La Trobe University

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The Great Disruption of COVID-19: Re-imagining the work-family interface. This project aims to highlight new possibilities to re-imagine and reduce parents’ work-family conflicts. Covid-19 brought an unprecedented disruption to Australian parents' work-care routines, with different effects for women, and those working ‘at work’ versus at home. Using mixed-methods approaches and multiple Australian datasets collected pre- and post-pandemic, this unique project intends to identify families who are at risk of longer-term scarring to family wellbeing from work-care conflicts; and critical workplace supports which may prevent this. Together, this urgently-needed evidence contributes to family-friendly work for diverse parents, employers and policy, protecting social and economic participation for Australian parents. Field of research: 4403 - Demography Conflicts between work and family demands are common social and economic problems for all parents in Australia. Reported by one in three before the pandemic, the extent to which they were worsened, sustained or relieved during the pandemic is unknown. Critically, how have families emerged from this momentous disruption to work-care routines? As workplaces and parents strive towards a new ‘post-covid’ normal, understanding of the work-family interface is needed to inform policy and workplace practice to support working parents, protecting family wellbeing. This project addresses this gap. With a particular focus on gender and job inequalities, this project intends to bring together national datasets and methods to gain evidence on which families fared well in combining work and care in the new and changing labour environment, and which families remained at-risk. This project will provide vital recommendations for parents and employers, with dissemination to stakeholders such as the Department of Social Services and Australian Institute of Family Studies, to support parents' social and economic participation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

From mainstream to margins: The denormalisation of underage heavy drinking. This mixed-methods study aims to investigate changes in, and contemporary experiences of, heavy drinking for underage young people in Australia. The project expects to generate new knowledge on whether and how processes of ‘de-normalisation’ are shaping heavy drinking practices and experiences of social inclusion for underage young people. Expected outcomes of the project include the development of a contemporary theoretical model of underage drinking. This should provide significant benefits such as advancing understanding of the social and structural factors shaping heavy underage drinking practices. Findings can be used to inform policy directions aiming to holistically maximise health and social wellbeing for young people. Field of research: 4410 - Sociology This project will investigate whether heavy drinking has become de-normalised for underage young people, and understand the implications of de-normalising processes for young heavy drinkers. It is socially and economically important that investment in policies addressing underage drinking is channelled appropriately and policies do not exacerbate health inequality. The study will identify the social and structural factors that shape the ways in which underage heavy drinkers consume alcohol, and in turn, inform the implementation of equitable social and alcohol policies that are best placed to minimise problems and maximise social wellbeing. Findings will inform the types of interventions that are best suited to fostering social inclusion, wellbeing and health, for example, through identifying which social, cultural, environmental, policy and economic levers might address harmful drinking practices among young underage heavy drinkers. Findings will be presented to key stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, advocacy groups, community-based organisations) to maximise the translational potential of the project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Cave microbial metabolism as a missing biogeochemical sink. The aim of this project is to unveil the microbial biodiversity, novel metabolic capabilities and chemosynthetic primary production of subsurface ecosystems, such as those found in caves. Leveraging a powerful blend of geospatial, molecular and biogeochemical approaches this project expects to identify the microbial basis of subsurface biogeochemical processes driving the earth’s major elementary cycles. Expected outcomes include a predictive framework to assess and upscale the impact of these microbial communities on the environment. Benefits include predicting and responding to climate risks, such as the desertification of agricultural soils, by uncovering how microorganisms respond to nutrient and carbon depletion. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology The increasing frequency of natural hazards such as drought, desertification and pollution are a significant risk to the Australia’s natural assets of soil, water and atmosphere, which are critical to its primary industries. This research will provide quantitative estimates and a predictive framework to better understand the role of keystone microbial processes, which are responsible for the cycle of carbon and major nutrients between surface and subsurface ecosystems. This research will provide direct benefits to national monitoring systems, land managers and policy makers via an improved accuracy and precision in predicting the microbial response to environmental change and their control over greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, as well as an improved capacity forecasting the effects of natural hazards on soil fertility such as nutrient depletion and pollution of atmospheric and water assets. The engagement with direct beneficiaries will be achieved via open access research and dissemination of results at relevant scientific outlets, meetings and workshops.