Redefining tissue-specific endothelial cells through bioengineered matrices. This project aims to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive blood vessel formation and function. The endothelial cells that make up each blood vessel are inherently unique across different sites within the human body and this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding their organ specificity. Using advanced bioengineering approaches, this project will map human endothelial cell specif ....Redefining tissue-specific endothelial cells through bioengineered matrices. This project aims to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive blood vessel formation and function. The endothelial cells that make up each blood vessel are inherently unique across different sites within the human body and this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding their organ specificity. Using advanced bioengineering approaches, this project will map human endothelial cell specificity and develop state-of-the-art modelling technologies to improve knowledge of environmental influence on endothelial cell fate and function. This should provide a new framework to modulate the adaptive capacities of endothelial cells and can potentially enable more predictive and targeted drug efficacy and safety testing.Read moreRead less
Unveiling the epigenome dynamics through the pluripotency continuum. This project aims to utilise stem cells and genomics based technologies, in combination with new computational algorithms to dissect the fundamental molecular events that drive the first steps during development. The project is expected to unveil the basic mechanisms underpinning how genes driving the developmental master plan are controlled in cells that have the capacity to give rise to the whole organism and placenta. The kn ....Unveiling the epigenome dynamics through the pluripotency continuum. This project aims to utilise stem cells and genomics based technologies, in combination with new computational algorithms to dissect the fundamental molecular events that drive the first steps during development. The project is expected to unveil the basic mechanisms underpinning how genes driving the developmental master plan are controlled in cells that have the capacity to give rise to the whole organism and placenta. The knowledge gained from this work will inform and guide future novel approaches, such as in assisted reproductive technologies or regenerative medicine.Read moreRead less
Indigenous solutions to global challenges in the Pacific Islands. The global COVID 19 pandemic represents a unique opportunity to understand the nature and potential of Indigenous sustainable development in Pacific Island communities, where Indigenous practices have been central in responses to closed borders and industry downturns. This project proposes to analyse the efficacy and cultural value of new, pandemic-era Indigenous sustainable development initiatives in sustaining island communities ....Indigenous solutions to global challenges in the Pacific Islands. The global COVID 19 pandemic represents a unique opportunity to understand the nature and potential of Indigenous sustainable development in Pacific Island communities, where Indigenous practices have been central in responses to closed borders and industry downturns. This project proposes to analyse the efficacy and cultural value of new, pandemic-era Indigenous sustainable development initiatives in sustaining island communities. It aims to culminate in a novel geographic theory of Indigenous sustainable development, and to identify new opportunities to support the expansion of Indigenous sustainable development. This should better enable the Pacific Islands region to respond to climate change, pandemics and other global challenges.Read moreRead less
Early start arts programmes to counter radicalisation. This project aims to strengthen interfaith relationships, through youth arts workshops that generate positive images of Muslim and non-Muslim Australian youth belonging together. Anxiety about violent extremism can stigmatise Muslim-Australian youth, but the arts can transform negative effects and amplify feelings of belonging. This project will create early childhood and primary interfaith arts intervention workshops to develop interfaith b ....Early start arts programmes to counter radicalisation. This project aims to strengthen interfaith relationships, through youth arts workshops that generate positive images of Muslim and non-Muslim Australian youth belonging together. Anxiety about violent extremism can stigmatise Muslim-Australian youth, but the arts can transform negative effects and amplify feelings of belonging. This project will create early childhood and primary interfaith arts intervention workshops to develop interfaith bonds at crucial developmental stages. It will also develop a public art campaign featuring images from the workshops about Muslim children belonging to Australian culture. The project has potential economic, social and cultural benefits for Australia.Read moreRead less
Diplomatic Knowledge, Disasters and the Future of International Legal Order. Gaps and divergences in diplomatic understanding of global social, economic, and environmental conditions make coordinated international action difficult, especially in response to natural disasters. This project aims to shed light on how diplomatic and consular personnel come to know what they know about global conditions, how the information infrastructure with which diplomats work may inform (or impede) coordinated i ....Diplomatic Knowledge, Disasters and the Future of International Legal Order. Gaps and divergences in diplomatic understanding of global social, economic, and environmental conditions make coordinated international action difficult, especially in response to natural disasters. This project aims to shed light on how diplomatic and consular personnel come to know what they know about global conditions, how the information infrastructure with which diplomats work may inform (or impede) coordinated international legal action, and what could be done to make that information infrastructure more robust and less prone to blindspots. Expected outcomes include practical suggestions for diplomats, helping to strengthen Australia’s capabilities in diplomacy, especially capacity to lead coordinated response to natural disasters.Read moreRead less
