RMIT University

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-07

ARC Training Centre in Electrifying Australia for a Net-zero Future Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-07

428.004 - Defence research and policy Category: Defence

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-07

Integration of electric vehicles into the grid: A net-zero carbon future Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

428.004 - Defence research and policy Category: Defence

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2024 · 2024-06

Emerging from the long shadow: Optimising supportive consumer and... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Integration of electric vehicles into the grid: A net-zero carbon future. The project aims to develop machine learning technologies to improve integration of electric vehicles into the grid. The energy and transport sectors contribute to more than 75% of the emissions and energy distributors have a critical role in supporting the uptake of electric vehicles and all-electric buildings. Expected outcomes include digital and data-driven technologies to identify EV charging profiles and use vehicle-to-grid technology to support the grid. The outcomes will enable electricity distributors to accommodate massive demand required by the electrification movement, whilst maintaining reliability and affordability of the electricity supply. This will provide significant benefits in the transition to a net-zero future. Field of research: 4602 - Artificial Intelligence Large-scale electrification of the energy and transport sectors can have significant load consequences to the electricity grid. It is estimated that Australia needs to double electricity generation by 2050 – all from renewables – to meet the zero-emission targets. No system of coordinated charging exists at present and presents as a significant obstacle in getting grid infrastructure ready for wide-spread uptake of electric vehicles. In collaboration with industry partners, this project will develop novel digital tools and machine learning technologies to future-proof the distribution grids in accommodating massive electrification loads. The project outcome will be a suit of data-driven engineering and decision-making technologies to enable energy distributors to identify electric vehicle loads, coordinate their charging, and use their battery as energy storage to support the grid. These technologies will enable the network planners to minimise the network investments required to accommodate mass electric vehicle uptake, thus keeping affordability of network tariffs under control for everyday energy consumers. The project will also provide data-informed policy inputs to support smooth uptake of electric vehicles in Australia. The CI’s relationships with industry through previous and existing projects as well as the co-design of the project with the industry partners will support industry adoption and ensure that the technologies will be put into industry practice quickly.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Smart graphene supercapacitors for self-sustained and zero-emission gyms. This project aims to develop a smart and robust graphene supercapacitor system (GraFit) that harnesses the green electricity generated by gym-users to power the self-sustained and zero-emission gyms. This project expects to generate new knowledge in translating graphene supercapacitors into real-life applications. Expected outcomes include a practical GraFit system ideally compatible with the intermittent and fluctuating electricity generated from gym workouts. The establishment of the world's first self-sustained and zero-emission gym innovatively collects and uses the massive kinetic energy previously dumped through gym. It promotes deep decarbonisation in Australian fitness industry and green and healthy lifestyles in Australian society. Field of research: 4008 - Electrical Engineering In line with Australia's national interest to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, this groundbreaking initiative aims to revolutionise the domestic fitness industry through the indigenous development and implementation of advanced graphene supercapacitors, surpassing the current energy storage solutions in sustainability, stability and durability. The project is designed to pioneer the transformation of Australia's fitness sector into a self-sustaining, zero-emission industry by ingeniously capturing and storing renewable energy generated by gym-goers during their exercise routines. Leveraging our recent advances in the green, facile and scalable fabrication of graphene supercapacitors, we are collaborating with an Australian industry partner to fine-tune and scale these devices, enhancing their adaptability to the intermittent green electricity from gym equipment. This initiative advances the commercial viability of our cutting-edge technology and fosters industrial partnerships crucial for large-scale deployment, establishing a novel technology platform tailored to the deep decarbonisation of Australia’s fitness sector. It also holds transformative potential by alleviating the nation's energy constraints, redirecting excess stored energy back into the grid. This initiative promises to deliver immediate and far-reaching impacts on Australia’s transition to a green and sustainable economy, aligns squarely with Australia’s national objectives and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Direct Sunlight Catalysis Floating Device for Green H2 Production. This project aims to develop direct sunlight utilising floating devices based on catalytic membranes that combine photocatalysis with solar heat for cost-effective green hydrogen production in open waters. This project expects to generate new knowledge in generating green hydrogen using an innovative approach. Expected outcomes include the development of composite catalysts and membranes incorporated into floating devices suitable for real-world application and knowledge around temperature-dependence and in-built charge generation in photocatalytic reactions. This should provide significant benefits to Australia's capacity in clean energy generation and hydrogen supply chains. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The aim of this project is to develop floating devices that allow for the creation of hydrogen as an alternative fuel source to fossil fuels through water splitting in open waters such as rivers, lakes, and the ocean without external energy input, using only energy from sunlight. This process has been forecast to reduce the cost of generating renewable hydrogen by $3-5/kg by 2050, making it a viable energy source with zero emissions. The project has the potential to bring huge environmental, economic, and commercial benefits to Australia and the world. The dependence in Australia, particularly industry, on traditional fossil energy sources will be largely removed, along with associated challenges such as supply exhaustion and environmental impacts due to fossil fuel combustion. The significantly increased cost-effectiveness will accelerate Australia's entry into the global hydrogen market by allowing early access to the $11 billion hydrogen economy and access to up to 7,600 jobs forecast to be created by 2050. The floating devices for hydrogen production will likely be implemented by industry through partnerships and collaborations with renewable energy companies and energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing and transportation. These devices can be deployed in open waters, and the produced hydrogen can be integrated into existing energy infrastructure or used for fuel cell applications, contributing to the reduction of fossil fuel dependence in various industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Enhancing Discoverability of Australian Children’s TV in the Streaming Era. This project aims to enhance and protect the threatened Australian children's TV sector by developing an understanding of how Australian children use video streaming platforms to access local and age-appropriate content. It expects to generate new evidence to inform regulation, investment, and strategy around children's TV, improving how children's content is distributed on streaming platforms. Expected outcomes include streaming media education programs for children and parents, guidelines for policymakers and the screen industry, and a prototype children's streaming platform. Benefits include improved public access to Australian-produced screen content and screen policy aligned with the needs of Australian children in the streaming era. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies Most children now access screen content via on-demand video streaming, but there is very little knowledge about how children use streaming platforms to find and select content. This poses challenges for the Australian children’s television sector, which saw an 84% reduction in the amount of local children’s content broadcast between 2019 and 2022. An understanding of children’s streaming habits is required to strengthen the sector’s decision-making on the distribution and promotion of content on streaming platforms and to support effective, sustainable investment in the streaming era. This project will benefit Australians by generating this evidence-base of how children use streaming platforms, which will inform new policy and industry strategies aligned with children’s needs. New approaches to content distribution will improve public access to Australian-produced screen content, which children currently struggle to find and identify on streaming platforms. Working with the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, the Australian Centre of the Moving Image and an advisory board involving national screen and regulatory bodies to support strong uptake, it will develop new industry and policy guidelines to make local, age-appropriate content easier for children to find, a streaming platform prototype to showcase child-accessible design principles to local and global industry, and education programs for parents and children to improve family knowledge about streaming media.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Cyber secure, battery-free, and wireless wearable patch technology. The project aims to investigate the technological and manufacturing challenges in wearables to integrate prominent high-frequency electrical, optical, and chemical signals on a single tiny patch. The integration expects to generate new multidisciplinary knowledge in wearables for real-time on-site and remote multisensory monitoring systems by using wireless, battery-free, and on-chip data encryption operation. It will develop cutting-edge technology for the highest performance with the least amount of power and space in a challenging environment. The project is expected to provide benefits to national security and defence, agriculture, manufacturing, and human and animal health sectors with remote area accessibility. