Asian Migration in the 21st Century: An Integrated Account . Migration is a defining issue of the 21st Century. Despite its significance, migration is poorly understood because different types of movement are conceptualised, measured and studied separately. This project aims to develop an integrated understanding of multiple forms of population movement in Asia incorporating both internal and international migration and temporary and permanent moves. It will establish the intensity, spatial patt ....Asian Migration in the 21st Century: An Integrated Account . Migration is a defining issue of the 21st Century. Despite its significance, migration is poorly understood because different types of movement are conceptualised, measured and studied separately. This project aims to develop an integrated understanding of multiple forms of population movement in Asia incorporating both internal and international migration and temporary and permanent moves. It will establish the intensity, spatial patterns and interaction between the different forms of migration for countries in Asia, and its impacts at origins and at destinations. The results are expected to provide significant benefits including a strong evidence base for the formulation of national and international migration policy in the 21st Century.Read moreRead less
Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish ....Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics in alkaline solution. The project is expected to generate cost-effective hydrogen electrodes for hydrogen electrolyzers, advanced knowledge in the electrode material engineering, electrochemical reaction mechanistic insights, and eventually promoted development of disruptive electrolysis technology.Read moreRead less
Information and market design: mediation and analogical argumentation. This project aims to increase knowledge of how judicious disclosure of information facilitates economic exchange and social interactions and to shed light on how mediation can be an effective mode of dispute resolution. The project seeks to uncover how analogical arguments can be persuasive and determine social outcomes as well as provide guidance for advocates and decision makers on the best way to persuade and counteract mi ....Information and market design: mediation and analogical argumentation. This project aims to increase knowledge of how judicious disclosure of information facilitates economic exchange and social interactions and to shed light on how mediation can be an effective mode of dispute resolution. The project seeks to uncover how analogical arguments can be persuasive and determine social outcomes as well as provide guidance for advocates and decision makers on the best way to persuade and counteract misleading persuasion practices. Besides producing significant new knowledge, the project promises to inform future innovative economic, social and cultural developments of benefit to the Australian and international community.Read moreRead less
Redesigning Landcare policy to better coordinate across landholders. This project aims to study how landscape-sensitive economic incentives and social norms can be leveraged to enhance the short- and long-term effectiveness of conservation programs. It will yield new knowledge for innovative designs in conservation contracting that is urgently needed to address worsening environmental threats in Australia and worldwide. In collaboration with Nobel laureate Vernon Smith’s team, new methods and pr ....Redesigning Landcare policy to better coordinate across landholders. This project aims to study how landscape-sensitive economic incentives and social norms can be leveraged to enhance the short- and long-term effectiveness of conservation programs. It will yield new knowledge for innovative designs in conservation contracting that is urgently needed to address worsening environmental threats in Australia and worldwide. In collaboration with Nobel laureate Vernon Smith’s team, new methods and protocols will improve our ability to generate better data and better understand how social and incentive mechanisms can constructively interact to facilitate collaborative environmental action. Results will help make the achievement of environmental targets and the use of public funds more cost-effective. Read moreRead less
The genetics of four ancient 'Kings' of Sahul and Sunda. This project aims to recover all the genetic information from four ancient humans. Two of these iconic specimens come from Australia and two from Malaysia. We will sequence the entire DNA (genomes) and proteins (proteome) of Mungo Man (Willandra), the Yidinji King (Cairns), the Deep Skull (Borneo) and the Bewah specimen (Malaysian Peninsula). This will provide a better understanding of the settlement of Australia and new knowledge about th ....The genetics of four ancient 'Kings' of Sahul and Sunda. This project aims to recover all the genetic information from four ancient humans. Two of these iconic specimens come from Australia and two from Malaysia. We will sequence the entire DNA (genomes) and proteins (proteome) of Mungo Man (Willandra), the Yidinji King (Cairns), the Deep Skull (Borneo) and the Bewah specimen (Malaysian Peninsula). This will provide a better understanding of the settlement of Australia and new knowledge about the ancient people of Australasia and their relationship to other human populations worldwide. The research will use cutting-edge methods of DNA and protein sequencing of ancient human material and will provide critical reference genomes / proteomes that will anchor future research.Read moreRead less
