Obstacles to Contract Enforcement in Indonesia. The Australia-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership (IA-CEPA) came into force in 2020 but foreign investment in Indonesia has consistently failed to meet targets, largely due to concerns about the lack of reliable and just judicial contract enforcement. This project aims to investigate why predictable and fair contract enforcement in Indonesia is so inaccessible, particularly for foreign investors, and, through doctrinal and empirical resear ....Obstacles to Contract Enforcement in Indonesia. The Australia-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership (IA-CEPA) came into force in 2020 but foreign investment in Indonesia has consistently failed to meet targets, largely due to concerns about the lack of reliable and just judicial contract enforcement. This project aims to investigate why predictable and fair contract enforcement in Indonesia is so inaccessible, particularly for foreign investors, and, through doctrinal and empirical research, explain the causes of this situation. In partnership with Indonesian courts and lawyers, it also aims to support the development of legal and policy reform proposals that can help resolve Indonesia’s commercial contract enforcement problems and encourage Australian investment there.Read moreRead less
The development of predictive brain function in preschool children. This project aims to track developmental changes in brain activity and connectivity in typically developing three-to-six year-old children. The preschool years are a time of huge change in children's cognitive abilities, but little is known of the corresponding changes in brain function. This work will use child-optimised magnetoencephalography to test the hypothesis that early cognitive development is characterised by refinemen ....The development of predictive brain function in preschool children. This project aims to track developmental changes in brain activity and connectivity in typically developing three-to-six year-old children. The preschool years are a time of huge change in children's cognitive abilities, but little is known of the corresponding changes in brain function. This work will use child-optimised magnetoencephalography to test the hypothesis that early cognitive development is characterised by refinement of the brain's innate ability to generate predictions about the sensory environment. The resulting insights could improve understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.Read moreRead less
(Re)Designing Digital Justice. This project aims to address the challenge of (re)designing novel online court systems by introducing a human-centred design process to the legal process. This project will generate fundamental new knowledge in respect of how to effectively design an inclusive justice system, bridging the gap between the legal system and human-computer interaction. Expected outcomes include how to use technology to implement a more just, efficient, and fair legal system, which is a ....(Re)Designing Digital Justice. This project aims to address the challenge of (re)designing novel online court systems by introducing a human-centred design process to the legal process. This project will generate fundamental new knowledge in respect of how to effectively design an inclusive justice system, bridging the gap between the legal system and human-computer interaction. Expected outcomes include how to use technology to implement a more just, efficient, and fair legal system, which is accessible to all Australians. This should provide significant benefits for both Australian society and the legal system.Read moreRead less
Learning how people read: Models, brains, big data and maths. Aims: This project aims to understand how people read. We will use novel mathematical methods, experimentation, brain imaging and computational modelling to adjudicate between model predictions.
Significance: This project expects to develop methods to understand and test important aspects of reading.
Expected outcomes: Expected outcomes are the development of novel methods for understanding complex models and the collection of data t ....Learning how people read: Models, brains, big data and maths. Aims: This project aims to understand how people read. We will use novel mathematical methods, experimentation, brain imaging and computational modelling to adjudicate between model predictions.
Significance: This project expects to develop methods to understand and test important aspects of reading.
Expected outcomes: Expected outcomes are the development of novel methods for understanding complex models and the collection of data that can extend and falsify current models of reading.
