Grants & Opportunities

Preventing child sexual abuse by understanding perpetrators’ motivations. This project aims to investigate, for the first time, the experiential motivations of child sexual abuse perpetrators. Using a novel theoretical and methodological approach, it expects to discover new knowledge about the motivations of child sexual abuse perpetrators. Expected outcomes include new theoretical explanations for child sexual abuse perpetration and transformed policy and practice measures to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Australia and beyond. This should provide significant benefits, such as reduction of the widespread, severe and costly impacts of child sexual abuse, and an evidence base to support and enhance government initiatives such as the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse. . Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 4402 - Criminology. Lead: Prof Kelly Richards

Gut-brain control of cue-induced feeding behaviours. This proposal aims to determine how food cues (e.g., advertisements) trigger our desire to eat. Using modern virally-mediated strategies, behavioural and histological techniques in a transgenic rat, this proposal seeks to characterise novel gut-brain circuits that mediate cue-induced feeding behaviours. This is significant as food cues can cause overeating, which is problematic in the current obesogenic society, yet the mechanisms are unclear. This project expects to provide new knowledge on how the gut communicates with multiple brain regions to control cue-induced eating. This work should benefit the advancement of knowledge and establish a framework for future research on gut-brain mechanisms in cue-induced feeding.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 5202 - Biological Psychology. Lead: Dr Zhi Yi Ong

Reducing rocket resonance is the key to safer spaceflight. This fellowship considers a particularly dangerous component of rocket launch, which is the potential for destructive feedback loops to form either in the nozzle, or between the nozzle and the launch pad. CI Edgington-Mitchell is a world leader in the study of resonance in jet engines, having developed best-in-field methodologies for the problem. In this innovative fellowship, he will apply these methodologies to better understand the dangerous resonances that can occur during rocket launch, using a combination of experimental, numerical, and theoretical techniques, in partnership with NASA, Stanford, and the CNRS.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering. Lead: A/Prof Daniel Edgington-Mitchell

Understanding and controlling neuropeptide GPCR-transducer coupling. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are physiologically essential, yet the spatiotemporal complexity of receptor function has limited our understanding of their function and success in drug development. Using a multi-disciplinary approach integrating GPCR signalling, trafficking and drug delivery, this research program aims to understand, and control, the molecular mechanisms that enable a single receptor to respond to different ligands to promote unique cellular processes. The anticipated outcomes include an enhanced capacity for understanding fundamental biology, and stronger national and international collaborations. It will provide significant benefits including expanded basic knowledge and advancement of drug delivery technology.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 3214 - Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Lead: A/Prof Nicholas Veldhuis

Performing cold microwave measurements with warm diamonds. Detecting weak microwave signals at room temperature is an exceptionally difficult task, due to the excessive thermal microwave noise that exists all around us. At present, the best microwave receivers must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures, restricting their widespread use. This project aims to apply diamond-based quantum technologies to achieve unprecedented microwave signal detection sensitivities with a room-temperature setup, providing more accessible ultra-low noise detectors. The ability to measure weak microwave signals is crucial for a range of sectors and the results of this project are expected to have applications in defence (radar), space exploration (satellite communication), and fundamental research (spectroscopy).. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 5108 - Quantum Physics. Lead: A/Prof Jarryd Pla

New-generation flexible thermoelectrics for wearable electronics. This project aims to develop lightweight, flexible, and durable thermoelectric thin films for wearable electronics using a computation-guided approach, coupled with novel device design and materials nanoengineering strategies. The key breakthrough will overcome the stereotype of fragile thermoelectric materials and their low thermoelectric efficiency for achieving localised, instant, and controllable power generation and/or cooling with record-high performance in carefully designed wearable thermoelectric devices. Expected outcomes include new understanding of thermoelectrics and innovative technologies for achieving electronics/energy applications, which will provide significant economic and educational benefits for Australia.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 4016 - Materials Engineering. Lead: Prof Zhi-Gang Chen

