Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The cur ....Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The curation of genomic and transcriptomic data sets, and elucidation of snail–parasite interactions will underpin the development of environmental diagnostic tests and deliver a new generation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of liver fluke disease through the control of their snail intermediate hosts.Read moreRead less
Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will bui ....Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will build the key biochemical data in order to develop a novel fly lure technology (at scale) to be used on farm delivering national benefit through improved animal welfare and safety considerations for producers, and will establish the best approach to disseminate this scientific information to stakeholders such as farmers.Read moreRead less
Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, pro ....Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, providing pain mangement products for on-farm use that will reduce animal suffering during routine husbandry interventions. The project offers significant benefits for producers by protecting their industries against the threats of a welfare embargo on our livestock products. Read moreRead less
Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to ....Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to influence land use decisions. This should provide significant benefits to landholders, governments involved in land management and the public through increased productivity, profitability, biodiversity and ecosystem health in the context of future climate, agricultural commodity and carbon market uncertainties.Read moreRead less
Quality and outcomes of individual supported living arrangements for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project identifies service quality aspects contributing to positive outcomes in individual supported living arrangements that enable adults with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes. 150 arrangements will be evaluated across Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, providing evidence of service quality in support of people with disability hav ....Quality and outcomes of individual supported living arrangements for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project identifies service quality aspects contributing to positive outcomes in individual supported living arrangements that enable adults with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes. 150 arrangements will be evaluated across Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, providing evidence of service quality in support of people with disability having choice and control in their living arrangements.Read moreRead less
Disaster risk reduction practices that leave nobody behind. This project aims to answer critical questions about how to assist people with disabilities (PWD) in disasters, what their support needs are and how they might help themselves to better prepare for disasters. Significance includes coupling a person-centred emergency preparedness tool with cross-sectoral processes to collect and use data about the support needs of PWD in emergencies, increase cross-sector communication and collaboration ....Disaster risk reduction practices that leave nobody behind. This project aims to answer critical questions about how to assist people with disabilities (PWD) in disasters, what their support needs are and how they might help themselves to better prepare for disasters. Significance includes coupling a person-centred emergency preparedness tool with cross-sectoral processes to collect and use data about the support needs of PWD in emergencies, increase cross-sector communication and collaboration between emergency managers and community services, and improve equitable access for PWD to community-level disaster risk reduction (DRR). The expected outcome will be the co-design of effective mechanisms that state & federal decision makers can use to scale-up disability-inclusive DRR across Australia.Read moreRead less
Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting ....Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting disability and aged care services to their needs. This research will inform the development of policy and programs in the disability, aged care, and health sectors. The research aims to improve the capacity of disability group homes to respond to the health and ageing issues of older people with ID,to improve their quality of life.Read moreRead less
The effect of acquiring a disability in adulthood. This project aims to analyse the effect the acquisition of a disability in adulthood has on subsequent socio-economic circumstances (employment, housing, education, income, social capital, wealth) and wellbeing. Researchers from epidemiology, econometrics and statistics will use longitudinal data to model the patterns of disability and subsequent socio-economic and health circumstances over time. The methods aim to make causal statements and pro ....The effect of acquiring a disability in adulthood. This project aims to analyse the effect the acquisition of a disability in adulthood has on subsequent socio-economic circumstances (employment, housing, education, income, social capital, wealth) and wellbeing. Researchers from epidemiology, econometrics and statistics will use longitudinal data to model the patterns of disability and subsequent socio-economic and health circumstances over time. The methods aim to make causal statements and provide a template for research and evaluation in this field. Outcomes are expected to set priorities for action to improve socio-economic conditions, productivity and health for people with disabilities.Read moreRead less
Discriminatory acts and young adults with disabilities in public places. Young Australians with disabilities face pervasive disadvantages and institutional discrimination in many areas of life excluding them from social and economic participation. This project builds on this knowledge to investigate the inter-personal discrimination young people with disabilities experience in public and the impact of this discrimination on their social, economic, cultural and emotional lives. The potential outc ....Discriminatory acts and young adults with disabilities in public places. Young Australians with disabilities face pervasive disadvantages and institutional discrimination in many areas of life excluding them from social and economic participation. This project builds on this knowledge to investigate the inter-personal discrimination young people with disabilities experience in public and the impact of this discrimination on their social, economic, cultural and emotional lives. The potential outcome of this project will be a better understanding of the range and impact of actions and behaviours that young people with disabilities experience as discriminatory, violent or unsafe in public in Australia today.Read moreRead less
Microplastics in Landfills and Surrounding Environments. This project aims to build a risk-based framework for managing micro- and nano-plastic particles in landfills and surrounding environments. It expects to develop a new experimentally validated theory of micro/nano-plastic transport in soils, focussing on lining systems used in landfills worldwide to protect aquifers from contamination. The project will use state-of-the-art experimental, theoretical and computational approaches to generate ....Microplastics in Landfills and Surrounding Environments. This project aims to build a risk-based framework for managing micro- and nano-plastic particles in landfills and surrounding environments. It expects to develop a new experimentally validated theory of micro/nano-plastic transport in soils, focussing on lining systems used in landfills worldwide to protect aquifers from contamination. The project will use state-of-the-art experimental, theoretical and computational approaches to generate new knowledge on micro/nano-plastic fate in lining systems and their effects on the mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants. This should provide significant benefits including safe plastic containment and groundwater protection from landfill waste, a major reservoir of plastic in the environment.Read moreRead less