Curtin University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

To use or not to use financial incentives for motivation and performance. For decades, compensation experts have advocated for the use of financial incentives to motivate work performance, yet organisations keep encountering performance issues caused by these incentives. Using agency, expectancy, and self-determination theory to inform a meta-analysis and a series of experiments, this research will help uncover the most important motivational mechanisms that explain how financial incentives influence different types of performance. Given that compensation accounts for an important proportion of an organisation's operating expenses and that employee engagement is on the decline around the world, this research will provide a strong empirical basis to develop more effective compensation systems. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology Compensation accounts for almost one half of organisations' operating expenses and over 90% of organisations use incentive pay systems. Yet we keep encountering performance issues allegedly caused by financial incentives. The proposed research will advance our knowledge of the effectiveness of financial incentives to motivate good work performance that will help forge a stronger empirical basis through which more effective compensation and incentive systems can be developed, which is a crucial factor in increasing Australian productivity and growth. Given employee engagement levels globally stand at only around 15% and are on the decline in Australia, compensation systems need to be carefully designed to contribute to this engagement. Through a meta-analysis and a series of experiments, this project will help resolved ongoing theoretical and practical debates about the effectiveness of financial incentives to motivate good work performance.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Criminal justice outcomes of injecting drug use and methamphetamine smoking. Injection drug use (IDU) and methamphetamine smoking are associated with the majority of illicit drug-related harms and associated costs in Australia. We will extend our studies of people who inject drugs and people who smoke methamphetamine through record linkage to social and criminal justice datasets. We will characterise the trajectories of participants through social services (e.g. public housing) and law enforcement systems to provide a comprehensive account of social and criminal justice impacts of injection drug use and methamphetamine use in Australia for the first time. Field of research: 1117 - Public Health and Health Services Injection drug use and methamphetamine smoking are associated with the majority of illicit drug-related harms and associated costs in Australia. In response, most expenditure is on law enforcement strategies such as arrest and imprisonment but this does little to address individual and social consequences of these types of drug use. By leveraging two existing studies we will provide the first robust evidence on the incidence and impacts of arrest and imprisonment in a cohort of people who inject drugs or smoke methamphetamine in Australia. Our internationally novel findings will advance understanding of the social impacts of arrest and imprisonment of vulnerable members of the community and have a profound impact on policy and practice in the area, including debates around alternatives to incarceration.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

What goes on inside subduction zones? This project aims to decipher how rocks behave inside subduction zones. Subduction is a central tenant of plate tectonic theory and the project will test the hypothesis rocks can become trapped within giant long-lived eddies that circulate material within subduction zones. This international collaborative project will generate new knowledge regarding the time scales rocks can remain trapped inside subduction zones using pressure–temperature–age constraints from subducted rocks. We will use this information as a framework for numerical simulations of subduction zone behaviour. The project will provide significant benefits in training a new generation of Earth scientists, and in broadening public awareness of fundamental Earth science. Field of research: 0403 - Geology Understanding how the Earth worked in the Archean Eon (4.0–2.5 billion years ago) has fundamental implications, not least for the formation of major mineral deposits. For example, the distribution of gold, copper and platinum is likely controlled by processes at convergent margins, narrow belts in which the rigid tectonic plates that cover the Earth are colliding. Such processes are the result of plate tectonics, which has been the modus operandi on Earth for the past 2 to 3 billion years. However, whether or not these processes were active more than 3 billion years ago is fiercely debated, due largely to the scarcity of rocks of such antiquity. Australia has some of the best exposed areas of truly ancient rocks (greater than 2.8 billion years old), and is a key area of investigation if we are to answer some of the foremost outstanding questions in Earth Science. This knowledge gleaned from the project will permit a better understanding of the where and why of Australia’s natural resources, as well as helping educate Australians about our planet in its youth.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Correlative Imaging of Brain Lipids. This project aims to develop imaging tools and protocols for the detection of lipids in brain tissue and cells. This project expects to generate advanced methodologies to display specific lipid classes and their corresponding structures within tissues and cells, with the ability to be detected and correlated with multiple techniques, which represent a currently unavailable capacity. The expected outcomes of this project are improved opportunities to study lipid biology at the cellular and sub-cellular level across a wide range of in vitro and in vivo models. The outcomes of this project should provide significant knowledge to tackle modern societal challenges in healthy ageing, brain pathologies and neurodegenerative diseases. Field of research: 0399 - Other Chemical Sciences This research project will develop the necessary research tools to study lipids to elucidate the chemical and physiological mechanisms through which they support human health, specifically brain function. This research is, therefore, of national interest as it will ultimately provide the necessary capacity to improve the health and quality of life of Australians, and subsequently reduce the currently significant economic burden associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The imaging tools will not only be applicable to brain tissue, but can be adapted to study fundamental biology of many other cell and tissue systems (e.g. liver cells). Furthermore, this project will provide substantial knowledge gain around the design of targeted imaging tools, and this knowledge may then be used by others to study macromolecules in situ, in a range of applications ranging from environmental science, agriculture, and food productions.