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The project will use a multidisciplinary approach drawing on materials, electronics, firmware engineering, and cyber security to address the manufacturing challenges of industry-scale fabrication and real-life adoption of the wearable device. Wearable devices depend on cutting-edge electronic technology for optimal performance using the least amount of space and power. As these devices are wireless, they transmit data over the air to a cloud-connected interface. Hence, this device also needs to overcome cybersecurity challenges. Complex electronics such as these devices are usually fabricated using soft materials to ensure they are lightweight for wearability and conformal to a curved surface. However, manufacturing this technology is extremely complex for large-scale fabrication. To address this challenge, this project will investigate how to integrate micrometer-sized hard components into soft materials to produce battery-free, wireless, and cyber-secured operations with applications in national security for detecting chemical threats, biological threats, and highly explosive materials; agriculture for monitoring plant health, and biosignals monitoring for human health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Sustainable Electrolysis via Functional Hybrids for Ammonia Production. This project aims to design hybrid metal phosphonates with tunable chemical compositions and morphology to efficiently convert nitrogen to ammonia powered by renewable energy. It expects to improve selectivity and activity of current renewable ammonia production to reduce dependence on fossil fuel. Expected outcomes include delivery of a new strategy to synthesise novel hybrid catalysts, in-depth understanding of catalysis mechanisms, and ammonia production prototype targeting industry demanded parameters. This should provide significant environmental and economic benefits to Australia such as alleviating climate change and placing Australia at the frontier of new technologies to attract greater investment into renewable energy industry. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering This project is dedicated to transforming ammonia (NH3) production for a carbon-free energy future, targeting challenges tied to high temperature, pressure, and fossil fuel consumption. Our objective is to create innovative catalysts, comprehend reaction mechanisms, and develop cost-effective, green electricity-powered NH3 production prototypes. In the short term, anticipated outcomes include an immediate reduction in carbon emissions, providing environmental benefits and advancing the cause of green NH3 production, thereby mitigating climate change. Medium-term benefits extend to economic growth through increased investments and job creation in the renewable energy sector. In the long term, the project holds the promise of fostering sustained economic and environmental resilience, positioning Australia as a leader in green NH3 technology. To achieve these outcomes, translation and adoption pathways involve disseminating cutting-edge technology widely within the renewable energy industry. Collaborations with industry stakeholders, engagement with policy influencers, and leveraging technology transfer initiatives will be pivotal in ensuring a seamless transition from research to implementation. By fostering industry-wide adoption and facilitating partnerships, this initiative aims to significantly contribute to Australia's energy sector transformation, emphasising the critical role of green NH3 in promoting innovation and addressing the imperative of a sustainable future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

ARC Training Centre in Electrifying Australia for a Net-zero Future. This Centre aims to bring together four leading universities and key industry stakeholders to advance the electrification of transport and homes. The energy and transport sectors contribute more than 75% of emissions and full electrification combined with increased electricity generation from renewables is key to decarbonise these sectors. The expected outcomes of the Centre include highly trained industry-ready researchers as well as advanced technologies to facilitate the transition to low-carbon energy and transport by empowering consumers and preparing the distribution grid to support large-scale electrification. This will provide significant benefits in the transition to a net-zero future and meeting our emission reduction targets. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science Large-scale electrification of energy and transport sectors would result in significant load consequences to the electricity grid. It is estimated that Australia needs to double its electricity generation by 2050 – all from renewables – to meet the zero-emission targets. Together with generation from renewables, large-scale electrification of transport, homes and businesses play key roles in reducing our carbon footprint. The existing distribution grids are not yet ready to accommodate mass electrification and no system of coordinated charging currently exists. This presents a significant obstacle in preparing grid infrastructure for wide-spread uptake of electric vehicles. In collaboration with industry partners, this Centre will train much needed, highly skilled and industry-ready research leaders to support future research and development activities in electrification. The Centre will develop data driven and machine learning based solutions and technologies to enable efficient grid planning and operation under mass electrification scenarios. The Centre will also develop mechanisms to increase consumer and end-user engagement in the “electrification movement”. Relationships with industry through previous and existing projects as well as co-design of projects with industry partners will support rapid industry adoption.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

