MONASH UNIVERSITY

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Unravelling the impacts of global warming on whole ecological communities. This project aims to resolve how entire ecological communities respond to global warming and identify the mechanisms that underpin these responses. Combining manipulations of marine invertebrate communities with assays of energy use, the project expects to reveal emergent effects that cannot be predicted from responses of individual species. The expected outcome is a mechanistic understanding of how warming affects resource use of entire communities that will increase our capacity to predict the consequences of climate change on food-web stability and productivity. These findings should reveal how species interactions alter energy use and invasion risk which is vital to manage ecosystems in a warmer world. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The stars that should not exist. This project aims to explain the origin of stars with a chemical composition that is so peculiar that they cannot be explained by any theory of how stars evolve or how elements are created. Their very existence represents fundamental problems in astrophysics. This project proposes a novel method to distinguish peculiarity of up to 20 million stars, mostly observed from Australia. Expected outcomes include new theories to explain two of the most puzzling kinds of peculiar stars, discoveries of new kinds of anomalous stars, and discoveries of ancient or metal-free stars that should not exist. The project is expected to generate social benefit, as well as long-term economic benefits by inspiring and training the next generation of data analysts, programmers, engineers, teachers, and scientists. It may also generate economic benefits from a generalised method for outlier detection in high-dimensional datasets. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

In-situ catalytic upgrading of bio-oil using scrap tyre char. This project aims to develop advanced, cost-competitive catalysts based on scrap tyre char, an otherwise low-value by-product. These catalysts will be optimised for use in upgrading bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of woody eucalyptus, an abundant biomass resource across Australia. The project is expected to promote the commercialisation of bio-oil production and enhance the valorisation of scrap tyre char. This is expected to reduce the carbon footprint from Australian industry, and promote the recycling and reuse of waste scrap tyres. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Calcium-mediated regulation of stem cell development. This project aims to clarify the role of syndecan-mediated calcium in stem cell development using Caenorhabditis elegans. Stem cells have great potential for regenerative studies. While stem cells cultures are widely used, we do not fully understand how stem cells develop within an organism. This project expects to uncover the mechanisms underpinning calcium regulation by syndecan in stem cells. The expected outcomes include the optimisation of C. elegans stem cell methods to screen calcium regulating compounds and the creation of an in vivo calcium sensor. The project should advance knowledge of the role of syndecans in stem cells and provide the first analysis of in vivo calcium kinetics in stem cells. Field of research: 1004 - Medical Biotechnology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Involvement of the claustrum in coordinating brain circuits. This project aims to reveal how the claustrum coordinates information flow across other brain areas. The project will test the hypothesis that the Claustrum, a structure in the brain’s temporal lobe, coordinates the brains resting state networks. The project expects to characterise how the claustrum interacts with different networks, using a combination of anatomical, physiological and mathematical analysis techniques. The project expects to advance knowledge about the function of one of the least understood parts of the brain. This will provide benefits that include new analysis techniques for integrative brain function, and may form the basis of future biotechnologies for modulating brain activity using neuroengineering or pharmacological approaches. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Elucidating a novel mechanism for coping with harmful mutations. This project aims to improve our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that increase genetic and phenotypic robustness. Survival of organisms depends on their ability to cope with genetic variation. A novel process of genetic compensation has recently been identified, producing a normal phenotype in a homozygous mutant, that would be expected to have deleterious effects. This project will reveal how compensation is achieved by examining the molecular pathways that are activated following genetic mutation. This project is expected to strengthen Australian reputation in evolutionary genetics, and in turn enhance our understanding of how organisms adapt to changing environments. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Fortifying our digital economy: advanced automated vulnerability discovery. This project aims to enable security researchers to detect critical vulnerabilities in large software systems with maximal efficiency, cost-effectively, and with known statistical accuracy. The aim is to develop advanced high-performance fuzzers that effectively thwart malware attacks, ransomware epidemics, and cyber terrorism by exposing security flaws before they can commence. The project will employ a well-established statistical framework utilised in ecology research to provide fundamental insights to boosting the efficiency of software vulnerability discovery, and on the trade-off between investing more resources and gaining better cyber security guarantees. As our reliance on new technologies is ever growing, this project equips Australia to curb cyber crime cost-effectively. Field of research: 0803 - Computer Software

