Creation of functional surfaces for biodevices and aerospace applications. Polymers are poised to become the materials of choice for a host of applications because of their lightness, strength, ease of forming and biocompatibility. The major challenge lies in optimising their surfaces for each application. For biodevices in particular, the surfaces must support a range of complex and specific interactions. This project will create new polymer surface modifications through innovations in plasma s ....Creation of functional surfaces for biodevices and aerospace applications. Polymers are poised to become the materials of choice for a host of applications because of their lightness, strength, ease of forming and biocompatibility. The major challenge lies in optimising their surfaces for each application. For biodevices in particular, the surfaces must support a range of complex and specific interactions. This project will create new polymer surface modifications through innovations in plasma science and technology. The outcomes will be new surfaces for diagnostic arrays in medicine, biosensors and durable polymer surfaces for low earth orbit.Read moreRead less
Complex Architecture and Convergent Design. After breaking the design code for Gaudí's Sagrada Família Church in 1979, completing the still unfinished church has required Mark Burry to pioneer groundbreaking architectural and construction design methodologies and practices. His current work is on the computer modelling and dynamic simulation of complex design and construction problems, and methods for multi-disciplinary and distributed team collaboration. This work has high impact industry appli ....Complex Architecture and Convergent Design. After breaking the design code for Gaudí's Sagrada Família Church in 1979, completing the still unfinished church has required Mark Burry to pioneer groundbreaking architectural and construction design methodologies and practices. His current work is on the computer modelling and dynamic simulation of complex design and construction problems, and methods for multi-disciplinary and distributed team collaboration. This work has high impact industry applications. At the intersection of so many fields of industrial research, Mark Burry's work acts as a catalyst and accelerator for technology transfer and innovation across the architectural, design and construction industries.Read moreRead less
Beyond Microarrays: Nano-Scaled Devices for High Throughput Biomolecular Sensing. Current developments in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology hold many promises in terms of revolutionising our industrial base, transforming biology, medical science and practice. This project strives to achieve some of these aims by, for the first time, building and testing nano-scaled devices with the capability to 'read' massive amounts of biological information. With the recent completion of the Human Genome proje ....Beyond Microarrays: Nano-Scaled Devices for High Throughput Biomolecular Sensing. Current developments in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology hold many promises in terms of revolutionising our industrial base, transforming biology, medical science and practice. This project strives to achieve some of these aims by, for the first time, building and testing nano-scaled devices with the capability to 'read' massive amounts of biological information. With the recent completion of the Human Genome project, major opportunities exist to provide spectacular advances in human health care (eg, via personalised medicine) provided that appropriate high-throughput biological reading devices can be developed. In developing such devices, this project also aims to substantially catalyse the Australian Nanotechnology/Biotechnology industry.Read moreRead less
Understanding and Modeling Individual Choices in Applied Economics. The fellowship will create a critical mass of researchers in choice modeling theory and methods in areas that Australia needs to sustain economic progress and plan for the future. It will significantly advance knowledge in several major areas: design of health insurance markets; tests for adverse selection in insurance markets; ability of people to plan for retirement (superannuation choices); ability of people to plan and choos ....Understanding and Modeling Individual Choices in Applied Economics. The fellowship will create a critical mass of researchers in choice modeling theory and methods in areas that Australia needs to sustain economic progress and plan for the future. It will significantly advance knowledge in several major areas: design of health insurance markets; tests for adverse selection in insurance markets; ability of people to plan for retirement (superannuation choices); ability of people to plan and choose in dynamic environments; and decisions to adopt new technologies/products in evolving technology markets. The outcome will be new ways to understand and predict choices that can significantly improve practices in business and other organisations.Read moreRead less
Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future ....Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells. The expected outcome from the project is a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the most benign technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner environment in the future than would otherwise be likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Geostructural stability analysis with adaptive mesh refinement. AIMS: To conduct fundamental research on new methods for predicting the stability of geostructures such as tunnels, dams, highways and foundations. To translate this research into innovative computer software and better civil design procedures.
SIGNIFICANCE: Billions of dollars are spent annually on the construction of Australian infrastructure. This project will lead to new algorithms and computer software for designing this inf ....Geostructural stability analysis with adaptive mesh refinement. AIMS: To conduct fundamental research on new methods for predicting the stability of geostructures such as tunnels, dams, highways and foundations. To translate this research into innovative computer software and better civil design procedures.
