Sustainable fiscal federalism and reform of the GST distribution system. The primary source of funds for Australian States and Territories is GST revenue distributed by the Commonwealth using an equalisation formula that has proved to be politically unsustainable and in recent times manifestly inadequate to provide the revenue needed in response to crises and natural disasters. A tipping point has been reached and reform is urgently needed. Drawing on international experience with GST distributi ....Sustainable fiscal federalism and reform of the GST distribution system. The primary source of funds for Australian States and Territories is GST revenue distributed by the Commonwealth using an equalisation formula that has proved to be politically unsustainable and in recent times manifestly inadequate to provide the revenue needed in response to crises and natural disasters. A tipping point has been reached and reform is urgently needed. Drawing on international experience with GST distributions specifically and fiscal federalism more generally, the project aims to develop a reform blueprint for a sustainable and equitable fiscal federalism regime in Australia that best aligns with Australia’s current and long-term fiscal needs.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354798
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Interdisciplinary Network for Aquatic Animal Health. The value of Australian fisheries and aquaculture is increasing significantly and, whilst this has resulted in an increase in R&D spending in the area, stifled collaboration amongst isolated scientists sometimes results in slow research progress. This network will enhance research on aquatic animal health. Our main aim is to provide a stimulating environment, encourage collaboration and ensure fast flow of interdisciplinary information between ....Interdisciplinary Network for Aquatic Animal Health. The value of Australian fisheries and aquaculture is increasing significantly and, whilst this has resulted in an increase in R&D spending in the area, stifled collaboration amongst isolated scientists sometimes results in slow research progress. This network will enhance research on aquatic animal health. Our main aim is to provide a stimulating environment, encourage collaboration and ensure fast flow of interdisciplinary information between researchers. We will adapt methods and technologies from medical research and other disciplines to increase our understanding of aquatic animal health and at the same time ensure that our results are applied in other disciplines.Read moreRead less
A Roadmap for Greening Existing Australian Housing. The project will minimise the impact of the Greenhouse Pollution Reduction Scheme and anticipated rises in water costs on the householders. It will assist the consumers and the building industry in evaluating the environmental and economic costs and benefits of specific retrofitting actions for building envelope and major fixed appliances (thermal insulation, glazing, air infiltration, hot water, heating/cooling, lighting, low water flow and wa ....A Roadmap for Greening Existing Australian Housing. The project will minimise the impact of the Greenhouse Pollution Reduction Scheme and anticipated rises in water costs on the householders. It will assist the consumers and the building industry in evaluating the environmental and economic costs and benefits of specific retrofitting actions for building envelope and major fixed appliances (thermal insulation, glazing, air infiltration, hot water, heating/cooling, lighting, low water flow and water reuse appliances, and solar photovoltaic systems). In addition to assisting a burgeoning renovation industry, the project will enable accurate assessment of the impacts of the Green Loans Program and guide future national and local energy and water reduction policies. Read moreRead less
Big squids in Australian waters, insights into their biology, movement and activity, old questions - new technology. This project will assess important biological parameters of shelf and slope ommastrephid squids. Lab based studies will explore age, growth, maturity rates and diet for the deepwater squid Todarodes filippovae. Cutting -edge telemetry technology (manual tracking, listening curtains and satellite pop-up tags) will assess movement, activity, metabolism and vertical migration of bo ....Big squids in Australian waters, insights into their biology, movement and activity, old questions - new technology. This project will assess important biological parameters of shelf and slope ommastrephid squids. Lab based studies will explore age, growth, maturity rates and diet for the deepwater squid Todarodes filippovae. Cutting -edge telemetry technology (manual tracking, listening curtains and satellite pop-up tags) will assess movement, activity, metabolism and vertical migration of both T. filippovae in deep water and arrow squid (Nototodarus gouldi) on the shelf. A comprehensive understanding will be gained of the biology and lifestyle of these two key squid species that will be utilised by implementers of the South-east Regional Marine Plan, ecosystem modelers and resource managers.Read moreRead less
The novel production and analysis of breaking waves utilising circular-track moving disturbances. Surfing is a major industry in Australia, contributing $11billion to the economy. It has high active participation levels; but locations with good surfing conditions are limited and becoming crowded. New technologies, such as the circular-track wave pool, are required to provide safe environments for surfing with controllable high quality waves. The research in this proposal will considerably advanc ....The novel production and analysis of breaking waves utilising circular-track moving disturbances. Surfing is a major industry in Australia, contributing $11billion to the economy. It has high active participation levels; but locations with good surfing conditions are limited and becoming crowded. New technologies, such as the circular-track wave pool, are required to provide safe environments for surfing with controllable high quality waves. The research in this proposal will considerably advance knowledge of wave mechanics; provide the ability to design a commercially-viable wave pool and ensure the Australian surfing industry and sport continue to expand. The project will thus result in major scientific, economic and social benefits for Australia.Read moreRead less
