Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100149
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Spectroscopic imaging for materials, minerals and life sciences. The spectroscopic imaging equipment highlighted in this proposal will produce a number of outcomes of national benefit. First, it will elevate the impact of research in materials, minerals, and life sciences in Australia, all of which are key areas for the national economy and community. Second, the equipment will be integral to the teaching and research nexus and experiential learning facility for a new wave of materials science ....Spectroscopic imaging for materials, minerals and life sciences. The spectroscopic imaging equipment highlighted in this proposal will produce a number of outcomes of national benefit. First, it will elevate the impact of research in materials, minerals, and life sciences in Australia, all of which are key areas for the national economy and community. Second, the equipment will be integral to the teaching and research nexus and experiential learning facility for a new wave of materials science and engineering students to be educated at UniSA in the EIF-funded M2 building at Mawson Lakes. Finally, the anticipated outcomes of the research to be supported are significant and relate clearly to a number of National Research Priorities.Read moreRead less
Using molecular tools to understand and control the transmission of Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium is the major public health concern of water utilities as the parasite has a global impact on the health and survival of millions of people and animals worldwide. It is resistant to chlorine and there are no effective drugs against it. Control strategies therefore rely on understanding how it is transmitted. This project will conduct a comprehensive study utilising molecular tools to determine if ....Using molecular tools to understand and control the transmission of Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium is the major public health concern of water utilities as the parasite has a global impact on the health and survival of millions of people and animals worldwide. It is resistant to chlorine and there are no effective drugs against it. Control strategies therefore rely on understanding how it is transmitted. This project will conduct a comprehensive study utilising molecular tools to determine if the Cryptosporidium in humans is the same as that derived from water contamination sources (animals, sewage etc). The outcomes of this project will result in the development of more targeted, cost-effective preventive measures to minimize exposures to infections, accurate risk assessment, and scientific management of the watershed.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Ground Deformation Monitoring System Based on the Integration of InSAR, GPS and GIS Technologies. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) can be used to monitor ground deformation at high spatial resolution. When integrated with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) so that atmospheric disturbance in InSAR result can be corrected, deformation can be resolved at sub-centimetre accuracy. The corrected InSAR result can be exported as a data layer into Geographic Information System ....An Integrated Ground Deformation Monitoring System Based on the Integration of InSAR, GPS and GIS Technologies. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) can be used to monitor ground deformation at high spatial resolution. When integrated with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) so that atmospheric disturbance in InSAR result can be corrected, deformation can be resolved at sub-centimetre accuracy. The corrected InSAR result can be exported as a data layer into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for further analysis. In collaboration with Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers, the integrated InSAR-GPS-GIS system will be tested in both Hong Kong and Australia. The expected outcomes include a suite of algorithms and software tools capable of operational, cost-effective ground deformation monitoring.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560920
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$129,800.00
Summary
Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in ....Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in the development of new algorithms, indices and techniques of vegetation discrimination from remotely sensed imagery. It will help in the understanding of reflectance in plants under stress or pest damage. The spectroradiometer will enable the group to expand applications in the field of urban fire hazard mapping, precision agriculture, crop physiology, species mapping, viticulture and canopy modelling.Read moreRead less
Integrating the rice industry with biodiversity conservation: the spatial ecology of waterfowl in agricultural and natural landscapes. Waterfowl damage to rice crops is a significant problem for the rice industry worldwide. The management and conservation of waterfowl requires an explicit understanding of the effect of rice bays on habitat structure for waterfowl and how these interact with population processes operating at broad scales. This project will analyse the spatial ecology of waterfowl ....Integrating the rice industry with biodiversity conservation: the spatial ecology of waterfowl in agricultural and natural landscapes. Waterfowl damage to rice crops is a significant problem for the rice industry worldwide. The management and conservation of waterfowl requires an explicit understanding of the effect of rice bays on habitat structure for waterfowl and how these interact with population processes operating at broad scales. This project will analyse the spatial ecology of waterfowl in agricultural and natural landscapes in the Murray-Darling Basin. Specifically we will (1) track waterfowl, (2) analyse wetland distribution at fine and broad scales, (3) develop spatial models to describe the relationships between waterfowl movements and wetland distribution, including rice bays, and (4) develop models of agronomic risk based on landscape structure and the known responses of waterfowl.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0567355
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$97,086.00
Summary
