Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100441
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,443.00
Summary
Sounds of change: using ecological knowledge to advance acoustic monitoring. To recover biodiversity, conservation actions must be informed by robust ecological data. In partnership with Bush Heritage Australia, this project aims to transform ecological monitoring with eco-acoustic technologies by developing new acoustic metrics to measure biodiversity at various levels, from individual species through to whole communities. This project will combine advanced computer methods with theories of ani ....Sounds of change: using ecological knowledge to advance acoustic monitoring. To recover biodiversity, conservation actions must be informed by robust ecological data. In partnership with Bush Heritage Australia, this project aims to transform ecological monitoring with eco-acoustic technologies by developing new acoustic metrics to measure biodiversity at various levels, from individual species through to whole communities. This project will combine advanced computer methods with theories of animal sounds and communities to generate metrics that are informed by animal ecology and directly address monitoring needs of conservation organisations. By experimentally testing the metrics on long-duration real-world sound data, this project will provide new tools to measure conservation impact and prioritise actions.Read moreRead less
Transdisciplinary Stroke Assessment: Can It Improve Allied Health Efficiency And Care On An Acute Stroke Unit?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$106,268.00
Summary
This study will evaluate a new way of effectively delivering allied health assessment on Acute Stroke Units. It will compare current practice (multiple discipline-specific assessments) to a new transdisciplinary assessment (one allied health assessment) on the Mater Hospital Brisbane Acute Stroke Unit. It is anticipated that the transdisciplinary assessment will be more time-efficient, cost-saving, improve quality of care, increase patient/staff satisfaction, and build inter-professional trust.
Elicitation and Integration of Expert Information for Natural Resource Management with a Focus on Water. Australia's natural resource management requires integrating information from many sources, including survey data and community and expert opinion. We aim to develop statistical methods to formally combine this information and apply them to better management of our crucial resource, water. The project contributes significantly to Australia's international obligations, and government agency an ....Elicitation and Integration of Expert Information for Natural Resource Management with a Focus on Water. Australia's natural resource management requires integrating information from many sources, including survey data and community and expert opinion. We aim to develop statistical methods to formally combine this information and apply them to better management of our crucial resource, water. The project contributes significantly to Australia's international obligations, and government agency and regional group science-based decision-making.
Outcomes include increased fundamental knowledge in statistics, technology transfer and improved decision-making capacity for natural resource management.
The project builds on strong existing collaborations between academic and industry partners and provides foundation for future funded projects.
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Measuring and presenting uncertainty in complex natural resource monitoring programs. This project addresses Australia's key research goal of An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, priority goals of Water, Soil and Climate, and the theme of Complex Systems.Through improved capability in making data-based decisions and true sharing of university and government agency expertise, the project will enhance Australia's ability to better manage its natural resources, meet national and international ....Measuring and presenting uncertainty in complex natural resource monitoring programs. This project addresses Australia's key research goal of An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, priority goals of Water, Soil and Climate, and the theme of Complex Systems.Through improved capability in making data-based decisions and true sharing of university and government agency expertise, the project will enhance Australia's ability to better manage its natural resources, meet national and international environmental commitments, and address national demands for quality science underpinning decisions about natural resource managementRead moreRead less
Improving Quality Of Care For People With Dementia In The Acute Care Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,859,855.00
Summary
People with dementia are often undetected in hospital. This can result in problems which impact their long-term health and wellbeing. An electronic nursing assessment system for people admitted to hospital which reduces nursing admission documentation time, increases identification of patients with cognitive impairment and risk of delirium on admission, supports care planning and increases time for direct clinical care will improve the quality of care for patients with dementia in hospital.
Risk Stratification Of Older People In Hospital: Validation And Influence On Clinical Decision Making
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$291,067.00
Summary
Older people in hospital are at high risk of adverse outcomes, a vulnerability commonly referred to as frailty. In community-dwelling older people, frailty status can be measured precisely with a Frailty Index score. This research aims to develop a Frailty Index from a standardised comprehensive geriatric assessment instrument used in the routine care of many patients in hospital. This would assist clinicians to identify vulnerable older inpatients, improving their care in the acute setting.