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Using AI to reveal the true extent & context of alcohol exposure in videos. This project aims to extend an artificial intelligence algorithm to automatically identify and quantify alcohol prevalence in videos. The project is expected to generate significant new knowledge about alcohol’s exposure in these videos’ social, emotional, and environmental contexts. The expected outcomes include a more efficient and automated method of revealing alcohol pervasiveness and its context in the 1000 most watched videos in Australia, making costly manual coding redundant. Anticipated benefits include enabling governments to better monitor compliance to alcohol product placement guidelines and increased public awareness of the frequency and harmful effects of being exposed to alcohol in videos. Field of research: 5204 - Cognitive and Computational Psychology Alcohol-related harm to individuals, families and communities costs Australia an average of $66.8 billion per year. The normalisation of harmful drinking behaviours is inadvertently heightened through watching its use and consumption on our screens. This project will extend an existing artificial intelligence algorithm to enable it to automatically identify and quantify alcohol’s presence in social, emotional, and environmental context of the 1000 most popular videos in Australia (films, sports, etc.). Outcomes of the project include developing the most comprehensive, accurate and up to date understanding of the amount and context of alcohol exposure in videos. This will enable governments in Australia and internationally to better monitor compliance to alcohol product placement guidelines and increase public awareness of the frequency and harmful effects of being exposed to alcohol in videos. The algorithm can be extended to automatically quantify exposure to other harmful products in videos, such as tobacco and will make manual coding redundant, saving time and cost for future research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The prevalence and impact of digital alcohol exposure. This project aims to use artificial intelligence to quantify the amount of alcohol people are exposed to in digital media (e.g., social media, streaming videos) in their daily lives and the effect alcohol exposure has on alcohol use. Expected outcomes for this project include a quantification of the amount of alcohol exposure in digital media and the impact it has on drinking and a development of a protocol to test exposure. Significant benefits are expected for policy makers aiming to reduce exposure and the public wanting to avoid exposure to limit the harm of alcohol. Field of research: 5201 - Applied and Developmental Psychology By applying artificial intelligence algorithms to a research area previously dominated by self-reporting methods, this study will generate rich new knowledge about how much alcohol people are exposed to in digital media, and the true impact of that exposure. This study will increase the much needed public’s awareness about alcohol exposure and lead to tools to help reducing that exposure. The study aligns with the government’s practical challenge in Health to implement “effective technologies for individuals to manage their own health care”. Given that alcohol is estimated to cause $15B costs per year to Australian society, this study has the potential to have a significant health and economic impact by informing policy and creating change. Finally, it will provide a blueprint for how to quantify and reduce the effect of exposure for other products that can cause societal harm such as sugary drinks, fast food and tobacco.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Social buffering of fear inhibition in adolescent rats. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. Peers can help, or hinder, individuals to regulate fear. This project aims to understand how, when, and for whom social buffering of fear regulation occurs during adolescence. It uses a behavioural, pharmacological, and neural approach to explore these issues. The project aims to close the gap in understanding of how social companions affect basic learning and memory processes in an understudied population of adolescents. The expected outcomes of this project include a richer knowledge of how peers shape emotional regulation during development, which will ultimately inform social-based approaches for improving emotion regulation in youth. Field of research: 5202 - Biological Psychology Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. Excessive fear and worry lead to psychological distress, stress within relationships, and impairments in educational and work functioning. Currently, one in three Australian adolescents experience moderate to high psychological distress. While social companions can help manage stress there is a gap in our understanding of how social companions affect basic learning and memory processes involved in emotional regulation. Therefore, this project will determine when, how, and for whom social companions help in the regulation of fear in adolescence. Research outcomes will be disseminated to teachers, parents, and in workplaces to enable the design of novel social-based interventions to promote social connection and emotional resilience in adolescents. Such interventions will have societal and health benefits for the growing number of Australian adolescents experiencing psychological distress and, more broadly, will ease economic burden due to days off school and lost work productivity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Trust in Pacific Healthcare: Transforming research, policy and practice. Medical trust is vital to building positive healthcare engagement and improving health outcomes, yet is poorly understood in non-Western contexts. Focusing on crises of trust related to type 2 diabetes and COVID-19 interventions in the Pacific, this collaborative project aims to examine the social and cultural dynamics of medical (mis)trust in Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa. Providing the first cross-cultural study of medical trust, an international team of researchers will generate interdisciplinary scholarly outputs, policy resources and a