Curtin University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Unlocking the potential of poly(ionic liquids) for electrochemical sensing. This project aims to create new science that will enable the development of low-cost, miniaturised electrochemical sensors based on poly-ionic liquids. The chemistry of the materials will be tuned to selectively detect hazardous pollutants to enable trace concentration detection at analytically relevant levels. Fundamental behaviour of gases and solid contaminants dissolved in poly-ionic liquid/ionic liquid membranes will be uncovered, and their performance for sensing in real environments will be examined. It is expected that these advances will transform detection methods by taking sensing out of the lab and in to the hands of the everyday person, giving rapid and accurate knowledge about the concentration of hazards in the environment. Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the benefit of fast-responding, accurate sensors to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus without the need for complex instruments. However, there are many more hazards that Australians are exposed to on a day-to-day basis, particularly in industries with routine exposure to toxic chemicals (e.g. painting, fumigation, refrigeration, fuel filling and mining). Currently, there are few sensors that are widely available for determining chemical hazards in our surrounding environment. This project aims to explore a new approach to chemical sensing by using poly-ionic liquids as new membrane materials in highly robust, miniaturised, leak-free sensor devices. The chemistry of the materials will be carefully designed to target chemical hazards that are present in the air and in water bodies such as polluted lakes and rivers. This project will offer government agencies, mining companies and industries the ability to detect hazardous substances in a simple, cost-effective, user-friendly method that can be used by non-scientists. The knowledge generated in this project can be used by our industry contacts to design rapid, portable, low-cost, miniaturised sensors to identify risks to both humans and the environment, and implement the necessary controls. The innovation will result in significant cost and operational-safety benefits to Australian and overseas industries where monitoring of exposure to toxic substances is critical.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Compound specific isotopes of polar organic molecules in complex mixtures. This project aims to develop a liquid chromatography – isotope ratio mass spectrometry facility for the measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios of individual organic compounds in complex mixtures, most significantly sugars and amino acids. This will be the first such facility in Western Australia, strategically ranked to greatly expand existing world-class capabilities in stable isotope analysis. An important goal of this project is the analysis of sugars in high-value foodstuffs such as honey, to develop a robust method of provenancing and authentication for important export markets. Other outcomes include elucidation of modern and ancient biological and ecological systems through the isotope analysis of natural products from microbes. Field of research: 3006 - Food Sciences National and international export of high-value foodstuffs such as honey are important to Australia’s economy. To support this market there is an increased need for scientifically robust methods of determining food provenance and ensuring authenticity. This proposal will establish a state-of-the-art facility in Western Australia for food provenancing by compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of sugars in foodstuffs. The benefits of this facility will be reduced costs of interstate or overseas analyses, and increased consumer confidence in these valuable export markets. Western Australia has been at the forefront of scientific fields such as geochemistry, ecology, food science, archaeology and microbiology, with great contributions from the world-leading compound specific isotope expertise at Curtin University. This proposal will allow WA to maintain this leading position in isotope analysis with the latest technology in liquid chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Digital Disability Inclusion: design lessons from COVID-19 . This project aims to understand the impact of inclusively designed digital media and communication on Australians with disability. Significant new knowledge about the innovative designs and methodologies developed during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected. Expected outcomes include codesigned digital inclusion protocols, guidelines, and communication strategies. It should benefit people with disability, disability organisations, media and government by creating a roadmap to ensure COVID-19 digital innovations are translated to improve digital inclusion and meet Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-31 priorities. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies Twenty per cent of Australians identify as having a disability. For people with disability digitisation can be a key enabler but can also perpetuate the exclusions they experience within society. This is because we still do not fully understand the broad and individual needs of people with disability. In collaboration with the Centre for Inclusive Design, this project examines how people with disability managed digital access and engaged with digital messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. It does so with a view to investigating how innovations and insights from this time can be translated more widely to improve digital inclusion. This project will provide evidence-based recommendations, in the form of protocols, guidelines and redrafted strategies, for government, industry and community groups who have been tasked with creating digital platforms to address the challenges faced by people with disability. The research, created with people with disability, will be shared with key disability groups and bodies to build a robust roadmap that will ensure Australian digital industries and policy makers have a clear understanding of the scope and potential pathways for inclusive design. These findings will ensure Australia can extend access