Learning the meso-scale organization of complex networks. This project aims to model and learn the organization of online social networks. We will combine mathematical models, inference, and domain knowledge from computational social sciences to obtain interpretable descriptions of the role groups of users play in the network. The expected outcomes are new mathematical models and computational methods that learn from data how to best decompose a complex network into building blocks and their int ....Learning the meso-scale organization of complex networks. This project aims to model and learn the organization of online social networks. We will combine mathematical models, inference, and domain knowledge from computational social sciences to obtain interpretable descriptions of the role groups of users play in the network. The expected outcomes are new mathematical models and computational methods that learn from data how to best decompose a complex network into building blocks and their interactions, linking connectivity to function. This should provide benefits to industries and policy makers interested in how information spreads in social media, including the critical questions of understanding the mechanisms contributing to political polarization and fragmentation.Read moreRead less
When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-spee ....When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-speech gesture. Both spoken languages and sign languages make use of pointing, and thus it represents a unique case study for the investigation of the relationship between gesture and language. This project will provide a distinctive contribution to our knowledge about the relationship between language and other aspects of human communication. Read moreRead less
Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Aust ....Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Australian children with ID. This program examines: the relations between school life and PPW; the benefits, barriers and predictors of PA; moderators (personal characteristics, educational settings). The overarching objective is to advance theory and research in this area, and to inform intervention strategies furthering more positive futures for children with ID.Read moreRead less
A sound start: innovative technology to promote speech and pre-literacy skills in at-risk preschoolers. One in five Australian preschoolers have speech impairment and without specialist services face an increased risk of reading difficulties and life-long consequences. Given that demand for services exceeds supply, this project will determine if a preschool computer-based service can promote speech development and reduce risk of reading difficulty.
The canonical stratification of jet spaces. Singularities occur everywhere in nature, from the formation and collapse of stars to the morphology of living embryos. They appear whenever the geometry of surfaces or spaces undergoes a process of twisting, folding, or collapsing on itself. Singularity Theory is the study of such phenomena, an important branch of modern mathematics which has close connections with many other branches of mathematics and applied sciences. Singularity Theory lies at the ....The canonical stratification of jet spaces. Singularities occur everywhere in nature, from the formation and collapse of stars to the morphology of living embryos. They appear whenever the geometry of surfaces or spaces undergoes a process of twisting, folding, or collapsing on itself. Singularity Theory is the study of such phenomena, an important branch of modern mathematics which has close connections with many other branches of mathematics and applied sciences. Singularity Theory lies at the crossroads of the paths connecting the most important areas of applications of mathematics with its most abstract parts. Analytic Singularity Theory is a central part of Singularity Theory. This project would lead to substantially new advancements in Analytic Singularity Theory.Read moreRead less
Wikipedia and the nation’s story: Towards equity in knowledge production. As the world’s largest source of public information, Wikipedia is a crucial site in which national stories are made. This project aims to institute a critical approach to understanding Wikipedia by investigating how it produces knowledge in its coverage of Australian historic events. The project expects to advance digital media studies, utilizing an innovative conceptual approach to undertake the first systematic examinati ....Wikipedia and the nation’s story: Towards equity in knowledge production. As the world’s largest source of public information, Wikipedia is a crucial site in which national stories are made. This project aims to institute a critical approach to understanding Wikipedia by investigating how it produces knowledge in its coverage of Australian historic events. The project expects to advance digital media studies, utilizing an innovative conceptual approach to undertake the first systematic examination of events from a national perspective. Expected outcomes include an expanded evaluation framework and an international research collaboration. This should provide significant benefits, building research capacity and creating tools to help generate more equitable coverage for millions of users in Australia and beyond.Read moreRead less
Tracking the experiences of students enrolled in segregated settings for challenging behaviour and their reintegration to mainstream schools. The aim of this project is to better combat school exclusion by understanding the experiences and outcomes of students who have been referred to special schools for challenging behaviour. The project will contribute to the Commonwealth government's national agenda linking educational outcomes with enhanced social inclusion.
Early settlements in Upper Burma (Myanmar): an experiment in urban living. This project directly increases access for Australian research to a previously self-isolated nation, Myanmar. It contributes to better understanding of our region and our world by examining how past communities worked together and how they dealt with social and environmental stress.
Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, intern ....Chorasmian temples: an archaeological study of early Zoroastrianism and its precursors in Central Asia. The project is a collaboration with the Uzbek Academy of Sciences. National benefits to Australia are in international relations and in broadening our understanding of cultural issues in the potentially volatile and politically significant region of Central Asia. The team has developed a high profile in Uzbekistan and internationally, reflecting well on Australia's cultural strengths, international involvement and support for developing countries in Asia. Our research features regularly in the Uzbek media and has the personal approval of President Karimov. We are involved with Zoroastrian and Parsi communities in Australia and overseas, particularly in India and the USA, and our results are published regularly in the community press.Read moreRead less
East meets West: an archaeological study of early contact between China and Eurasia. The project will link Chinese and Australian researchers in a collaborative programme exploring the origins of cultural contact between China and the West. Through the work of a team of international specialists, this fresh initiative will bring western analytical techniques together with Chinese archaeological experience to create a new and robust picture of the evidence for early cultural contact. From this we ....East meets West: an archaeological study of early contact between China and Eurasia. The project will link Chinese and Australian researchers in a collaborative programme exploring the origins of cultural contact between China and the West. Through the work of a team of international specialists, this fresh initiative will bring western analytical techniques together with Chinese archaeological experience to create a new and robust picture of the evidence for early cultural contact. From this we will study the early movements of Indo-European populations and examine the question of the origins of early metal production in China.Read moreRead less