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

On-water electrochemistry: redox catalysis at the water surface. From plastics to pharamaceuticals, chemists rely extensively on expensive and environmentally damaging solvents and reactants. In water, greener and cheaper electricity-driven reactions currently suffer from low velocity and poor selectivity. The project aims to develop the science of on-water electrochemistry, to make electricity-driven organic reactions in water viable. Demonstrating that for electrochemical reactions, rates and selectivities increase on water’s surface rather than in its bulk will remove fundamental constraints on the viability of aqueous electro-synthesis – moving beyond current reactor designs to transform our view of electrochemistry and improve the sustainability of the chemical industry. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) Synthesis of green chemicals is very attractive for sustainability of chemical manufacturing, which supports multiple industries. However, conventional synthesis is very energy intensive and often produces toxic wastes. To date, most chemicals cannot be manufactured -in- water, which is the ideal green solvent. This project introduces a new concept for green chemical synthesis called on-water electrochemistry. On-water electrochemistry uses the unique properties of the surface of water to act as a catalyst for chemical reactions. The water surface is made available for reaction using bubbles to create an interface. The new knowledge from the project will be suitable for integration into off-the-shelf reaction units already used by high-tech fine chemical and biotechnology companies. The project will contribute to the Australian government research priority for Advanced Manufacturing.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Development of Novel Metaconcrete to Resist Impulsive Loads. This project aims to develop innovative metaconcrete for structural protection by utilising the concept of phononic crystals and metamaterials which has been recently developed by physicists. Traditional construction materials are used in new structural forms to mitigate dynamic loading effects by exploiting the unique characteristics of the proposed metaconcrete. Theoretical, numerical and experimental methods will be used to derive the best performing metaconcrete and verify its static and dynamic load resistant capacities. The expected outcomes of the project will lead to innovative extreme-loading resistant designs and provide significant benefit to the Australian construction industry, general public and economy. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Natural and manmade disasters caused an estimated US$1.5 trillion in damage, more than 1.1 million deaths and affected the lives of more than two billion people worldwide between 2003 and 2013. The impact of some of these disasters, including terrorist bombing, accidental explosion and vehicle/ship impact could be reduced through improvements in structural protection. This would help minimize damage to buildings and other infrastructure, leading to improved safety and lower re-construction and repair costs. The current designs for structural protection focus on enhancing the structural strength and ductility, which always lead to substantial increases in construction costs and bulky structures. This project utilizes the wave-mitigating characteristics developed in phononic crystals and acoustics to produce innovative metaconcrete for structure protection against impulsive loads. The will place Australia at the international forefront of advanced technologies, and result in robust and safer structures, as well as more economical construction for protective structure.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The molecular record in extraordinarily preserved plants and insects. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Fossilised soft tissues of plants and insects preserved in sedimentary concretions will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this unique organic fossil archive will extend our knowledge of microbial functionality. Expected outcomes are a new way for interpreting our planet’s past, with improved understanding of extinction, disease, environmental change and consequent adaptation of plants and insects. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry Molecular fossils in geological formations provide a wealth of information on the evolution of life, past environments and major climatic and tectonic events in Earth’s history. This project will improve access to and identification of (currently) rare molecular (soft-tissue containing) fossils, providing unprecedented insights into our planet’s environmental and evolutionary record. This new knowledge will be used to mitigate the impact of deepening environmental stressors (e.g., climate change, wildfire frequency/intensity) on modern ecosystems which represent some of humanities greatest challenges. Contributions to these issues will be of high economic and environmental benefit to Australia, as well as well as providing significant scientific outcomes to the international research community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Cryobiotechnology innovations to help fight the Myrtle rust pandemic. This project aims to mitigate the impacts of Myrtle rust, a disease affecting >380 Australian taxa in the family Myrtaceae, by developing advanced techniques to conserve susceptible species. The project is expected to generate the biotechnology advances necessary to conserve multiple taxa on the brink of extinction, including species important to our emerging native botanicals industry. Expected outcomes for the project include novel protocols for initiating and maintaining sterile tissue cultures and advanced techniques for cryopreservation of susceptible species, providing insurance against extinction and sources of ex situ material for re-establishing the species in safe sites and for research into disease resistance. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management This project addresses the serious impacts of an invasive plant pathogen on Australia’s wild plant diversity and native plant industries. Myrtle rust, a disease caused by the pathogen Austropuccinia psidii, affects more than 380 species in the Myrtaceae family in Australia. It is listed as a Key Threatening Process for its impact on biodiversity under the Commonwealth Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and has already driven three species to the brink of extinction. Australia has an obligation to preserve these species under national and international conservation agreements, but the impact of the disease on seed production and new growth limits the effectiveness of conventional conservation techniques. This project aims to develop micropropagation and cryopreservation technologies to enable secure conservation of species requiring urgent and immediate intervention. The technologies developed will provide a source of material for re-establishing the species in safe sites and techniques for conserving and propagating disease-resistant individuals that may potentially be returned to the wild.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2021 · 2021-07

Promoting sustainable treatment of rice straws Category: Climate Change

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2021 · 2021-07

Promoting sustainable treatment of rice straws Category: Climate Change

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Supercritical-microfluidics technology for targeted delivery to the colon. This research will develop nanosystems to target delivery of drugs to the colon. Our nanosystems will permit the combination of clinically used chemotherapy drugs within a single dosage form. This will improve the efficiency of delivery to the colon while reducing unwanted side-effects. A novel supercritical microfluidics system will be developed to produce therapeutic nano-carriers in a continuous mode with lower labour requirement, higher production rate and better quality control than conventional production methods. The new process will combine benefits from both supercritical fluid technology (green process) and microfluidics (high mass & heat transfer). Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering The outcome from this project will be the development of a technology platform for the encapsulation of various drugs for targeted delivery to the colon. The technological development of supercritical microfluidics will focus on the principles of process intensification (PI). The concept of PI for microfluidics is based on miniaturisation, which has been widely recognised to have improved process efficiency, production output, quality and production cost while minimising the resulted wastes. New and innovative technologies that enable resources to be used more efficiently, and products to be manufactured more economically with smaller environmental footprint, will have a significant positive impact on both society and the environment. The project will stimulate new growth for Australia’s pharmaceutical advanced manufacturing sector (Science and Research Priorities). The project will promote an economic and environmental benefit by reducing the amount of solvent waste compared to conventional batch processes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Damage Detection and Quantification using Infrastructure Digital Twins. Structural health monitoring is vital for infrastructure assets management as early detection of structural conditions is key to both safety and ongoing maintenance. This project combines computer vision, vibration tests, finite element modelling and deep learning technologies to develop an efficient structural health monitoring system. Digital twins created from images taken by cameras or UAVs will be correlated through deep learning with structural conditions and load-carrying capacities obtained from vibration tests and finite element model analysis for efficient structural damage detection and quantification. The project will lead to effective structural health monitoring and enhance structural safety and reduce maintenance costs. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Structural condition inevitably deteriorates with time. Early detection of structural conditions is key to prevent catastrophic collapse and reduce maintenance costs. Current practice in structural condition monitoring is based mainly on visual inspections by assessors, which is time consuming and the assessment is subjective and only qualitative. This project will develop an effective and objective method to create digital twins for structural damage detection from camera images. The digital twins will be correlated with the structural damage level, load-carrying capacity and damage propagation prediction. The outcome of the project allows structural conditions to be detected and quantified efficiently from camera images. It will greatly impact the current practice and reduce the cost of industry partners on structural condition monitoring and maintenance. E.g., CBH typically spends over $110M/year on maintaining its grain silos. The developed approaches may also find applications in other sectors, e.g., the maintenance cost of LNG trains is about $9B/year and 60% of their maintenance work is unplanned.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Impact craters as probes into planetary crusts and prospect for resources. The project aims to investigate the structure of earth’s crust in Australian impact crater sites, impact crater morphologies on Mars, and expand our understanding of the origins of our solar system. The project could transfer knowledge from exploration to exploitation at impact crater sites, on and off Earth. The outcomes include placing constraints on potential economic deposits (such as precious metals, hydrocarbons, water) in Australia and the presence of water on Mars. The project could provide significant national economic benefits when applied in practice to discovering resources hidden in the Australian cratering record. Internationally, Australia would participate in future space exploration endeavours. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences This project bridges the gap between observations and modelling, and transfers knowledge from exploration to exploitation at impact crater sites, on and off Earth. About a third of terrestrial impact craters are associated with economic deposits. However, no Australian impact crater has yet been confirmed as a source of an economic deposit. The outcomes of this project will aid in uncovering valuable natural resources hidden in the Australian cratering record, that could potentially be worth billions of dollars. Furthermore, this project places Australia at the forefront of international space exploration. It builds on the existing international participation in the NASA Sight mission, as the only Australian team. It can also provide valuable contributions to the NASA Artemis program, an international initiative in which the Australian Space Agency is a member, to enable sustainable human presence beyond Earth’s orbit.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Multi-hazard resilient hybrid modular structures. This project aims to develop the next generation of multi-hazard resilient modular construction methods for efficient, affordable and sustainable buildings. New demountable modular connections will be developed and the response of hybrid modular buildings to multiple hazards such as wind, earthquake, blast and impact will be investigated through a combination of experimental, numerical, and analytical studies. The project will develop knowledge of the structural behaviour of hybrid modular buildings, and expects to deliver design methods and robust simplified models for building design purposes. This project will advance construction techniques and practices for resilient hybrid modular buildings. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Modular construction has great potential to enhance building construction practice. It can reduce construction time by 60%, landfill waste by 70% and, through design for disassembly and reuse, result in 88% reduction in global warming potential and reduced ozone and fossil fuel depletion over the building lifecycle. Applications are currently restricted due to lack of knowledge on the structural behaviour, which has led to over-conservative design practices and avoidance of this approach. This project builds knowledge of the structural behaviour of hybrid modular buildings to enable widespread applications. This approach can then be applied to create affordable, rapid and resilient infrastructure, greatly benefitting the construction industry, economy and society. The development of multi-hazard resilient modular infrastructure should reduce the risk associated with extreme events and de-risk and add value to Australian manufactured buildings. Moreover, the developed technology can extend the service life of structures which may be subjected to increasingly adverse natural hazards due to climate change.