to communication technologies in line with the Australian Disability Strategy 2021-2031 and meet our obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Transforming Smart Bridge Monitoring by Computer Vision and Edge Computing. Many Australian high-value bridges are approaching their service life, posing risks to community and sustainable growth. Given a high number of assets but a limited budget, this project aims to leveraging emerging computer vision and edge computing technologies to develop a cost-effective, easy-to-deploy monitoring system to assist in real-time bridge monitoring and optimized maintenance. Collaborating with Main Roads WA, the expected outcome is the development and application of a market-ready edge computing sensing system deployable to a population of existing bridges. This project will enhance bridge safety, reduce lifecycle maintenance costs and uplift the service life of transport infrastructure for smart city and remote operations. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering In Australia, there is an estimated AU$17.6 billion shortfall in transport infrastructure maintenance spending from 2010 to 2024. The current bridge inspection practices are expensive and infrequent, especially for the bridges in remote areas. This project aims to address this industry-identified challenge by developing a cost-effective and easy-deployable monitoring system to effectively manage a growing population of aging bridges. By working with Main Roads Western Australia, one of the WA’s largest transport agencies, this project will develop a market-ready smart bridge health monitoring system underlined by the emerging camera-based sensing technique and edge computing technology. The project is significant because it provides quantitative data-informed solutions for optimized structural maintenance, contributing to enhanced structural safety, reduced lifecycle maintenance costs, and prolonged structural service life. The proposed monitoring system is well-aligned with industry partner’s demands and has high potential for commercialisation. In short-term, Main Roads WA is committed to implementing the research outcomes of this project to assess a number of flood-damaged bridges on the Great Northern Highway in WA. In the medium and long-term, the developed system has the potential to be widely adopted by the bridge owners in WA and beyond, leading to safer and more resilient transport infrastructures.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Optimising cost-effective services to the aged CaLD community. This project aims to help non-government service providers in the growing aged care sector to identify, develop and offer cost effective community-based services that can improve the lives and wellbeing of their culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) clients. Services in this sector will be mapped and costed. An online tool will be developed to (1) 'identify and standardise’ the potential range of services on offer, and (2) calculate the cost of offering each service. This tool will directly benefit providers by helping them to decide their optimal suite of affordable services and improve how they realistically cost these services when applying for funding from government entities and other sources. Field of research: 3506 - Marketing Optimising the cost-effective services for the increasing numbers of aged people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities will help improve the understanding of their unique needs and expectations, which in turn will enhance the quality of services designed and delivered to them. This will lead to greater social cohesion and inclusion as well as better public health outcomes by making CaLD communities feel included and valued in the Australian society. Taking better care of aged CaLD people will also improve Australia's global reputation and soft power as well as attract and retain high quality foreign talent to trigger innovation and sustain economic growth. All these positive outcomes will ensure long-term stability and security of the Australian society and protect Australian national interest amidst the ongoing economic uncertainties and socio-cultural disputes in the world. This project will undertake specific translation and adoption pathways to achieve the above outcomes. For example, we will help understand the gaps in the design and delivery of community-based aged-care services and their impact on the wellbeing of aged people from CaLD communities. We will also develop specific tools to help the aged-care service providers to review and to standardise their costing and service delivery models, which will help them not only provide more cost-effective services to their clients but also seek more funding to support their operations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Delivering housing solutions that meet older people’s housing aspirations . Population ageing requires a structural shift in the way policymakers and practitioners think about housing. There is presently a mismatch between Australia's housing stock and the changing needs of ageing cohorts as the potential of age-friendly and adaptable housing models remain unrealised. Drawing on the expertise of a national team of researchers, business, government and not-for-profit partners, this project will co-create evidence-based strategies for delivering innovative solutions to meet older Australians’ housing aspirations. Using mixed methods, this project will address diversity among older cohorts and the critical challenge of supporting the housing aspirations of vulnerable older persons facing severe financial constraints. Field of research: 4407 - Policy and Administration There is a growing mismatch between Australia’s housing stock and ageing population. As people age, their housing aspirations and needs change. Yet, there is a lack of diversity in Australia’s housing stock, which is comprised largely of houses that are not adaptable to the physical and social changes that accompany ageing. Age-friendly housing models exist, but there is a lack of information regarding their benefits and drawbacks, as many fall outside commonly known mainstream options. This project addresses the mismatch between Australia’s housing stock and ageing population by shedding light on older Australians’ housing aspirations, how they vary across diverse older cohorts, and how policies can be developed to provide appropriate and affordable housing for vulnerable older persons with financial constraints. This project will generate new ideas for improving the environment that people age in and, in so doing, increase the capacity of older Australians to age in place and participate in the community. The project will benefit industries that cater to this growing cohort, while promoting equity by investigating the circumstances of vulnerable older people and seeking to design solutions that address the restrictions they face. The project will actively drive change by sharing findings with those committed to supporting older Australians through focus group discussions involving seniors and housing policy change-makers, as well as through industry briefings and forums.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2024 · 2024-01