Legal and Ethical Regulation of the Use and Commercialisation of Human Biological Material. The Australian government has a policy of promoting expertise in genomics. An essential ingredient of research and development of the genomics industry is access to human biological material. A clear regulatory framework is required, consistent with national ethical principles. There is lack of clarity, legally and ethically, in relation to ownership (including derivative claims), consented and un-consent ....Legal and Ethical Regulation of the Use and Commercialisation of Human Biological Material. The Australian government has a policy of promoting expertise in genomics. An essential ingredient of research and development of the genomics industry is access to human biological material. A clear regulatory framework is required, consistent with national ethical principles. There is lack of clarity, legally and ethically, in relation to ownership (including derivative claims), consented and un-consented use, contracts, conflict of interest and benefit sharing in human biological material, including regenerative tissue. Clarification will facilitate ethical research and commercialisation. These issues will be analysed systematically with recommendations for Australia consistent with international standards.Read moreRead less
Co-operative intellectual property management and technology transfer for the Australian biotechnology industry. The Australian biotechnology industry rests on a framework of internationally competitive research and should be well placed to capture a significant share of expanding global markets. However, existing intellectual property (IP) management strategies do not make the most of this potential because they raise barriers to much-needed co-operation among industry players. By developing an ....Co-operative intellectual property management and technology transfer for the Australian biotechnology industry. The Australian biotechnology industry rests on a framework of internationally competitive research and should be well placed to capture a significant share of expanding global markets. However, existing intellectual property (IP) management strategies do not make the most of this potential because they raise barriers to much-needed co-operation among industry players. By developing and refining new co-operative IP management models in an Australian context, this project offers direct economic benefits (more efficient industry structures), improved social and economic benefits (better and cheaper biotechnology products and services), and an opportunity for Australia to take the lead in developing innovative approaches to IP management.Read moreRead less
Material Transfer Agreements and Open Science in the Genome Era. Research paradigms are changing rapidly in the Genome Era. Open access databases are increasingly popular and are required by public funding agencies. The role of material transfer agreements (MTAs) in this open access era is not clear. This project aims to assess the extent to which MTAs facilitate exchanges of biological materials between organisation in Australia and internationally. The project will assess whether MTAs are refl ....Material Transfer Agreements and Open Science in the Genome Era. Research paradigms are changing rapidly in the Genome Era. Open access databases are increasingly popular and are required by public funding agencies. The role of material transfer agreements (MTAs) in this open access era is not clear. This project aims to assess the extent to which MTAs facilitate exchanges of biological materials between organisation in Australia and internationally. The project will assess whether MTAs are reflecting the open data access movement or maintaining traditional closed proprietary practices. The project will make policy, ethical and legal recommendations for the development of MTAs to promote exchange of materials nationally and internationally and to facilitate the developing collaborative research culture. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237912
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Acoustic tracking key marine species in Tasmania using new technology. We will use new passive listening receivers and uniquely indentifiable acoustic tags to track key marine species (squid, octopus, fish and crustaceans) in Tasmania. This technology allows us to remotely track species with a level of detail previously not available. By using a large number of receivers we will build listening 'curtains'. A series of curtains will then form a multi-species listening grid. This equipment wi ....Acoustic tracking key marine species in Tasmania using new technology. We will use new passive listening receivers and uniquely indentifiable acoustic tags to track key marine species (squid, octopus, fish and crustaceans) in Tasmania. This technology allows us to remotely track species with a level of detail previously not available. By using a large number of receivers we will build listening 'curtains'. A series of curtains will then form a multi-species listening grid. This equipment will allow us to reconstruct movement between habitats, and migration routes to better understand and manage this marine ecosystem. An important feature will involve monitoring organism movements into and out of marine protected areas.Read moreRead less
No load diesel application in remote power systems. No load diesel application in remote power systems. This project aims to investigate and optimise no-load diesel application within remote area renewable hybrid power systems. While hundreds of remote Australian communities rely on expensive diesel for power generation, this project intends to increase penetration of alternative renewable sources into remote and isolated power systems. Using dual thermodynamic and electrical modelling, this pro ....No load diesel application in remote power systems. No load diesel application in remote power systems. This project aims to investigate and optimise no-load diesel application within remote area renewable hybrid power systems. While hundreds of remote Australian communities rely on expensive diesel for power generation, this project intends to increase penetration of alternative renewable sources into remote and isolated power systems. Using dual thermodynamic and electrical modelling, this project will investigate low to no-load diesel threshold capability, reducing diesel consumption at minimal costs. The project is expected to return immediate benefits to remote mining, defence and tourism based communities, providing a pathway to reduced diesel usage and increased renewable penetration.Read moreRead less