Cell type-specific transgene expression to increase Fe content in cereal grains. The grains industry forms a vital part of the Australian economy and farm sector. Increased iron concentrations of wheat and other cereal grains would greatly increase their nutritional value for people worldwide, thereby increasing their market value and profitability for farmers. High iron wheat would also lower the production costs of many Australian wheat products by reducing or eliminating the need for iron for ....Cell type-specific transgene expression to increase Fe content in cereal grains. The grains industry forms a vital part of the Australian economy and farm sector. Increased iron concentrations of wheat and other cereal grains would greatly increase their nutritional value for people worldwide, thereby increasing their market value and profitability for farmers. High iron wheat would also lower the production costs of many Australian wheat products by reducing or eliminating the need for iron fortification of wheat flour. High iron cereals promote healthy development of young Australians and can improve preventative healthcare by reducing the incidence of iron deficiency anaemia and biochemical deficiency.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the applicability of Directed Evolution to the optimisation of industrial yeast strains. The fermentation industries, particularly the wine industry, are of great economic importance to Australia. Wine exports exceed $2 billion per year. Moreover, the industry and those supporting it are major employers in regional Australia. To maintain and grow our share of the international market, Australian wine must remain competitive by increasing production efficiency, maximizing quality and k ....Evaluating the applicability of Directed Evolution to the optimisation of industrial yeast strains. The fermentation industries, particularly the wine industry, are of great economic importance to Australia. Wine exports exceed $2 billion per year. Moreover, the industry and those supporting it are major employers in regional Australia. To maintain and grow our share of the international market, Australian wine must remain competitive by increasing production efficiency, maximizing quality and keeping up with changing consumer preferences, and with minimal environmental impact. As a cornerstone to the winemaking process, the yeast is a vehicle for achieving these needs. This project will develop and evaluate a method for generation of unique yeast which are non-recombinant and which yield superior wine under modern winemaking conditions.Read moreRead less
Stopping domestic violence in urban and rural areas: evaluating and improving the effectiveness of domestic violence perpetrator programs. Domestic violence affects up to 36% of women (Mouzos et.al 2004). Its annual economic cost is $8.1b (Access Economics 2004). In 66% of cases children are present (Bagshaw et.al 1999). Effects on women and children are poor mental health, homelessness and impaired work/education performance (VicHealth 2004). As male perpetrators tend to be serial offenders (Ha ....Stopping domestic violence in urban and rural areas: evaluating and improving the effectiveness of domestic violence perpetrator programs. Domestic violence affects up to 36% of women (Mouzos et.al 2004). Its annual economic cost is $8.1b (Access Economics 2004). In 66% of cases children are present (Bagshaw et.al 1999). Effects on women and children are poor mental health, homelessness and impaired work/education performance (VicHealth 2004). As male perpetrators tend to be serial offenders (Hansen et al 2004), there are Australian programs to stop the violence. There are limited and contentious findings about their value and no published evaluation of programs in rural Australia. This research addresses these significant knowledge gaps and is nationally beneficial as the knowledge can ultimately reduce domestic violence prevalence.Read moreRead less
Superbugs and veterinary drugs: are multidrug-resistant zoonotic pathogens residing in Australian animals? Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem affecting human health that is now emerging in animals and veterinary hospitals. This project will integrate surveillance with novel treatments and preventatives to develop effective strategies to limit the impact of resistant bacteria to animal health and prevent transfer between humans and animals.
The history of advocacy and guardianship for people with disabilities in Victoria, 1986 - 2006. The history and analysis of the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate will benefit the national community by providing a fuller understanding of guardianship and advocacy in daily action, and of the interaction between people with disabilities and the state. It will make an important contribution to understanding the changing ways that governments act and deliver services. The project will also deep ....The history of advocacy and guardianship for people with disabilities in Victoria, 1986 - 2006. The history and analysis of the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate will benefit the national community by providing a fuller understanding of guardianship and advocacy in daily action, and of the interaction between people with disabilities and the state. It will make an important contribution to understanding the changing ways that governments act and deliver services. The project will also deepen understanding of volunteering, in particular of the role ordinary citizens can play in guarding the rights of their fellow citizens. Read moreRead less
Industrial relations, gender equity and work/family balance: assessing the impact of changing law and practice in Queensland. The project has potential to contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by identifying effective strategies to enhance gender equity in employment and work/family balance. It seeks to extend understanding of how these outcomes vary across regions and sectors of the Queensland economy in the context of a changing ....Industrial relations, gender equity and work/family balance: assessing the impact of changing law and practice in Queensland. The project has potential to contribute to improvements in the economic and social well-being of Australian families and communities by identifying effective strategies to enhance gender equity in employment and work/family balance. It seeks to extend understanding of how these outcomes vary across regions and sectors of the Queensland economy in the context of a changing industrial relations framework, and to provide an evidence-base to inform the best ways to secure high quality employment and labour force attachment over the life course.Read moreRead less
Work, care, retirement and health: ageing agendas. This project will undertake a gendered analysis of how Australians can retire well, taking account of their key resources (such as work, superannuation, the aged pension, and other assets) and key demands (such as to work longer and to care for others in the context of an ageing population and a more feminised workforce).
Parental leave: access, utilisation and efficacy in Australia. This project addresses significant gaps in knowledge about the use of parental leave and the work/family preferences of men and women in Australia. It aims to advance current theoretical debates on how preferences are shaped in workplaces and households, and provide detailed data to inform policy processes. These are highly significant goals as Australian governments prioritise work/family issues in the context of changing household ....Parental leave: access, utilisation and efficacy in Australia. This project addresses significant gaps in knowledge about the use of parental leave and the work/family preferences of men and women in Australia. It aims to advance current theoretical debates on how preferences are shaped in workplaces and households, and provide detailed data to inform policy processes. These are highly significant goals as Australian governments prioritise work/family issues in the context of changing household structures, falling fertility rates, ageing populations and working time pressures. Expected outcomes include benchmarks for policy evaluation, improved understanding of preferences and enhanced policy frameworks to facilitate a gender egalitarian work/family balance.Read moreRead less
Strengthening community responses to hepatitis B. Australians who have been born overseas often have high rates of chronic hepatitis B. In this project people with hepatitis B and people who provide them with health and social services will be interviewed to understand individual responses to the infection, and to identify barriers to effective health care delivery.
From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that le ....From high school to higher education: Gendered pathways in information, communication and computer technology education. Serious gender-based disparities exist in participation in the Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICCT) field, in both higher education and industry, with a 2004 review of Australian university participation rates identifying women as an equity target group in this field. A multi-method, multi-stage project has been design to identify the processes that lead to this gender gap. Specifically, the project will focus on students' experiences and decisions at secondary school in three states to ascertain why so few girls choose to enter university-level ICCT courses, and what strategies could be implemented in schools to remedy this problem. Read moreRead less