Critical Minerals: Novel Nanoscale Insights of Mineralisation to Extraction. Critical minerals are essential to the green energy transition. Australia is well endowed in critical minerals resources, however they are inefficiently recovered in mining operations. This project aims to develop fundamentally new knowledge on the distribution of critical minerals such as indium, germanium, gallium, and cobalt in their host minerals and in residues of extractive metallurgy. This project will use atomic scale analyses to provide the first detailed study of the mineralogical processes responsible for critical minerals mineralisation and provide essential data necessary to optimise extraction of critical minerals. The project will have significant economic benefits for supporting mineral exploration and metallurgy operations. Field of research: 3705 - Geology The world’s transition to sustainable energy source is dependent on the supply of critical minerals that need to be extracted from the Earth’s crust. However, there are inherent supply risks for these minerals. Australia is richly endowed with critical minerals as by-products of main commodities, but these are not commonly recovered and accumulate in waste piles. This is due to limited knowledge of the incorporation of critical minerals in ore deposits and efficient industrial processes to recover them. By-product critical minerals are of lesser economic significance than primary commodities, but they can represent significant added value to mining operations. This project will use atomic scale characterisation methods to determine the mineralisation of critical minerals in the natural environment and their behaviour during extractive metallurgy processes. It will enable the mining and extractive metallurgy industry to better predict by-product critical minerals endowment and improve recovery of critical minerals. The improvement of the recovery of by-products during extractive metallurgy has direct tax-revenue benefits for Australia. Through Curtin University’s leading edge in critical minerals research and collaboration networks, the results of this project will be communicated to minerals industry consortia and to policy makers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Integrated models of learning and decision making in complex tasks. How do people learn to make decisions in complex work systems when assisted by automation? This project will develop computational models of human learning and decision making that explain and predict complex decisions relevant to industries such as aviation and defence. It will examine how humans learn to use automated advice, how learning affects remembering to perform planned (deferred) actions, and factors that pose a risk to learning and adaptation. The expected outcome is a significant theoretical advance in human factors and cognitive psychology, and a tool for informing work design (e.g., computer interface, task allocation) and training, with the potential to reduce human error in safety-critical workplaces. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology As Australian workplaces become more complex, employees are increasingly required to work with automated systems to manage high workloads. Furthermore, due to high workloads, employees often need to defer tasks and remember to perform them in the future. There is an urgent need to understand human decision making and its limitations in such work contexts in order to enhance performance and prevent workplace errors. This project will develop models that explain and predict how people learn to make decisions in complex tasks. The proposed models can inform work design and training, increasing the safety and efficiency of Australian workplaces. Industries in which operators must make safety-critical decisions will benefit, including aviation and national defence. The proposed models will inform the design of decision support tools and automated systems that have potential to predict and prevent human errors in “real time”. The project will provide opportunities for training students and early career researchers, enhancing Australia’s capacity at the intersection of human factors and cognitive psychology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Controls on the severity of past environmental crises. This project aims to investigate how the rate of volcanic volatile emissions controlled the severity of past environmental crises. Catastrophic mass extinctions and major oceanic anoxia events are principally caused by the emplacement of gigantic volcanic eruptions but the volume of magma does not correlate with environmental severity. This project couples high-precision age and volatile emission measurements to model distinct climatic perturbations over Earth’s last 540 million years. The intended outcome is to find a root cause for severity of past environmental crises, with past emission rates to be used as tools to model possible future climatic crises and provide a new fundamental understanding of Earth’s magmatic engine. Field of research: 3705 - Geology Past volcanic eruptions have the potential to help us understand the current man-made climate change. This project will measure the rate and associated volatile emissions of past volcanic eruptions. These data will inform modelling of past environmental catastrophes and their effect on climate change. These findings will be directly applicable to future climate