Identification Power and Instrument Strength in Discrete Outcome Models. This project aims to develop new econometric and statistical techniques to quantify causal effects in treatment models with discrete outcomes. Expected outcomes include a much-needed weak instrument test, a measure for identification strength in partial identification setting, and an instrument-covariate selection procedure for high dimensional discrete models based identification power. The benefits include advanced knowle ....Identification Power and Instrument Strength in Discrete Outcome Models. This project aims to develop new econometric and statistical techniques to quantify causal effects in treatment models with discrete outcomes. Expected outcomes include a much-needed weak instrument test, a measure for identification strength in partial identification setting, and an instrument-covariate selection procedure for high dimensional discrete models based identification power. The benefits include advanced knowledge in econometrics and statistics, and enhanced tools for program evaluation and policy assessment in empirical causal analysis using observational data. The project falls into the category of smarter information use and is relevant to any national priority areas where policy interventions require assessment.Read moreRead less
New estimation and testing issues in nonlinear time series econometrics. The outcomes of this project will not only complement but also enhance the existing strengths of Australian researchers in the field of econometrics. The outcomes are also expected to help stabilise the national financial market for more accurate forecasts. It is also expected that the outcomes will provide novel models to respond to climate change and variability and to provide accurate warming estimates for improving the ....New estimation and testing issues in nonlinear time series econometrics. The outcomes of this project will not only complement but also enhance the existing strengths of Australian researchers in the field of econometrics. The outcomes are also expected to help stabilise the national financial market for more accurate forecasts. It is also expected that the outcomes will provide novel models to respond to climate change and variability and to provide accurate warming estimates for improving the policy making process.Read moreRead less
Supply-side dynamics in the private rental housing market. Demographic and socio-economic trends, along with changes in housing policy, have resulted in increased reliance on the private rental sector. This has led to growing concerns about its capacity to respond. Our understanding of the supply dynamics of this tenure, and particularly that of low rent housing, is underdeveloped. This gap in our knowledge is due to lack of data and to methodological difficulties. Recent advances in econometric ....Supply-side dynamics in the private rental housing market. Demographic and socio-economic trends, along with changes in housing policy, have resulted in increased reliance on the private rental sector. This has led to growing concerns about its capacity to respond. Our understanding of the supply dynamics of this tenure, and particularly that of low rent housing, is underdeveloped. This gap in our knowledge is due to lack of data and to methodological difficulties. Recent advances in econometric techniques, in conjunction with the assembly of a unique data set, will be used to examine previously untested explanations, including microlevel filtering, behavioural,hazard function and spatial analyses.Read moreRead less
Classification methods for providing personalised and class decisions. This project provides a novel approach to the clustering of multivariate samples on entities in a class that automatically matches the sample clusters across the entities, allowing for inter-sample variation between the samples in a class. The project aims to develop a widely applicable, mixture-model-based framework for the simultaneous clustering of multivariate samples with inter-sample variation in a class and for the mat ....Classification methods for providing personalised and class decisions. This project provides a novel approach to the clustering of multivariate samples on entities in a class that automatically matches the sample clusters across the entities, allowing for inter-sample variation between the samples in a class. The project aims to develop a widely applicable, mixture-model-based framework for the simultaneous clustering of multivariate samples with inter-sample variation in a class and for the matching of the clusters across the entities in the class. The project will use a statistical approach to automatically match the clusters, since the overall mixture model provides a template for the class. It will provide a basis for discriminating between different classes in addition to the identification of atypical data points within a sample and of anomalous samples within a class. Key applications include biological image analysis and the analysis of data in flow cytometry which is one of the fundamental research tools for the life scientist.Read moreRead less
Detection of infrared-biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of canine neoplasia. This research hopes to discover infrared-biomarkers for canine cancers using synchrotron infrared and laser light. Many dog cancers are similar to human cancers so cancerous tissues and cells from dogs make excellent models for human cancer research. This project will provide new insights and technological approaches to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Advanced algorithms for statistical mechanical models. Polymer science, percolation theory and models of magnetism are at the forefront of lattice statistical mechanics and condensed matter theory. Numerical techniques to determine the behaviour of model systems in these areas are predominantly Monte Carlo methods, series generation and analysis, or based on partition function zeroes. New algorithms have been developed for all three methods that are vastly more efficient than their predecessors. ....Advanced algorithms for statistical mechanical models. Polymer science, percolation theory and models of magnetism are at the forefront of lattice statistical mechanics and condensed matter theory. Numerical techniques to determine the behaviour of model systems in these areas are predominantly Monte Carlo methods, series generation and analysis, or based on partition function zeroes. New algorithms have been developed for all three methods that are vastly more efficient than their predecessors. Coupled with the availability of dramatically increased computer power, this project takes advantage of a unique position to make dramatic advances in the afore-mentioned research areas. Furthermore, the methods have wider applicability than those mentioned.Read moreRead less
Nanodiamond in glass: a new approach to nanosensing. This work will develop optical materials enriched with diamond nanoparticles. This will enable the magnetic field sensitivity of diamond nanoparticles to be combined with the capacity of micro/nanostructured optical fibres to enhance the interaction of light with matter. The outcome will be tools for probing biological processes on the nanoscale.
Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or underminin ....Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or undermining children’s oral health that can inform upstream and downstream policy directions and practices to improve health outcomes. This offers a new approach to "wicked" problems such as oral health where extensive
effort has not reduced morbidity and cost despite rhetoric that oral health is preventable.Read moreRead less
Closing the data gap: High throughput screening of nanoparticle toxicity. The nanotechnology sector is experiencing an exponential growth period with over 100 products containing manufactured nanoparticles entering the market every year. Ensuring growth of the sector needs to be balanced against the imperative of protecting both human and environmental safety. This project aims to develop new methodological and conceptual avenues to close the gap between innovation in nanotechnology and risk ass ....Closing the data gap: High throughput screening of nanoparticle toxicity. The nanotechnology sector is experiencing an exponential growth period with over 100 products containing manufactured nanoparticles entering the market every year. Ensuring growth of the sector needs to be balanced against the imperative of protecting both human and environmental safety. This project aims to develop new methodological and conceptual avenues to close the gap between innovation in nanotechnology and risk assessment. This is intended to be achieved by developing and validating high-throughput in vitro toxicity screening platforms for manufactured nanoparticles. The approach is based on advanced lab-on-a-chip microfluidic technologies. The predictive power of the platform will be refined and optimised via ex-vivo and in-vivo models.Read moreRead less
Global dementias: Examining structural vulnerability and dementia outcomes. This project aims to examine the social and cultural dimensions of dementia by using a comparative ethnographic approach to examine the experiences of people living with dementia in Australia, Malaysia and India. The project expects to generate new anthropological knowledge about structural inequalities by examining how dementia is responded to in diverse geographic, cultural and social settings. Expected outcomes of thi ....Global dementias: Examining structural vulnerability and dementia outcomes. This project aims to examine the social and cultural dimensions of dementia by using a comparative ethnographic approach to examine the experiences of people living with dementia in Australia, Malaysia and India. The project expects to generate new anthropological knowledge about structural inequalities by examining how dementia is responded to in diverse geographic, cultural and social settings. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of a new evidence-base on dementia and the production of briefing documents to guide global health frameworks. The project should provide significant benefits for people living with dementia by providing locally-relevant strategies to respond to dementia and resultant disability.Read moreRead less