documentary film. Findings will assist healthcare professionals and communities strengthen trust relationships and ultimately achieve improved health engagement and delivery in the Pacific and beyond. Field of research: 4401 - Anthropology Community mistrust in biomedical knowledge and health systems can impede the success of public health interventions, yet the social and cultural dynamics that define medical (mis)trust are under-researched. This project investigates the role of trust in shaping community uptake of interventions for two interlinked pandemics in the Pacific: type 2 diabetes and COVID-19. Spanning Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and the Pasifika diaspora in Australia, this comparative project will generate a practical knowledge base concerning medical trust, and redefine the way in which medical trust is both studied and nurtured in the Pacific and globally. This research will contribute substantially to Australia’s national interest by better targeting Australia’s massive regional health security aid budget (est. $375m over the next 5 years plus $305m in COVID-19 response). Developing a systematic approach to understanding the lived experience of health-seeking, treatment and care for both metabolic diseases and COVID-19, it will inform the design of locally appropriate strategies to improve health resilience and outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Shaping International Law in Global Transformations: Australian Experiences. This project aims to examine how Australia influences the development of international law in times of global transformation. The project proposes to develop a new analytical framework to understand how and why Australia has succeeded (or failed) in shaping the development of international law in four key periods of global transformation. Expected outcomes include empirical studies evaluating how, why and to what extent Australians managed to shape international law during these periods. These outcomes should provide benefits in the form of evidence-based proposals to enhance Australia's capacity to influence the development of international law in times of global transformation. Field of research: 4803 - International and Comparative Law This project investigates how Australia has contributed to the development of international law in times of global transformation. Expected outcomes include a new analytical framework to measure how Australia has influenced the development of new international law in global transformations, and detailed empirical studies of how and why Australia succeeded or failed to shape international law in four periods of global transformation: post-World War I, post-World War II, post- Cold War and post-11 September 2001. As a trade-dependent regional power with global interests, Australia gains national economic, social and commercial benefits from an effective rules-based international order. The research benefit Australian diplomats and policy-makers in understanding, guiding and strengthening the rules-based international order during global transformations. Project findings will be used to develop evidence-based proposals to enhance Australia’s capacity to influence the development of international law during future global transformations.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Knowledge Graph-driven Software Vulnerability Risk Discovery and Assessment. This project aims to alleviate cyberattacks which are increasingly being crafted to attack software vulnerabilities and weaknesses by utilising advanced knowledge graphs and deep learning techniques. This project expects to construct an innovative software vulnerability knowledge graph and develop advanced graph-based algorithms and models. Expected outcomes of this project include the enhanced capacity to defend against cyberattacks for both organisations and individuals in Australia and beyond, theory development in graph theory, refined graph neural network models and improved graph transfer learning algorithms. Field of research: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy Software vulnerabilities, also known as flaws, bugs or weaknesses, are common in modern information systems. These vulnerabilities put critical data of organisations and individuals under cyber threats. In Australia, more than 67,500 cybercrimes caused over $33 billion in losses in 2021. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework with risk discovery, prediction, and assessment solutions for software vulnerabilities against cyberattacks. The outcomes of the project include an open-access vulnerability graph database as a digital infrastructure for the global cybersecurity community, novel graph mining and knowledge discovery algorithms for better decision-making on vulnerability remediation, mitigation, and patching. These outcomes will be targeted at researchers and practitioners in organisations such as Westpac, Optus, Data 61 and ACSC for adoption. The project will also enhance the cybersecurity of Australia's health care, finance, manufacturing, and professional services industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Developing strong, robust and high performing women football players. Women drop out of Australian football at a higher rate than men, often due to concerns about their physical capabilities and performance. Yet, coaches do not prioritise developing physical capacity (eg strength), due to perceived lack of relevance to football. In community Australian football players, this study will identify physical capacity elements relevant for football performance, assess the change across a typical season and the influence of gender and age. Combining sport science and engineering, smartphone videos and open-access software will be utilised to develop cost-effective methods to assess tackling skill. Findings will inform better training strategies for women, reducing injury, enhancing retention and physical activity. Field of research: 4206 - Public Health Womens’ retention in male-dominated contact sports such as Australian football is 35% lower than men. Concerns about the physical demands, injury, and