Bidwern: Managing multi-formatted digital data across disciplines on the western Arnhem Land Plateau. This project will develop processes and tools to manage digital data associated with multidisciplinary projects. A pilot project will use a selection of visual and audio data being collected by social and physical scientists working with Indigenous communities on a major land management project across the western Arnhem Land Plateau. Tools will be developed and methods formulated for preparin ....Bidwern: Managing multi-formatted digital data across disciplines on the western Arnhem Land Plateau. This project will develop processes and tools to manage digital data associated with multidisciplinary projects. A pilot project will use a selection of visual and audio data being collected by social and physical scientists working with Indigenous communities on a major land management project across the western Arnhem Land Plateau. Tools will be developed and methods formulated for preparing the data for uploading to suitable repositories, for capturing the metadata relating to each file, and for enabling the data to be retrieved for subsequent analysis and dissemination purposes. The tools will be used by a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, the general public and remote communities.Read moreRead less
Novel technologies to resolve interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, phosphate fertilisers and root disease in wheat production. Soils in Australia are often phosphate (P) deficient. Fertiliser P costs ~$1.5 billion pa, yet much is wasted because of fixation in soils. This waste must be stopped and soil reserves unlocked, because supplies of rock phosphate for fertiliser manufacture will run out in the next ~70 years. We will investigate the potential of combining two approaches ....Novel technologies to resolve interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, phosphate fertilisers and root disease in wheat production. Soils in Australia are often phosphate (P) deficient. Fertiliser P costs ~$1.5 billion pa, yet much is wasted because of fixation in soils. This waste must be stopped and soil reserves unlocked, because supplies of rock phosphate for fertiliser manufacture will run out in the next ~70 years. We will investigate the potential of combining two approaches to maximise P fertiliser use by wheat - application of new, fluid fertiliser formulations and soil management to increase populations of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that have large effects on the way plants absorb P from soil. A new DNA-based method to monitor AM fungal communities will be applicable both in agricultural management and studies of AM fungal biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Dynamic signaling pathways of dispersal in bacterial biofilms. This Breakthrough Science project will result in an increased understanding of the molecular processes that govern biofilm development and dispersal. While the outcomes will be directly applicable where P. aeruginosa infections continue to cause health-threatening conditions, such as in Cystic Fibrosis chronic infections, it will also be instrumental for the rational design of novel products and strategies to control biofilms of othe ....Dynamic signaling pathways of dispersal in bacterial biofilms. This Breakthrough Science project will result in an increased understanding of the molecular processes that govern biofilm development and dispersal. While the outcomes will be directly applicable where P. aeruginosa infections continue to cause health-threatening conditions, such as in Cystic Fibrosis chronic infections, it will also be instrumental for the rational design of novel products and strategies to control biofilms of other single species or of mixed species populations in many other settings. Countless environmental, industrial and clinical applications will benefit from improved antimicrobial strategies and reduced usage of antibiotics.Read moreRead less
New Techniques for Artificial Neural Network Modelling in Hydrology. In recent years, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have demonstrated the potential to provide improved predictions when compared with the more traditional hydrological modelling techniques in a number of areas. These include the prediction of rainfall, streamflow and water quality parameters. However, one of the major difficulties associated with the application of ANNs is the lack of an established methodology for their design ....New Techniques for Artificial Neural Network Modelling in Hydrology. In recent years, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have demonstrated the potential to provide improved predictions when compared with the more traditional hydrological modelling techniques in a number of areas. These include the prediction of rainfall, streamflow and water quality parameters. However, one of the major difficulties associated with the application of ANNs is the lack of an established methodology for their design and implementation. This research will develop new methods for constructing ANN models and test them on a number of case studies so that the full potential and genuine utility of ANNs for solving hydrological problems can be assessed.Read moreRead less
Genetic evaluation of the diversity of the stygobitic fauna of the Pilbara, Western Australia. This study has two main aims, designed to help manage populations of the subterranean invertebrate fauna in an economically important region of Western Australia: 1) to provide phylogenetic and population genetic information on the structure of populations of amphipods and other groundwater fauna in the Pilbara, Western Australia, and 2) to investigate areas of the ecology of the fauna including respon ....Genetic evaluation of the diversity of the stygobitic fauna of the Pilbara, Western Australia. This study has two main aims, designed to help manage populations of the subterranean invertebrate fauna in an economically important region of Western Australia: 1) to provide phylogenetic and population genetic information on the structure of populations of amphipods and other groundwater fauna in the Pilbara, Western Australia, and 2) to investigate areas of the ecology of the fauna including response to changes in water chemistry. The genetic information will be used to gain an understanding of species diversity, distributions, and movement in order to help set conservation priorities in managing resources, habitats, and fauna. The ecological data will be used to study the effects of dewatering and changes in water chemsitry on morphology and survival.Read moreRead less