models. Volcanic eruptions also host valuable minerals, including nickel, cobalt and the platinum group elements. A fifth of these gigantic volcanic eruptions occurred in Australia and shaped its mineral endowment. Nickel alone accounts for more than $2 billion of Australia’s economy. A foundational knowledge of the eruption rate of gigantic volcanic eruptions will aid in future mineral exploration and will be made available to multiple stakeholders, including mineral exploration companies that already collaborate with the lead investigator and his wider team. Additionally, the findings of this work will facilitate Australia’s green energy transition by providing invaluable information on critical minerals and aiding to successfully mitigate man-made climate change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Transition of Indigenous people into, and graduating from, higher education. This research focuses on the learning experiences of Indigenous students in WA as they move from high school into university, and from university graduation to the workplace – key educational transition points. Most recent research on Indigenous academic persistence and outcomes (i.e, factors that enable or act as barriers to higher education), is quantitative. Hence this project will document, in-depth, qualitative understandings of students' learning journeys. This will provide an opportunity for them to have a voice about their experiences. The outcomes of this project will also provide important directions to the students and to universities to help improve the learning experiences, potentially leading to improved academic outcomes. Field of research: 4502 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education While Indigenous student numbers have increased in schools in recent years, there has only been a slight improvement in higher education enrolments, and graduation numbers remain very low in comparison to non-Indigenous Australians. This needs to be examined at a deeper level - giving voice to First Nations people so we can better understand the situation from their perspectives. This research will extend our existing understandings about their educational experiences, especially beyond school, by focussing on key transition points - namely into university and then upon graduation into the workforce. The findings of this research will provide important data necessary to support the development of effective interventions and policies, giving clear indications about what works or does not, and what should be changed at a system level to facilitate success. Therefore, uptake of these findings will contribute to creating a framework for more effective support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, tertiary education students in particular, and improve their educational and employment outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Hot Properties: Thermal Analysis Equipment for Western Australia. This project aims to create the first controlled-atmosphere thermal analysis suite in Western Australia. The suite will consist of a high-pressure thermogravimetric analyser and thermal conductivity instrument housed within an argon-filled glovebox, along with a differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometer. The facility will enable the thermal properties of materials to be accurately determined in an air-free environment of which includes energy materials, batteries, porous materials, organometallics, and catalysts. Overall, this will create a Western Australian research hub for thermal analysis to enhance the network of institutional collaborations across Australia, resulting in high impact outputs. Field of research: 3406 - Physical Chemistry The development of new materials for efficient energy transport and storage is important to enable a transition to a clean energy future for Australia and the world. Teams at Curtin University and the University of Western Australia are involved in the research and development of new hydrogen technologies, next generation batteries, and other materials for energy applications. The thermal analysis facility enables the research teams to safely make new energy materials and understand the way they behave at different temperatures. This is important in understanding their properties and using them in real-world applications. Several research projects will benefit from this facility, including existing collaborative projects with government and industry partners, along with future planned projects. By allowing the development of new materials for energy application, the thermal analysis facility will have a defining benefit to the hydrogen export industry and will offer a competitive advantage to Australia in developing next-generation batteries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Novel tools for dating explosive volcanic eruptions in the critical window. This project will develop novel dating methods necessary for precise reconstruction of the eruption histories of super-volcanoes in the Asia-Pacific region over the last million years. The project outcomes will provide better models for predicting super-eruptions, thereby informing global climate change research, urban planning, and transport and telecommunications infrastructure engineering. Results will also improve existing volcanic risk models used by insurers to quantify volcanic risks and calculate expected losses from volcanic eruptions, and greatly improve our ability to use eruption deposits as time markers for important events in human evolution. Field of research: 3705 - Geology The Asia-Pacific region is important to Australia for economic and strategic reasons. Many of Australia’s immediate neighbouring economies are built on tectonically active plate boundaries that are at risk from the devastating impact of (super)volcanic eruptions such as recently evidenced in Tonga (2022 Hunga) and Indonesia (2019 Bali). Improvements in the design of natural hazard models is a social imperative, and one of the key parameters in assessing volcanic hazards is understanding the absolute age and frequency of past eruptions. This project will provide the new geochronology tools necessary to reconstruct the temporal framework of volcanic eruptions in Asia-Pacific countries over the last 1 million years. This will, in turn, allow Australia and its neighbours to develop better preparedness and emergency response measures, reducing the social and economic impact of these devastating events. Finally, this project will showcase the impressive suite of analytical facilities at an Australian institution and cement Australia’s position at the forefront of geochronology and Earth science research worldwide.