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Efficient and effective analytics for real-world time series forecasting. This project aims to create efficient, effective techniques that provide accurate forecasts for heterogeneous sets of time series of varying sizes. Exploiting similarities between time series means using many related series, not larger series when building forecasts. The expected outcomes should be innovative methods that improve accuracy and allow forecasting with shorter time series. The project addresses the need to exploit properties of big data accurately in a short time frame, which is transforming many industries. This should enable more accurate and reliable forecasts across industries as diverse as retail, food manufacturing, transport, mining, tourism, energy, and technology. Field of research: 0801 - Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Perovskite-based electrocatalysts for water electrolysis. This project aims to develop novel perovskite-based catalysts with high catalytic activity and long-term stability for the practical application of alkaline water splitting. A new family of overall water-splitting materials in alkaline media based on low-cost and earth-abundant perovskite oxides will be developed, which offer a viable alternative to the benchmark noble metal-based catalysts. Clean hydrogen energy generated by these efficient perovskite catalysts will not only reduce carbon dioxide emissions and alleviate air pollution, but also create opportunities for Australian industries, such as the widespread use of renewable solar and wind energy and fuel cell vehicles. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Uncovering the enigmatic origins of the brightest supernovae. This project aims to uncover the origins of extremely bright supernovae called superluminous supernovae. How and why massive stars end their lives as superluminous supernovae is unknown. Based on their shapes and similarities to other peculiar supernovae, this project should clarify the mechanisms that lead massive stars to explode as superluminous supernovae. The project also aims to develop superluminous supernovae as a tool to investigate the distant universe. By observing superluminous supernovae in the distant universe, this project should address the properties of the first generation stars in the universe and advance our understanding of stellar evolution, supernovae, and the early universe. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Aliens in the alps: predicting invasions and protecting native species. This project aims to investigate how warming and alien species invasions impact on Australia’s alpine ecosystems. Using a combination of methods from across the natural and physical sciences, this project endeavours to generate new knowledge on alpine biodiversity and the ability of native and alien species to cope with the pressures of climate warming and decreasing snow fall. Expected outcomes of this project include improved accuracy and precision in predicting the impacts of environmental change providing benefits to conservation planning and protection of the Australian Alps. Field of research: 0501 - Ecological Applications

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Informal sport as a health and social resource for diverse young people. This project aims to investigate the contribution that informal sports participation makes to wellbeing amongst diverse young people, and ways in which governments, sport and health agencies can effectively support this participation. The project expects to generate new knowledge of how informal sports are self-organised and sustained, factors enabling and inhibiting participation, and will provide a detailed evidence base for the economic and social impact of informal participation. Expected outcomes include the provision of coherent guidance for government, sport and health agencies who will be better equipped to support informal sports opportunities for diverse young people that delivers an enhanced health outcome. Field of research: 1605 - Policy and Administration

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The newest nationalism: constructing a Hong Kong national identity. This project aims to investigate the emergence of a political movement promoting Hong Kong nationalism, transforming a seemingly depoliticised trade port into one of the most politically charged cities in the world. The project will use an ethnographic approach of close engagement with activists and their experiences to build on macro-level analyses of Hong Kong’s relationship with China and generate new knowledge of the personal aspirations and anxieties driving these tensions. By observing processes of ethnogenesis in real time, the project will provide innovative insights on the ongoing global debates about the origins, appeal, and implications of nationalism today. The results of the project will help build Australia’s ability to engage with both Hong Kong and China. Field of research: 1699 - Other Studies In Human Society

