Ethical frameworks for responsible innovation of neurotechnology. This project aims to ensure the ethical and efficient innovation of emerging neurotechnologies, including implantable brain devices, synthetic drugs and direct-to-consumer brain devices. This project expects to generate Australian’s first responsible innovation framework through extensive community engagement. Expected outcomes of this project include: guidelines for the development of neurotechnologies; a national framework for r ....Ethical frameworks for responsible innovation of neurotechnology. This project aims to ensure the ethical and efficient innovation of emerging neurotechnologies, including implantable brain devices, synthetic drugs and direct-to-consumer brain devices. This project expects to generate Australian’s first responsible innovation framework through extensive community engagement. Expected outcomes of this project include: guidelines for the development of neurotechnologies; a national framework for responsible innovation; partnerships with international brain initiatives; and enhanced interdisciplinary capacity. The proposed research should provide significant benefits: innovation of technologies that meet Australians' needs, reduced misuse and harm, and greater social support for innovation in neuroscience.Read moreRead less
Using behavioural economic insights to overcome student procrastination. This project aims to study the relations between present-biased time preference, procrastination, and achievement at school, using economic experiments. Investment in human capital generates economic benefits for students, families, employers, and society, but its benefits are realised far into the future. Because of these immediate costs and delayed benefits, behavioural economic theory predicts that students will procrast ....Using behavioural economic insights to overcome student procrastination. This project aims to study the relations between present-biased time preference, procrastination, and achievement at school, using economic experiments. Investment in human capital generates economic benefits for students, families, employers, and society, but its benefits are realised far into the future. Because of these immediate costs and delayed benefits, behavioural economic theory predicts that students will procrastinate. This project will identify the characteristics of students at greatest risk of procrastination, evaluate practical strategies to overcome it, and examine whether it is associated with poorer outcomes. This should help schools and policy makers reduce educational inequalities, and yield long-term benefits over students’ lives.Read moreRead less
The Influence Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviour On Physical Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,269,867.00
Summary
Declines in physical function (e.g. stair climbing, bending/kneeling) can lead to a loss of personal independence. Physical activity can prevent or delay these declines, whereas a sedentary lifestyle can hasten them. This project examines the contribution of physical activity and sedentary behaviour to declines in physical function among baby boomers. Results will inform policy aimed at maintaining people’s independence and minimizing health care costs associated with an ageing population.
Scalability Of The Transform-Us! Program To Promote Children's Physical Activity And Reduce Prolonged Sitting In Victorian Primary Schools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,823.00
Summary
Transform-Us! is an innovative primary school program that has been found to substantially increase children’s physical activity levels, reduce sitting time and benefit health. With simple changes to the school and classroom environments and teaching practices (eg, standing lessons) we will work with partners in the education and health systems to translate this program across Victorian primary schools to determine the real-world implementation and impact of this program over 5 years.
Into the thirties: Persistence and social consequences of risky drinking. The aim of this project is to investigate the social contexts, roles and consequences of problematic alcohol use in adults aged 30, using long term longitudinal resources able to observe the development and corollary of alcohol use over time. It is posited that such drinkers entering their third decade of life persist in levels of problematic alcohol use typically associated with younger ages and that this leads to social ....Into the thirties: Persistence and social consequences of risky drinking. The aim of this project is to investigate the social contexts, roles and consequences of problematic alcohol use in adults aged 30, using long term longitudinal resources able to observe the development and corollary of alcohol use over time. It is posited that such drinkers entering their third decade of life persist in levels of problematic alcohol use typically associated with younger ages and that this leads to social consequences, such as gender specific risks, relationship conflicts and more severe long term effects. Outcomes from this project are expected to inform the generation of relevant prevention and intervention strategies aimed to address problem drinking in adult Australians.Read moreRead less
Enabling tourism, conservation symbiosis by engaging protected area visitors in focused lifelong activism. Rainforests occupy just 0.3% of Australia and are endangered by increasing visitation and urbanisation. This project will transform visitors to rainforest-protected areas from a potential liability to an asset by investigating their willingness to participate in volunteering, fundraising, donating and other forms of park-related activism throughout their lifetime, and using this information ....Enabling tourism, conservation symbiosis by engaging protected area visitors in focused lifelong activism. Rainforests occupy just 0.3% of Australia and are endangered by increasing visitation and urbanisation. This project will transform visitors to rainforest-protected areas from a potential liability to an asset by investigating their willingness to participate in volunteering, fundraising, donating and other forms of park-related activism throughout their lifetime, and using this information to design a prototype park where quality visitor experiences also translate into biodiversity enhancement. Australia as a result will emerge as a world leader in tourism/conservation symbiosis, realising substantial ecological, social and economic benefits from the thriving rainforests that this symbiosis fosters.Read moreRead less
Consumer preferences for voluntary carbon mitigation in the aviation sector. The demand for aviation is rapidly adding to carbon emissions. Little is known about consumer preferences for aviation carbon offsets and how they evolve over time. This hinders the expansion of voluntary schemes at a crucial period in history. This research will investigate consumers offset preferences and their willingness to pay for aviation carbon mitigation using a novel time series methodology. The project aims to ....Consumer preferences for voluntary carbon mitigation in the aviation sector. The demand for aviation is rapidly adding to carbon emissions. Little is known about consumer preferences for aviation carbon offsets and how they evolve over time. This hinders the expansion of voluntary schemes at a crucial period in history. This research will investigate consumers offset preferences and their willingness to pay for aviation carbon mitigation using a novel time series methodology. The project aims to inform government policies and to help industry to develop carbon offset programs which are more likely to be supported by consumers, thus helping to reduce carbon emissions in the long term. It also aims to profile carbon offsetting groups to support communication activities to increase the size and value of offsets.Read moreRead less
A Multi-setting Intervention To Reduce Sedentary Behaviour, Promote Physical Activity And Improve Childrens Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,343.00
Summary
Sedentary behaviours and physical inactivity play a major role in the rising prevalence of obesity among children in Australia. This intervention study will take place in the school and family settings which play a critical role in shaping children's health behaviours. The objective is to determine whether a 2-year behavioural intervention reduces sedentary behaviour and promotes physical activity and results in improved health among 8-9 year old children.
Honesty and efficiency in the provision of expert services: doctors and other experts as participants in economic experiments. Experts serve us when we see the doctor, the financial planner or the car mechanic. In all these case the expert can take advantage of his superior knowledge and sell us something we do not need. This research will inform policy makers about the underlying motives of real world experts and allow them to design better institutions.
Understanding Cortical Circuitry Underlying Sensory Integration And The Consequence Of Its Developmental Disruption
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$527,395.00
Summary
The mammalian neocortex is organised into six layers with a systematic pattern of wiring that relies on normal development and balanced activity of neurons. This project combines developmental, electrophysiological, optogenetic behavioural, and computational methods to establish how the properties of the precise structure of cortical circuits impact their function and how disruptions in the balanced activity during development affect circuit formation and function in the mature brain.