performance quality feeds perceptions that womens’ bodies are not made to play contact sport. Yet less than 10% of sports science research participants are women. In community Australian football players, this study will identify the physical skills most important for football performance, and changes across a typical season, and the influence of gender and age. Smartphone videos and free software will be used to develop cost-effective methods to assess gender differences in tackling technique. Findings will inform training strategies to best prepare women and be incorporated into sporting organisation coach and player education. The findings may motivate coaches to include underutilised training activities to develop strength and tackling skill. Building strong and robust players of the future will reduce drop-out and injuries, maximise the commercialisation of women’s sport, and increase the visibility of professional, high performing women in society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Formation and clearance of endothelial cell-derived exophers. This project aims to investigate how cells that line the blood vessels release cellular wastes and their subsequent removal by immune cells. It is critical that cellular waste are removed in a timely manner as their accumulation inside the cell can interfere with normal cell functions. The intended outcome of the project is to generate fundamental new knowledge of the mechanisms by which cellular waste are efficiently removed. Expected outcomes encompass a paradigm-shift in understanding how cells that line the blood vessels dispose unwanted cellular contents. This should provide significant benefits including understanding how these specialised cells maintain the integrity of blood vessels and communicate with immune cells. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The economic burden of infectious and cardiovascular disease costs Australia more than $10 billion annually in lost lives, pressure on health services and lost ability to engage in work. New methods to monitor progression and severity of these diseases will lead to better patient care and outcomes. A number of infectious and cardiovascular diseases can cause stress on cells that line the blood vessels (called endothelial cells), resulting in the formation and release of defective materials from these cells. This project aims to investigate how endothelial cells release cellular waste into the blood and subsequently removed by cells in the immune system. This will generate new knowledge of how cellular waste is distributed and removed rapidly in the blood, with significance in fields of research including cell biology and biochemistry. The project will in future inform new medical diagnostic and/or prognostic approaches for infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Findings shared with clinical researchers has the potential for commercialisation of new diagnostic products, reduced disease and improved health.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

New knowledge on internalised prejudice for same-sex attracted Australians. This project aims to conduct the first nation-wide investigation of internalised sexual prejudice – a key factor driving the health and well-being disparities experienced by same-sex attracted Australians. The project expects to generate new knowledge around the internalisation of past experiences of sexual prejudice. Expected outcomes include advanced measurement techniques of conscious and non-conscious prejudice, significant advances in understandings of the causes and consequences of internalised sexual prejudice, and an enhanced capacity for international collaborations. This should provide significant benefits for same-sex attracted Australians, and for the health, government, and community support sectors working with them. Field of research: 5205 - Social and Personality Psychology Same-sex attracted Australians experience stigma and discrimination which directly contribute to chronic stress, with significant negative outcomes. It is evident that other people’s words and attitudes do cause harm through a process of taking in or internalising stigmatisation. A recent national survey of same-sex attracted Australians reported that 32% of respondents met the criteria for clinical anxiety, 24% for a major depressive episode, 33% had self-harmed, and 16% had attempted suicide. However, the exact pathway from stigma to harmful outcomes is poorly understood and hard to quantify. There is a need for research establishing the key factors driving internalised discrimination in order for mental health clinicians to effectively support this group. This project will deliver a comprehensive national evidence base and psychological tools which policymakers and health practitioners can use to design, deploy and evaluate more effective responses, potentially reducing the burden on Australia’s healthcare system.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Supporting the inclusion of siblings when a family is in crisis . This project aims to explore the inclusion experience of siblings during a significant family crisis – a child’s critical illness. Exclusion from a family crisis can have lasting impacts, however sibling experiences of inclusion when a child is critically ill remain unstudied. Through observation and interviews with children and their families, this project expects to generate new knowledge about sibling inclusion in this family crisis. Expected outcomes include guidelines to enhance sibling inclusion and a resource to support family togetherness. This project should provide significant social benefits, such as changes to local and national sibling and family policies, and improved family wellbeing for all Australian families in crisis. Field of research: 4203 - Health Services and Systems Children depend on inclusion in their family to maintain their sense of wellbeing and security. When a family is in crisis, this sense of security can be displaced, with significant impacts on child and family wellbeing. This is particularly true if children are excluded from a crisis experience, as often occurs when a brother or sister is critically ill. Each year, 8,600 Australian families have this experience. There is currently no understand of siblings’ experiences, needs, and support during this crisis. This project is the first in the world to address this urgent social issue by exploring the siblings’ experiences of this significant family crisis from the viewpoints of children, and their parents / carers. Evidence-based resources will be developed to support sibling inclusion and will provide foundational knowledge to enhance the inclusivity of service delivery for all Australian families in crisis. Improving the support for siblings will ensure family wellbeing and security is maintained during this critical period in life for many Australian families.