SIGNIFICANCE: Billions of dollars are spent annually on the construction of Australian infrastructure. This project will lead to new algorithms and computer software for designing this infrastructure. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of adaptive methods for three-dimensional problems involving complex ground profiles, where current procedures are inadequate.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Cutting-edge algorithms and computer software that will lead to cheaper and safer design of civil infrastructure. This will be accompanied by top-level refereed publications and a book.Read moreRead less
Geotechnical engineering solutions for deep-water oil and gas developments. Offshore extraction of oil and gas lies at the heart of Australia's prosperity, but faces escalating challenges in water depths already in excess of 1 km and approaching 3 km. Safe and economic design of seabed systems and pipelines requires novel techniques for assessing the engineering properties of seabed sediments, and for foundation and anchoring systems that must withstand extreme loading conditions. This project c ....Geotechnical engineering solutions for deep-water oil and gas developments. Offshore extraction of oil and gas lies at the heart of Australia's prosperity, but faces escalating challenges in water depths already in excess of 1 km and approaching 3 km. Safe and economic design of seabed systems and pipelines requires novel techniques for assessing the engineering properties of seabed sediments, and for foundation and anchoring systems that must withstand extreme loading conditions. This project contributes to future exploitation of offshore hydrocarbon reserves, by developing new technology and improved reliability in offshore geotechnical design, with consequential benefits to our economy and in minimising impact on the marine environment. Read moreRead less
Advanced analysis, behaviour and design of steel and steel-concrete composite engineering structures subjected to elevated temperatures. This Fellowship aims to develop a consistent advanced nonlinear method for the analysis and behaviour of steel and composite building frames that are subjected to elevated temperatures. There is widespread feeling amongst practitioners that, in the absence of reliable techniques for verifying this behaviour, the regulatory need for fire protection of steel is ....Advanced analysis, behaviour and design of steel and steel-concrete composite engineering structures subjected to elevated temperatures. This Fellowship aims to develop a consistent advanced nonlinear method for the analysis and behaviour of steel and composite building frames that are subjected to elevated temperatures. There is widespread feeling amongst practitioners that, in the absence of reliable techniques for verifying this behaviour, the regulatory need for fire protection of steel is excessive, and the high expense involved in providing this protection is leading structural steel being rejected in engineering design. This growing trend is leading to a potential downturn in structural steel production, which has serious economic and social ramifications on Australian communities whose fabric is centred on this activity.Read moreRead less
Silicon Photonics and Third Generation Photovoltaics. The Fellowship would be used to launch a major new initiative addressing one of the key challenges facing microelectronics, the incorporation of optical functions into high density silicon integrated circuits, as well as accelerating development of a "third" generation of photovoltaic solar cells using similar techniques. This third generation thin-film technology would be capable of fundamentally higher energy conversion efficiency than ear ....Silicon Photonics and Third Generation Photovoltaics. The Fellowship would be used to launch a major new initiative addressing one of the key challenges facing microelectronics, the incorporation of optical functions into high density silicon integrated circuits, as well as accelerating development of a "third" generation of photovoltaic solar cells using similar techniques. This third generation thin-film technology would be capable of fundamentally higher energy conversion efficiency than earlier generations, at low cost. In both cases, the targeted outcome over the period of the Fellowship is to develop technology to the stage where it can be commercially evaluated, in a way likely to maximise Australian benefits.Read moreRead less
Information Fusion in Autonomous systems. The aim of this fellowship is to explore and develop a family of powerful new Bayesian representations of sensory information and to demonstrate their application in perception and navigation of advanced robotic systems. These representations have the potential to revolutionize the field of intelligent autonomous systems and realize a whole new level of capapbilites and applications for advanced robotics in complex and unstructured environments such as s ....Information Fusion in Autonomous systems. The aim of this fellowship is to explore and develop a family of powerful new Bayesian representations of sensory information and to demonstrate their application in perception and navigation of advanced robotic systems. These representations have the potential to revolutionize the field of intelligent autonomous systems and realize a whole new level of capapbilites and applications for advanced robotics in complex and unstructured environments such as sub-sea exploration, mining, fire fighting and defence.Read moreRead less