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Development of a novel best approximation theory with applications . The aim of this project is to develop an innovative best approximation theory for complex fractional boundary value problems with discontinuities and with no compactness, and then apply the theory to study two classes of complex partial differential equation boundary value problems with industrial applications. The work will lead to the development of a new theory and a suite of innovative analytical and computational methods for solving a wide range of nonlinear problems with singularities and non-local properties. The expected outcomes of the project will significantly advance our methods for the modelling and control of many industrial systems and processes. Field of research: 4901 - Applied Mathematics Optimal control of fluid flow is essential for the maximum efficiency of many engineering systems and industrial processes. This project will develop innovative mathematical and computational techniques to achieve accurate modelling and optimal control of complex fluid flows. The newly developed computational tools will have a wide range of applications from the control of fluid flow in underground oil reservoirs, to the flow of solutions in heap leaching for copper/gold extraction, and the control of fluid flow through microchannels in biomedical engineering and manufacturing. The project will deliver economic value through more efficient production and enhanced skill development for various industries. Research results from the project will be disseminated through industry training and skill development, and translation of the research will be facilitated through links with researchers and industries in relevant fields.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Using genetic Allee effects to manage invasive populations. An invasion can be started with only a small number of individuals, and it is very difficult to reliably detect these individuals. This project aims to develop new genetic technology that can send small founder populations extinct without affecting large populations. This technology removes the problem of having to detect small populations; these small populations will go extinct on their own, without the need for management intervention. This technology could be used to prevent establishment and spread of invasive species and agricultural pests. Through a combination of experimentation and modelling, the project develops this technology and assesses its use in applied problems ranging across environment, agriculture, and health. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Billions of dollars are spent in Australia each year to manage invasive pests. An invasion usually begins with a small, difficult-to-detect population. This project develops genetic technology designed to cause these small colonising populations to become extinct without additional management intervention. Working with fruit flies in the lab, we aim to show that we can alter the genes of a pest population and so decrease the survival of these small colonising populations. This reduces the need for surveillance and simplifies eradication, reducing costs for farmers and the state and federal agencies responsible for pest control and biosecurity. The tools we develop could be used to manage many pests of national significance, including the spotted wing drosophila (a fly that is a major threat to Australian agriculture). This approach could be used to control organisms from fungi to plants and animals, and could dramatically improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of biosecurity actions (e.g. controlling malaria carrying-mosquitoes) and vertebrate pest control (e.g. cane toads).

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Efficient and selective water electrolysis for clean energy and environment. This project aims to develop an anion exchange membrane electrolysis cell for efficient co-generation of hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide from the splitting of water by coupling the hydrogen evolution reaction with a selective, two-electron water oxidation reaction catalysed by cost-effective, perovskite materials. This project expects to generate new knowledge in understanding the selective water electrolysis and in developing efficient energy conversion technologies. This project is expected to improve the utilisation of renewable energy and promote development of manufacturing and chemical industries in Australia. This should provide significant benefits to achieve energy safety and environmental sustainability for Australia. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering This project will deliver a new technology that enables the conversion of renewable solar energy into hydrogen as a green fuel, and the production of a by-product, peroxide, which is important for wastewater treatment. The key concept lies in the development of an innovative electrocatalyst that enables efficient and selective production of peroxide instead of the formation of oxygen, which has little economic value. This approach reduces the energy input and increases the value of the products. The adoption of this innovative method can reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions and accelerate the transformation of Australia from fossil fuel use to sustainable hydrogen, setting a path to build Australia's hydrogen industry, thus providing new jobs. Peroxide can be used for wastewater treatment to provide cleaner water with substantial resulting societal benefits. The success of this project may offer more efficient options for production of useful chemicals, which will benefit Australia’s manufacturing and chemical industries and lift Australia to a better position in the international market of energy export.