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Taking control: variations in forced psychiatric treatment in the community. This interdisciplinary project aims to produce a comprehensive understanding of the drivers underpinning variations in the use of legal orders to enforce psychiatric treatment in the community without consent. Australia’s rate of use of these controversial orders is very high and there are unexplained variations in rates of use within and between jurisdictions, with some minority groups disproportionately affected. Uncovering this knowledge will act as a form of procedural justice for those who have had their human rights limited by compulsion. This knowledge is expected to lead to innovations in law and policy, with subsequent organisational and system improvements, generating profound benefits for those affected by forced treatment. Field of research: 4807 - Public Law This project analyses the wide variation in rates of enforced psychiatric treatment without consent across Australia with the burden disproportionately borne by marginalised groups. These variations suggest that the use of these powers in the community may not be strictly linked to perceived health benefits but is driven by factors including resources, organisational culture and discrimination. It will explain the real-world drivers that underpin the use of these powers to enable more equitable mental healthcare through innovation in law and policy, and organisational and system improvement. This work aligns with the 5th National Mental Health Plan to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. It also aligns with the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health ‘priority reform’ to reduce adverse consequences of mental health treatment, and the National Science and Research ‘Health’ priority: “better models of health care and services that improve outcomes, reduce disparities for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, increase efficiency and provide greater value”.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Do predators shape the sleep of their prey? This project aims to investigate how sleep is affected by fear/stress by studying invasive and native rat species, historically exposed to different predation pressures. It expects to generate new knowledge in biological and health sciences, also helping controlling pests. This unprecedented approach to studying sleep will provide key insights on the environmental and genetic determinants of sleep, allowing us to better understand sleep, its expression and flexibility, and response to stress. More than providing fundamental answers on the evolution of sleep, this project will provide significant benefits such as new perspectives on invasive species management, and may also reveal new targets for treatments to stress related sleep disorders. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology Sleep is essential for all animals, but disruptions to sleep caused by stress and by environmental change are having major impacts on the health of humans and animals. For humans, stress-induced sleep disturbances are characteristic of many mental health disorders, for example depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These cost Australia’s economy $14.4B per year in lost work. In animals, the stress induced by predators on prey can interfere with normal sleep patterns which then affects reproduction, feeding and care of young, and may contribute significantly to the loss of endangered native species. In this project we will use new technology to study sleep in wild animals for the first time, to gain a better understanding of the impact of stress on sleep. Results will be shared with scientists, ecologists, clinicians, and government advisors and have the potential to shape both the treatment for stress-related sleep disorders and the design of conservation programs, benefiting the heath of Australia’s human population and unique ecosystem.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

In depth characterisation of the gamma delta T cell immune synapse. This project aims to comprehensively characterise the activation principles of gamma delta T cells. These cells have an understudied but central role in vertebrate immunity and development. A missing piece of the puzzle is how gamma delta T cells sense stress and how this signal leads to activation. Expected outcomes include the generation of fundamental knowledge in immunology and structural biology. This proposal uses high-skilled techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy and single-molecule imaging and holds ancillary benefits to postgraduate students. Anticipated outcomes include influential publications, building a critical mass of expertise in Australia and fostering international collaborations with Australia at the epicentre. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The immune system contains a variety of cell types with specific roles. One of these cell types, gamma delta T cells, is a unique type of white blood cell. These cells conduct surveillance of epithelial tissues, which line all of the body’s surfaces, and find ‘stressed’ cells that are not properly functioning. This project will increase our understanding of how these cells detect stress signals and are switched on, leading to an immune response. This knowledge will offer new tools that could be used to turn on or turn off gamma delta T cells, which are not only present in humans but also abundant in sheep and cattle. The outcomes could be used by biotechnology companies to develop gamma delta T-cell immunotherapies, for humans and animals. This research will therefore lay the groundwork to position Australia at the international forefront of novel T-cell-based therapies, contributing to both health and the Australian economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Fish Jenga: metapopulation management for coastal river fish. This project aims to address the escalating threats to coastal freshwater fish from drought, fire, and other disturbances. The project expects to generate new knowledge on contemporary distributions of NSW coastal freshwater fishes, and will develop models of population dynamics to explore the consequences of alternative water management and disturbance scenarios. The expected outcome of the project is to revolutionise management by replacing the current practice of managing river basins separately, with a framework that accounts for among-basin linkages that are essential for the long-term persistence of fish populations. Significant benefits include more efficient use of water resources and improved conservation outcomes for native fish. Field of research: 0704 - Fisheries Sciences Water scarcity is a key limitation to the future development of Australia’s national economy and is forecast to intensify under a changing climate. In line with the objectives of the National Water Initiative, this project aims to improve the efficiency of water allocations directed towards achieving environmental benefits. The project will deliver bespoke monitoring and modelling tools and a new management framework to optimise the delivery of environmental flows for native fish in coastal rivers. By improving our capacity to monitor and manage populations at appropriate spatial and temporal scales, the project will address the decline of coastal river fishes (including threatened species), and help Australia meet its international obligations for biodiversity conservation. This outcome will protect high-value commercial, recreational, and traditional fisheries that contribute significantly to community well-being from economic, social, cultural, and mental health perspectives.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Addressing gender and sexuality in drug education. This project aims to generate new knowledge on the relationship between young people’s concerns about drugs and the priorities informing drug education. Alcohol and illicit drug use costs Australia almost $40 billion per year and is a leading contributor to total burden of disease for young Australians. Drug education is a key strategy used to reduce youth alcohol and illicit drug-related harm, yet it has been the subject of sustained criticism for its inability to address youth effectively, including the gendered and sexual dimensions of harm. Outcomes expected from this project include more effective and equitable drug education materials. Overall, the project seeks to reduce alcohol and illicit drug-related harm among young Australians. Field of research: 1608 - Sociology Alcohol and illicit drug-related issues constitute an estimated 16.5% of Australia’s national disease burden and cost the nation almost $40 billion annually. In 2019, 22% of Australians aged 14–19 reported lifetime use of illicit drugs. In response, Australia’s National Drug Strategy identifies school drug education as a central means of addressing youth alcohol and illicit drug-related harm. While alcohol and illicit drug use is known to be shaped by gender and sexuality, drug education is ill-equipped to address these aspects. Consequently, many drug education initiatives are not only ineffective but can be counterproductive. This project will explore how gender and sexuality shape young people’s experiences of, and responses to, drug education. This project will also analyse how drug education stakeholders perceive young people’s needs and how these understandings relate to their priorities. The findings will be used to develop new, practice-ready drug education resources that respond to young people’s needs and reduce alcohol and illicit drug-related harm among young Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

A flow cytometry suite for multiscale biosorting . The proposal aims to establish a state-of-the-art flow cytometry suite that will allow for the first time in Australia at one site, the separation of the broadest range of sizes of biological samples from viruses, to plant seeds and animal embryos. The flow cytometry suite will include three cutting edge flow cytometers (i) a 2 laser Union Biometrica BioSorter large particle flow cytometer for large objects (eg embryos); (ii) a 5 laser BD Biosciences FACSAria Fusion cell sorter with FSC PMT for small to mid-size objects (eg cells), (iii) a 2 laser NanoFCM flow nanoanalyzer for the smallest biological objects (eg viruses, vesicles). These new broad capabilities will support research in agricultural, veterinary and microbiological sciences. Field of research: 0301 - Analytical Chemistry Flow cytometry is an essential tool for biological research that allows the identification and separation of mixed complex biological populations through rapid laser-based detection and fluid flow sorting of biological entities. The recent development of new instrumentation has dramatically expanded the range of size and nature of organisms that can be analysed by flow cytometry from extremely small (eg virus and bacteria) to comparatively large (eg plant seeds and animal embryos). The biosorting flow cytometry suite of instrumentation will provide Australian researchers with a competitive edge in a broad range of basic and strategic research disciplines including in the agri-biosciences (e.g. enhanced nutritional quality of grains), marine biology (e.g. biodiversity and animal physiology), microbiology (e.g. antibiotic resistance and parasitology) and biomedicine (e.g. biomarker identification for cancer and neurodegeneration, in vitro blood production).

