Strengthening Health Workforce Migration to Australia and Canada. The project aims to define skilled migration trends in relation to the key fields (medicine, nursing and dentistry). Australia is one of very few countries with an explicit policy to import migrant health professionals. The project plans to assess if the goal of domestic self-sufficiency is likely to be met by 2025 and examine the risk of a ‘two tier’ health workforce developing (with conditionally registered migrants servicing pa ....Strengthening Health Workforce Migration to Australia and Canada. The project aims to define skilled migration trends in relation to the key fields (medicine, nursing and dentistry). Australia is one of very few countries with an explicit policy to import migrant health professionals. The project plans to assess if the goal of domestic self-sufficiency is likely to be met by 2025 and examine the risk of a ‘two tier’ health workforce developing (with conditionally registered migrants servicing patients in undersupplied sectors and sites). It then aims to propose changes to make the migration and health policy systems more effective and ethical in future compared to Canada (Australia’s key global competitor for skilled migrants), through evidence-based policy reform.Read moreRead less
Welfare reform and welfare stigma : scroungers, slackers and bludgers? This project aims to build an evidence base of the prevalence, causes and consequences of welfare stigma in Australia. Welfare policies and proposed reforms aim to reduce welfare expenditure, increase workforce participation, and promote personal and family wellbeing. However, stigmatising attitudes and discrimination towards those receiving welfare benefits may undermine these policy goals: reducing employment opportunities ....Welfare reform and welfare stigma : scroungers, slackers and bludgers? This project aims to build an evidence base of the prevalence, causes and consequences of welfare stigma in Australia. Welfare policies and proposed reforms aim to reduce welfare expenditure, increase workforce participation, and promote personal and family wellbeing. However, stigmatising attitudes and discrimination towards those receiving welfare benefits may undermine these policy goals: reducing employment opportunities and causing poorer health and wellbeing. Through innovative experimental studies, the project plans to identify ways in which welfare policy can minimise stigma and promote employment. Project outcomes may provide an evidence base for the design of more effective welfare policy.Read moreRead less
Tunable metallophthalocyanine complexes for molecular electronics. There is growing momentum in the use of molecules, both synthetic and natural, in nanotechnological electronic devices. This research investigates technologically interesting electronic materials using new metal-containing compounds and explores their application as components of molecular electronic systems.
Because fundamental aspects of molecular electronic systems have been targeted, the knowledge gained from these investiga ....Tunable metallophthalocyanine complexes for molecular electronics. There is growing momentum in the use of molecules, both synthetic and natural, in nanotechnological electronic devices. This research investigates technologically interesting electronic materials using new metal-containing compounds and explores their application as components of molecular electronic systems.
Because fundamental aspects of molecular electronic systems have been targeted, the knowledge gained from these investigations will have significant impact on the field of nanotechnology and contribute to Australia's reputation as a source of innovative research and ideas in an area where there is growing international interest.
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The Chemistry and Biochemistry of Chromium: Cancer and Nutrition. Of all of the human carcinogens, chromium(VI) has the highest level of occupational exposure, and is of increasing concern as an environmental carcinogen, as highlighted by the film Erin Brockovitch. Similarly, chromium(III) nutritional supplement consumption by humans and animals is rising rapidly, despite mounting concerns about their cancer risks. However, the complexity of Cr biochemistry is such that it is still poorly unde ....The Chemistry and Biochemistry of Chromium: Cancer and Nutrition. Of all of the human carcinogens, chromium(VI) has the highest level of occupational exposure, and is of increasing concern as an environmental carcinogen, as highlighted by the film Erin Brockovitch. Similarly, chromium(III) nutritional supplement consumption by humans and animals is rising rapidly, despite mounting concerns about their cancer risks. However, the complexity of Cr biochemistry is such that it is still poorly understood. This project aims at providing new insights into Cr biochemistry that are of relevance in evaluating risk factors for occupational and environmental exposure and for producing safer Cr dietary supplements.Read moreRead less
Is it just a matter of time? Why some people plan and others do not. Differences in planning behaviour can be explained in terms of individual preferences for the past, present or future, or Time Perspective (TP). This project aims to identify why some people fail to plan for retirement using TP as a conceptual framework. Planning for retirement is an economic imperative since sufficient finances reliably predicts retirement adjustment. Despite this, almost one million people currently in the la ....Is it just a matter of time? Why some people plan and others do not. Differences in planning behaviour can be explained in terms of individual preferences for the past, present or future, or Time Perspective (TP). This project aims to identify why some people fail to plan for retirement using TP as a conceptual framework. Planning for retirement is an economic imperative since sufficient finances reliably predicts retirement adjustment. Despite this, almost one million people currently in the labour force have no retirement plans. The project plans to incorporate recent research showing that TP is stable over time and predicts behaviour into a model explaining propensity to plan. Improvements are anticipated in retirement planning, accumulation of resources for retirement and better adjustment benefiting individuals and policy-makers.Read moreRead less
