Prior sensitivity analysis for Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo output. This project aims to develop the first set of techniques to implement an automated output sensitivity analysis for Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation methods. Computationally intense Bayesian MCMC provide a powerful alternative to classical methods for the estimation of economic models. An obstacle to their wider application is that researchers need to specify prior beliefs about model parameters that will affect t ....Prior sensitivity analysis for Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo output. This project aims to develop the first set of techniques to implement an automated output sensitivity analysis for Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation methods. Computationally intense Bayesian MCMC provide a powerful alternative to classical methods for the estimation of economic models. An obstacle to their wider application is that researchers need to specify prior beliefs about model parameters that will affect the results. The expected outcomes will enable researchers to undertake a routine assessment of the sensitivity of the results to prior inputs.Read moreRead less
Price Discovery in Equity and Volatility Futures for Trading and Hedging. This project aims to develop a multivariate asynchronous technique to analyse the price discovery of movements in equity stock indices, volatility index futures and exchange traded products. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of financial econometrics using an innovative mixed frequency sampling approach to establish robust causal inferences. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced econome ....Price Discovery in Equity and Volatility Futures for Trading and Hedging. This project aims to develop a multivariate asynchronous technique to analyse the price discovery of movements in equity stock indices, volatility index futures and exchange traded products. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of financial econometrics using an innovative mixed frequency sampling approach to establish robust causal inferences. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced econometric theory and its implementation in applied finance. This should provide significant benefits in the price discovery of the equity index in Australia, including insights that will help Australian funds in hedging and trading volatility.Read moreRead less
Food system resilience in Indonesia: A moral economy approach. This project aims to understand and enhance food security in Indonesia and beyond. It examines culture-specific moral concepts, embedded in food systems and daily practices, that affect food security. For 60 years, the dominant approach to food security has been to boost supply by industrialising agriculture and liberalising trade, but this market-based approach has failed. One billion people are food insecure. The project will condu ....Food system resilience in Indonesia: A moral economy approach. This project aims to understand and enhance food security in Indonesia and beyond. It examines culture-specific moral concepts, embedded in food systems and daily practices, that affect food security. For 60 years, the dominant approach to food security has been to boost supply by industrialising agriculture and liberalising trade, but this market-based approach has failed. One billion people are food insecure. The project will conduct case studies of three food systems to examine how moral economies ameliorate market failures locally and how different rural development programs disrupt or enhance their capacity to do so. The data produced could inform food security-friendly development of trade policies and provide the evidence base for UN efforts toward a global food solidarity pact.Read moreRead less
Reliability of purchasing power parities from the World Bank. This project aims to provide an econometric framework to estimate purchasing power parities (PPPs) and a method to compute standard errors associated with the World Bank’s International Comparison Programme (ICP)’s PPPs. The ICP regularly compiles and publishes estimates of PPPs of currencies and real incomes. These results are used for study of global inequality and poverty; macroeconomic analysis; the Human Development Index; and cr ....Reliability of purchasing power parities from the World Bank. This project aims to provide an econometric framework to estimate purchasing power parities (PPPs) and a method to compute standard errors associated with the World Bank’s International Comparison Programme (ICP)’s PPPs. The ICP regularly compiles and publishes estimates of PPPs of currencies and real incomes. These results are used for study of global inequality and poverty; macroeconomic analysis; the Human Development Index; and cross-country productivity comparisons. However, no estimates of ICP PPPs’ reliability are available. Results from this project are likely to improve the quality of widely used data sets including the Penn World Tables and the University of Queensland International Comparison Database relevant to banking.Read moreRead less
Designer solvents to control reaction outcome. This project aims to control outcomes of chemical reactions using specifically designed ionic liquids as solvents. Ionic liquids are distinct from molecular solvents and are underused due to the limited understanding of their effects on chemical processes. We are developing a predictive framework to explain such effects and this project aims to exploit this new knowledge, using both new and rarely applied ionic liquids to control reaction outcomes. ....Designer solvents to control reaction outcome. This project aims to control outcomes of chemical reactions using specifically designed ionic liquids as solvents. Ionic liquids are distinct from molecular solvents and are underused due to the limited understanding of their effects on chemical processes. We are developing a predictive framework to explain such effects and this project aims to exploit this new knowledge, using both new and rarely applied ionic liquids to control reaction outcomes. The significance lies in the ability to optimise reaction outcomes without the need for solvent screening. The innovation lies in the measurement of microscopic interactions between solvent and reagents, and the use of these interactions to affect a given process.Read moreRead less
Phase stability of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oil: behaviour and control. This project aims to carry out a systematic investigation into the phase behaviour and control of biomass fast pyrolysis into bio-oil and its derived fuels. The project addresses the major problem of fuel phase separation during processing and handling that cause significant operational challenges, for example pumping difficulties and line clogging, during storage, transport and applications of these fuels. The outcomes in ....Phase stability of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oil: behaviour and control. This project aims to carry out a systematic investigation into the phase behaviour and control of biomass fast pyrolysis into bio-oil and its derived fuels. The project addresses the major problem of fuel phase separation during processing and handling that cause significant operational challenges, for example pumping difficulties and line clogging, during storage, transport and applications of these fuels. The outcomes include the discovery of fundamental knowledge on the phase structure, stability and behaviour of the products of biomass fast pyrolysis bio-oil and its derived fuels and the development of essential engineering tools for predicting and controlling phase behaviour and stability of these fuels.Read moreRead less
Examining scientific, philosophical, and folk perspectives on time=. This project aims to consider three very different physical theories, each of which reconciles quantum mechanics and general and special relativity in a different way. While science is more accessible than ever, we are increasingly faced with a scientific world-view that is antithetical to the way we see the world and experience ourselves in it. This project will consider the tension between the scientific picture of the world ....Examining scientific, philosophical, and folk perspectives on time=. This project aims to consider three very different physical theories, each of which reconciles quantum mechanics and general and special relativity in a different way. While science is more accessible than ever, we are increasingly faced with a scientific world-view that is antithetical to the way we see the world and experience ourselves in it. This project will consider the tension between the scientific picture of the world and our experience of the world, and aims to reconcile the two by bridging the gap between lived experience and scientific findings. The project will provide a range of ways of bridging the tension between these physical theories with our lived experience.Read moreRead less
The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine ....The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine the synthesis of certain lipid intermediates such as phosphatidic acid, and their impact on the biogenesis of lipid droplets from the endoplasmic reticulum. Such fundamental new knowledge on how cells store neutral lipids will provide new strategies for enhancing plant oil and biodiesel production. Read moreRead less
Advanced Proton-Conducting Ceramic FCs for Power Generation from Ammonia . The project aims to design an innovative ammonia fuel cell using a new perovskite substrate decorated with metal nanoparticles, which demonstrates multi-functionalities and tackles most challenges of conventional fuel cells (FCs). The key concept of this project is the designing of the novel architected smart perovskite as both anode and electrolyte of the fuel cell by systematic modelling and experimental development. T ....Advanced Proton-Conducting Ceramic FCs for Power Generation from Ammonia . The project aims to design an innovative ammonia fuel cell using a new perovskite substrate decorated with metal nanoparticles, which demonstrates multi-functionalities and tackles most challenges of conventional fuel cells (FCs). The key concept of this project is the designing of the novel architected smart perovskite as both anode and electrolyte of the fuel cell by systematic modelling and experimental development. The versatile cell components developed in this project will improve the operational stability and efficiency of the fuel cell, thereby providing a promising pathway for ammonia fuel cells to replace hydrogen fuel cells. This study will reinforce the development of the future supply of reliable, low cost and clean energy. Read moreRead less
Hybrid Hydrocarbon-Carbon Fuel Cells for Long-Life Power Generation. This project aims to design an innovative high-energy portable power source based on a hybrid direct hydrocarbon-carbon fuel cell concept, in which the deposited carbon in the anode of a fuel cell during operation with liquid hydrocarbon fuels can be used as a fuel by subsequent operation in the direct carbon fuel cell mode. The key concept in this project is the controlled deposition and utilization of carbon over the anode of ....Hybrid Hydrocarbon-Carbon Fuel Cells for Long-Life Power Generation. This project aims to design an innovative high-energy portable power source based on a hybrid direct hydrocarbon-carbon fuel cell concept, in which the deposited carbon in the anode of a fuel cell during operation with liquid hydrocarbon fuels can be used as a fuel by subsequent operation in the direct carbon fuel cell mode. The key concept in this project is the controlled deposition and utilization of carbon over the anode of the fuel cell by systematic modelling and experimental development. A continuous power output will be realized via an intelligent cycling mode with an intermittent supply of pure liquid hydrocarbon fuels, thereby achieving an extremely high fuel utilization efficiency in a hybrid electrochemical system.Read moreRead less