Grants & Opportunities

Understanding Reionization with the Murchison Widefield Array . Epoch of Reionization is the time during the first 10% of the Universes age when the first stars formed, and illuminated cosmic space with UV radiation that heated and re-ionized intergalactic atomic gas remnant from the time of the cosmic-microwave background. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) Epoch of Reionization key project has collected observations for the past 10 years, aiming to detecting re-ionization in low-frequency radio emission from the 21cm line of hydrogen. This project aims to complete the processing of MWA data to produce a final observational constraint or detection, and integrate these findings with detailed physical models to determine key properties of the first galaxies. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5101 - Astronomical Sciences. Lead: Prof Stuart Wyithe

Young at Heart: Vascular mechanisms supporting healthy cognitive ageing. . This project aims to investigate the vascular mechanisms that contribute to individual variability in cognitive ability in mid-late life. It uses novel measures of regional brain arterial integrity and conventional measures of systemic blood flow to experimentally characterise the vascular mechanisms by which lifestyle choices affect brain structure/function and cognitive ability in healthy older adults. The outcomes will inform integrative models of cognitive ageing and strengthen international, cross-disciplinary collaborations in cognitive ageing neuroscience. This knowledge may inform evidence-based lifestyle approaches to promote healthy and engaged living in mid-late life and reduce the social and economic impacts of cognitive ageing.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5202 - Biological Psychology. Lead: Prof Frini Karayanidis

Harmonic analysis for elliptic partial differential equations. This project aims to establish fundamental estimates for elliptic partial differential equations, a crucial step in unravelling the behaviour of solutions in real-world applications. The overall goal is to study the changes in these estimates as the equation coefficients, indicative of factors like the roughness of the medium, become increasingly singular, through investigating a longstanding conjecture of Pucci from 1966. Anticipated outcomes encompass the invention of a new class of fully nonlinear elliptic equations, along with new harmonic analysis techniques for studying them. The results will be a significant milestone for partial differential equations and solidify Australia's leadership in this cornerstone of modern mathematics.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4904 - Pure Mathematics. Lead: A/Prof Po-Lam Yung

Exploiting duality in quantum relative entropy optimisation. This project aims to develop improved algorithmic and modelling approaches for quantum relative entropy optimisation problems, which naturally arise in the design and analysis of quantum systems. This project expects to achieve this by developing a deeper mathematical understanding of duality for these problems. Expected outcomes include new algorithms for the design of quantum key distribution protocols, as well as theory to characterise the modelling power and limitations of quantum relative entropy optimisation. Possible benefits include the ability to design and reliably characterise properties of larger quantum information processing systems, as well as developing new application areas for this family of optimisation problems.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4903 - Numerical and Computational Mathematics. Lead: Dr James Saunderson

Untangling the mechanisms of visual attention. No area of the brain works in isolation - brain areas are vastly interconnected and work together with precise temporal precision. How does the brain keep track of different connections and integrate them to control behaviour? This project aims to investigate the mechanisms the brain uses to integrate different information to guide visual attention. This project expects to generate a foundational knowledge about a fundamental brain process. The expected outcomes include novel research capacity in Australia and the development of novel methods to study brain function. Understanding neural communication will provide significant benefits to the development of neural engineering projects like neural prosthetics and computer vision.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3209 - Neurosciences. Lead: Dr Maureen Hagan

The role of microbial interactions in controlling bacterial evolution. Bacteria evolve rapidly by sharing DNA through a process called conjugation. Conjugation enables movement of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria within diverse niches, such as within the gut or in soil, facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Using cutting-edge techniques, this project expects to generate new knowledge into how interactions between microbes allow antibiotic resistance genes to move amongst diverse bacteria, and how the cell receiving the DNA responds to, controls, and modulates this process. This project addresses a long-standing knowledge gap, and results can be used to combat antibiotic resistance, providing significant benefits to our economy, environment, society, and agricultural industries.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3107 - Microbiology. Lead: Prof Dena Lyras

