Romance and Intimacy among China's Young Rural Migrant Workers. China's global ascendancy seems unstoppable. But its economic reforms have made China one of the world's most unequal countries. To a significant extent, the nation's stability and global prosperity now rest precariously on the goodwill of more than 260 million mostly disadvantaged rural migrant workers, and how they feel and act. But how do they experience inequality? How does inequality shape their most intimate feelings? This pro ....Romance and Intimacy among China's Young Rural Migrant Workers. China's global ascendancy seems unstoppable. But its economic reforms have made China one of the world's most unequal countries. To a significant extent, the nation's stability and global prosperity now rest precariously on the goodwill of more than 260 million mostly disadvantaged rural migrant workers, and how they feel and act. But how do they experience inequality? How does inequality shape their most intimate feelings? This project aims to demonstrate unequivocally that love and romance are far from 'trivial' for these individuals: studying them is not a retreat to the merely personal, but rather promises vital new ways of understanding inequality.Read moreRead less
Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already i ....Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already in the country by providing predictive tools to estimate likelihood of spread. For formal Pest Risk Analysis by regulators (eg Biosecurity Australia), our project will provide genomic tools by which the potential weediness of a regulated plant can be assessed through genetic screening, and forms part of an international effort to identify 'weedy genes'. Read moreRead less
An examination of the factors shaping recent developments in youth drinking. Over the past 15 years, the proportion of Australian teenagers who drink alcohol has halved. This project aims to understand the drivers of this major shift in teenage drinking behaviour. Initial work has shown that drinking has declined across demographic, socio-economic and cultural groups. This project plans to use mixed methods to analyse new and existing data to examine four potential drivers of this generational c ....An examination of the factors shaping recent developments in youth drinking. Over the past 15 years, the proportion of Australian teenagers who drink alcohol has halved. This project aims to understand the drivers of this major shift in teenage drinking behaviour. Initial work has shown that drinking has declined across demographic, socio-economic and cultural groups. This project plans to use mixed methods to analyse new and existing data to examine four potential drivers of this generational change in behaviour. Understanding the reasons behind this shift is important both to expand knowledge about the socio-cultural conditions shaping teenage alcohol consumption practices, and to support and maintain these trends through informed social policy.Read moreRead less
Taste and Place: the transglobal production and consumption of food and drink. This project will explore the challenges and potentials that the transformations in production and consumption of food and drink pose to Australia. We have an enviable reputation for our wine and the quality of our food produce. But we have stiff competition from around the world. This is exacerbated by economic and cultural trends, which are changing the face of how and what we eat and drink. The homogenisation of ma ....Taste and Place: the transglobal production and consumption of food and drink. This project will explore the challenges and potentials that the transformations in production and consumption of food and drink pose to Australia. We have an enviable reputation for our wine and the quality of our food produce. But we have stiff competition from around the world. This is exacerbated by economic and cultural trends, which are changing the face of how and what we eat and drink. The homogenisation of mass-market consumption is producing a widespread dissatisfaction with our diet, and obesity. This cross-cultural project will result in important information about how we can best respond to these challenges.Read moreRead less
Dissecting the causes and consequences of non-genetic parental effects. This project aims to determine the consequences of paternal and sperm experience for offspring and the mechanisms by which they occur. This project will make unambiguous tests of paternal effects under field conditions and will unravel the molecular pathways by which they occur. The outcome will be a better understanding of how environmental effects are transmitted through the male line. This will provide significant benefit ....Dissecting the causes and consequences of non-genetic parental effects. This project aims to determine the consequences of paternal and sperm experience for offspring and the mechanisms by which they occur. This project will make unambiguous tests of paternal effects under field conditions and will unravel the molecular pathways by which they occur. The outcome will be a better understanding of how environmental effects are transmitted through the male line. This will provide significant benefits, such as implications for climate change impacts and reproductive technologies.Read moreRead less