Dinuclear Ruthenium Complexes as Sequence- and Structure-Selective Binding Agents for DNA. Studies of the interaction of mononuclear metal complexes with DNA have greatly increased our understanding of the ways that small molecules recognise particular sites on DNA. However, in order to design drugs that target specific genes, and hence be potentially capable of controlling gene expression, it is necessary to study the binding of metal complexes that can associate with larger segments of DNA. ....Dinuclear Ruthenium Complexes as Sequence- and Structure-Selective Binding Agents for DNA. Studies of the interaction of mononuclear metal complexes with DNA have greatly increased our understanding of the ways that small molecules recognise particular sites on DNA. However, in order to design drugs that target specific genes, and hence be potentially capable of controlling gene expression, it is necessary to study the binding of metal complexes that can associate with larger segments of DNA. Using the combined expertise of the applicants, it is proposed to stereospecifically synthesise dinuclear complexes and study their DNA binding. This will greatly assist in the development of drugs that can selectively target genes and altered DNA.Read moreRead less
Polynuclear Metal Complexes as Molecular Nanomagnets. Computer hard drives and other devices use tiny particles of magnetic materials to store digital information. Technological advances require an increase in the density of information storage and therefore even smaller magnetic particles. This project has the potential to synthesise materials where a single molecule could act as the smallest possible unit of magnetic memory. The future application of these materials may provide an increase ....Polynuclear Metal Complexes as Molecular Nanomagnets. Computer hard drives and other devices use tiny particles of magnetic materials to store digital information. Technological advances require an increase in the density of information storage and therefore even smaller magnetic particles. This project has the potential to synthesise materials where a single molecule could act as the smallest possible unit of magnetic memory. The future application of these materials may provide an increase of three orders of magnitude in information storage density. In addition, they may find employment in quantum computers, which can perform calculations exponentially faster than conventional computers.Read moreRead less
Spotlighting biologically active Iron (Fe) chelators within cells. Anti-cancer drugs that act in ways different from traditional chemotherapeutics offer hope in evading acquired drug resistance. Previously we have studied compounds that can enter cancer cells, bind iron and halt cellular proliferation. However, there are many sources of iron in cells and we do not know from where these iron chelators acquire their iron or how these iron complexes kill cancer cells. We will tackle this problem by ....Spotlighting biologically active Iron (Fe) chelators within cells. Anti-cancer drugs that act in ways different from traditional chemotherapeutics offer hope in evading acquired drug resistance. Previously we have studied compounds that can enter cancer cells, bind iron and halt cellular proliferation. However, there are many sources of iron in cells and we do not know from where these iron chelators acquire their iron or how these iron complexes kill cancer cells. We will tackle this problem by attaching light emitting probes to known iron chelators and mapping their location within cells with high resolution fluorescence microscopy. These experiments will spotlight the cellular location of these potential drugs bound to iron for the first time, providing crucial information on their mode of action.Read moreRead less
New Frontiers in Molybdenum Chemistry: Electronic Structure and Molybdoenzyme Function. Molybdenum enzymes play key roles in biology and environmental, biogeochemical and meteorological processes. This international, multidisciplinary project will employ advanced synthetic, instrumental and theoretical techniques to establish the link between electronic structures and molybdenum enzyme behaviour and function. The insights gained will inform the continuing development of agricultural, veterinary ....New Frontiers in Molybdenum Chemistry: Electronic Structure and Molybdoenzyme Function. Molybdenum enzymes play key roles in biology and environmental, biogeochemical and meteorological processes. This international, multidisciplinary project will employ advanced synthetic, instrumental and theoretical techniques to establish the link between electronic structures and molybdenum enzyme behaviour and function. The insights gained will inform the continuing development of agricultural, veterinary and medical treatments for diseases associated with enzyme dysfunction; these outcomes would be of enormous economic and societal benefit to Australia. The training of skilled scientists, access to advanced overseas facilities, and international recognition of Australian research, are important immediate benefits of the project.Read moreRead less
New Methods to Harvest Light: Towards Better Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) technology has emerged as a complementary energy source to silicon photovoltaic technology. The efficiency of the DSC relies heavily on sensitizing molecules to absorb solar photons and then transfer electrons to a semi-conducting particle. This project will investigate new sensitizing methods using a combination of different dyes which work cooperatively to absorb a large part of the solar ....New Methods to Harvest Light: Towards Better Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) technology has emerged as a complementary energy source to silicon photovoltaic technology. The efficiency of the DSC relies heavily on sensitizing molecules to absorb solar photons and then transfer electrons to a semi-conducting particle. This project will investigate new sensitizing methods using a combination of different dyes which work cooperatively to absorb a large part of the solar spectrum and efficiently inject electrons into a semi-conducting particles. The development and understanding of these new methods to sensitize the dye-sensitized solar cell should lead to new and better solar cells.Read moreRead less