Benefits: These developments will significantly increase our understanding of how people read and what causes dyslexia. This work will also provide new ways to evaluate complex computational psychological models.Read moreRead less
Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the ....Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the effects of both environmental and social uncertainty in the pursuit of multiple goals. Intended benefits include the development of computational models that can simulate human decision making in complex environments, analyse new concepts of operation, redesign work roles, and identify factors that reduce risk in decision-making.Read moreRead less
Misinformation: Evidence evaluation in an alternate fact reality . This project aims to understand why people believe misinformation. Misinformation causes some people to adopt implausible beliefs. These beliefs pose a significant challenge for society because they can result in behaviours that negatively impact personal and public safety. By combining surveys, qualitative analysis, and systematic experimentation, this project will identify differences in evidence evaluation and persuasiveness b ....Misinformation: Evidence evaluation in an alternate fact reality . This project aims to understand why people believe misinformation. Misinformation causes some people to adopt implausible beliefs. These beliefs pose a significant challenge for society because they can result in behaviours that negatively impact personal and public safety. By combining surveys, qualitative analysis, and systematic experimentation, this project will identify differences in evidence evaluation and persuasiveness between people who believe misinformation and those who do not. It is anticipated that our novel approach will build knowledge about misinformation effects and will reduce associated harms by expanding our understanding of how to communicate effectively with people who are persuaded by misinformation.Read moreRead less
Mapping the Frontiers of Private Property in Australia. This project aims to develop a new DH dataset, systematically documenting and mapping the first generation of Australian private property ownership. The project expects to generate new knowledge of this phenomenon in New South Wales from 1788 onwards, using historical records to develop a digital map that shows where, when and to what extent parcels of land in NSW moved from Crown ownership into private hands. Expected outcomes include an o ....Mapping the Frontiers of Private Property in Australia. This project aims to develop a new DH dataset, systematically documenting and mapping the first generation of Australian private property ownership. The project expects to generate new knowledge of this phenomenon in New South Wales from 1788 onwards, using historical records to develop a digital map that shows where, when and to what extent parcels of land in NSW moved from Crown ownership into private hands. Expected outcomes include an open access map that will for the first time enable scholars to place the history of property ownership into conversation with other aspects of Australian history. Among its benefits it will enable future scholarly work and citizen engagement to effectively extend knowledge of Australia's property history.Read moreRead less
Emerging assisted reproduction markets in Southern Africa. This anthropological study aims to investigate the global networks and emerging markets for assisted reproduction in Southern Africa. It will focus upon the mobilities of patients to South Africa for assisted reproduction and mobility of ova providers, gametes, embryos and medical staff across Africa and to and from Australia. This ethnographic study includes an analysis of the development of the industry, surveys of the numbers of inte ....Emerging assisted reproduction markets in Southern Africa. This anthropological study aims to investigate the global networks and emerging markets for assisted reproduction in Southern Africa. It will focus upon the mobilities of patients to South Africa for assisted reproduction and mobility of ova providers, gametes, embryos and medical staff across Africa and to and from Australia. This ethnographic study includes an analysis of the development of the industry, surveys of the numbers of international patients travelling to clinics in South Africa and interviews with staff, patients, gamete donors, and facilitating agencies. This study is anticipated to provide theoretical insights on the social impacts of reproductive travel across national borders for improved public policy responses.
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Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent n ....Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent need for new models for understanding roads' potential economic benefits, as well as their risks, including their environmental risks. This project is benefitting citizens, NGOs, donors and governments, by generating new knowledge about how we have in the past, do at present, and should in the future, engage with roads.Read moreRead less
Exploration, Generalisation and the Development of Learning Traps. This project addresses three fundamental questions about human decision-making; 1) how does exploratory choice lead to “learning traps”, persistent patterns of poor decision-making that cause us to miss rewards and experience losses? 2) how does susceptibility to traps change with age? 3) what strategies prevent traps or facilitate escape? The project will advance our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying adult and ....Exploration, Generalisation and the Development of Learning Traps. This project addresses three fundamental questions about human decision-making; 1) how does exploratory choice lead to “learning traps”, persistent patterns of poor decision-making that cause us to miss rewards and experience losses? 2) how does susceptibility to traps change with age? 3) what strategies prevent traps or facilitate escape? The project will advance our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying adult and child decision-making, using innovative experimental paradigms and computational modeling. Expected outcomes include a novel computational model that explains developmental change in trap formation. The results will guide strategies for improved decision-making in educational, financial, and social settings.Read moreRead less