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Building insights of our largest terrestrial carbon sink: rangelands soils. Rangelands soils represent Australia’s largest carbon sink. Yet, little is known about their potential for carbon sequestration or their vulnerability to climate and environmental change. This project leverages investments in national terrestrial observation platforms and integrates previous research outputs to develop new methods to measure and build understanding of soil carbon composition and dynamics in rangeland ecosystems. Under a framework that connects detailed measurements and small-scale processes, with machine-learning, data-model assimilation and large-scale next-generation biogeochemical modelling, it’ll allow more accurate predictions of soil carbon change and better decision-making to guide sustainable rangelands management. Field of research: 0503 - Soil Sciences The rangelands occupy over 80% of Australia and hold almost 70% of the country’s soil organic carbon stock. Rangelands soils represent a persistent and more reliable carbon sink than fire-prone vegetation. This study will generate the largest, consistently analysed spatially explicit dataset on the organic carbon composition of rangelands soils. It should help inform the Commonwealth Government-funded National Environmental Prediction System and similar initiatives. Australia will gain foundational new understanding and modelling to benchmark future changes in soil carbon and to accurately predict carbon storage potential and vulnerability to climate and environmental change. This will help inform international obligations for reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, combating desertification and improving biodiversity. It will also help advance the economic viability of pastoralists, people in remote communities, tourism and mining with large footprints in the rangelands. It is a genuine opportunity to advance knowledge for the sustainable management of rangelands ecosystems in Australia and overseas.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Uncovering the Chronology of Mars. This project aims to answer fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of the solar system by utilizing innovative machine learning techniques developed by our group. Starting with Mars, we will interrogate the highest resolution image data to automatically generate the ultimate resolution global age map. The expected outcomes of this project include determining the absolute ages of geologic processes on Mars to deliver a groundbreaking look at the geology of another planet at the centimeter scale. A major benefit of this project will be enhancing Australia’s role as a leader in space and planetary science through this interdisciplinary, international collaboration across engineering, geology, computing, and chronology. Field of research: 0403 - Geology We developed an advanced machine learning tool to extract information from planetary image datasets quicker, and at higher resolutions, than ever before. This is an Australian innovation that is already materially enhancing strategic relationships with partner space agencies when Australia is expanding its global footprint in the space industry. We will apply it to a range of blue-sky research questions, but our goal is to build on our successes to address terrestrial geoscience issues with economic significance (we have already established a relationship with Industry, Fugro, through the Innovation Central Perth Internship Program), applying machine learning to advanced pattern recognition and quantitative characterisation of Earth observation and geophysical datasets. Planetary science is inspirational to young people to enter STEM fields: a clear goal for Australia. We will use the award-winning Space Science and Technology Centre (based at Curtin) resources in outreach and engagement to maximise STEM impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Interpreting the molecular record in extraordinarily preserved fossils. This project aims to unlock a hidden record of our planet’s past and the life it supported, using a novel approach with benefits for environment and industry. Soft tissues preserved in sedimentary concretion fossils will be analysed, extending the traditional inorganic fossil framework of major evolutionary events. Understanding the biofilm entombment and preservation mechanisms responsible for this unique organic fossil archive will extend our knowledge of microbial functionality. Expected outcomes from this new way of interpreting our planet’s past, include improved understanding of extinction events, environmental change and adaptation, with potential benefits in ecosystem management, resource exploration and biofilm uses. Field of research: 0402 - Geochemistry Molecular fossils in geological formations provide a wealth of information on the evolution of life, past environments and major climatic and tectonic events in Earth’s history. This Fellowship will improve access to and identification of (currently) rare molecular (soft-tissue containing) fossils, providing unprecedented insights into our planet’s environmental and evolutionary record. This new knowledge will be used to mitigate the impact of deepening environmental stressors (e.g., climate change, wildfire frequency/intensity, ocean acidification) on modern ecosystems which represent some of humanities greatest challenges. Contributions to these issues will be of high economic and environmental benefit to Australia, as well as well as providing significant scientific outcomes to the international research community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