New polar and radical reactions via electron poor alkyne organocatalysis. Organocatalysts are small organic molecules able to catalyse chemical reactions. In contrast to metal or enzyme catalysts they are simpler to prepare, more robust, and cheaper. However, their use has largely focused on reactions at the carbonyl group (studies which led to the 2021 Nobel prize). In this proposal organocatalysts, either working alone or in tandem, are used to uncover new reactions of alkynes conjugated to the carbonyl group. The reactions targeted are all new and involve polar (2-electron) and/or radical (1-electron) bond formation, along with control of three dimensional shape (stereochemistry). The studies are focused on uncovering general reactivity patterns applicable in a range of contexts.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3405 - Organic Chemistry. Lead: Prof David Lupton

Flexible stepped wedge and cluster randomised crossover designs . Cluster randomised trials are an important class of trial used to assess the effect of interventions. This project aims to develop flexible cluster randomised trial designs by developing statistical theory for designs that can adapt to changing circumstances, update cluster and/or participant recruitment, and the software tools for trial design and analysis. This project expects to generate adaptable and flexible cluster designs. Expected outcomes include tools to allow researchers across a wide range of disciplines to design these trials, the underpinning methodology, and international collaboration. This should provide significant benefits by supporting the conduct of more high-quality, cost-efficient research in Australia and worldwide.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4905 - Statistics. Lead: Prof Jessica Kasza

Energy efficient ammonia electrosynthesis. This project aims to develop an electrolytic technology for the production of ammonia from renewables with a significantly improved energy efficiency using first-of-a-kind electrode designs recently discovered at Monash University. New knowledge in sustainable technologies is expected to be produced by integrated experimental and modelling studies on previously unexplored materials for ammonia synthesis. The target outcome of the project is a sustainable ammonia synthesis method that can replace the current fossil-fuel-based process. The technology to be developed from these outcomes is expected to be of significant benefit to Australia as a source of low-cost fertilisers for agriculture and as a means of storage of renewable electricity.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3406 - Physical Chemistry. Lead: A/Prof Alexandr Simonov

A new mechanism of bacterial membrane defence against environmental stress. Bacterial membranes serve as a critical barrier against external stress and often undergo changes to adapt. This project focuses on investigating a novel adaptive mechanism related to the production of lipoamino acids, a unique class of amino acid-containing lipids. Using systems biology and computational and biophysical tools, this project aims to elucidate the biogenesis of lipoamino acids and their impact on bacterial membrane stability, as well as their interactions with membrane-targeting compounds. By uncovering these mechanisms, this research will greatly enhance our understanding of bacterial adaption to environmental stress and may inform the future design of new antibacterial approaches specifically targeting bacterial membranes.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3107 - Microbiology. Lead: Dr Meiling Han

An investigation into metabolite-mediated immunity. This project aims to investigate how the immune system is modulated by metabolites, an emerging and key area of the life sciences. Presently, little is known about metabolite-mediated immunity, thereby representing a major knowledge gap. The project aims to combine mass spectrometry, structural and biochemical approaches to learn how metabolites are (i) presented by an antigen presenting molecule called MR1 (ii) how this leads to activation by specific T lymphocytes. Outcomes will significantly advance current understanding of the molecular basis underpinning metabolite-mediated immunity. Major benefits will include fundamental new knowledge about immunity that may ultimately be used by the biotechnology industry.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: Prof Jamie Rossjohn

Inducing essential bacterial enzymes to self-destruct. Antimicrobial resistance is a looming crisis. Breakthrough cell biology is needed to identify new targets and new mechanisms of inhibition. This project aims to probe the susceptibility of bacteria to a novel “reaction-hijacking” mechanism, which has recently been discovered by our team. This work expects to catalogue targetable enzymes in bacteria and probe the inhibition mechanism using chemical, structural and cell biology approaches. Expected outcomes include the discovery of powerful chemical probes to study key metabolic enzymes in bacteria and a blueprint for the design of selective reaction-hijacking inhibitors. In the longer term, this work will underpin new therapeutic avenues for bacterial infections of humans and animals.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: Dr Stanley Cheng Xie