ARC Research Hub for Intelligent Energy Efficiency in Future Protected Cropping. This project aims to pioneer solutions in renewable energy, plant quality enhancement, intelligent greenhouse monitoring and analysis to drive forward the vast potential of protected cropping. This project expects to transform the agricultural sector by creating a robust framework positioning Australia at the forefront of protected cropping. Expected outcomes include advanced energy technologies for greenhouses enabling them to be self-sustained, affordable, and powered by renewable energy, and new automated decision-making techniques for farmers. This should provide significant benefits in agriculture including increased efficiency and environmental sustainability, jobs, optimised resource use, and improved crop yields and food security. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The ARC Research Hub for Intelligent Energy Efficiency in Future Protected Cropping represents a pivotal step in aligning national research initiatives with the country's strategic interests in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. The Hub will integrate renewable energy technologies with protected cropping systems, a move that addresses Australia's growing need for sustainable food production methods amidst the challenges of climate change. By focusing on holistic renewable energy solutions specific to protected cropping, the Hub will enhance the efficiency and sustainability of food production and food security and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of conventional agricultural practices. This is particularly relevant for Australia, considering its unique climatic conditions and commitment to environmental stewardship. The Hub's research will generate significant economic benefits by fostering advanced materials and renewable energy technologies, creating job opportunities in the green technology sector, and reinforcing Australia's position as a leader in sustainable energy deployment. The outcomes of this Hub will provide valuable insights and scalable models that will be shared through collaborations with industry, promoted through an annual symposium, a biennial international conference, and industry events and workshops. The Hub addresses global challenges of energy efficiency and sustainable food production in the face of environmental constraints.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A Sustainable Process for Critical Metals Production from Laterite Ores. This project aims to develop an understanding of the underlying chemistry and chemical engineering to directly extract Nickel and Cobalt from laterite resources at atmospheric pressure. This project expects to improve on previously attempted high-pressure processes, as it aims for the almost complete extraction of these critical metals, producing virtually no liquid or solid toxic waste. This should provide significant benefits such as eco-friendly method for providing materials to the global Lithium Ion battery market and the establishment of a novel battery metals platform for the electric vehicle industry. This should yield substantial economic, environmental, and social benefits to Australia. Field of research: 4019 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy This project will develop new technologies to obtain the critical metals cobalt and nickel from natural resources for Lithium batteries. The expected outcome is the development of expertise in Australia to extract pure metals and supply the rapidly growing global market for energy storage and electric vehicles. A process for value-added processing of minerals to market-ready products will be established through the project, in contrast to current local practices where most minerals are shipped off-shore from Australia unprocessed to be value-added post-delivery. This novel approach will result in minimal waste generation, including completely recycling nitric acid, making it an environmentally sustainable process free of toxic byproducts. The industry partner, Queensland Pacific Metals could directly apply the research findings to establish a processing facility in regional Australia (Queensland), thus creating job opportunities in skilled roles and fostering local development. Additionally, this initiative will open up a new export market for supplying the rechargeable lithium battery industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Novel oriented timber composites for fire-safe net-zero construction. This project aims to investigate the delamination and fire dynamics of engineered timber compartments using machine learning-based structural fire simulation and multi-scale experiments. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the fire safety and manufacturing of engineered timber in buildings by deploying advanced composite materials technologies. Expected outcomes include a new fire-safe oriented timber composite and an assessment framework including a multi-scale method for timber's fire safety. Expected benefits include an increase of 80% for sustainable and affordable dwellings with a potential reduction of more than 30% in buildings' carbon emissions. This will provide a viable pathway for Net Zero emissions in construction. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering Engineered timber is a key component of green construction, however, it has intrinsic fire safety concerns due to its combustible nature. Timber elements can burn, resulting in loss of strength and can potentially double the heat in a burning apartment, possibly leading to catastrophic building collapse. Another key problem for the sector is that current fire assessment methods are not accurate for timber as they were developed for non-burning concrete and steel over 50 years ago. This project aims to provide solutions to increase the use and safety of engineered timber in apartment buildings while providing a pipeline for 25 researchers to be practically trained in innovative construction. The outcomes of the project will be 1) a new engineered-oriented timber composite solution with optimised fire safety performance, 2) a new method to accurately assess the fire performance of timber buildings, and 3) an assessment framework to assist engineers in designing green construction from engineered timber composites. The economic and environmental benefits will include an expansion of up to 80% for the $11.7B Australian timber construction industry and a reduction of over 30% in greenhouse gas emissions from construction, a high-polluting sector. The outcomes are expected to be translated into a proposal of change in the National Construction Code and lead the way towards Net Zero emissions in construction, an otherwise unreachable goal.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Sexual offence interviewing: Towards victim-survivor well-being and justice. This project aims to improve the way victim-survivors are interviewed in sexual offence cases by examining their experiences and perceptions of investigative interview techniques. It expects to generate new knowledge about interview techniques that can promote victim well-being and the disclosure of sensitive information during investigative interviews. Expected outcomes include new theoretical frameworks in the field of investigative interviewing and an innovative toolkit of victim-centred training resources to directly inform investigative interview policies and practices in sexual offence cases. Anticipated benefits include better victim experiences of investigative interviews and enhanced justice responses to sexual violence. Field of research: 4402 - Criminology Sexual violence impacts millions of Australians but reporting, prosecution, and conviction rates are low. Ensuring effective justice responses for sexual offence victims is a key priority of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, and is an internationally recognised human rights issue, which Australia is committed to improving under United Nations obligations. This research project will contribute towards better justice responses to sexual violence by improving investigative interview techniques with victim-survivors. This project will provide detailed insight into Australian victims’ experiences and perceptions of investigative interview techniques and generate new evidence to promote victim well-being and the disclosure of sensitive details in sexual offence interviews. This research will deliver important social benefits to the Australian community by advancing investigative interview policies and practices in response to sexual violence. Investigative organisations will be consulted throughout the project, in the design, adoption, and promotion of innovative training resources.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

New-generation prefabricated element design and eco-friendly construction. This project aims to investigate and enhance the performance of prefabricated concrete structures and mitigate environmental impact through innovative concrete element design and manufacturing. The project expects to pioneer an inventive design approach and establish an advanced computational framework for producing diverse and efficient designs. It also plans to realise the optimised designs through environmentally conscious fabrication. Expected outcomes include a groundbreaking design tool and a novel minimum-waste manufacturing technology for complex concrete elements. It will yield substantial benefits, including remarkably reduced construction and repair costs, improved production efficiency and minimised greenhouse gas emissions. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering This project will significantly contribute to creating a high-quality and sustainable built environment by unleashing advanced design techniques and materials to create innovative prefabricated concrete elements with superior performance. It will also develop a cost-effective and eco-friendly manufacturing process to realise the designs with intricate geometries. The innovative design and analysis tool will address longstanding challenges in structural safety, functionality, and durability, particularly in complex engineering projects like tunnels, bridges, and transportation pipelines, minimising maintenance and repair costs. The adoption of the cutting-edge manufacturing process will yield sustainable construction with minimal waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The pioneering technology will advance structural design philosophy and construction practices. As Australia continues to invest in infrastructure, this advancement will catalyse long-term economic growth and competitiveness, boosting productivity, creating new job opportunities, stimulating prosperity, and enhancing social well-being. Disseminating research outcomes through public lectures, media engagement, and online platforms will ensure broader benefits and establish Australian researchers, design firms, and manufacturers as global leaders in the design