Teaching Software Agents to Play. This project is fundamental to computational intelligence and human brain science. Both strongly impact on the community and the nation. They form the backbone of contemporary information science and are key to our National Research Priorities. This research is of great community benefit. Our results will enable everyone to rapidly search, analyse and interpret vast amounts of information that is irretrievable by current methods. They will also enliven interacti ....Teaching Software Agents to Play. This project is fundamental to computational intelligence and human brain science. Both strongly impact on the community and the nation. They form the backbone of contemporary information science and are key to our National Research Priorities. This research is of great community benefit. Our results will enable everyone to rapidly search, analyse and interpret vast amounts of information that is irretrievable by current methods. They will also enliven interactive entertainment by spontaneously creating unique, tailor-made music. In sum, we are making a leap forward in the crucial area of collaborative intelligence.Read moreRead less
Biodiversity planning in the urban fringe: multiple actors, multiple conservation actions, multiple uncertainties. Accelerating urbanisation in Australia is considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, with over 50% of threatened species occurring in urban fringe areas. Conservation planners in the urban fringe lack tools that can simultaneously prioritize multiple conservation actions by multiple actors and reconcile complicated tradeoffs. This project addresses the important gap bet ....Biodiversity planning in the urban fringe: multiple actors, multiple conservation actions, multiple uncertainties. Accelerating urbanisation in Australia is considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, with over 50% of threatened species occurring in urban fringe areas. Conservation planners in the urban fringe lack tools that can simultaneously prioritize multiple conservation actions by multiple actors and reconcile complicated tradeoffs. This project addresses the important gap between conservation theory and real world practice, providing tools for managers to develop optimal strategies given real-world constraints. It will result in better theories and models for designing and evaluating conservation policy and plans to ensure good biodiversity outcomes. Results will be generalisable to any complex conservation planning scenario.Read moreRead less
New models for predicting species' distributions. This project will deliver new and more robust methods for generating the information that underpins sound conservation and resource management decisions, with particular focus on new statistical techniques to predict species' distributions. Results will be relevant to a wide range of applications including management of rare and/or threatened species and ecosystems, setting realistic targets for species and ecosystem restoration, improved managem ....New models for predicting species' distributions. This project will deliver new and more robust methods for generating the information that underpins sound conservation and resource management decisions, with particular focus on new statistical techniques to predict species' distributions. Results will be relevant to a wide range of applications including management of rare and/or threatened species and ecosystems, setting realistic targets for species and ecosystem restoration, improved management of pest species, and sustainable harvesting of species. Emphasis will be placed on transfer of knowledge to users, fostering the development of new skills among Australian environmental and conservation managers, and contributing to the sustainable use of our biodiversity.Read moreRead less