Supporting the inclusion of siblings when a family is in crisis . This project aims to explore the inclusion experience of siblings during a significant family crisis – a child’s critical illness. Exclusion from a family crisis can have lasting impacts, however sibling experiences of inclusion when a child is critically ill remain unstudied. Through observation and interviews with children and their families, this project expects to generate new knowledge about sibling inclusion in this family crisis. Expected outcomes include guidelines to enhance sibling inclusion and a resource to support family togetherness. This project should provide significant social benefits, such as changes to local and national sibling and family policies, and improved family wellbeing for all Australian families in crisis.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4203 - Health Services and Systems. Lead: Dr Ashleigh Butler

Precision Rulers for the Visible - Chip Scale Optical Frequency Combs. This project aims to create a photonic chip technology that generates hundreds of coherent laser lines in the visible spectrum from a single chip for accurate sensing, imaging unknown objects and measuring gas emissions. The project expects to introduce this new capability in the current photonic chip technology, which currently only operates with infrared light. The expected outcomes are inexpensive, stable and energy-efficient devices the size of a fingernail that will enable measurements with unprecedented accuracies. This should allow these devices to be mounted on drones, satellites, and robots, making them attractive for defence, information security, imaging, autonomous vehicle, and sensing applications.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4009 - Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware. Lead: Dr Andreas Boes

Automated People Management: When algorithms manage employees. This project aims to explain the impact of technologies that automate people management. Through four integrated studies, this project expects to generate new knowledge on a currently invisible set of managerial and industrial practices that are profoundly reshaping work and employment relations. Expected outcomes include the first typology of automated people management technologies that will be used to reveal where and how automated people management is occurring in Australia and its effects on managers and workers. This much needed research should provide significant practical benefit to organisations and inform emerging policy and frameworks for the responsible adoption of AI and digital technologies in Australian workplaces. . Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3505 - Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Lead: A/Prof Penelope Williams

Photo-thermal ammonia decomposition . This project aims to develop of novel catalysts targeted to utilise light and heat for the photo-thermal decomposition of ammonia to produce hydrogen and generate new understanding on the role of light in thermal catalytic reactions. The emergence of the hydrogen economy has resulted in the urgent need for safe and efficient hydrogen transport and storage vectors. Ammonia, a hydrogen carrier, is being increasingly considered as a potential key to facilitate the hydrogen economy due to its relative ease of storage. The development of catalysts tailored toward capturing light for ammonia decomposition will enable a new potential pathway for the hydrogen economy, with ammonia as a hydrogen vector. . Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3406 - Physical Chemistry. Lead: Dr Emma Lovell

Mapping the genetics of brain connectivity. The brain is a complex biological system that gives rise to our consciousness, thoughts, and experiences, yet we still do not know how this complexity emerges. This project aims to comprehensively investigate the genetics of brain connectivity combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging, genomics, mathematical modelling, and cognitive neuroscience, focusing specifically on the connectivity of functionally important brain network hubs. The outcomes will provide a mechanistic understanding of the genetic origins of brain network formation and an explanation for how genetic influences on brain organisation shape human behaviour advancing the fundamental knowledge about the complexity of the brain.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 5202 - Biological Psychology. Lead: Dr Aurina Arnatkeviciute

Photothermal management with graphene metamaterials. Environmental and industrial thermal management represents major global energy consumption and CO2 emission. This project aims to investigate a game-changing passive thermal management solution to tackle both heating and cooling problems without using any electricity. This is made possible by designing a nanostructured graphene metamaterial to either totally reject or totally absorb electromagnetic waves in certain spectral ranges. Expected outcomes include new design and fabrication strategies for novel photothermal films with high performance and cost-effectiveness. This is expected to lead to the development of novel energy efficient technologies for Australian industries, producing direct economic, social and environmental benefits.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4016 - Materials Engineering. Lead: Dr Keng-Te Lin