Predicting the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation. This project aims to address the question of how we can predict adaptive evolution. The project aims to probe the limits of evolutionary predictions by using a model system of bacterial populations that adapt to the presence of multiple stressors. This will be combined with high-throughput fitness measurements, whole genome sequencing and computer simulations. Anticipated outcomes include novel insights into deep questions regarding the structu ....Predicting the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation. This project aims to address the question of how we can predict adaptive evolution. The project aims to probe the limits of evolutionary predictions by using a model system of bacterial populations that adapt to the presence of multiple stressors. This will be combined with high-throughput fitness measurements, whole genome sequencing and computer simulations. Anticipated outcomes include novel insights into deep questions regarding the structure of fitness landscapes and the repeatability, predictability and contingency of adaptive evolution. The project is expected to provide significant benefits, informing the development of improved strategies for managing pathogen resistance to antimicrobial drugs.Read moreRead less
Humanitarian migrants' settlement in Australia: A longitudinal study. Current evidence suggests that humanitarian migrants settle less successfully than other immigrants both economically and socially. This project aims to examine the causal mechanisms and pathways to economic, sociocultural and political settlement outcomes of humanitarian migrants to Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of humanitarian migrants’ settlement by using nationally representative dat ....Humanitarian migrants' settlement in Australia: A longitudinal study. Current evidence suggests that humanitarian migrants settle less successfully than other immigrants both economically and socially. This project aims to examine the causal mechanisms and pathways to economic, sociocultural and political settlement outcomes of humanitarian migrants to Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of humanitarian migrants’ settlement by using nationally representative data and cutting-edge longitudinal techniques.Expected outcomes include enhanced research capacity in causal methods, interdisciplinary and institutional collaborations, and evidence-based social policy for humanitarian migrants, significantly benefitting humanitarian migrants directly and society more broadly. Read moreRead less
The origins of Australia's non-Pama-Nyungan speaking people. This project aims to test the likelihood of multiple migrations into Australia before European arrival and determine if the phylogenetic relationships among non-Pama-Nyungan languages is mirrored by their speakers’ genomic phylogenetic relationships. The non-Pama-Nyungan First People of Australia speak an extraordinary number and diversity of Aboriginal languages, but the origins of these languages and the genomic diversity of the peop ....The origins of Australia's non-Pama-Nyungan speaking people. This project aims to test the likelihood of multiple migrations into Australia before European arrival and determine if the phylogenetic relationships among non-Pama-Nyungan languages is mirrored by their speakers’ genomic phylogenetic relationships. The non-Pama-Nyungan First People of Australia speak an extraordinary number and diversity of Aboriginal languages, but the origins of these languages and the genomic diversity of the people who speak them are only now starting to be understood. There is a remarkable concordance between the Pama-Nyungan languages and the genomic diversity of their speakers. This research could show whether genomes change languages or vice versa, or whether they evolve together over time.Read moreRead less
Pathways to semelparity versus early maturity in animals and plants. The project aims to resolve an important but unresolved question in life history evolution and ecology- which mechanisms and constraints lead to semelparity (breeding once, which is rare), and which lead to fast life history (breeding early, which is common) in animals and plants. Theory predicts that both may be adaptations to schedules of adult death. Understanding why males and females have either semelparous or fast life hi ....Pathways to semelparity versus early maturity in animals and plants. The project aims to resolve an important but unresolved question in life history evolution and ecology- which mechanisms and constraints lead to semelparity (breeding once, which is rare), and which lead to fast life history (breeding early, which is common) in animals and plants. Theory predicts that both may be adaptations to schedules of adult death. Understanding why males and females have either semelparous or fast life history strategies is crucial to predicting survival of harvested and threatened species under pressure from climate change, drought, predators, and diseases that kill adults. Expected project outcomes include improved ability to address agents of decline of threatened animals and plants including semelparous species.Read moreRead less
Recombination and the genomic landscape of speciation. This project aims to evaluate how genomes become different during the origin of species by utilising an innovative system where multiple replicates of the speciation process exist. This project expects to generate knowledge in the area of speciation genetics by exploring the effects of sex, migration and selection on the diversity of hundreds of genomes from an Australian wildflower. Expected outcomes of this project include a deeper underst ....Recombination and the genomic landscape of speciation. This project aims to evaluate how genomes become different during the origin of species by utilising an innovative system where multiple replicates of the speciation process exist. This project expects to generate knowledge in the area of speciation genetics by exploring the effects of sex, migration and selection on the diversity of hundreds of genomes from an Australian wildflower. Expected outcomes of this project include a deeper understanding of the maintenance of genetic diversity in natural populations, and development of a model organism for studying the genetics and ecology of speciation. This project should provide significant benefits including enhanced capacity in evolutionary genetics in Australia.Read moreRead less