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Solid-State Battery Interface Design (SS-BID). This research project aims to use the world’s best performing solid-state ion conductors to develop next generation solid-state batteries. Boron-rich electrolytes will be paired with lithium metal anodes to construct batteries that are more energy dense, safer, have wider operational temperature windows, and aim to be lower cost than existing Li-ion batteries. The current roadblock for these batteries lies in the poorly performing interfaces between anode, electrolyte and cathode. This research aims to develop new strategies to overcome these barriers and perform world-class measurement techniques to understand and optimise solid-state batteries to provide a commercially viable energy storage solution. Field of research: 3402 - Inorganic Chemistry Despite Australia’s great wealth of renewable sources for energy production, the transition to a green energy economy has been hindered by a lack of efficient and safe energy storage. Lithium-ion batteries are expensive, have limited operating temperatures, can pose safety risks, and have limited lifetimes. This research aims to develop new types of batteries that are smaller, higher voltage, cheaper and safer, providing significant improvements in storing energy. The research will be shared with Australian energy providers and emerging battery industries, building on existing links through the Future Battery Industries CRC, to promote adoption. Installing this technology in solar and wind farms across Australia will be a cheaper and more reliable option for the Renewable Energy Industry and aligns with Australia’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 43% by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. The outcomes should thus include significant economic and environmental benefits and consolidate Australia as an international leader in energy storage development.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Modelling, Design and Development of a Novel Wave-Energy Converter. Australia has an abundant source of wave-energy commercially untapped due to technical limitations of current wave-energy devices. This project aims to develop a novel wave-energy converter (WEC) that integrates energy capture and electricity generation through a single mechanism. This novel WEC can overcome or significantly reduce the drawbacks of existing WECs, is compact and light-weight (about 30 times less), ensures survivability, and has low-cost installation and maintenance. The project expects to deliver novel theoretical results in fluid-structure interaction, control systems and electrical conversion for WECs and other applications. The WEC will be demonstrated via a tested proof-of-concept physical model. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Australia possesses a vast wave-energy resource around its shores that is as yet untapped. The new wave-energy converter (WEC) to be developed in this project will enable Australia to exploit this energy resource. It also stands to make wave energy competitive in a global commercial market. The immediate applications of this project will make the utilization of (offshore) wave-energy resources possible in Australia, and hence will directly benefit the national electricity sector. Effective wave-energy conversion can then contribute to the replacement of existing fossil-fuel power stations and therefore to the achievement of Australia’s target greenhouse-gas reductions. The new device can also create an increasingly valuable global export market for Australian renewable-energy technology. In addition to these directly targeted benefits, the fundamental findings will find applications throughout engineered systems in which existing motions can be utilized (for energy capture) or mitigated, such as the vibration of cars/trucks, bridges, and offshore platforms, thereby developing new products.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Expanding the Foundation of Planetary Science. Our understanding of the Solar System is based on a foundation of meteorite analyses. Knowing their orbital origin provides a critical spatial context, but we have this data for <0.1% of samples. This project aims to address this issue. There are 66 meteorite falls across Australia with orbits determined by the Desert Fireball Network that await recovery - more than the current global dataset. This project expects to generate new knowledge by applying an innovative search methodology using drones and machine learning. Expected outcomes include dramatically increasing the number of orbital meteorites. This should provide significant benefits. By linking meteorites to their parent asteroids every rock becomes a small sample-return mission. Field of research: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences Meteorites are the key to understanding the formation of our Solar System. Where they come from however, is mostly unknown. The Desert Fireball Network in Australia observes meteorite falls, and determines their orbital origins in the Solar System. Their recovery is an affordable alternative to $ billion dollar sample return missions. We have developed a search methodology that combines drone technology and cutting edge machine learning (ML) to recover DFN meteorites. It has the potential to double the global collection of these orbital meteorites. The innovation has applications far beyond planetary science. It is a complete remote-site workflow, designed to be easy train in the field, with drone observations linked to full logistical support, integrated into a system built for a rough field environment, with rapid ML analysis, and user interface allowing operators to evaluate candidates while still on site. Translation to industry and defence applications has already begun. Collaboration with Australian Army, WA Police and Fugro is underway to develop a tool for battlefield clearance and search & rescue.