An efficient approach to the computation of bacterial evolutionary distance. This project aims to apply advanced mathematical tools to improve our understanding of bacterial evolution. Bacteria account for as much total Earth biomass as all plant species put together, and have an unparalleled ability to evolve quickly and adapt to changing environments. Unfortunately, the existing mathematical models used to model bacterial evolution are generally computationally intractable. This project will r ....An efficient approach to the computation of bacterial evolutionary distance. This project aims to apply advanced mathematical tools to improve our understanding of bacterial evolution. Bacteria account for as much total Earth biomass as all plant species put together, and have an unparalleled ability to evolve quickly and adapt to changing environments. Unfortunately, the existing mathematical models used to model bacterial evolution are generally computationally intractable. This project will rectify this situation by using representation theory to transform combinatorial group theory into linear algebra, allowing for the application of advanced methods of numeric approximation. This will provide a better understanding of how bacteria evolve and improve our ability to manage their impact.Read moreRead less
Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and be ....Providing the Mathematical Foundation for an Innovative Australia within Reform Based Learning Environments. The focus of this project is the pedagogical change that The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education indicates must take place in order to lay the quantitative foundations for advancing innovation, science, technology, and mathematics, while satisfying the requirements of a reform-based learning environment. Professional learning directed at teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and belief structures with respect to mathematics within an environment of curricular change, will be evaluated in evidence-based terms related to teacher change and student outcomes. Significance includes the context, the middle school years in rural district schools, and the influence of technology on pedagogy.Read moreRead less
Big-Picture Bioethics: policy-making and liberal democracy. We live an era of rapid growth in biotechnology generating new and difficult ethical questions that need to be tackled by bioethicists and politicians. This project goes beyond typical approaches in bioethics to explore the "big picture": how policies are generated in ethically-contentious domains. It is important to examine how the values of different stakeholders are reflected in such processes to ensure that they are in accordance wi ....Big-Picture Bioethics: policy-making and liberal democracy. We live an era of rapid growth in biotechnology generating new and difficult ethical questions that need to be tackled by bioethicists and politicians. This project goes beyond typical approaches in bioethics to explore the "big picture": how policies are generated in ethically-contentious domains. It is important to examine how the values of different stakeholders are reflected in such processes to ensure that they are in accordance with Australia's commitment to fostering a multicultural, pluralistic, democratic society. This project will produce practical recommendations for refining public consultation in healthcare policy-making through an examination of three relevant contentious case studies in Australia with comparison to Canada.Read moreRead less
Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The eff ....Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The effectiveness of the resources will be thoroughly tested, for impact on student achievement and the mathematics teaching skills of teachers, especially those working out-of-field. Rural schools will have equal access to these resources. Good numeracy provides the foundation for life-long learning, employment satisfaction and the economic competitiveness of Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100967
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Understanding the effects of sovereign default risk on economic fluctuations in open economies. The recent financial crisis has shown that the possibility of sovereign default is no longer an exclusive feature of developing countries. This project incorporates default risk into structural modeling of how foreign disturbances affect the domestic economy. Our results will aid in developing policy responses to adverse macroeconomic events.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354538
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across ....Enabling Sciences Education (EnSE) Research Network. The Network aims to ensure the long-term ability of Australians to excel in scientific and technological innovation at all levels of community activity. This will be achieved by establishing significant and ambitious research agendas for improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics, Science and Technology in primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors. Of significance will be the productive synergies flowing from uniting, across the three disciplines, Australia's most outstanding, experienced and dedicated researchers with new and mid-career colleagues. Expected outcomes include a diverse but cohesive and collaborative research community that provides international leadership in helping students achieve their full potential. Read moreRead less
An investigation of the impacts of increased power supply to the national grid by wind generators on the Australian electricity industry. The aim of this project is to discover the most economical and effective way to accommodate large increases in wind power into the national grid and to understand the effects on the national electricity market. This is crucial to ensure stability of electricity supply and affordable prices in the transition towards a low carbon economy.
Activating and maintaining community participation in natural and cultural resources initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project goes beyond the rhetoric of participation to discover what factors activate communities and individuals to become involved in programs and voluntary initiatives for natural resource management. It assesses the effectiveness of existing communication channels and develops new models for more effective and representative participation. It combines the National M ....Activating and maintaining community participation in natural and cultural resources initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project goes beyond the rhetoric of participation to discover what factors activate communities and individuals to become involved in programs and voluntary initiatives for natural resource management. It assesses the effectiveness of existing communication channels and develops new models for more effective and representative participation. It combines the National Museum of Australia's expertise in environmental history and public communication with the imperative of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to improve community participation in natural resource management. The potential for harnessing communications technology to facilitate new channels for participation is assessed through carefully evaluated pilot programs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0882982
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Building and supporting community led partnership initiatives to respond to Indigenous family violence in Victoria. This project contributes to the evidence base of responses to Indigenous family violence by detailing models of practice in Victoria. It will focus on how partnerships between Indigenous and mainstream responses can be built and sustained. The critical analysis of these models of practice and partnerships will also have implications for future policy and funding directions. The ....Building and supporting community led partnership initiatives to respond to Indigenous family violence in Victoria. This project contributes to the evidence base of responses to Indigenous family violence by detailing models of practice in Victoria. It will focus on how partnerships between Indigenous and mainstream responses can be built and sustained. The critical analysis of these models of practice and partnerships will also have implications for future policy and funding directions. The research will be most beneficial within the local family violence sector. The research methodology facilitates a process of information brokerage and critical reflection within and between Indigenous and mainstream family violence interventions that may influence ongoing community and organisational practices.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354531
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Social research network for sustainable rural communities. The triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental imperatives forms the accepted ingredients of sustainability. While the economic and environmental dimensions have been relatively well researched, there is insufficient understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions and how these determine environmental and health outcomes. The interactions between the dimensions are also poorly understood. While there are some researchers in ....Social research network for sustainable rural communities. The triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental imperatives forms the accepted ingredients of sustainability. While the economic and environmental dimensions have been relatively well researched, there is insufficient understanding of the socio-cultural dimensions and how these determine environmental and health outcomes. The interactions between the dimensions are also poorly understood. While there are some researchers in this field, they have tended to work in isolation. The development of a resourced interdisciplinary network to facilitate collaboration will increase the contribution and innovativeness of their collective research and contribute to understanding socio-economic determinants of dynamic regions and healthy rural communities.Read moreRead less