Avant-Garde Kirchhoff's Laws Equivalent for Quantum Thermal Transistors . This project aims to formulate Kirchhoff's Current and Voltage Laws (KCL&KVL) equivalents tailored to quantum thermal transistors, which we pioneered. Drawing inspiration from the transformative impact of traditional KCL&KVL, which revolutionized the electronics industry, our endeavour seeks to extend these principles to the realm of quantum thermal transistors governed by the Schrödinger equation. This innovative approach will yield a unified set of KCL&KVL applicable to traditional and quantum thermal transistors, paving the way for advanced hybrid thermal control circuitry. The resulting software and design principles will catalyze advancements in electronics, including hybrid thermal management systems and chip-scale heat distributors.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4008 - Electrical Engineering. Lead: Prof Malin Premaratne

Mind bender: how neuroactive drug pollution impacts wildlife cognition. This Project aims to investigate how widespread contamination by neuroactive drugs affects wildlife cognition and survival, and thus, the ecological communities they inhabit. It expects to generate new mechanistic insights into the emerging threat of pharmaceutical pollution across different scales of ecological complexity, from controlled laboratory experimentation to studies in the wild. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of direct relevance to chemical risk assessment and regulation. Findings should contribute significantly to understanding how wildlife respond to palpable environmental hazards, and enhance the evidence base for managing and securing biodiversity and vulnerable water resources—both in Australia and globally.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3103 - Ecology. Lead: Prof Bob Wong

Investigating how nuclear bodies may establish cellular memory. This project aims to determine how nuclear bodies establish cellular memory. This project expects to generate new knowledge in molecular programming of immune cells, by leveraging interdisciplinary collaborations and using cutting-edge high-resolution microscopy, gene and protein knockout systems, as well as cell and chromatin biology techniques. Expected outcomes include new principles of how cells are reprogrammed for enhanced function & the ability to adapt to microenvironmental change for long-term survival. This should provide significant benefits such as knowledge creation that may lead to development of technology to reprogram cell function across many species, as well as enhancing Australian research capacity and recognition.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3204 - Immunology. Lead: Prof Kim Good-Jacobson

Securing Privacy-Preserving Cloud Computation Against Active Attacks. This project aims to devise practical cryptographic tools for securing privacy-preserving cloud computation applications from active attack threats that go beyond eavesdropping. It expects to remove a fundamental barrier to secure deployment of privacy-preserving cloud computation technology. The project is expected to generate novel methods to significantly reduce the risk of cloud data privacy breaches which have plagued enterprise and personal data in recent years. Expected outcomes of the project include a practical active security toolkit for deployment in cloud applications such as privacy-preserving Artificial Intelligence services. This should benefit cloud services by bolstering privacy and reducing the frequency of data breaches. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy. Lead: Prof Ron Steinfeld

Synchronised brain oscillations and motor function in older adults. The ability to learn new motor skills declines with advancing age, but the cause of this decline, or how to alleviate it, remains elusive. This project will use a novel form of non-invasive brain stimulation combined with multimodal techniques to investigate how synchronising brain oscillations at specific frequencies can improve motor learning in older adults. This cutting-edge approach will provide new information on the neurophysiological basis of synchronised brain oscillations and how they can be optimised to improve motor function. The outcomes may have wide-ranging implications for the design of training protocols aimed at improving motor and cognitive function, providing potential benefits in ageing and in rehabilitation.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5202 - Biological Psychology. Lead: A/Prof John Semmler

Unlocking latent reactivity in chemical synthesis via electrochemistry . This project seeks to establish new methods for the efficient preparation of organic compounds using direct inputs of electricity to unlock fundamental reactivity that is otherwise unattainable under mild conditions. Employing an integrated experimental and computational approach, we will design new chemical reactions in which simple electrochemical triggers transform stable and inexpensive precursors into highly reactive intermediates in a controlled fashion. Ultimately, this research will enable safer and greener manufacturing of high-value molecules, such as pharmaceuticals, that are central to improvements in human health and the quality of life enjoyed by modern society. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3405 - Organic Chemistry. Lead: Prof Michelle Coote

Investigating the plant growth/defence trade-off. This project aims to understand how plants balance their growth with defence against pathogens. It expects to generate new knowledge in the area of how natural plant defence mechanisms impact on plant productivity by investigating the underlying biochemical mechanisms. The expected outcomes of this project include the ability to easily identify new long-lasting disease resistance genes, and a more complete understanding of how the plant immune system works.This should provide significant benefits including improving crop productivity by identification of new resistance genes, and strategies to optimise the balance between plant growth and resistance to pathogens. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3108 - Plant Biology. Lead: Prof John Rathjen