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Digital Twin to Manage Safety in Large-scale Transport Infrastructure Asset. This project aims to improve safety during the construction of transport assets by integrating the Internet of Things with image processing technologies to develop a digital twin framework. The developed framework will provide the construction organisations with the ability to create strategies and solutions needed to improve the safety of construction in real-time. The outcomes of this project will aid effective decision-making and thus enable the managerial actions required to eliminate workplace accidents. Improving safety performance not only augments productivity but also allows the economic and social benefits of transport infrastructure assets to be realised. Field of research: 4005 - Civil Engineering This project aims to improve safety during the construction of transport infrastructure projects. Safety management is inefficient as it is traditionally labor-intensive, rendering it difficult to identify and manage safety risks on-site. Advances in Artificial Intelligence, particularly deep learning and the Internet of Things, can help address this problem. This project will integrate data with image processing technologies to develop a virtual model of a physical construction site to manage safety. Successful completion of this project will enable construction organizations to improve and better plan safety on their sites. Improved safety will enhance the productivity and performance of construction projects, lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, raise employee morale, and thus ultimately increase productivity and quality. The technology developed in this project will be made available to construction organizations to monitor, control, and manage safety risks enabling them to implement continuous improvement strategies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Regeneration of High Value-Added Materials from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries. This project aims to develop scalable processing techniques for the regeneration of cathode materials and the production of high-purity alumina and graphene from spent lithium-ion batteries. The techniques reduce the cost and time of the processing of degraded cathode materials and increase the value of the spent battery materials (e.g., metallic aluminum and graphite) by converting them into high value-added specialty chemicals. The outcomes and further technology adoptions will extend the capacity of the Partner Organisation for producing specialty battery materials. The outcomes could help Australia’s battery industry switch to a more diversified pathway, which benefits the economic development of Australia in a long term. Field of research: 4004 - Chemical Engineering Recycling used lithium-ion batteries is a profitable opportunity given their potential in the growing electric vehicle market. Recycling used lithium-ion battery materials involves complex processes and produces basic chemicals with low add value. This project will develop scaleable processing techniques for the direct regeneration of cathode materials from the used lithium-ion batteries. The techniques reduce the cost and time of processing the degraded materials and are suitable for processing the most commercially available cathode materials, which minimizes the investment in their adaption. This project will also develop techniques for producing high-purity alumina and graphene which are high-value-added specialty chemicals for the batteries industry. Further technology adoption in subsequent research projects for scale-up production will extend the capacity of the Partner Organisation for producing specialty battery materials. The project outcomes will help Australia’s battery industry switch to a more diversified pathway that benefits the sustainable economic development of Australia in a long term.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Linking the deep carbon cycle with critical mineral deposits. This project aims to determine how the global carbon cycle controlled the occurrence of carbonatites, which provide most of the world’s rare earth elements, using novel methods to improve our understanding of carbonatites and carbon-rich mantle rocks. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how global geodynamic processes, including the supercontinent cycle, influenced carbon recycling and mantle enrichments. This project will have significant economic benefits for targeting economically critical mineral deposits required to transition to a decarbonized world and placing the carbon cycle in a paleogeographic context to understand the climate in deep time. Field of research: 3703 - Geochemistry Earth's mantle is the ultimate source of all critical metals and elements, including carbon and other components of greenhouse gases. This project will use novel combinations of geological and geochemical approaches to systematically map the uneven distribution of carbon and rare earth elements in the Earth's mantle for the first time. Such knowledge will deepen our understanding of how certain Earth processes or geographic locations have influenced the global occurrence of rare earth elements, creating a framework for resource companies to design exploration strategies that optimize their mining efforts towards greener energy sources. This will be of particular economic and environmental importance to Australia, given its substantial mineral endowment, world-leading mining technology sector, and commitment to green and renewable energy sources. More broadly, the outcomes of this project will determine the past, present and future long-term climate trends that control the formation and evolution of our unique, habitable planet.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Universal transcriptome editing technologies. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is life’s most essential molecule – as no living cell or virus can function without it. Although RNA plays many critical roles in cells, from information transfer and regulation of gene expression to scaffolding macromolecular structures and catalysis, the current approaches to manipulate RNA for technological purposes are limited in many respects. This project brings together the scientists who were the first to discover a universal code for recognition of RNA by proteins and one of the world’s leading RNA-focused biotechnology companies, Locana Biosciences, with the goal of providing robust and versatile tools to target RNA in diverse organisms. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project will generate new biotechnological tools to target RNA and manipulate it in any cell or subcellular compartment. This will be of significant national interest through commercialisation of these technologies as well as the resulting engineered cells and chemical products as valuable commodities that will enhance the agricultural, mining, health and defence industries, which are the core strengths of Australia. These developments will make Australia economically stronger and significantly more competitive in the international markets while improving our security and well-being. The global gene editing market is projected to reach $15.79 billion USD by 2027, according to a recent report by Emergen Research. The innovative technologies that will be generated by this project will position Australia to be internationally leading to generate increased income and employment. Trainees and researchers from this project will be the next generation of multidisciplinary scientists, able to apply powerful new technologies to future challenges facing Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Art of Peace: New perspectives in visual art on peacekeeping from the 1990s. Art of Peace investigates the important role of art in Australia’s engagement in international peacekeeping. Australian artists such as George Gittoes and Wendy Sharpe have created powerful and memorable images of Australian forces as peacekeepers and nation-builders. Yet, what of the less-visible perspectives of artists from the countries to which Australia sends peacekeepers? Art of Peace will create new knowledge around those artists’ perceptions of peacekeeping missions, through a new body of scholarship, public engagement and an exhibition in Perth and Sydney curated by Art Gallery of WA. It engages a national audience to focus on the important role of Australia in international affairs since 1990 through new contemporary art. Field of research: 1901 - Art Theory and Criticism Art from international peacekeeping missions—‘art of peace’—has been vital in shaping how we understand Australia’s role in the world, as a peacekeeper and nation-builder. The 1990s was especially important for peacekeeping, with missions in Rwanda, former Yugoslavia and Timor Leste. Our team’s previous work has shown that art powerfully shapes our views of Australia’s involvement in war by focusing empathy on the experiences of our troops. This project expands on this, working with artists from countries where Australia sent peacekeepers and asking how they see our military and diplomatic efforts. We will share our expertise with those artists, and bring them and their art to Perth and Sydney for exhibitions, education programs and events. These activities can improve international relations by building relationships for exchanging viewpoints across cultures, and deepen Australians’ appreciation of how our military is viewed by others. The project benefits Australians more broadly by expanding our understanding of this important period in Australia’s military history and enriching our cultural heritage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Lifting the lid on a supercontinent. This project will reveal the time-integrated growth and collapse of a supercontinental orogen in order to advance knowledge on the influence that mountain-building events have on the cycling of materials between the major near surface Earth reservoirs. Given that this cycling is key to understanding deep-time climate and the formation of mineral resources the outcomes of this study will have important economic benefits for targeting mineral resources and placing the geochemical proxies for the deep-time climate in context. Field of research: 3705 - Geology This project will investigate the history of an ancient mountain range, from formation to destruction, and quantify the physical and chemical processes that operate during this evolution. Mountains form some of the most dramatic scenery on Earth but also impact many aspects of human well-being. Changes in surface elevation during their growth and collapse directly influence weather patterns, and associated weathering and erosion drive changes in ocean and atmospheric chemistry. Less well understood are profound changes deep inside evolving mountain belts that redistribute materials and concentrate metals to form ore deposits.  Much of our wealth in Australia derives from ore bodies formed inside ancient mountain belts and the results of this project will increase our understanding of how, why, and where these ore bodies form. Incorporation of this understanding into the strategies used in mineral exploration will aid the discovery of new ore deposits and help meet increased demand for critical metals as the world adopts green technologies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in different substrates. Carbonates in the form of limestone represent an important reservoir of carbon on earth. They are recorded in several natural geological formations as corals, stromatolites, beach rocks. Microbes play an important role in the formation as well as dissolution of carbonates during microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) reactions on different substrates in natural and built environments. Much of our knowledge on MICP is limited due to poor understanding of the reaction kinetics at a molecular level. This project will develop new methods to enable and advance the knowledge of MICP process with profound implications for understanding natural geological formations as well as widen the scope of current engineering applications. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry This project will enable us to understand the bio-geo-chemical processes involved in creation and dissolution of several geological natural formations as stromatolites, corals, speleothems and earth's crust. Our work will facilitate the identification and role of major governing factors in the formation and dissolution of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). The outcome of this work will create new knowledge that will help us to understand bio-mineral interactions in natural and built substrates. This project will put Australia at the forefront in the area of Biomineralization across the globe. The resulting outcome is of vital importance to create more efficient bio-based, low energy, high sustainability technologies with applications in numerous sectors including civil and construction, oil & gas, CO2 storage, recovery of base metals through in-situ recovery pro-cessing, metal remediation and heritage conservation.