Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater moni ....Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater monitoring. The intended outcomes are fundamental theories, effective control and learning algorithms for achieving highly-sensitive sensors. These outcomes should make important contributions to and deliver new knowledge and skills for Australia's sensing industries, which could benefit Australia's economic growth.Read moreRead less
Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, ....Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). In anticipation of ITER, this fellowship will foster growth of Australian fusion research, and address a grand science challenge facing ITER: how do we maintain burn in the face of potentially damaging plasma instabilities? The answer will affect both ITER and the viability of fusion power.Read moreRead less
Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in sit ....Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in situ material repair to extend device lifetime, and modulate plasma properties to increase thruster efficiency for a given task. These benefits enable reliable propulsion platforms for massive communication and observation satellite networks and deep space exploration.Read moreRead less
Modelling, Identification and Control of Complex Networks. Australia has been well known for its leading research in systems and control and many real-world applications in, for instance, telecommunications, defence, power grids and life sciences. This project will further promote Australia's leading position in the emerging new research field - complex networks by theoretical breakthrough in modelling, identification and control of complex networks, and cutting-edge platform technology that can ....Modelling, Identification and Control of Complex Networks. Australia has been well known for its leading research in systems and control and many real-world applications in, for instance, telecommunications, defence, power grids and life sciences. This project will further promote Australia's leading position in the emerging new research field - complex networks by theoretical breakthrough in modelling, identification and control of complex networks, and cutting-edge platform technology that can help Australian energy industry to reduce greenhouse emissions. It will also result in education of the next generation research leaders in this emerging field.Read moreRead less
Increasing internet energy and cost efficiency by improving higher-layer protocols. Australians rely heavily on our telecommunications infrastructure due to our geographic dispersion. We are also very susceptible to climate change, given our reliance on agriculture. Information technology is consuming a rapidly increasing fraction of our power and our budget. This research will help to reverse both those trends, by finding novel and practical ways to use our infrastructure more efficiently, and ....Increasing internet energy and cost efficiency by improving higher-layer protocols. Australians rely heavily on our telecommunications infrastructure due to our geographic dispersion. We are also very susceptible to climate change, given our reliance on agriculture. Information technology is consuming a rapidly increasing fraction of our power and our budget. This research will help to reverse both those trends, by finding novel and practical ways to use our infrastructure more efficiently, and to minimise its energy use. This will enable the Australian telecommunications industry to provide better service (including to Australian industries and rural communities) at lower economic and environmental cost. This project will put Australia on the international stage as a leading contributor to energy-efficient internet technology.Read moreRead less
The origins, global spread and evolution of novel honey bee parasites. This project aims to study how emergent diseases arise, spread and evolve, studying varroa mites – a parasite of honey bees that will inevitably arrive in Australia and is expected to damage agriculture and the environment. As the mites have a well-characterised native range, independent host switches and a well-documented history of spread, they make good models. Mites have evolved after invasion, although without significan ....The origins, global spread and evolution of novel honey bee parasites. This project aims to study how emergent diseases arise, spread and evolve, studying varroa mites – a parasite of honey bees that will inevitably arrive in Australia and is expected to damage agriculture and the environment. As the mites have a well-characterised native range, independent host switches and a well-documented history of spread, they make good models. Mites have evolved after invasion, although without significant genetic differentiation at neutral markers. This project aims to identify genetic mechanisms associated with the host switches; reconstruct the pattern and demography of varroa’s global spread; and determine how selection acted on the mites after the host switch.Read moreRead less
Foundations of Vision Based Control of Robotic Vehicles. Automated and partially automated robotic vehicles are an emerging technology in society. The safety and performance of such systems depends crucially on their sensing and control algorithms. Vision sensing is one of the few sensor modalities that has the potential to adequately represent the complexity of a real world environment. By providing simple and effective vision based control algorithms this project develops Frontier Technologi ....Foundations of Vision Based Control of Robotic Vehicles. Automated and partially automated robotic vehicles are an emerging technology in society. The safety and performance of such systems depends crucially on their sensing and control algorithms. Vision sensing is one of the few sensor modalities that has the potential to adequately represent the complexity of a real world environment. By providing simple and effective vision based control algorithms this project develops Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries by enabling a wide range of robotic vehicle applications, including aerial, submersible, and wheeled vehicles.Read moreRead less
Factors causing wheat stripe rust epidemics. This project aims to tackle wheat stripe rust, one of the most important fungal diseases of wheat in Australia, causing losses of up to $125 million a year. This project expects to gain insights into the fungal evolution and the molecular mechanism that causes hyper-virulent pathogen isolates. The expected outcome is to identify and characterise multiple genetic factors in the pathogen that contribute to wheat stripe rust epidemics in Australia. This ....Factors causing wheat stripe rust epidemics. This project aims to tackle wheat stripe rust, one of the most important fungal diseases of wheat in Australia, causing losses of up to $125 million a year. This project expects to gain insights into the fungal evolution and the molecular mechanism that causes hyper-virulent pathogen isolates. The expected outcome is to identify and characterise multiple genetic factors in the pathogen that contribute to wheat stripe rust epidemics in Australia. This project will contribute to improved disease management strategies to contain wheat stripe rust, resulting in higher wheat yields, reduced application of fungicides and increased revenue for Australian wheat farmers.Read moreRead less
Psyllids as biosecurity threats to plantation and native eucalypts in Australia and internationally. Psyllids are tiny cicada-like insects that are economic pests of forestry and horticulture because the saliva injected when feeding causes leaf death and some vector plant diseases. Advanced technologies and procedures will be used to determine what makes plants susceptible to psyllids and to improve Australian preparedness ahead of an incursion.
Low emission road transportation: harnessing the potential of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies through online optimisation. This project will develop fundamental mathematical theory and use it to enable the best possible CO2 reduction capability in road vehicles. The cost of different technologies and fuels will then be compared to determine the most cost effective approaches to reduce road transport emissions.