The Politics of Development Financing Competition in Asia and the Pacific. This Fellowship aims to investigate why, when and how recipient states decide to accept international development financing from certain states and not others. Intensifying competition between provider states is hindering providers’ capacity to achieve intended policy goals, despite spending vast sums. This is the only study to explain which groups in recipient countries prefer particular providers, why, and which group’s ....The Politics of Development Financing Competition in Asia and the Pacific. This Fellowship aims to investigate why, when and how recipient states decide to accept international development financing from certain states and not others. Intensifying competition between provider states is hindering providers’ capacity to achieve intended policy goals, despite spending vast sums. This is the only study to explain which groups in recipient countries prefer particular providers, why, and which group’s interests are likely to prevail. It expects to develop enhanced research and policy capacity to analyse and engage effectively in competitive environments. This should significantly improve Australian international development financing's outcomes and help recipient states obtain financing that meets their needs.Read moreRead less
What shapes our brain? This project aims to improve our fundamental understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive folding of the cerebral cortex, which occurs during development of the brain. Cortical folding is unique to humans and higher mammals, and is thought to underpin the emergence of intelligence and contribute to higher-order brain functions. This project will enhance knowledge of how the cerebral cortex folds and develop novel tools for analysing brain development. The project ....What shapes our brain? This project aims to improve our fundamental understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive folding of the cerebral cortex, which occurs during development of the brain. Cortical folding is unique to humans and higher mammals, and is thought to underpin the emergence of intelligence and contribute to higher-order brain functions. This project will enhance knowledge of how the cerebral cortex folds and develop novel tools for analysing brain development. The project will provide significant benefits including the generation of fundamental knowledge with implications for future understanding of cortical folding abnormalities in babies born preterm, following fetal growth retardation in utero, or when exposed to maternal alcohol. In the longer term, the project will contribute to improvements to human neurodevelopment and brain health.Read moreRead less
Gendered engagement and participation in sciences and mathematics. This project aims to identify the reasons for the declining numbers of girls (and boys) studying sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects during secondary school. This project will conduct complementary longitudinal studies in Australia, in collaboration with leading international scholars, analysing declining motivations, especially for girls/women, to show how this predicts different STEM career choices ....Gendered engagement and participation in sciences and mathematics. This project aims to identify the reasons for the declining numbers of girls (and boys) studying sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects during secondary school. This project will conduct complementary longitudinal studies in Australia, in collaboration with leading international scholars, analysing declining motivations, especially for girls/women, to show how this predicts different STEM career choices and actual occupational outcomes, to yield theoretical developments and inform policy to improve the participation of girls/women (and boys/men) in these fields. Expected outcomes of this project include the provision of comprehensive evidence-informed recommendations to Federal and State government, industry and education stakeholders, which will enable the coordinated development of intervention programs to address these issues.Read moreRead less
Origins, evolution, and economic cost of gender norms. Gender norms are slow to change, and key drivers of economic development. This proposal leverages natural experiments to test their causal implications on two major channels of economic growth: the trust shared by individuals and the productivity of firms. It will use cutting-edge empirical techniques to generate novel measures of diversity and inclusion for Australian firms, and will conduct original fieldwork, matching experimental measure ....Origins, evolution, and economic cost of gender norms. Gender norms are slow to change, and key drivers of economic development. This proposal leverages natural experiments to test their causal implications on two major channels of economic growth: the trust shared by individuals and the productivity of firms. It will use cutting-edge empirical techniques to generate novel measures of diversity and inclusion for Australian firms, and will conduct original fieldwork, matching experimental measures of trust and cooperation with variation in traditional male versus female roles. This research aims at improving fundamental knowledge about how cultural norms shape economic outcomes and anticipates delivering practical policy recommendations for more efficient and inclusive economic growth. Read moreRead less
Thinking about possibilities: Towards a unified cognitive framework. Thoughts about possibilities are fundamental to what makes us human. We routinely imagine what might happen in the future and reflect on how the past could have turned out differently. This psychology project aims to establish the circumstances in which children and non-human primates think about alternative possibilities, and to explain how they do it. The project expects to provide new knowledge of cognitive development and e ....Thinking about possibilities: Towards a unified cognitive framework. Thoughts about possibilities are fundamental to what makes us human. We routinely imagine what might happen in the future and reflect on how the past could have turned out differently. This psychology project aims to establish the circumstances in which children and non-human primates think about alternative possibilities, and to explain how they do it. The project expects to provide new knowledge of cognitive development and evolution, and to distinguish between simple and complex processes for thinking about possibilities. Expected benefits include progress towards a unified cognitive framework that may ultimately be leveraged to help people better reason about possibilities and bring them to fruition.Read moreRead less