ARC Training Centre for Healing Country. Healing Country aims to be a world-first on-country capability, employment and business development training centre for Indigenous Australians. The centre aims to achieve cost-effective restoration solutions that grow and strengthen Indigenous enterprises, expand and bolster diverse training pathways, and conduct innovative research to support the advancement of a diversified Indigenous-led Restoration Economy. Healing Country will fuse Indigenous culture in a cooperative vision where science and traditional approaches to land management and rehabilitation will create and nourish an economy that supports healthy land and transform Indigenous restoration businesses into a major employer of on-country regional jobs. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Australia's degraded and marginal lands cost the national economy $1.5 billion annually in lost productivity. To revive these diminished landscapes Healing Country reconnects traditional owners to land through sustaining, nurturing and advancing cultural and business independence and empowering local communities. By melding Indigenous and western science for an Indigenous led 'restoration economy' Indigenous businesses will be supported to develop a range of commercial restoration services targeted towards soil carbon capture, storage and management, native seed production and specialised products such as honey, culturally important species, and sandalwood. Through forging meaningful, long-term benefits on-country and an education pipeline with diverse training pathways for indigenous youth we will close the gap on how traditional owners can retain, enrich and sustain their cultures and local communities through caring for land.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Rethinking and revitalising herbicides to counter resistance. Weeds and increasingly herbicide resistant weeds are the major yield penalty for agriculture. This project aims to develop innovative ways to overcome resistance. This project expects to (i) make herbicides work more efficiently, (ii) reveal a new mode of action for an under-used herbicide and (iii) assign breakdown pathways to herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project are to (i) to find rare, but truly synergistic herbicide combinations; (ii) reveal a herbicide against which weeds outside of Japan have not evolved resistance to; and (iii) establish how best to make breakdown blockers. A benefit of using existing herbicides is the approaches are close to market, so with partner Nexgen Plants, its outcomes can be commercialised. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology Weeds are a major issue for agriculture, responsible for a $2.5 billion annual loss in Australia’s agricultural production. Widespread use of herbicides against weeds causes serious herbicide resistance. Glyphosate-based products are under intense scrutiny from governments at all levels and the possibility of farming without glyphosate is a big issue for the agri-food sector. There is an urgent need to improve use of commercial herbicides, and discover herbicides with new ways of acting on plants. The research will benefit Australia by building capability to meet the challenge of herbicide resistance. It will explore the way different herbicides work together, examine the potential of a little-used herbicide, and work on a new approach to boosting herbicide effectiveness. The project outcomes offer economic, commercial and environmental benefits to Australia: by enabling herbicides to be used more sustainably, we can help secure Australia’s food security and increase the value of food exports.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Collision Avoidance in Shipping Lanes via Intelligent Sensor Data Fusion . This project aims to develop an online maritime traffic monitoring system for reliable collision/contact avoidance that exploits complementary data from high-resolution airborne sensors and surface vessel sensors. Our approach is based on optimal scheduling and fusion of the sensor data and possibly other sources of data to construct a comprehensive dynamic picture of maritime traffic, in real-time. Moreover, the proposed methodology enables quantification of confidence in the predictions. This will provide ship owners, directly to their vessels and/or at the fleet management centres, information such as weather reports, reliable collision/no-collision warnings and avoidance strategies, on-the-fly. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering Leveraging on locally grown state-of-the-art satellite technology and information systems, this project will develop a world-first maritime traffic management system for the global shipping sector, and a new high value-adding industry to Australia that contributes to the expansion of the export service sector. Safety-at-sea is a core national interest because, as an island nation and a net exporter, Australia is reliant on the safe and timely flow of goods and trade that underpins our prosperity. The proposed project directly addresses Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, and specifically the Priority Goals: Frontier Technologies and Smart Information Use. In addition to the shipping industry, the technology developed has a wide range of applications from traffic management, autonomous driving, to surveillance, which all have the potential to generate further hi-tech jobs and contributing to a tech-based economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Understanding the enigma of the most energetic particles in the Universe. By combining an innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based