and construction of next-generation prefabricated structures. The highly trained personnel from the project will produce a profound and lasting impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Behaviour change science for nature conservation. This project aims to harness human behaviours to improve nature conservation outcomes. This project expects to improve understanding of human-nature interactions through application of interdisciplinary sciences including behaviour change science. Expected outcomes include behaviour change methods and frameworks that can be integrated into policies and programs seeking protect native plants, animals, and ecosystems. This should provide significant benefits including reversing biodiversity loss, particularly in urban areas, and improving societal resilience through healthier human-nature interactions. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Healthy natural environments are essential for human wellbeing and a strong economy, but actions by people are damaging the natural systems that we depend on. Australia has some of the highest rates of species extinction in the world and a third of our threatened plant and animal species live in urban centres, meaning that human behaviours in cities are important for preventing extinctions. So far, nature conservation has largely relied on natural sciences, inadequately embracing social sciences to better understand people and their actions. This project will use behaviour change science to study how people interact with nature in and around cities and develop effective ways to encourage behaviours that help native animals, plants, and ecosystems rather than harm them. The project will create programs that help people connect with and protect nature. This will benefit both the environment and human livelihoods. It will provide tools for other government agencies and non-government organisations to take human-centred approaches to conservation across Australia and beyond our borders, which will be shared via publications and development of a free online training tool.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

High-mobility transparent p-type materials synthesised from metal surfaces. This project aims to investigate the novel high mobility atomically thin materials synthesised from solid and liquid metal surfaces and to analyse the interfacial properties of their crystal. This project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge and applied research capability in interdisciplinary fields of advanced materials, nanomaterials, and electrical and chemical engineering using innovative synthesis approaches. This project promises to support the development of new sustainable, low-waste and green technology for transparent, reliable, energy-efficient, high-performance nanoelectronics that can help to build high throughput and low dissipating power electronics components for energy generation, distribution and utilisation. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering The electrification of Australia is essential to reach our net zero emission goals. Australia’s power grid must expand to increase capacity for renewables and charging electric cars. Future energy generation, distribution and utilisation requires new electronic components, but gaps in our fundamental knowledge are preventing their development. This project will advance the fundamental science of liquid metal technology in nanoelectronics for semiconductor device design. It will develop innovative large-scale approaches to support new sustainable, low-waste fabrication technologies for next-generation nanoelectronics while downsizing our electronic footprint. Providing a competitive advantage for Australia, these nanoelectronics will be transparent, reliable, energy-efficient and high-performing for use in solar energy, power electronics and semiconductors. Attractive to industry, this research has commercial and economic benefits. New knowledge will be conveyed to the public, industry and government via blogs, standard and social media. Longer-term benefits for all Australians are environmental and social.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Microplastics accumulation in Australian coastal wetlands. This project aims to quantify the intensity, rate and impact of the accumulation of microplastic particles in Australia’s coastal wetlands for the first time. This multidisciplinary project will examine interactions between microplastics, wetland ecology and carbon dynamics using advanced analytical chemistry, biogeochemistry and environmental microbiology. Expected outcomes of this project include the world’s first nationwide analysis of the sequestration of microplastics and their influence on the carbon cycle in coastal ecosystems. This work will provide significant benefits, such as facilitating decision-making about microplastics emissions reduction and coastal wetlands conservation. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Australia is home to vast coastal wetlands, such as tidal marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. Australian coastal wetlands contribute the world’s largest amount of blue carbon wealth- carbon captured by these wetlands- worth billions of dollars. Coastal wetlands also trap microplastics, preventing them from being discharged into the ocean. However, accumulated microplastics in coastal wetlands can cause severe consequences to the ecological, socio-economic, and nature-based services that wetlands provide to Australians. This project addresses government-identified priorities about environmental change, and soil and water health. It will deliver new evidence on the extent to which coastal wetlands trap microplastics and predict the impact of such ecosystems under projected microplastics exposure. This research will contribute to Australia’s commitments to global action on marine plastic pollution and the Environment Restoration Fund. Globally applicable project findings will take Australia to the forefront of the growing field of microplastics research and promote environmental conservation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Tackling food-related single-use plastics in diverse consumption contexts. This project aims to investigate the uneven impacts of interventions that target consumers' engagement with single-use food plastics by utilising critical social science approaches. This research expects to create new knowledge through an evidence base in the area of sustainable consumption and waste studies using innovative qualitative techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include conceptual and methodological approaches that enhance societal capabilities for practicable waste management. This will provide significant benefits by enhancing Australia’s capacity to develop and integrate lived experiences of single-use food plastics use into the current and future National Waste Policy and National Plastics Plan. Field of research: 3304 - Urban and Regional Planning Food-related single-use plastics are one of the primary materials fuelling the waste crisis. This project will analyse the ways that people, particularly in disadvantaged groups, engage with single-use food plastics, and the industrial and regulatory management of the waste. The result will be realistic, effective strategies to minimise the use and maximise the replacement of food-related single-use plastics. This will mean environmental benefits to Australia through the reduction and reuse of plastic waste, and economic and social benefits to industry and consumers through the increased adoption of sustainable products. The recommendations will be tested and refined with key policymakers, industry experts and consumers to ensure that they can be implemented successfully.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Truth-telling Australia's colonial past with art by non-Indigenous artists. This project aims to address creative practices by non-Indigenous artists that confront Australia's difficult colonial past by advancing best practice approaches for the creation of such artworks. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of contemporary art using an innovative approach that combines practice-led, artistic research with interdisciplinary decolonial methodologies. Expected outcomes of this project include improved approaches to how the art sector engages with uncomfortable colonial histories. This should provide significant benefits such as enhanced relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by supporting non-Indigenous artists to engage in sensitive truth-telling about Australia’s colonial past. Field of research: 3606 - Visual Arts Non-Indigenous artists are increasingly engaging in truth-telling about Australia’s colonial past through art, often impactfully. At present, however, there are no industry guides that address artists responsibilities when creatively confronting colonial histories. Through scholarly and creative research that engages Indigenous and non-Indigenous arts workers, this project aims to advance knowledge about the opportunities and challenges presented when non-Indigenous artists address difficult histories through art, with the research producing a comprehensive handbook that offers practical guidance to arts workers and communities engaged in this work. Benefits of this research include enhanced Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations by supporting the art sector to contribute to sensitive truth-telling about Australia’s colonial past. This urgent research shared through art industry partners including peak body NAVA will be used by the art sector, researchers and communities that are engaged in the recognition of difficult histories and addressing Indigenous and non-Indigenous cross-cultural relations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

A novel precision-engineered microfluidic chip for wear particle research. This project aims to develop 1- novel protocols to generate clinically-relevant wear particles from spinal implants in-vitro and 2- a technological framework for the fabrication of a novel microfluidic 3D spinal implant-on-a-chip with tailored mechanical, material and biological properties. This will provide a cost-effective tool, currently unavailable, that allows investigation into the impact of wear particles on healthy spinal disc cells. We expect our technological framework to become an invaluable tool for biomedical engineers, biologists, and bio-engineers to work together and generate clinically relevant in-vitro data that supports optimisation for spinal implant design, fabrication, and safety. Field of research: 4003 - Biomedical Engineering Intervertebral disc (IVD) provides crucial cushioning between vertebrae and absorbs pressure put on the spine. IVD damage, a common consequence of ageing and injuries, is the main source of back problems that often leads to spinal joint replacement. Because spinal implants are exposed to high load and a great range of motion, they generate large numbers of wear particles, causing inflammation and pain. While there are major concerns that wear particles may damage adjacent healthy IVDs, a