From data to fast insights: a database system for seamless data exploration. This project aims to develop a next-generation database platform for seamless data exploration, where users can interactively search for insights buried in the data, without a clear outcome in mind. Unlike today's database management systems, this platform does not require costly experts to tune the database for fast responses, and guides users towards finding insights. Using the latest advancements in machine learning to facilitate data exploration and reduce the time and effort to discover insights, this open-source database platform should provide significant benefits to Australian businesses and boost scientific discovery, increasing Australia’s competitiveness in the global data-driven market. . Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science. Lead: A/Prof Renata Borovica-Gajic

Porous Tandem Catalyst for CO2 Conversion into Sustainable Chemicals. This project aims to develop new strategies to design and tune the performance of multifunctional catalysts for the conversion of carbon dioxide as a sustainable feedstock for the production of valuable commodity chemicals used in the manufacture of consumer products. New insights into reaction mechanisms, and relationships between catalyst structure and performance, are expected through innovative analytical tools. Anticipated outcomes include a toolkit of catalyst design principles, underpinning the development of next-generation catalysts with superior energy efficiency, waste minimisation, and associated socioeconomic benefits, which should contribute significantly to Australian science, industry and the environment. . Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3406 - Physical Chemistry. Lead: Dr Helena Wang

Quantum sensing of magnetism in two dimensions. This project aims to use innovative quantum sensing technologies to investigate the novel emerging field of two-dimensional magnetism; imaging both static and dynamic forms of 2D magnetism. This project expects to generate new knowledge about magnetic van der Waals materials and their potential application to ultra-thin electronic and spintronic devices. Expected outcomes of this project are a deeper understanding of the formation and modulation of magnetic order in 2D, new fabrication methods for deliberate domain wall formation, production of near-zero energy gap spin-waves, and new encapsulation methods for ultra-stable 2D materials. This should provide significant benefits towards fundamental physics and future device engineering. . Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 5104 - Condensed Matter Physics. Lead: Dr David Broadway

Muslim Museums: Curating Islam in Multicultural Societies . This project aims to determine how contemporary Muslim communities use museums as a medium to think about and display their collective identities in non-Muslim-majority societies. Drawing on a comparative ethnographic study of Muslim-led museums across Australia, Europe, and North America, the project expects to generate new knowledge about how Muslim communities collect, curate, and exhibit their heritage in a comparative frame. Outcomes include the first transnational study of Muslim museums and a radio documentary on the Islamic Museum of Australia. Anticipated benefits include a greater understanding of the experiences of communities in caring for their heritage and improved competency in displaying multicultural heritage in museums.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4302 - Heritage, Archive and Museum Studies. Lead: Dr Virginie Rey

Strain-stabilised perovskite optoelectronics: from fundamentals to devices. This project aims to develop deep structure-property relationships and strain engineering protocols to generate stable forms of the emerging inorganic halide perovskite semiconductors, which are promising for next-generation solar cells and light emitting diodes. This project expects to arrive at working light emitter and detector prototypes via a three-dimensional, multi-length scale strain engineering approach that utilises materials processing techniques already used in the semiconductor industry. The expected outcomes include the development of new stabilisation methods which are compatible with facile and scalable device processing, which will directly impact the success of future perovskite optoelectronic devices and technologies.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 5104 - Condensed Matter Physics. Lead: Dr Julian Steele

Predicting the future threat of mosquitoes under climate change. This project aims to predict the future distributions of local and invasive mosquito species under climate change by testing their ability to adapt to hot, cold and dry environments. The project expects to generate new knowledge by identifying traits that underpin climate change adaptation in mosquitoes. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced understanding of future mosquito distributions through new predictive models that incorporate adaptive changes. This should provide significant social and economic benefits, with outcomes intended to improve the management of local pest mosquitoes and prepare Australia to tackle invasive mosquito threats.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology. Lead: Dr Perran Stott-Ross

