Optimizing the allocation of resources for defending marine protected areas against invasive species. The National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas contributes directly to the protection of marine biodiversity, and to Australia's international obligations under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Non-indigenous species have potential to undermine native biodiversity in marine protected areas across Australia. By identifying the most effective strategies for dealing with pot ....Optimizing the allocation of resources for defending marine protected areas against invasive species. The National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas contributes directly to the protection of marine biodiversity, and to Australia's international obligations under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Non-indigenous species have potential to undermine native biodiversity in marine protected areas across Australia. By identifying the most effective strategies for dealing with potential incursions of non-indigenous species in Victorian marine national parks and sanctuaries, the project will make a valuable contribution to the viability of local marine ecosystems and the maintenance of biodiversity. Furthermore, it will provide a template to aid similar decision-making in other marine protected areas around the country.Read moreRead less
Hazard identification, risk assessment and decision analysis for conservation and management of Australian marine parks. Victoria is the first jurisdiction in the world to proclaim an entire system of marine protected areas at once. The new management responsibilities have created imperatives for robust, scientifically defendable approaches to identifying threats, setting management priorities and developing monitoring systems. This project will develop, for the first time, a risk assessment pro ....Hazard identification, risk assessment and decision analysis for conservation and management of Australian marine parks. Victoria is the first jurisdiction in the world to proclaim an entire system of marine protected areas at once. The new management responsibilities have created imperatives for robust, scientifically defendable approaches to identifying threats, setting management priorities and developing monitoring systems. This project will develop, for the first time, a risk assessment protocol that has due regard for the perception of risks by individuals, and ensures that stakeholder values are an intrinsic part of decision-making. The protocol will create a system that stays faithful to the priorities of those who bear the risks, while using technical methods to ensure that models are consistent and that monitoring provides pertinent information.Read moreRead less
Radio-magnetic nanoparticles as bimodal positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents for dendritic cell tracking. Biomedical imaging is limited by a lack of commercial dual-mode contrast agents, which may be simultaneously used for magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This project will develop a nanotechnology-based biocompatible dual-mode contrast agent for simultaneous PET and MR imaging, reducing associated side effects.
Improving the operation of large-scale irrigation networks through automation. Channel networks for irrigation are critical infrastructure. Efficient operation is important in terms of sustainability and food security. This project aims to deliver automatic control techniques for improving system-wide performance. The research outcomes will secure Australia's place at the forefront of irrigation network automation technology.
Buffering the ecosystem impact of invasive cane toads. This project aims to address the devastating ecological problems caused by invasive species, by developing a novel approach that does not rely upon eradicating the invader through training vulnerable native predators not to eat toxic cane toads. Expected outcomes of this project include building a broad coalition of conservation-focused groups, from private land-owners and local businesses through to Indigenous groups and government and non- ....Buffering the ecosystem impact of invasive cane toads. This project aims to address the devastating ecological problems caused by invasive species, by developing a novel approach that does not rely upon eradicating the invader through training vulnerable native predators not to eat toxic cane toads. Expected outcomes of this project include building a broad coalition of conservation-focused groups, from private land-owners and local businesses through to Indigenous groups and government and non-government agencies across the entire Kimberley region. It will also result in the evaluation of methods for deployment of taste-aversion at a landscape scale. This should provide significant benefits by conserving vulnerable fauna and building a powerful network within a region of high biodiversity in tropical Australia.Read moreRead less
Enhancing social research in Australia using dual-frame telephone surveys. The growing surge in mobile phones and mobile-phone only households has had a significant impact on the representativeness of social surveys and accuracy of social outcome measures. This project will develop methods for generating sampling lists of both types of telephone numbers to improve population coverage and accuracy of outcome measures.
Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. This project aims to design automated pipelines to distribute irrigation water from backbone open-channels to end-users. Automation can make irrigation networks more efficient, which is important for food security and the environment. Automation is expected to achieve low-energy distribution, in line with the gravity-powered operation of typical op ....Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. Automatic control systems for low-energy pipelines in irrigation networks. This project aims to design automated pipelines to distribute irrigation water from backbone open-channels to end-users. Automation can make irrigation networks more efficient, which is important for food security and the environment. Automation is expected to achieve low-energy distribution, in line with the gravity-powered operation of typical open-channel networks. The main challenges are the development of suitable models for designing outlet-flow control systems, optimization-based outlet-flow scheduling methods for ensuring operation within hydraulic constraints, and system monitoring techniques. This project will design automatic control systems to enable low-energy water distribution from open-channels to end-users by pipes.Read moreRead less
Developing a wildlife health intelligence and vaccine distribution system. This project aims to establish an industry-linked pipeline for vaccines to be delivered to animals in edible baits and a near real-time monitoring system for assessing the impact of management actions. This project will develop ultrasensitive diagnostic tests and incorporate biomarkers into baits from Australia's leading pest animal control company. Bait uptake and disease status in the field will be monitored using artif ....Developing a wildlife health intelligence and vaccine distribution system. This project aims to establish an industry-linked pipeline for vaccines to be delivered to animals in edible baits and a near real-time monitoring system for assessing the impact of management actions. This project will develop ultrasensitive diagnostic tests and incorporate biomarkers into baits from Australia's leading pest animal control company. Bait uptake and disease status in the field will be monitored using artificial intelligence technology developed in Tasmania. This integrated wildlife health intelligence and scalable vaccine platform can help protect the iconic Tasmanian devil from disease and increase Australia's preparedness for looming threats to the livestock industry such as African swine fever.Read moreRead less
Control systems for irrigation networks in storage critical operations. The aim of the project is to further develop automatic control technologies for irrigation channels, with particular focus on supply mode operations for channels with critical limits on storage and inflow. The significance relates to the role of irrigation channels in food and fibre production. New knowledge generated will help Rubicon Water expand its Total Channel Control product, already used extensively in Australia, to ....Control systems for irrigation networks in storage critical operations. The aim of the project is to further develop automatic control technologies for irrigation channels, with particular focus on supply mode operations for channels with critical limits on storage and inflow. The significance relates to the role of irrigation channels in food and fibre production. New knowledge generated will help Rubicon Water expand its Total Channel Control product, already used extensively in Australia, to suit emerging markets with significant export potential. Beyond the commercial impact, expected benefits include improved service, reduced environmental footprint, the safeguarding of assets in extreme events, and the training of engineers in the important areas of modelling and control for infrastructure management.
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Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. This project aims to develop a 6-degree-of-freedom seating system for commercial vehicles, including heavy duty trucks and mobile machinery, to reduce unwanted multiple directional vibrations to the driver’s body. Long-term exposure to vibrations from uneven road surfaces, vibrating tools, and vibrating machinery affects driver comfort, fatig ....Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. This project aims to develop a 6-degree-of-freedom seating system for commercial vehicles, including heavy duty trucks and mobile machinery, to reduce unwanted multiple directional vibrations to the driver’s body. Long-term exposure to vibrations from uneven road surfaces, vibrating tools, and vibrating machinery affects driver comfort, fatigue and safety, and can also cause neck and shoulder pain, lower back injuries, and spinal injuries. The expected outcome of the project is a comfortable and ergonomic seating system that, agriculture, transportation, mining and construction vehicles, both in Australia and internationally, can widely use.Read moreRead less