strategy to fully understand their impact on healthy IVD biology is currently lacking. Significant research seeking to address this challenge has long been hindered by (1) the absence of a reliable IVD platform that mimics the complex biology of natural IVD and (2) a lack of protocol to generate spinal wear particles in laboratory settings. This project aims to address these gaps, developing protocols to generate wear particles in the lab, create the world-first reproducible and adaptable 3D on-chip IVD spinal implant model and understand the impact of wear particles on healthy IVD cells. This technological framework provides a controlled and monitorable environment for performing a range of IVD lab experiments at a significantly low cost and significantly improve the physiological relevance of experimental data. The outcomes are expected to create new market opportunities for Australian advanced manufacturing firms via optimisation of implant design, fabrication, and safety.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

The capacity for exceptional brain repair in a novel rodent species. This project aims to provide a new and much-needed living tool for studying brain injury and repair. The project expects to generate new evidence of effective brain repair in a mammalian species, the spiny mouse. In particular, it will provide important knowledge of the cellular responses that coordinate to allow mammalian brain repair, revealing targets for future understanding and treatment. Expected outcomes include an in-depth characterisation of how neurons and non-neuronal cells (glia) contribute to brain repair, and the identification of new pathways or targets for mammalian brain repair. In the long-term this should provide significant benefits for future research focused on improving the lives of people affected by brain injury. Field of research: 3209 - Neurosciences The adult mammalian brain is said to be incapable of healing from injury. This project aims to uncover the unique biological responses which enable brain repair in a mammal that has evolved non-typical healing responses in several other organs. In this project, we will create an advanced biological research tool with the potential to generate a blueprint of how effective mammalian brain repair can be achieved; we expect that this research tool will be adopted by other researchers to study brain regeneration but will also have applications for injury to other organs. As such, the project will generate (i) a new research tool and new knowledge to enhance the capacity for regeneration research in Australia, and (ii) a brain repair database, shared via a publicly hosted repository, which may be used by others to identify potential drug targets to improve outcomes for patients suffering brain injury, both with long-term economic and social benefits. The drug targets could also be adopted by the Australian pharmaceutical industry to develop new products and increase its international market share, expanding and creating new jobs, and stimulating commercial and economic growth. The project will also provide training to local researchers in processing complex biological data, bringing novel and sought-after expertise to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Networks: New links between spectrum, dynamics, rewirings and applications. Modern network science has transformed the study of complex systems and led to innovations in many disciplines. This project intends to develop breakthrough theories for control of complex networked system behaviour via interventions of the link-rewiring type. New approaches will be developed for non-random, assortative and/or structured networks, which are poorly understood and difficult to deal with, despite being the real-world norm and despite their impact. The results will give new insights into epidemic outbreaks and their impact on vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly and indigenous), and provides methods to enforce resilience of infrastructure networks such as power grids, thereby providing significant economic and societal benefits. Field of research: 4901 - Applied Mathematics The project intends to solve problems that exist at the very foundations of network science, and thus has the possibility of putting Australia prominently and actively on the map in this rapidly growing field of science. The project has a focus on disease spreading in “networks of human contacts” and resilience of “infrastructure networks.” New theory will be presented to predict network properties of interest from their structure, and new methods of targeting interventions (adding/removing links) to amplify the desired behaviours in such systems. For critical infrastructure, e.g., power grids and communication networks, methods will be developed to target minimal rewiring (of transmission links) that guarantee the largest possible effect in preventing breakdowns due to failures, errors, and malicious attacks. Avoiding catastrophic failure of critical infrastructure via minimal investments can potentially bring significant economic and environmental benefits to Australia and its people. The focus on epidemics will provide new insights into mitigating outbreaks that spread rapidly through populations, with particular examination of vulnerable groups including the indigenous and elderly. The latter faced particularly difficult problems in Australia at the highest mortality rates during the COVID pandemic. Australian advances in these areas can help prepare for, or even prevent future hazards, and thus will be of considerable National Interest.