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

NanoMslide: plasmon-enhanced ptychographic phase microscopy. This proposal aims to combine recent advances in metamaterials and quantitative phase imaging to probe the near-surface refractive index properties of cells and tissues. The proposed technique delivers orders of magnitude improvement in terms of sensitivity over conventional phase contrast microscopy and will be used to provide new insights into the molecular basis for disease. This project will result in a new approach to stain-free, label free, tissue characterisation that will benefit a diverse range of applications in biological imaging and aid in the development of this nanotechnology platform into a long-term, sustainable business for Australia. Field of research: 0906 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering Misdiagnosis, particularly of early-stage diseases, leads to either over treatment or false negatives, significantly impacting the lives of many Australians. This project combines fundamental research in the physical and biological sciences to develop an entirely new method for detecting disease. Diagnostic error represents a significant cost to the Australian economy. For example, over and under treatment costs for breast cancer are approximately $40,000 per patient per error and yet some studies claim over 80% of all diagnostic errors are preventable. The cutting-edge nanotechnology that will be developed in this proposal aims to address this problem by offering a superior detection of disease, unlike existing chemistry-based approaches which can have limited accuracy. We anticipate that the long-term impact of this research will be directly relevant for the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries where the technology could be commercialised as a novel label-free diagnostic tool.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The control of cell signalling by membrane remodelling. Cells secrete signalling molecules called growth factors to drive critical developmental processes such as growth, differentiation and death. This project aims to understand a new mechanism that we have discovered for the control of growth factors by a protein family evolved to damage cell membranes. This is highly novel since the usual role of these proteins is to kill pathogens targeted by the immune system. By coupling innovative genetics, high-resolution imaging, and advanced biochemical analyses, this project intends to provide key molecular insights into how cell signalling can be regulated during animal development. We anticipate that this will impact our general understanding of membrane biology and its influence on cell signalling. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics This project aims to expand our general knowledge of biological systems by understanding how the activity of growth factors and their receptors can be controlled. Growth factors are critical molecules for cell-to-cell communication that are released from cells to act on others for development and homeostasis. Their dysregulation in humans and other animals underlies developmental disorders and diseases such as cancer. Our work will therefore contribute vital new knowledge about cellular processes that may eventually, assist in the development of therapeutic treatments for animals including humans, and in developing the regeneration capacity of damaged tissues. We anticipate that the discoveries we make will also reveal how an important family of proteins, and the cell membranes on which they act, influence critical developmental processes. This is important for understanding the role of cell membrane in cell communication and other related cellular processes. This knowledge may lead to new commercial applications such as in the biomaterials industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

How is the plant genome reactivated and controlled during seed germination? This project aims to determine the mechanisms by which plant genomes are regulated during seed germination. The genomes of cells in mature, inactive seeds are repressed, but later must be rapidly reactivated to allow the gene expression that drives early seedling growth and development. This project will study proteins that turn genes on and off, and how these interact with the structure of DNA, in order to understand how spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression are controlled. It will advance our understanding of genome regulatory programs controlling germination and growth, and how they vary between Arabidopsis and barley. This can improve our ability to manipulate seed behaviour which would benefit growers and producers. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology Our research will produce benefits to Australia through the generation of knowledge that informs the agri-food sector. The sector contributes ~20% of GDP to our economy and employs 1.6 M people, 57% rural-based. Germination is critical to field crop systems and the brewing and malting industry. Farmers require that seeds germinate predictably and appropriately. If the seeds fail to do so, farmers struggle to achieve the correct planting density in their fields or lose crops to preharvest sprouting at the end of the season. Both result in poor yields and reduced profitability. The challenges for farmers caused by inappropriate seed germination will continue to increase in the future as climate change alters weather patterns. However, the National Farmers Federation has set a target of growing Australian agriculture from a $60 B to a $100 B industry by 2030, to provide for our growing population and contribute to the economy. Our research will support this effort by providing knowledge and technology to develop crop cultivars with germination characteristics appropriate for future climate conditions and uses.