Validation Of A Competency Assessment Method For Persons With Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,451.00
Summary
Deciding what if any aspects of their financial affairs a person with dementia or suspected dementia can responsibly manage is a difficult process for health and legal professionals as well as for guardianship boards and tribunals. This process is often stressful for the older person, and families can find deciding when to “take over” stressful. Also, having family members manage the older person’s assets may result in family conflict. There is a small amount of overseas research examining this ....Deciding what if any aspects of their financial affairs a person with dementia or suspected dementia can responsibly manage is a difficult process for health and legal professionals as well as for guardianship boards and tribunals. This process is often stressful for the older person, and families can find deciding when to “take over” stressful. Also, having family members manage the older person’s assets may result in family conflict. There is a small amount of overseas research examining this issue. However, no comprehensive and validated method exists internationally or in Australia to determine competency in this context. We will test a methodology for assessing the capacity of individuals to manage their own financial affairs where dementia is an issue. This method involves the use of a number of reliable and well-validated instruments measuring the older person’s mental state, anxiety levels, depression, and social vulnerability combined with an interview exploring the personal circumstances of the older adult in relation to their financial affairs. We will work with the Office of the Adult Guardian in Queensland to recruit participants and to verify both the utility and usability of our methodology with stakeholders (e.g. solicitors, the Office of the Adult Guardian). A comparison will be made between the results obtained in approximately 200 financial competency cases with the competency opinions independently arrived at by the Office of the Adult Guardian in Queensland. As a result of this research, we will be able to ascertain the viability and utility of this assessment method, improve the method as per the data gathered, and ultimately seek future funding to trial the methods across multiple jurisdictions (e.g. other states) and contexts (e.g. various cultural contexts).Read moreRead less
Characterising the tropical "heat engine" of global climate: combined coral, stalagmite and tree-ring records from the Indo-Pacific region. The recent anthropogenic global warming is causing polar icecap melting, sea level rise, reef coral bleaching and degradation, and increased frequency and intensity of severe droughts, floods, tropical cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons in the past decades, focusing daily media headlines worldwide. Our study will enhance understanding of global climate change, El ....Characterising the tropical "heat engine" of global climate: combined coral, stalagmite and tree-ring records from the Indo-Pacific region. The recent anthropogenic global warming is causing polar icecap melting, sea level rise, reef coral bleaching and degradation, and increased frequency and intensity of severe droughts, floods, tropical cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons in the past decades, focusing daily media headlines worldwide. Our study will enhance understanding of global climate change, El Niño and Asian-Australian monsoon variability and coral reef degradation, and provide improved knowledge for future predictions. The outcome will impact on our National Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, enhance Australia's leadership in coral reef research, and contribute to an improved relationship with our neighbours in science, education and training.Read moreRead less
The importance of edge effects in determining the value of seagrass landscapes as fish nurseries. Seagrasses are a conspicuous element of Australian marine environments, and are crucial in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Degradation of seagrass ecosystems from climatic extremes, increased sediment and nutrients in the water, and other pollutants results in loss and fragmentation of meadows. These changes to seagrass are linked with increased coastal erosion, severe loss of bio ....The importance of edge effects in determining the value of seagrass landscapes as fish nurseries. Seagrasses are a conspicuous element of Australian marine environments, and are crucial in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Degradation of seagrass ecosystems from climatic extremes, increased sediment and nutrients in the water, and other pollutants results in loss and fragmentation of meadows. These changes to seagrass are linked with increased coastal erosion, severe loss of biodiversity, and collapse of fisheries. Increased understanding of how biological processes such as predation and food availability influence animal associations with seagrasses, and how these effects change with landscape structure, will have important applications in the sustainable management of Australia's threatened coastal habitats.Read moreRead less