ARC Research Network for Understanding and Managing Australian Biodiversity. Biodiversity research is strong in Australia but is highly uncoordinated and, along with recent major breakthroughs in both theory and techniques, has highlighted the need for a Network to properly integrate research and focus it on the most appropriate scale. This Network aims to bring together a diverse spectrum of highly experienced and early career researchers to pool their ideas and expertise to allow them to deter ....ARC Research Network for Understanding and Managing Australian Biodiversity. Biodiversity research is strong in Australia but is highly uncoordinated and, along with recent major breakthroughs in both theory and techniques, has highlighted the need for a Network to properly integrate research and focus it on the most appropriate scale. This Network aims to bring together a diverse spectrum of highly experienced and early career researchers to pool their ideas and expertise to allow them to determine how best to describe Australia's current biodiversity and the biological and environmental history leading up to the present. A major outcome will be the ability to predict the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity to assist management decisions across Australia, with lessons of global importance.Read moreRead less
Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This proje ....Preventing and reversing population declines of northern quolls. This project seeks to develop novel effective strategies to halt and reverse declines in northern quolls by improving their ‘toad-smart’ behaviour. The spread of cane toads threaten northern quolls, which are marsupial predators. We cannot halt the toad invasion, but we can train quolls not to eat cane toads. Trained quolls can survive long term in toad-infested landscapes, and their offspring can learn not to eat toads. This project builds on this work by focusing on cultural and genetic transmission of toad-smart behaviour. The project could save numerous quoll populations from extinction.Read moreRead less
High performance cast magnesium alloys. Reducing the weight of cars, particularly their engines, enables substantial reductions in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. A new generation of magnesium alloys will be developed by this project for the manufacture of considerably lighter components with improved mechanical performance for powertrain and structural applications.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE190100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Time-layered cultural map of Australia. The Time-layered cultural map (TLCMap) of Australia is an online research platform that will deliver researcher driven national-scale infrastructure for the humanities, focused on mapping, time series, and data integration. The TLCMap will expand the use of Australian cultural and historical data for research through sharply defined and powerful discovery mechanisms, enabling researchers to visualise hidden geographic and historical patterns and trends, an ....Time-layered cultural map of Australia. The Time-layered cultural map (TLCMap) of Australia is an online research platform that will deliver researcher driven national-scale infrastructure for the humanities, focused on mapping, time series, and data integration. The TLCMap will expand the use of Australian cultural and historical data for research through sharply defined and powerful discovery mechanisms, enabling researchers to visualise hidden geographic and historical patterns and trends, and to build online resources which present to a wider public the rich layers of cultural data in Australian locations. TLCMap is not a singular project or software application with a defined research outcome, but infrastructure linking geo-spatial maps of Australian cultural and historical information, adapted to time series and will be a significant contribution to humanities research in Australia. For researchers, it will transform access to data and to visualisation tools and open new perspectives on Australian culture and history. For the public, it will enable increased accessibility to historical and cultural data through visualisations made available online and in print.Read moreRead less
Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aeria ....Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. Impacts of locust control pesticides on arid-zone fauna. This project aims to understand how different animals encounter pesticide in the landscape through quantifying residue deposition in arid grasslands and investigating how pesticides used to control locust plagues affect fauna. This project will investigate fenitrothion and fipronil, the main pesticides used in Australia for locust control. It will develop a deposition model for aerial pesticide spraying, determine the short-term effect of sprayed pesticides on the behaviour and condition of free-ranging target fauna that use the environment differently, and quantify the relative importance of dietary and non-dietary exposure routes to gauge the importance of animal behaviour on pesticide exposure. Anticipated outcomes are improved baseline assessments for locusticides.Read moreRead less
Developing Assisted Reproductive Technologies for the Conservation of Critically Endangered Australian Amphibians. Unprecedented rates of species extinction are of global concern. Although high extinction rates are reported for all vertebrate classes, amphibians are the most severely affected. Captive-breeding programs play a key role in maintaining populations of endangered amphibian species, but in most cases reproductive rates are too low to support long term re-introduction programmes. This ....Developing Assisted Reproductive Technologies for the Conservation of Critically Endangered Australian Amphibians. Unprecedented rates of species extinction are of global concern. Although high extinction rates are reported for all vertebrate classes, amphibians are the most severely affected. Captive-breeding programs play a key role in maintaining populations of endangered amphibian species, but in most cases reproductive rates are too low to support long term re-introduction programmes. This study aims to develop sophisticated Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) to enhance the propagation and genetic management of endangered Australian frog species. ART is a powerful new approach to ex situ conservation that, if integrated into existing captive breeding programs, will ensure the preservation of Australia’s unique amphibian biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Unraveling the mystery of the Plain of Jars, Laos. Since their discovery in the 1930s, the mysterious collections of giant stone jars scattered throughout central Laos have remained one of the great prehistoric puzzles of south-east (SE) Asia. It is thought that the jars represent the mortuary remains of an extensive and powerful Iron Age culture. This project seeks to determine the true nature of these sites, which date to a dynamic period of increasing complexity in SE Asia (c.500BCE-500CE). T ....Unraveling the mystery of the Plain of Jars, Laos. Since their discovery in the 1930s, the mysterious collections of giant stone jars scattered throughout central Laos have remained one of the great prehistoric puzzles of south-east (SE) Asia. It is thought that the jars represent the mortuary remains of an extensive and powerful Iron Age culture. This project seeks to determine the true nature of these sites, which date to a dynamic period of increasing complexity in SE Asia (c.500BCE-500CE). The project entails extensive reconnaissance, precision mapping, archaeological excavation and analysis of associated burial material. Using a suite of cutting-edge archaeological technologies, it is expected to have far-reaching benefits for archaeology, science, Laos and World Heritage.Read moreRead less
The endangered swift parrot as a model for managing small migratory birds. Endangered swift parrots use variable locations while breeding in eastern Tasmania and over winter on the Australian mainland. This project aims to develop effective conservation strategies for swift parrots and other migrants using new and long term data and innovative technological solutions to tracking small birds across vast landscapes.
Multicultural Australia in national and state libraries. This project aims to develop strategies to assist major Australian libraries to enhance their library collections of histories of Australia as a multicultural nation. The project will develop a new methodology for evaluating multicultural collections, and new policies and strategies to develop and provide access to these collections. Benefits will include enhanced understanding of Australia’s history and heritage, and Australia’s identity ....Multicultural Australia in national and state libraries. This project aims to develop strategies to assist major Australian libraries to enhance their library collections of histories of Australia as a multicultural nation. The project will develop a new methodology for evaluating multicultural collections, and new policies and strategies to develop and provide access to these collections. Benefits will include enhanced understanding of Australia’s history and heritage, and Australia’s identity as a multicultural nation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$824,080.00
Summary
Facility for electric and magnetic probes of materials at extreme conditions. This project aims to establish a readily accessible facility for measurement of electric and magnetic properties of materials under extreme temperature, magnetic field, and sensitivity conditions. The expected outcome is to build capacity for and support world-leading research into novel topological materials, atomically thin materials, materials with strong light-matter interactions and magnetic materials. The benefit ....Facility for electric and magnetic probes of materials at extreme conditions. This project aims to establish a readily accessible facility for measurement of electric and magnetic properties of materials under extreme temperature, magnetic field, and sensitivity conditions. The expected outcome is to build capacity for and support world-leading research into novel topological materials, atomically thin materials, materials with strong light-matter interactions and magnetic materials. The benefits to society are new devices for efficient generation, storage, transmission and switching of energy.Read moreRead less