Kesterite/Si Tandem Structure for Unassisted Overall Solar Fuel Production. This project aims to develop Kesterite/Si tandem device for photoelectrochemical carbon dioxide reduction to produce solar fuels. It is expected to reveal the photoelectrochemical mechanism of the p-n heterojunction, thereby promoting solar energy utilisation and greenhouse gas reduction. Expected outcomes include delivery of a high-performance kesterite photocathode for efficient CO2 reduction, a kesterite/Si tandem device for overall unassisted solar fuel production, and an in-depth understanding of structure-performance correlation to guide future heterojunction photocathode design. This project should provide significant benefits in minimising fossil fuel consumption, increasing energy security, and expanding the clean energy industry.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4016 - Materials Engineering. Lead: Dr Kaiwen Sun

The evolution of venom and its role in shaping biodiversity. This project aims to study how venom, nature's most powerful weapon, evolves and shapes biodiversity. Using the iconic Australian and New Guinean venomous snakes as a model, this project expects to develop a novel approach to profile venom composition from museum specimens, test competing hypotheses on the evolution of venoms, and test for the association between the evolution of venoms and the evolution of diversity in species richness and morphology. Expected outcomes include the largest venom database for any animal group and a better understanding of how venoms evolve and what role they play in earth’s biodiversity. The generated venom data has potential to be used in future studies to aid in the development of anti-venoms and drugs.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology. Lead: Dr Damien Esquerre

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. . Scheme: Discovery Indigenous. Field: 4901 - Applied Mathematics. Lead: Prof Rowena Ball

Fine Tuning: A Reconciliation of Indigenous and Western Musical Traditions. Focusing on central Australian song lines, the project strengthens our knowledge, understanding and application of the intricate tuning systems that underpin traditional Indigenous musical practices. Employing a unique methodology that combines Indigenous and contemporary Western musical performance practices with cutting-edge digital technologies, the project will show how the highly nuanced and sophisticated tunings at the heart of Indigenous music-making can be preserved when transposed to contemporary Western art music contexts. In so doing, the case is made for a more genuine, equitable dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous music-makers, to the mutual benefit of musicians, audiences, and society at large. . Scheme: Discovery Indigenous. Field: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History. Lead: Dr Dylan Crismani

ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space. ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space. This Centre aims to create on-demand, zero-waste, high-efficiency plants and plant products to address grand challenges in sustainability for Space and on Earth. Significant advances in plant, food, and sensory science; process and systems engineering; law and policy; and psychology are expected to deliver transformative solutions for Space habitation – and create enhanced plant-derived food and bioresources to capitalise upon emergent and rapidly expanding domestic and global markets. Anticipated outcomes include industry uptake of innovative plant forms, foods, technologies, and commodities; and an ambitious education and international co-ordination agenda to position Australia as a global leader in research supporting Space habitation.. Scheme: ARC Centres of Excellence. Field: 3108 - Plant Biology. Lead: Prof Matthew Gilliham

Towards a Green and Sustainable Energy-efficient Metaverse. This project aims to establish a world-class facility for conducting research on green and sustainable energy-efficient metaverse technologies. The metaverse is widely anticipated as the next technological breakthrough that will revolutionise the way we interact, learn, work, shop and entertain in the new digital economy. However, metaverse technologies, including virtual reality, AI, big data, cybersecurity and blockchains, require a tremendous amount of computation and energy to serve millions of concurrent users. The proposed facility is expected to support the development of energy-efficient algorithms and systems for the metaverse, and establish Australia’s leadership in this emerging area of major economic and societal impact.. Scheme: Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities. Field: 4604 - Cybersecurity and Privacy. Lead: Prof Willy Susilo

Revealing the impacts of super-charged photosynthesis on leaf respiration. This project aims to use state-of-the-art technologies to develop a novel framework that links a super-charged version of photosynthesis (known as C4 photosynthesis) to changes in nocturnal leaf respiration. A quarter of global land photosynthesis occurs in C4 plants that include several important cereal crops. Although advances have been made in modelling C4 photosynthesis, these advances are unable to model variations in nocturnal respiration. Expected outcomes include equations that predict respiration in C4 plants growing in current/future climates. Benefits to include knowledge needed to engineer faster-growing crops and providing climate modelers the ability to more accurately predict carbon exchange in C4-dominated ecosystems. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3004 - Crop and Pasture Production. Lead: Prof Owen Atkin