in evolutionary genetics. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

How genomics is shaping healthcare: an ethnographic study. This project aims to generate new understandings of how science and biomedicine are co-producing and shaping healthcare. This will be achieved by combining hospital and laboratory ethnography to examine how genomic data is produced, circulated and applied in clinical settings. The project aims to build a theoretical framework and conceptual understanding of genomic medicine that may be used by practitioners and may inform policy. This project should provide significant benefits such as minimising costs by helping identify and streamline decision-making processes, and by showing how public engagement practices shape patients' and practitioners' approaches to genomics. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology