Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to im ....Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to improve hydrological models by including the information of water signals obtained from the near-real-time observations. This should provide significant benefits such as more accurate land saturation maps and better predictions of runoff and flood risk.Read moreRead less
Improving water quality modelling by better understanding solute transport. Poor stream water quality is a critical problem in Australia and globally. Stream water quality depends directly on pathways and time taken for water to transport pollutants through catchments. Predicting these pathways is highly challenging and currently requires specialised data. This project aims to better model the movement of water from rainfall to streams, enable greatly improved use of water quality data routinely ....Improving water quality modelling by better understanding solute transport. Poor stream water quality is a critical problem in Australia and globally. Stream water quality depends directly on pathways and time taken for water to transport pollutants through catchments. Predicting these pathways is highly challenging and currently requires specialised data. This project aims to better model the movement of water from rainfall to streams, enable greatly improved use of water quality data routinely collected in Australia's catchments and thereby better predict water quality behaviour. Proposed field studies aim to support this development. The outcomes sought are improved planning and management of water quality in our rivers, lakes and estuaries, improved health of these water bodies and improved water supplies.Read moreRead less
Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle. Aquatic sources of carbon dioxide and methane are globally significant, but unknown for flooded drylands. The aim of this project is to use an innovative combination of well-integrated methodologies to determine if flooded drylands release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. This project is significant because this release of carbon dioxide and methane has not previously been accounted for and may change the magnitude of ....Resolving the role of dryland flooding in the global carbon cycle. Aquatic sources of carbon dioxide and methane are globally significant, but unknown for flooded drylands. The aim of this project is to use an innovative combination of well-integrated methodologies to determine if flooded drylands release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. This project is significant because this release of carbon dioxide and methane has not previously been accounted for and may change the magnitude of the global terrestrial carbon dioxide sink and account of some of the planet’s missing sources of methane. The outcomes of this project will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the global carbon cycle and earth climate system, and inform future management of these systems.
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Locally structured polar-photofunctional materials for energy conversion. This project aims to develop a novel method to engineer local chemical structures for achieving the polarity in narrow bandgap oxides via advanced thin-film growth and ion beam irradiation techniques. The developed new polar-photofunctional materials will significantly improve opto-electro-mechanical coupling and energy conversion, facilitating uses in renewable energy harvesting and smart optomechanical devices. The proje ....Locally structured polar-photofunctional materials for energy conversion. This project aims to develop a novel method to engineer local chemical structures for achieving the polarity in narrow bandgap oxides via advanced thin-film growth and ion beam irradiation techniques. The developed new polar-photofunctional materials will significantly improve opto-electro-mechanical coupling and energy conversion, facilitating uses in renewable energy harvesting and smart optomechanical devices. The project expects to advance material science through a new concept and innovative methodology, achieve properties forbidden/limited by conventional strategies and expand candidate pools for new generation multifunctional materials, significantly advancing Australia’s capacity in advanced manufacturing and industry.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals. The aim of the Centre is to progress scientific knowledge to establish transformational improvement in minerals beneficiation, essential for meeting global demand for metals. The research aims to achieve more selective, faster, and efficient separations, combining major advances in separation technologies with increased functionality of new reagents. The Centre outcomes will also ensure the sustainability of the miner ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals. The aim of the Centre is to progress scientific knowledge to establish transformational improvement in minerals beneficiation, essential for meeting global demand for metals. The research aims to achieve more selective, faster, and efficient separations, combining major advances in separation technologies with increased functionality of new reagents. The Centre outcomes will also ensure the sustainability of the minerals industry in Australia, through a significant reduction in cost, environmental impact, and through lower energy and water usage. The Centre also seeks to establish a new generation of scientists and research leaders in minerals beneficiation to support the innovation needed into the future by this major Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Developing key vision technology for automation of aquaculture factory. This project aims to investigate structural, coloured textural, and hyperspectral analysis approaches to achieve automated lobster molt-cycle staging and classification to the level required for commercial production. High labour cost, water contamination, and disease transmission are major barriers in Australian bay lobster aquaculture inhibiting its large scale production. Automation of the production process and reducing ....Developing key vision technology for automation of aquaculture factory. This project aims to investigate structural, coloured textural, and hyperspectral analysis approaches to achieve automated lobster molt-cycle staging and classification to the level required for commercial production. High labour cost, water contamination, and disease transmission are major barriers in Australian bay lobster aquaculture inhibiting its large scale production. Automation of the production process and reducing the human contact with animals are of high priority in the development of this Australian-led emerging industry. The project aims to develop technology to bring this world- first aquaculture factory to large scale production, and create new export opportunities for lobsters and production systems.Read moreRead less
A global standard for the status of Wetlands of International Importance. The project will develop and test a new global standard for the assessment and reporting on ecological condition of internationally important wetlands, listed under the Ramsar Convention. It has four aims: establishment of a strategic adaptive management and governance framework, a meta-analysis of the 2,303 internationally listed wetlands, development of a protocol for assessment and prediction and delivering a digital re ....A global standard for the status of Wetlands of International Importance. The project will develop and test a new global standard for the assessment and reporting on ecological condition of internationally important wetlands, listed under the Ramsar Convention. It has four aims: establishment of a strategic adaptive management and governance framework, a meta-analysis of the 2,303 internationally listed wetlands, development of a protocol for assessment and prediction and delivering a digital reporting platform for effective management. The project is significant because it tackles the decline of freshwater ecosystems, by targeting the most prominent wetlands. It also assists state and national governments to meet their obligations under the Ramsar Convention and most importantly guides more effective management.Read moreRead less
Socially Responsible Insurance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. This project aims to discover the social costs and benefits of using Artificial Intelligence in insurance, and to design practical interventions—responsible design workshops, practical guidance, regulatory proposals, new algorithmic tools—that realise the benefits while mitigating the costs. It expects to generate new knowledge drawing on philosophy, law and sociology, working closely with practitioners at the forefront of dep ....Socially Responsible Insurance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. This project aims to discover the social costs and benefits of using Artificial Intelligence in insurance, and to design practical interventions—responsible design workshops, practical guidance, regulatory proposals, new algorithmic tools—that realise the benefits while mitigating the costs. It expects to generate new knowledge drawing on philosophy, law and sociology, working closely with practitioners at the forefront of deploying AI in insurance. Expected outcomes include novel ethical AI-based approaches to product design, pricing and claims administration. This should benefit insurers and consumers, realising efficiency gains made possible by AI, without unacceptable costs to privacy, fairness, and the unaccountable exercise of power. Read moreRead less
Targeting the host lipid environment to disrupt malaria transmission. This project aims to characterise host molecules (in particular lipids) that are crucial for the transition of malaria parasites from one host to another. Malaria parasites encounter different environments upon their transition from human to the mosquito host. This project expects to generate new knowledge on physiological changes that are triggered by particular differences in micronutrient abundance that allow the parasites ....Targeting the host lipid environment to disrupt malaria transmission. This project aims to characterise host molecules (in particular lipids) that are crucial for the transition of malaria parasites from one host to another. Malaria parasites encounter different environments upon their transition from human to the mosquito host. This project expects to generate new knowledge on physiological changes that are triggered by particular differences in micronutrient abundance that allow the parasites to survive in the new host. Anticipated outcomes include the identification of new intervention strategies and improved transmission model systems for vector-borne diseases. This gained knowledge could provide benefits to future biomedical applications by informing diagnostics or treatment of lipid associated diseases.Read moreRead less
Australia's variable rainfall - how dry or wet can it really get? Australia’s rainfall is extremely variable, which means existing weather records are too short to calculate the true risk posed by droughts and floods. This project aims to quantify how naturally variable the rainfall coming from the Indo-Pacific mid-latitudes is, allowing recent rainfall extremes and future projections to be assessed in a long-term context. This project expects to produce new estimates of atmospheric moisture bud ....Australia's variable rainfall - how dry or wet can it really get? Australia’s rainfall is extremely variable, which means existing weather records are too short to calculate the true risk posed by droughts and floods. This project aims to quantify how naturally variable the rainfall coming from the Indo-Pacific mid-latitudes is, allowing recent rainfall extremes and future projections to be assessed in a long-term context. This project expects to produce new estimates of atmospheric moisture budgets between Australia and Antarctica based on a novel, 1000-year length reconstruction of moisture-bearing southern Indian Ocean storms. This new information is critically needed by water managers so that they can properly calculate (and ultimately prepare for) the worst of Australia’s rainfall-related risks.Read moreRead less