Quantum Information and Entanglement: a new framework for Science and Technology with quantum many-body systems. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in the understanding of quantum many-body systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By developing both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools, and by applying them to problems of recognised impor ....Quantum Information and Entanglement: a new framework for Science and Technology with quantum many-body systems. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in the understanding of quantum many-body systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By developing both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools, and by applying them to problems of recognised importance, this program will have direct implications in areas of condensed matter physics, quantum statistical mechanics, particle physics, complex systems, quantum information science and technology, quantum computation, engineered quantum systems and nanotechnology. Read moreRead less
The Atacama and Australian mining companies: identity, intercultural communication and negotiation in northern Chile. The involvement by state administrations and global corporations in planning for social responsibility in mining and the resulting negotiations with citizens - especially groups identified as indigenous - brings a range of people into dialogue. However, these contexts are under-researched. The proposed project will contribute an independent study of relationships between Chilean ....The Atacama and Australian mining companies: identity, intercultural communication and negotiation in northern Chile. The involvement by state administrations and global corporations in planning for social responsibility in mining and the resulting negotiations with citizens - especially groups identified as indigenous - brings a range of people into dialogue. However, these contexts are under-researched. The proposed project will contribute an independent study of relationships between Chilean citizens, Australian mining companies and the state in northern Chile. It seeks to provide theoretical insights and offer practical information in academic and plain language for local negotiators, global business and state administration: a timely analysis given recently (2008) signed Free Trade Agreement with Chile.Read moreRead less
Novel approaches to strongly correlated quantum systems in two dimensions. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in our understanding of strongly correlated quantum systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By strengthening both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools to study quantum many-body systems, and by applying them to specific problems ....Novel approaches to strongly correlated quantum systems in two dimensions. The expected outcome of the research program is a significant boost in our understanding of strongly correlated quantum systems, which will reinforce Australia's competitiveness and international profile in aspects of breakthrough science and frontier technologies. By strengthening both the underpinning theory and innovative computational tools to study quantum many-body systems, and by applying them to specific problems of recognized importance, this program will have direct implications in condensed matter physics and will exert significant influence in areas such as quantum chemistry, high energy physics, quantum computing, quantum atom optics and nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Wonder and generosity as guides to the ethics and politics of respect for difference. This project concerns how wonder, based on accepting others' differences, and generosity, based on mutual respect,can supplement each other to establish an ethics and politics of respect for gender and cultural difference. It contributes to understanding the relationship between equality and difference in public life - the extent to which we must treat others as similar in the name of equality and the extent to ....Wonder and generosity as guides to the ethics and politics of respect for difference. This project concerns how wonder, based on accepting others' differences, and generosity, based on mutual respect,can supplement each other to establish an ethics and politics of respect for gender and cultural difference. It contributes to understanding the relationship between equality and difference in public life - the extent to which we must treat others as similar in the name of equality and the extent to which we must recognise significant differences. The project will advance philosophical understanding of how to conceptualise due respect for the diversity of people's lives and experiences.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
Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how inst ....Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how institutional arrangements and leadership can enhance or detract from regional development performance. This will help public agencies formulate better policies and mechanisms to help regions maximise their capacities to achieve enhanced endogenous growth. International comparative studies provide wider significance for policy formulation in regional development.Read moreRead less
Natural Hazard Vulnerability: A study of risk, vulnerability, behaviour, attitudes and perceptions of warnings. This project builds on original research into community vulnerability, awareness and preparedness for natural hazards. During the second half of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, the trend in emergency management and disaster mitigation research has been towards the social and community impacts of natural disasters. The aim of the project is to exa ....Natural Hazard Vulnerability: A study of risk, vulnerability, behaviour, attitudes and perceptions of warnings. This project builds on original research into community vulnerability, awareness and preparedness for natural hazards. During the second half of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, the trend in emergency management and disaster mitigation research has been towards the social and community impacts of natural disasters. The aim of the project is to examine risk perception amongst hazard vulnerable communities. The expected outcomes include an improved awareness campaign and a better understanding of the ways in which warnings and forecasts are filtered and distorted by the public.Read moreRead less
Conserving native wildlife during urbanisation: the effectiveness of biodiversity-friendly urban design and construction practices. Urbanisation has many negative effects upon native wildlife and their habitats, but biodiversity-friendly urban design and construction practices may greatly reduce these impacts. This study will examine the effectiveness of such measures at sustaining wildlife at sites of urban development, and will therefore produce significant benefits for local residents and the ....Conserving native wildlife during urbanisation: the effectiveness of biodiversity-friendly urban design and construction practices. Urbanisation has many negative effects upon native wildlife and their habitats, but biodiversity-friendly urban design and construction practices may greatly reduce these impacts. This study will examine the effectiveness of such measures at sustaining wildlife at sites of urban development, and will therefore produce significant benefits for local residents and the broader Australian community. Healthy natural ecosystems in urban areas provide many services to the public, reduce the need for costly management, and improve the livelihood of residents living in greener environments. This study will enhance all these community benefits through a detailed examination of the effectiveness of biodiversity-friendly urban development measures.Read moreRead less
Tracing the origins of stress in the symbionts of reef-building corals. Symbiotic dinoflagellates of corals are critical to the world's major tropical reef ecosystems. Recent work in our laboratories and others has revealed that these algae are sensitive to a wide array of stresses (including climate change) and hence may be the ?Achilles Heel? of reef ecosystems. This project will identify the key genes and processes in these algae using expressed sequence tags and microarray technology. On th ....Tracing the origins of stress in the symbionts of reef-building corals. Symbiotic dinoflagellates of corals are critical to the world's major tropical reef ecosystems. Recent work in our laboratories and others has revealed that these algae are sensitive to a wide array of stresses (including climate change) and hence may be the ?Achilles Heel? of reef ecosystems. This project will identify the key genes and processes in these algae using expressed sequence tags and microarray technology. On this basis, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these stress responses and their genetic diversity will be studied in order to better understand the differential susceptibility of reef-building corals to bleaching.Read moreRead less
The Cultural Impact of Irregular Marriage in the Age of British Colonialism, 1660-c.1860. Marriage has always been central to our understanding of relations between literature, society and culture. This project significantly revises that understanding by focussing on the irregular marriage practices which thrived in Britain and its colonies from 1660 to c.1860. It demonstrates, for instance, how the novel genre became respectable partly by marginalising irregular marriages; how Gretna Green we ....The Cultural Impact of Irregular Marriage in the Age of British Colonialism, 1660-c.1860. Marriage has always been central to our understanding of relations between literature, society and culture. This project significantly revises that understanding by focussing on the irregular marriage practices which thrived in Britain and its colonies from 1660 to c.1860. It demonstrates, for instance, how the novel genre became respectable partly by marginalising irregular marriages; how Gretna Green weddings came to typify modern romance in drama and fiction; and how marriage regulations underpinned literary portrayals of civil society in the Australian penal colony. It will deliver a groundbreaking monograph which accounts for marriage's role in modern literary culture in new terms.Read moreRead less