Representing Children in Australian Political Controversies. This project intends to expand Australian knowledge and understanding about how children appear in politics, thus shaping public discussions about key social, cultural, health and national security policies. The project plans to investigate how children are represented in Australian political controversies: specifically, the 2008 Northern Territory Emergency Response and the ongoing debates about children in immigration detention. Thro ....Representing Children in Australian Political Controversies. This project intends to expand Australian knowledge and understanding about how children appear in politics, thus shaping public discussions about key social, cultural, health and national security policies. The project plans to investigate how children are represented in Australian political controversies: specifically, the 2008 Northern Territory Emergency Response and the ongoing debates about children in immigration detention. Through this, the project intends to demonstrate how politics is transformed by representative claims about children. By examining these claims and their impact on political decisions, this project seeks to develop an explicitly political account of childhood and explore its implications for Australian policy-making.Read moreRead less
Indigenous mathematical transforms. A class of mathematical transforms, or systematic conversions between related spaces or objects, was practised by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. Such transforms from ground to night sky were used in long-distance route-recording and wayfinding techniques. This project aims to elucidate these transforms, and to use this knowledge to extend the mathematical framework and applications of Fourier analysis. There is significant potential for new ....Indigenous mathematical transforms. A class of mathematical transforms, or systematic conversions between related spaces or objects, was practised by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. Such transforms from ground to night sky were used in long-distance route-recording and wayfinding techniques. This project aims to elucidate these transforms, and to use this knowledge to extend the mathematical framework and applications of Fourier analysis. There is significant potential for new mathematics to emerge at this exciting interface of Indigenous/non-Indigenous knowledge. Expected outcomes are interdisciplinary research training for Indigenous students and new understanding of Indigenous sciences. Emerging big data technologies such as holography may benefit. Read moreRead less
Developing a predictive toxicity model for metallic anions in plants. This project aims to develop competitive anionic toxicity models for antimony, arsenic, molybdenum and selenium supported by detailed speciation information. Available ecotoxicological models for inorganic toxicants have exclusively focused on cations such as zinc, and ignored anionic toxicants such as arsenic and antimony. For available models on cations to be applicable to contaminated environments, it is essential for equiv ....Developing a predictive toxicity model for metallic anions in plants. This project aims to develop competitive anionic toxicity models for antimony, arsenic, molybdenum and selenium supported by detailed speciation information. Available ecotoxicological models for inorganic toxicants have exclusively focused on cations such as zinc, and ignored anionic toxicants such as arsenic and antimony. For available models on cations to be applicable to contaminated environments, it is essential for equivalent anionic toxicity models be developed. This project will develop the first such model, which will provide new insights on ecotoxicological modelling for inorganic anionic toxicants. The project will transform ecotoxicological modelling approaches for metals and metalloids in terrestrial systems and directly improve our ability to assess risks associated with environmental contamination.Read moreRead less
Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowled ....Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowledge, which will improve current understanding of arsenic and iron fate impacted by remediation actions, plant growth and planetary changes induced via the atmosphere-plant-soil interface.Read moreRead less
Caring for Cosmologies: Making Living Maps for West Miyarrka. This project aims to develop a new kind of digital mapping to document endangered forms of knowledge along a coastline under threat from climate change. The project expects to draw on unique Yolngu knowledge practices and representational systems - with traditional owners and managers guiding digital media experts, rangers and artists. Expected outcomes include: 1) expanded Indigenous research capacities and digital expertise; and, 2) ....Caring for Cosmologies: Making Living Maps for West Miyarrka. This project aims to develop a new kind of digital mapping to document endangered forms of knowledge along a coastline under threat from climate change. The project expects to draw on unique Yolngu knowledge practices and representational systems - with traditional owners and managers guiding digital media experts, rangers and artists. Expected outcomes include: 1) expanded Indigenous research capacities and digital expertise; and, 2) access to novel resources for a new generation of Indigenous leaders. Benefits include: enhanced intergenerational and intercultural knowledge transmission and negotiation; methods adaptable to other Indigenous contexts; and greater national recognition of Indigenous seeing and caring for country.Read moreRead less
Healing Country: integrating knowledge systems to meet climate challenges. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are currently experiencing severe environmental challenges related to a changing climate. Led by Aboriginal communities, this project aims to integrate traditional knowledges and environmental and health data to create community story-data maps. These interactive, online maps will be a unique and powerful blend of information, providing a rich evidence base, decision-suppo ....Healing Country: integrating knowledge systems to meet climate challenges. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are currently experiencing severe environmental challenges related to a changing climate. Led by Aboriginal communities, this project aims to integrate traditional knowledges and environmental and health data to create community story-data maps. These interactive, online maps will be a unique and powerful blend of information, providing a rich evidence base, decision-support and communication tool to inform the co-design of local climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience plans. The project aims to give agency to Aboriginal communities in leading a systems change process to reduce environmental risks and strengthen health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Navigating the Carceral Interface. This project acknowledges the overrepresentation of young Indigenous people in child protection and incarceration rates. It aims to address the gap in knowledge of how young Indigenous people experience the carceral system and document how Indigenous community organisations support and provide vital contributions to building safer more supportive communities, which is one of the targets of the Closing the Gap policy framework. This project will develop a theore ....Navigating the Carceral Interface. This project acknowledges the overrepresentation of young Indigenous people in child protection and incarceration rates. It aims to address the gap in knowledge of how young Indigenous people experience the carceral system and document how Indigenous community organisations support and provide vital contributions to building safer more supportive communities, which is one of the targets of the Closing the Gap policy framework. This project will develop a theoretical model of a trauma- and culturally-informed response to improving experiences of young Indigenous people between the ages of 10–24 who come into contact with the carceral system, transferring the knowledge gained from the research back to Indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
Identifying pedagogical factors enabling success in elite level team sport for Indigenous Australians: Lessons for Closing the Gap. Despite significant social disadvantage and alarming underachievement in educational outcomes, Indigenous Australians achieve remarkable success across a range of high profile sports. Indigenous Australians' achievement in sport is often explained as a result of inherited racial characteristics but, when seen as the result of a process of learning, it demands inquir ....Identifying pedagogical factors enabling success in elite level team sport for Indigenous Australians: Lessons for Closing the Gap. Despite significant social disadvantage and alarming underachievement in educational outcomes, Indigenous Australians achieve remarkable success across a range of high profile sports. Indigenous Australians' achievement in sport is often explained as a result of inherited racial characteristics but, when seen as the result of a process of learning, it demands inquiry into how this learning occurs and what socio-cultural factors facilitate this. This project will identify the socio-cultural and pedagogical factors that encourage and enhance achieving excellence at the highest levels of sport as a process of learning. Read moreRead less
Oyster adaptation to climate change via transgenerational plasticity. We are in an age of rapid climate change, where the need to understand the adaptive potential of marine organisms in warmer, more acidified oceans is increasingly urgent. This is especially true in Australia where changes are significant. This project uses a cutting-edge, integrated interdisciplinary approach to measure the capacity of oysters to adapt and persist to climate change via transgenerational plasticity, describe th ....Oyster adaptation to climate change via transgenerational plasticity. We are in an age of rapid climate change, where the need to understand the adaptive potential of marine organisms in warmer, more acidified oceans is increasingly urgent. This is especially true in Australia where changes are significant. This project uses a cutting-edge, integrated interdisciplinary approach to measure the capacity of oysters to adapt and persist to climate change via transgenerational plasticity, describe the epigenetic mechanisms which underlie it and develop an immediate breeding method to protect vulnerable oysters and other marine organisms against climate change. The research outcomes will transform Indigenous-led oyster reef restoration projects and future-proof an iconic food source and national industry.Read moreRead less
Beyond recognition: postcolonial relationality across difference. This project aims to improve our understanding of claims for and against recognition by comparing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in a settler-colonial context (Australia) and formerly colonised countries (Kenya and Papua New Guinea). Expected outcomes include new insights into the political effects and limits of ‘the politics of recognition’ in diverse contexts of post-colonialism. These outcomes are ex ....Beyond recognition: postcolonial relationality across difference. This project aims to improve our understanding of claims for and against recognition by comparing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in a settler-colonial context (Australia) and formerly colonised countries (Kenya and Papua New Guinea). Expected outcomes include new insights into the political effects and limits of ‘the politics of recognition’ in diverse contexts of post-colonialism. These outcomes are expected to enhance the capacities of Indigenous peoples to negotiate and of Australian policy makers, development workers and corporations to engage effectively and ethically in such negotiations.Read moreRead less