Young People, Fintech Use and Future Financial Security. Young people’s rapid uptake of financial technologies (fintech) impacts their present-day financial wellbeing and capacity to create financially secure futures. This project will be the first to explore how young people navigate and understand the new landscape of fintech platforms and products, and to uncover the hitherto hidden impacts of fintech sorting and classificatory processes. We will use innovative research methods to interrogate the relationship between everyday financial practices and algorithmic platforms, developing a youth-centred approach to understanding the interface between them. This new knowledge will inform ongoing regulatory efforts, support youth sector practice and increase public understanding of fintech platforms.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4410 - Sociology. Lead: A/Prof Steven Threadgold

Discovering natural hydrogen in continental interiors. Hydrogen (H2) is a crucial clean energy source with applications in industry and transportation. Currently, H2 production relies on high-emission steam-methane reforming, while 'green' H2 production through electrolysis is expensive and energy-intensive. The project focuses on the scientific and commercial potential of 'gold' or 'white' natural H2 generated by geological processes. Despite recent discoveries of subsurface H2 accumulations, large-scale commercial production remains unrealised. This project addresses this gap by developing a systematic, process-oriented approach to define geological controls on the origin and transport of natural H2 and provide a framework for identifying drilling targets and quantifying exploration risks.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3705 - Geology. Lead: Prof Simon Holford

Income Inequality, Asset Returns, and the Capital Share in Australia. We aim to show that income inequality measured by income shares is currently mis-measured due to omission of several important sources of capital income, such as depreciation allowances, imputed rent, and capital gains. To address this, the project aims to develop an analytical framework equipped to construct corrected measures of income shares that include the omitted capital income and cover a much longer period than previous inequality measures for Australia, the US, UK, Germany, and Scandinavia. We expect that inequality has followed a trajectory that is quite different from conventional measures of the functional income distribution. This has implications for several strands of macroeconomic analysis and economic policy. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3801 - Applied Economics. Lead: Prof Jakob Madsen

Pacific Powers: Imperial Competition and Cooperation in Micronesia. As geopolitical competition and conflict in the Pacific region grows, this project seeks to uncover the complex historical origins of this situation. It will assess why Micronesia has been the site of competing projects of power projection and how the people of the region have responded to radically different imperial powers. Using hitherto untapped archival materials in six different languages, it investigates how and why Micronesia was targeted and then conquered by the Spanish, the Germans, the Japanese and the United States before winning independence. In doing so, it seeks to offer a deeper understanding of our region, explaining why imperial competition in the Pacific has been the historical norm rather than the exception. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4303 - Historical Studies. Lead: Prof Matthew Fitzpatrick

Resolving the PFAS exposome through advances in mass spectrometry. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances are a major class of persistent organic pollutants that have been detected in even the most remote and pristine environments on the planet. This project will deliver next-generation mass spectrometry-based analytical capabilities for rapid and confident identification of these substances across diverse sample types ranging from clothing to concrete and biological tissues and fluids. These technologies will close the knowledge gap as to the extent of molecular diversity in per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance chemicals and thus provide critical insights into the exposure risks they pose to human health and the Australian environment (including Antarctic territories).. Scheme: Linkage Projects. Field: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry. Lead: Prof Stephen Blanksby

Fast and parallel logic gates for trapped-ion quantum computing. Quantum computers can simulate complex chemical interactions and materials in ways that existing quantum chemistry tools cannot. This project aims to develop key technology that will allow trapped-ion quantum computers to operate at a scale that makes them useful for commercial purposes. All current quantum computing platforms are limited by their ability to apply a large number of successive entangling gates. For trapped-ion systems, these limits can be overcome by non-adiabatic gate protocols called 'fast gates'. This project aims to develop versions of these tools that operate more efficiently when used in large scale next-generation quantum computers. . Scheme: Linkage Projects. Field: 5108 - Quantum Physics. Lead: Prof Joseph Hope