The dark side of light: species and community impacts of night lighting. The presence of artificial light at night (LAN) is one of the most profound recent changes in urban ecosystems. Correlated with increases in LAN are declines in the survival and fitness of species living in urban environments. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to explore the effect of LAN on survival, reproduction and physiology. It integrates field surveys with laboratory and field experiments and aims ....The dark side of light: species and community impacts of night lighting. The presence of artificial light at night (LAN) is one of the most profound recent changes in urban ecosystems. Correlated with increases in LAN are declines in the survival and fitness of species living in urban environments. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to explore the effect of LAN on survival, reproduction and physiology. It integrates field surveys with laboratory and field experiments and aims to utilise sophisticated physiological assays to identify the links between LAN, melatonin, immunity, survival and reproduction. The intended outcome of this research is to provide fundamental insights into the biological consequences of LAN at the species and community levels.Read moreRead less
A comparative historical study of English and French men's self-fashioning, with reference to gender, sexual and national identity, c1740-90. The project analyses the transformation of Anglo-French social attitudes towards elaborate male dress in the period c1740-1790. In so doing, it offers a new explanation for the demise of court dress and the rise of that sober bourgeois style which continues to dominate western male fashion. It will produce the first comprehensive comparative study of two c ....A comparative historical study of English and French men's self-fashioning, with reference to gender, sexual and national identity, c1740-90. The project analyses the transformation of Anglo-French social attitudes towards elaborate male dress in the period c1740-1790. In so doing, it offers a new explanation for the demise of court dress and the rise of that sober bourgeois style which continues to dominate western male fashion. It will produce the first comprehensive comparative study of two courtier figures, the French petit-maitre and the English macaroni, in order to advance the hypothesis that these national masculine identities were interdependent, and played a significant role in the redefinition of modern notions of gender, sexuality, health and consumerism.Read moreRead less
The puzzle of Metazoan life history evolution: are feeding larvae always primitive? Most marine animals have a complex life-cycles with alternating pelagic larvae and benthic adults. An theory about animal life-history evolution states that feeding larvae are always primitive and larval feeding is lost but not gained. This hypothesis is based in part on studies on the 'classical' trochophore of marine worms such as Serpulidae, a group with both feeding and non-feeding larvae. We intend to establ ....The puzzle of Metazoan life history evolution: are feeding larvae always primitive? Most marine animals have a complex life-cycles with alternating pelagic larvae and benthic adults. An theory about animal life-history evolution states that feeding larvae are always primitive and larval feeding is lost but not gained. This hypothesis is based in part on studies on the 'classical' trochophore of marine worms such as Serpulidae, a group with both feeding and non-feeding larvae. We intend to establish a detailed phylogeny for Serpulidae and assess the evolution of larvae in the group. If feeding larvae are shown to be secondary this will raise doubts about established theories of animal evolution.Read moreRead less
A comparative historical study of English and French men's self-fashioning, with reference to gender, sexual and national identity, c1740-90. The project analyses the transformation of Anglo-French social attitudes towards aristocratic male dress c1740-90. In so doing, it offers a new explanation for the demise of court dress in Enlightenment Europe and the rise of that sober protestant and bourgeois style which now dominates the appearance of western male elites. It will produce the first compr ....A comparative historical study of English and French men's self-fashioning, with reference to gender, sexual and national identity, c1740-90. The project analyses the transformation of Anglo-French social attitudes towards aristocratic male dress c1740-90. In so doing, it offers a new explanation for the demise of court dress in Enlightenment Europe and the rise of that sober protestant and bourgeois style which now dominates the appearance of western male elites. It will produce the first comprehensive comparative study of two courtier figures, the French petit-maitre and the English macaroni, in order to advance the hypothesis that these interdependent national and masculine identities played a significant role in the reformulation of modern notions of gender, sexuality, health and consumerism.Read moreRead less
The functional genomics of locust migratory behaviour. Unravelling the molecular genetic basis of locust migratory behaviour will place Australia at the forefront of international biological research and simultaneously contribute to the development of new and safer ways to manage these notorious agricultural pests. We will use genomics and gene expression analyses to identify the suite of genes involved in the behavioural changes that catalyse locust swarm formation and migration. This collabor ....The functional genomics of locust migratory behaviour. Unravelling the molecular genetic basis of locust migratory behaviour will place Australia at the forefront of international biological research and simultaneously contribute to the development of new and safer ways to manage these notorious agricultural pests. We will use genomics and gene expression analyses to identify the suite of genes involved in the behavioural changes that catalyse locust swarm formation and migration. This collaborative study will enhance international relations with China, foster the development of gene-focused locust control strategies, and provide an exemplar study of an important and complex problem faced by Australia and international community.Read moreRead less