Testing a new explanation of cloud feedback on global climate. A new analysis suggests that the sensitivity of global climate to greenhouse gases is largely controlled by the upward transport of water vapour in the lower troposphere, but the analysis did not examine clouds, which must be involved for the mechanism to be valid. The aim of the proposed project is to determine whether variations in cloud implied by this new explanation are supported by observations and process models. If the explan ....Testing a new explanation of cloud feedback on global climate. A new analysis suggests that the sensitivity of global climate to greenhouse gases is largely controlled by the upward transport of water vapour in the lower troposphere, but the analysis did not examine clouds, which must be involved for the mechanism to be valid. The aim of the proposed project is to determine whether variations in cloud implied by this new explanation are supported by observations and process models. If the explanation is confirmed, then for the first time in over 30 years of intense research it will be possible to determine the long-term severity of global warming by examining the present-day atmosphere. The expected outcome of this research is to clarify how and why low clouds change in altered climates.Read moreRead less
Investigating the impact of augmented reality on consumer decision making and marketing systems. The marketing environment is changing rapidly, with mobile digital devices providing consumers the ability to augment their physical reality with virtual representations. This project investigates how consumers make choices, how manufacturers design successful business practices and how regulators proscribe manipulative behaviour in these environments.
Virtuous Practitioners: Empowering Social Workers. The project aims to analyse and develop core virtues of social workers to strengthen the social fabric of individuals, families and communities. The increasing demand for sound judgement and appropriate decision making, often in the unpredictable and uncertain contexts, necessitates a focus on virtue-led social workers’ action. The interdisciplinary and mixed method analysis will demonstrate the largely neglected role of virtues and or character ....Virtuous Practitioners: Empowering Social Workers. The project aims to analyse and develop core virtues of social workers to strengthen the social fabric of individuals, families and communities. The increasing demand for sound judgement and appropriate decision making, often in the unpredictable and uncertain contexts, necessitates a focus on virtue-led social workers’ action. The interdisciplinary and mixed method analysis will demonstrate the largely neglected role of virtues and or character dispositions in facilitating improved social services and in building stronger communities. The research will have both theoretical and practical implications for virtue-led social work practice that will result in communities living healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. Read moreRead less
New insights into abrupt climate change using isotope model-data fusion. There have been several episodes in the past 60,000 years during which carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere causing significant and rapid warming. This project aims to determine the source of the carbon responsible for these warming events. This project is significant because it will increase our understanding of the processes underlying abrupt past, and potential future changes. These processes are currently und ....New insights into abrupt climate change using isotope model-data fusion. There have been several episodes in the past 60,000 years during which carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere causing significant and rapid warming. This project aims to determine the source of the carbon responsible for these warming events. This project is significant because it will increase our understanding of the processes underlying abrupt past, and potential future changes. These processes are currently underestimated or missing in climate models. The expected outcomes include a better understanding of the non-linear responses in the climate system. This should provide significant benefits, such as an assessment of whether the smooth climate changes currently projected through to year 2100 are misleading.Read moreRead less
Evaluation of targeting rules for implementing monetary policy. Monetary policy plays a primary role in stabilising business cycle fluctuations and in mitigating the effects of large economic shocks. This research deals with key issues in the operation of monetary policy. Our econometric analysis will provide new evidence on the short term goals pursed by central banks and improve our understanding their trade-offs. One application of our results will be an improvement in the ability to measure ....Evaluation of targeting rules for implementing monetary policy. Monetary policy plays a primary role in stabilising business cycle fluctuations and in mitigating the effects of large economic shocks. This research deals with key issues in the operation of monetary policy. Our econometric analysis will provide new evidence on the short term goals pursed by central banks and improve our understanding their trade-offs. One application of our results will be an improvement in the ability to measure and evaluate the performance of central banks. Greater evidence on the objectives and constraints of central banks will increase public knowledge and understanding of monetary policy, leading to more effective policy. Read moreRead less
Pro bono service: drivers, delight, dark side and downside for the professional. Pro bono work, common in the professions, is important to Australia's economy. This ground breaking research provides rich insights into why pro bono givers feel unappreciated, unacknowledged, unreciprocated, and often taken advantage of and, importantly, equips professionals with strategies for enhanced outcomes.
Local climate changes caused by large bushfire burnt areas. This project aims to quantify the impact on local climate produced by large burnt areas after extreme bushfires. This project expects to generate new knowledge on these previously unexplored fire-scar induced changes to local climate. It will extend an innovative approach that combines satellite based earth observation with very high resolution regional climate modelling to quantify the impacts on land-atmosphere feedbacks and local cli ....Local climate changes caused by large bushfire burnt areas. This project aims to quantify the impact on local climate produced by large burnt areas after extreme bushfires. This project expects to generate new knowledge on these previously unexplored fire-scar induced changes to local climate. It will extend an innovative approach that combines satellite based earth observation with very high resolution regional climate modelling to quantify the impacts on land-atmosphere feedbacks and local climate. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced methods to quantify local climate changes after extreme fires and their effect on vegetation recovery. This should provide significant benefits to the planning for, and management of, vegetation recovery after extreme fires.Read moreRead less
Trust-Oriented Data Analytics in Online Social Networks. Trust-oriented data analytics is essential in online social networks for reducing deceitful interactions and enhancing trust between users. This project aims to systematically devise innovative solutions by considering rich social contextual information as an important source of trust. The expected outcomes of this project include innovative solutions from a fundamental perspective to the challenges of context-aware trust propagation, trus ....Trust-Oriented Data Analytics in Online Social Networks. Trust-oriented data analytics is essential in online social networks for reducing deceitful interactions and enhancing trust between users. This project aims to systematically devise innovative solutions by considering rich social contextual information as an important source of trust. The expected outcomes of this project include innovative solutions from a fundamental perspective to the challenges of context-aware trust propagation, trust network searching/matching, and trustworthy/malicious user prediction in online social networks. This project is significant as it will advance the knowledge base for enabling a trustworthy social networking environment, benefiting billions of Australian and worldwide online social network users.Read moreRead less
The Deprivation Approach to Poverty: Analysis and Implementation. The project aims to develop new poverty measures based on a better understanding of the specific causes and nature of poverty. Australia lags behind other countries in relying solely on income to identify and measure poverty. In contrast, the deprivation approach adopts a broader living standards perspective which identifies poverty as an inability to afford basic necessities and develops measures that embody community views about ....The Deprivation Approach to Poverty: Analysis and Implementation. The project aims to develop new poverty measures based on a better understanding of the specific causes and nature of poverty. Australia lags behind other countries in relying solely on income to identify and measure poverty. In contrast, the deprivation approach adopts a broader living standards perspective which identifies poverty as an inability to afford basic necessities and develops measures that embody community views about what is an acceptable minimum. This project aims to address this deficit by analysing important new data to provide a comprehensive national picture of deprivation. It also plans to test the robustness of alternative measurement methodologies, undertake comparisons with selected European countries and develop new academically robust methods to guide future research, data collection and practical applications.Read moreRead less
Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge o ....Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge of implementing policy reforms that rely on government and non-government actors working together in new ways, and practical understanding of what is needed to realise social procurement policy goals. This will contribute to effective public expenditure and ultimately help redress the societal consequences of exclusion.Read moreRead less