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The future of the Pacific: youth leadership and civic engagement. This project aims to investigate how youth in the Pacific develop and demonstrate the forms of leadership and civic engagement needed for positive outcomes for their countries. New knowledge is expected to be generated about what influences Pacific youth to engage with the profound challenges facing their region, through Pacific-wide research and three case studies using participatory and collaborative methodologies. Expected outcomes include interdisciplinary contributions to Pacific and youth studies and applied outputs. This should provide significant benefits including enhanced capacity for governments, development agencies and donors to develop policy and programming measures to nurture the future leadership of the Pacific region. Field of research: 1601 - Anthropology In the context of the profound challenges facing Pacific island countries, from geopolitical tensions to climate change and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, it is in Australia’s national interest to have a firm understanding of the social, cultural and political factors that influence emerging leadership in the region. With two-thirds of Pacific populations aged under 35, Australia will benefit from deeper understanding of how youth are approaching the challenges they face. The Australian government has clearly signalled its intention to increase engagement with Pacific societies and this project, focusing on youth leadership and civic engagement, will provide useful insights into how Australia can best support and engage with efforts to promote pro-social activities in these countries. Further, this project will add to Australia’s understanding of how leadership is conceived, supported and exercised in the Pacific region. The findings of this research will inform Australian foreign policy on the Pacific region, on youth as a global development issue, on aid delivery and on the exercise of soft power.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Lost Mines: The Troubled Legacies of Former Mining Landscapes. This project aims to investigate how historical mining activities in Victoria have left a toxic legacy of heavy metals in soil and water. By integrating approaches from historical archaeology, environmental humanities, and the physical sciences the project seeks to generate novel datasets that document the spatial distribution of contaminants and novel ways of understanding mining heritage. Anticipated outcomes include new knowledge about pre-industrial background levels of heavy metals in the environment, more efficient and targeted remediation of former mine sites, and improved dialogue between heritage and environmental managers. This promises significant benefits for future land and water management and approaches to mining heritage. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology The project aims to investigate the lasting effects of historical mining activity on soil and water assets in key agricultural regions of Gippsland and northern Victoria, part of the Southern Murray Darling Basin. Integrating approaches from historical archaeology and hydrology, the project seeks to develop novel data about what kinds of historic mining activities produced pollutants, what pollutants remain in the modern landscape, and how these pollutants may continue to affect people and environments. By expanding the historical record it seeks to fill a gap in the understanding of risks posed by abandoned mines and how they are managed and remediated into the future. Outcomes should benefit Australians by informing new approaches to addressing modern challenges concerning mine remediation, sustainable resource extraction and climate change. Outcomes should lead to better decision-making that meets the potentially conflicting demands of environmental management and heritage conservation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Random fields: non-Gaussian stochastic models and approximation schemes. The project aims to address important problems in the theory and statistics of stochastic processes and develop new methodology for their applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge about stochastic processes defined on multidimensional spaces and surfaces that are used in spatio-temporal data modelling. Main anticipated outcomes include - developing approximation schemes for new complex data and investigating their accuracy and reliability; - studying nonlinear statistics and transformations of these data; - providing new tools to investigate complex real data, in particular, in cosmology and embryology. The results should provide significant benefits for optimal modelling and analysis of high resolution big data. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics The research is important for most of National Science and Research Priority areas as recent advances in technology allowed collecting big data at high frequency rates that led to the ubiquity of complex data. 90% of the data available in the world today has been created in the previous 2 years. The majority of modern Soil and Water, Cybersecurity, Energy, and Environmental data have complex spatial or georeferenced structures. Most of traditional models and tools inadequately perform for new complex data. Often, there is no theoretical justification for using them for such data. The project proposes several new perspectives, tools and algorithms for optimal representation and advanced analysis of non-Gaussian non-stationary processes. The results can be applied to improve various traditional techniques and develop optimal modelling schemes for naturally occurring big data. In particular, the power of these new perspectives will be demonstrated by studies of cosmological and embryological data. Applications of these new optimal methods will result in more effective analysis and use of Australian resources.