calibration technique with the unparalleled sensitivity of future gamma-ray and radio telescope arrays, this project will study astronomical particle accelerators and Dark Matter with unprecedented accuracy. This will afford us a unique view of the Universe' most energetic processes and allow us to study the laws of physics inaccessible to us in the lab. In the context of interdisciplinary research, the UAV innovation created will also be leveraged against key applications of remote sensing. With these two goals, this project will demonstrate the capabilities of novel Australian technology whilst providing Australia with a unique science use-case in high-energy astrophysics. Field of research: 0201 - Astronomical and Space Sciences This project will create an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based calibration system for telescope arrays. While initially aimed at gamma-ray telescope arrays, the flexibility of the UAV approach allows us to calibrate other telescope arrays such SKA, a multi-billion dollar project that Australia is heavily invested in. As such, adapting the UAV-based calibration approach to SKA will increase the scientific return from financial commitments already made, and increase Australia's visibility in these experiments. This project will optimise the UAV performance for scientific research (rather than the current norm of them being optimised for photography). This optimisation will be required to realise the full potential of the technique, allowing for the most accurate data possible. However, this optimisation will also allow us to conduct very accurate aerial surveys. Combining this scientific survey capability with machine learning data analytics will open up a plethora of exciting remote sensing possibilities, from septoria pathogen identification in Australian wheat fields, to monitoring Australian flora.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Narrative, Technologies and Wirlomin Moorditj-abiny. The project aims to investigate how digital technologies in combination with on-Country camps may consolidate, enhance and help share a specific Aboriginal heritage. The project will generate new knowledge by workshopping select archival Noongar language, story and song material with its home community so as to enable an Indigenous-led articulation of identity and belonging. Expected outcomes include improved cross-generational transmission, empowerment of the appropriate Noongar community, social cohesion and the generation of transformative narratives as well as publication. Benefits include community well-being, a potentially refined integration of ‘nature’ and ‘culture’, and modelling of Reconciliation strategies. Field of research: 2003 - Language Studies Regional Aboriginal heritages have the potential to make important contributions to understanding the natural environment and a shared sense of identity. They can provide benefits to the economy – particularly through tourism and the arts - and are vital to Reconciliation and successful efforts to ‘Close the Gap’. Using digital technologies, archival material and on-country experiences this project will consolidate, enhance and develop sustainable ways of sharing Aboriginal heritage. The project builds on a successful record of documentation, publication, performance and community development. By extending and refining this work, along with the continuing cultivation of both new and long-standing relationships between local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, the project aims to provide a model that can be applied in other areas.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The life-course implications of declining adolescent drinking. The project aims to identify ways to ensure that recent declines in adolescent drinking are maintained and reinforced as these cohorts age into young adulthood. It expects to generate new knowledge on the trajectories of youth drinking into young adulthood. Expected outcomes include new cross-national understandings of the predictors of heavy drinking in adulthood and an updated evidence base for the development of harm prevention policies and interventions by governments and NGOs. This should provide significant benefits to Australia via reductions in the negative health and social impacts of heavy drinking for these cohorts across their lives. Field of research: 1603 - Demography Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to a substantial amount of health and social harm in Australia, with social costs of over $14 billion per year. However, in recent years, there have been marked declines in adolescent drinking, such that recent generations of teenagers drink dramatically less than previous generations. This has the potential for long-lasting health and social benefits to Australian society via reductions in the harms associated with heavy drinking. By adopting cross-national comparison, it will demonstrate the impact of policy environment on adolescent drinking trends. This will provide an evidence base for the formulation of prevention strategies by Australian policy-makers to reinforce the reductions in drinking among young adults, with the potential to dramatically reduce the social and health impacts of alcohol for these and subsequent generations.