Building A Better Built Environment for Older Australian's Ageing-in-place. Most older Australians prefer to age in place after their retirement. This project aims to understand how the built environment as a comprehensive system supports (or hinders) their ageing-in-place given that the existing Australian built environment fails to meet older Australians' requirements for independent living. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of ageing-friendly communities using Bayesia ....Building A Better Built Environment for Older Australian's Ageing-in-place. Most older Australians prefer to age in place after their retirement. This project aims to understand how the built environment as a comprehensive system supports (or hinders) their ageing-in-place given that the existing Australian built environment fails to meet older Australians' requirements for independent living. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of ageing-friendly communities using Bayesian Network analysis and interactive design charrettes. Expected outcomes include an evidence-based Bayesian network model that determines how the built environment affects independent living in the community and design innovation and guidelines to improve the built environment design for older Australians' ageing-in-place.Read moreRead less
Sustainable retirement villages for Ageing Australians. This project aims to deliver sustainable retirement villages to better accommodate older Australians and assess their effects on the growth of the retirement village industry. More organisations and governments globally are embracing sustainable development, but the Australian retirement village industry has been largely static and unresponsive; it has not yet met the green movement’s challenge to provide a sustainable living environment fo ....Sustainable retirement villages for Ageing Australians. This project aims to deliver sustainable retirement villages to better accommodate older Australians and assess their effects on the growth of the retirement village industry. More organisations and governments globally are embracing sustainable development, but the Australian retirement village industry has been largely static and unresponsive; it has not yet met the green movement’s challenge to provide a sustainable living environment for senior citizens. This project is expected to improve the living environment of retirement villages and the quality of life of older Australians.Read moreRead less
Demonstrating the feasibility of designing sustainable buildings using evolutionary systems. The design approach proposed in this research will result in two key areas of national benefit. First, the research will enable Australian built environment design professions to become more competitive in both domestic and international markets. There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly buildings and the proposed design approach will enable Australian firms to be at the cutting edge of sust ....Demonstrating the feasibility of designing sustainable buildings using evolutionary systems. The design approach proposed in this research will result in two key areas of national benefit. First, the research will enable Australian built environment design professions to become more competitive in both domestic and international markets. There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly buildings and the proposed design approach will enable Australian firms to be at the cutting edge of sustainable design. Second, the research will enable the Australian built environment to become more sustainable. The proposed approach will enable buildings to be designed that perform well, that are cost effective and that minimise their environmental impact. Read moreRead less
Biodegradable magnesium alloy scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This project aims to develop a class of porous, biocompatible, biofunctional and biodegradable magnesium alloy scaffolds with designed pore architecture and mechanical properties mimicking those of natural bone for tissue engineering applications. These magnesium alloy scaffolds will be biocompatible, able to bear loads, and will be gradually replaced by natural bone. The outcomes are expected to benefit the ageing population a ....Biodegradable magnesium alloy scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This project aims to develop a class of porous, biocompatible, biofunctional and biodegradable magnesium alloy scaffolds with designed pore architecture and mechanical properties mimicking those of natural bone for tissue engineering applications. These magnesium alloy scaffolds will be biocompatible, able to bear loads, and will be gradually replaced by natural bone. The outcomes are expected to benefit the ageing population and people with bone abnormalities.Read moreRead less
Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the ....Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the techniques of cognitive neuroscience, the project aims to provide a better understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms that govern attention in an applied setting. It expects to identify the factors that exacerbate lapses in attention and collisions. The effect of everyday impediments such as mobile phones, alcohol and fatigue will be investigated together with means of minimising these attentional lapses and improving safety.Read moreRead less
Every Day Matters: Reducing School Non-Attendance in Autistic Students. Autistic children miss one day a week of school, three times more than their peers. This significantly impacts their learning, wellbeing and later, their vocational outcomes. This project aims to identify the factors that put autistic children at increased risk of missing school and map the supports and interventions used to reduce school non-attendance. Expected outcomes include an autism-specific model of the how and why s ....Every Day Matters: Reducing School Non-Attendance in Autistic Students. Autistic children miss one day a week of school, three times more than their peers. This significantly impacts their learning, wellbeing and later, their vocational outcomes. This project aims to identify the factors that put autistic children at increased risk of missing school and map the supports and interventions used to reduce school non-attendance. Expected outcomes include an autism-specific model of the how and why school non-attendance is elevated for autistic students. It is anticipated that this model make the important step of enabling teachers and professionals to identify which autistic children are most at risk of absenteeism and select the best strategies to support a positive and beneficial return to school.Read moreRead less
Towards Novel Biomimetic Building Materials: Evaluating Aboriginal and Western Scientific Knowledge of Spinifex Grasses. The project contributes to an environmentally sustainable Australia by examining the potential value of a hitherto ignored natural resource and assessing its usage with sustainable harvesting. Aboriginal knowledge and Western science will be combined to identify potential technological applications for a widespread but uniquely Australian resource. The project promotes the wel ....Towards Novel Biomimetic Building Materials: Evaluating Aboriginal and Western Scientific Knowledge of Spinifex Grasses. The project contributes to an environmentally sustainable Australia by examining the potential value of a hitherto ignored natural resource and assessing its usage with sustainable harvesting. Aboriginal knowledge and Western science will be combined to identify potential technological applications for a widespread but uniquely Australian resource. The project promotes the well-being and health of Aboriginal people through seeking out a new economic enterprise for remote area groups. This project examines the material properties of spinifex, specifically for new building industry applications, both in its natural state and replicated as a synthesized biomimetic material. Read moreRead less
New generation nanostructured coatings with combined control of spectral and angular emissivity. The aim of this project is to generate a complete scientific understanding of a new generation of hybrid, tri-layered, optically-selective coatings. The new design paradigm combines the very different attributes of smooth and nanostructured layers so that superior and simultaneous control of both spectral and angular properties of light can be achieved. Existing theory will be extended so that quanti ....New generation nanostructured coatings with combined control of spectral and angular emissivity. The aim of this project is to generate a complete scientific understanding of a new generation of hybrid, tri-layered, optically-selective coatings. The new design paradigm combines the very different attributes of smooth and nanostructured layers so that superior and simultaneous control of both spectral and angular properties of light can be achieved. Existing theory will be extended so that quantitative analyses of these new systems and other hybrids become possible and new and improved fabrication techniques will be developed. The work will unlock new technological possibilities for coating performance and application and is likely to be associated with significant improvements in energy conservation and generation. Read moreRead less