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Regulation of histone methylation by polycomb-like proteins. This project aims to investigate how polycomb-like proteins regulate polycomb group (PcG) proteins and recruit them to their target genes. During the development of all multicellular organisms, PcG proteins are essential for keeping thousands of genes in a repressed state. PcG proteins are recruited to their target genes with the aid of their Polycomb-like protein cofactors, in a process that is poorly understood mechanistically. This project will determine the mechanism that underpins the recruitment and regulation of PcG proteins by polycomb-like proteins. Outcomes will have relevance for most development processes of multicellular organisms. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The neural basis of the cognitive effects of prefrontal cortex stimulation. This project aims to discover what exactly happens to brain cells (neurons) when transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is administered. Direct current stimulation of prefrontal cortex has gained much attention as an easy to use and self-administered brain stimulation technique for improving learning and performance in tests, and even for management of conditions such as overeating and gambling. Despite the widespread use of tDCS the neural basis of its effects remain unknown. By applying tDCS in animals performing cognitive tasks, this projects aims to address fundamental unanswered questions about 'where' and 'how' the tDCS influences neural information encoding and behaviour using cellular- and neural circuit-level evidence. Field of research: 0606 - Physiology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A link between antibiotic resistance and bacterial sporulation. This project aims to define the sporulation process in the bacterium Clostridium difficile, and advance our understanding of a link between antibiotic use and sporulation. To survive in hostile environments, some bacteria produce a dormant and resilient cell form called a spore which can survive for many years in unfavourable environments, but our understanding of how this process occurs is limited. This project will provide a deeper understanding of the sporulation process and the long-lasting detrimental impact of antibiotic use. The project expects to provide economic benefits, reduce environmental microbial contamination and contribute to better health of animals and humans. Field of research: 0605 - Microbiology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Discovering novel allosteric probes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. This project aims at fostering novel approaches to selectively target vital receptors in the human body, the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs). By harnessing the design of receptor mutations, compounds synthesis and fluorescent imaging, the project expects to develop new pharmacological tools for a family of receptors essential for the life of all vertebrates. By enriching our understanding of this family of receptor, the project expects to provide significant benefits to the research field by impacting on future drug discovery efforts, not only at mAChRs, but at other structurally related receptors. Field of research: 1115 - Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Mechanisms of itch - from endosomal signalling to neural circuits. This project aims to investigate the cellular and circuit mechanisms of itch transmission in the spinal cord by defining the activation and propagation of itch-specific signals. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of neuronal signalling and circuitry using novel electrophysiological approaches that target and manipulate specific nerves and cellular components. The project will characterise signalling within specific spinal subcircuits in order to understand the mechanisms of receptor activation and signalling, and investigate how circuit activity is regulated. This project expects to advance fundamental understanding of itch signalling in the nervous system and provide avenues for future therapeutics. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The meritocratic moment in West Germany, Singapore, and Japan. This project aims to investigate the history of meritocratic ideas in West Germany, Singapore and Japan. The project will generate new knowledge on the ways in which democratic societies built political legitimacy after World War II by analysing the history of education reforms. Expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of the historical conditions which promote social cohesion in modern societies. This project should provide significant benefits by fostering social and educational policy-making which enhances the political legitimacy and stability of parliamentarian democracies in Australia and around the world. Field of research: 2103 - Historical Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Uncertainty, financial frictions, and the Australian business cycle. This project aims to investigate the macroeconomic consequences of disruptions in financial markets and heightened uncertainty about the future. Key components of the project include new measures of uncertainty and development of new tools to estimate flexible empirical and structural models of uncertainty and financial frictions. The project expects to provide policymakers with tools to design effective policies to counteract the effects of heightened uncertainty and financial disruptions. The results of this project are expected to put Australia at the frontier of the international scientific research on the macroeconomic effects of uncertainty and financial frictions. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Internal soil erosion: from grain-scale insights to large-scale predictions. This project aims to further the understanding of internal soil erosion across different spatial and temporal scales. Internal soil erosion is the most frequent cause of failures of water retaining structures. An approach combining advanced X-ray techniques with particle based methods will be developed to observe, analyse and link different material properties and external conditions governing the erosion process. This will lead to better criteria for soil erosion and numerical tools for field scale failure analysis and risk assessments. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capability to assess the integrity and stability of earth structures and better design criteria against erosion. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Economic stress, non-cognitive skill development and life outcomes. This project aims to identify policies in which the fostering of non-cognitive skills (NCS) can break the persistence of economic disadvantage. The project seeks to investigate the mechanisms behind differential development, intergenerational transmission of NCS between "rich and poor," how exposure to economic stress inhibits NCS development and the role of schooling in boosting NCS of disadvantaged children. Expected outcomes include evidence-based policy advice on how human capital investments in NCS can be beneficial for health, educational and labour market success, and how NCS can survive despite economic stress. Intended benefits include new cost-effective policies to reduce inequality and maximise the welfare of society. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Stronger zinc alloys for more flexible biodegradable stents. This project aims to develop stronger zinc alloys for a new class of biodegradable metallic stents. A key challenge for biodegradable stent technology is to make stents as thin as possible while also being strong. This project will develop ultra-high strength zinc alloys that can be used to fabricate thinner biodegradable stents for easier surgical operation. The project outcomes should be a major step in the design and development of a new generation of biodegradable stents that will avoid the risks associated with existing products and potentially create a better life for millions of patients worldwide. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Atomic scale precision engineering of cell-material interfaces. This project aims to determine the molecular structure of the interface between novel peptide self-assemblies and cell membranes through x-ray diffraction and molecular simulation. The project will generate knowledge to enable atomic scale engineering of peptide nanomaterials, and exploitation of these materials to modulate cell responses. Expected outcomes include designed peptide nanostructures with specific chemical and physical cues to promote sustainable growth of desired cells, whilst inhibiting undesirable responses. These outcomes should provide benefits in terms of a practical toolkit for tailoring structure and function of peptide nanostructures and open up a new era in molecular design of smart biomaterials. This easily scalable, new materials platform will contribute to emerging high-value manufacturing industries in Australia. Field of research: 0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Data-smart schools: enhancing the use of digital data in secondary schools. This project aims to investigate the use of digital data in schools to identify ways to improve its capture and use. Masses of digital data are generated within schools every day, but despite its potential, this data remains poorly used and understood. The project intends to work with school communities in order to develop innovative data tools and techniques that make more effective use of the data. The project will provide new insights into the technical, informatics, organisational and social issues surrounding the (re)use of digital data in schools and the development of digital data ‘best practice’ models. This project should provide benefits in terms of improved teaching and learning, parent engagement and use of infrastructure investment. Field of research: 1303 - Specialist Studies In Education