Modelling mean and dispersion using fixed and random effects. The aims of the project are to develop methods for joint mean and dispersion modelling using fixed and random effects, in the generalized linear models context and for Gaussian longitudinal data. The significance is the more efficient, precise and appropriate analysis of data arising from many areas of application. The expected outcomes are therefore better methods of analysis, software to carry the analyses out, and potentially impor ....Modelling mean and dispersion using fixed and random effects. The aims of the project are to develop methods for joint mean and dispersion modelling using fixed and random effects, in the generalized linear models context and for Gaussian longitudinal data. The significance is the more efficient, precise and appropriate analysis of data arising from many areas of application. The expected outcomes are therefore better methods of analysis, software to carry the analyses out, and potentially important results in applications.Read moreRead less
Problematic interactions between autistic adults and the justice system. This project aims to highlight how autistic adults may fall foul of the law due to a diminished ability to recognise subtle cues in social interactions that should warn of unfolding criminal activity or deteriorating relationships with justice system personnel. Autism Spectrum Disorder has unique characteristics that may lead to unwitting involvement in crime and problematic interactions with the justice system. This projec ....Problematic interactions between autistic adults and the justice system. This project aims to highlight how autistic adults may fall foul of the law due to a diminished ability to recognise subtle cues in social interactions that should warn of unfolding criminal activity or deteriorating relationships with justice system personnel. Autism Spectrum Disorder has unique characteristics that may lead to unwitting involvement in crime and problematic interactions with the justice system. This project expects to unveil innovative research paradigms, establish a knowledge base for police and the courts, and assist in developing guidelines for remediating misunderstandings that contribute to problematic interactions with the justice system.Read moreRead less
Classification methods for providing personalised and class decisions. This project provides a novel approach to the clustering of multivariate samples on entities in a class that automatically matches the sample clusters across the entities, allowing for inter-sample variation between the samples in a class. The project aims to develop a widely applicable, mixture-model-based framework for the simultaneous clustering of multivariate samples with inter-sample variation in a class and for the mat ....Classification methods for providing personalised and class decisions. This project provides a novel approach to the clustering of multivariate samples on entities in a class that automatically matches the sample clusters across the entities, allowing for inter-sample variation between the samples in a class. The project aims to develop a widely applicable, mixture-model-based framework for the simultaneous clustering of multivariate samples with inter-sample variation in a class and for the matching of the clusters across the entities in the class. The project will use a statistical approach to automatically match the clusters, since the overall mixture model provides a template for the class. It will provide a basis for discriminating between different classes in addition to the identification of atypical data points within a sample and of anomalous samples within a class. Key applications include biological image analysis and the analysis of data in flow cytometry which is one of the fundamental research tools for the life scientist.Read moreRead less
Designing microarray experiments. Microarrays are powerful tools for surveying the expression levels of many thousands of genes simultaneously. They belong to the new genomics technologies which have important applications in the biological, pharmaceutical and agricultural sciences. There are many sources of uncertainty in microarray experimentation and good statistical designs are essential for ensuring that the effects of interest to scientists are accurately and precisely measured. This Pr ....Designing microarray experiments. Microarrays are powerful tools for surveying the expression levels of many thousands of genes simultaneously. They belong to the new genomics technologies which have important applications in the biological, pharmaceutical and agricultural sciences. There are many sources of uncertainty in microarray experimentation and good statistical designs are essential for ensuring that the effects of interest to scientists are accurately and precisely measured. This Project will develop novel designs for microarray experiments and focus on the advancement of topics crucial to Australia's success in technological research.
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Investigating memory reliability in intoxicated witnesses of crime. Eyewitness testimony is a crucial piece of evidence for solving a crime. Inaccurate testimony leads to miscarriages of justice such as failed prosecutions or false convictions. Many witnesses and victims are affected by alcohol or other drugs during the crime. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team aiming to improve understanding of how intoxication with different substances affects the reliability of victim and w ....Investigating memory reliability in intoxicated witnesses of crime. Eyewitness testimony is a crucial piece of evidence for solving a crime. Inaccurate testimony leads to miscarriages of justice such as failed prosecutions or false convictions. Many witnesses and victims are affected by alcohol or other drugs during the crime. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team aiming to improve understanding of how intoxication with different substances affects the reliability of victim and witness memory accuracy. Crucially, crimes are frequently distressing; therefore the interaction between intoxication and stress urgently requires exploration. This project will significantly advance our understanding of key mechanisms behind drug effects on memory, and support fairer judicial outcomes for all. Read moreRead less
A model of sex offender registration, monitoring, and risk management. This research will investigate the ways in which sexual offenders are managed in the community and identify the most effective means of preventing further offending, thereby promoting community safety.
WaterLog - A mathematical model to implement recommendations of The Wentworth Group. In 2003, The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists released their 'Blueprint for a national water plan' with the primary objective to 'protect river health and the rights of all Australians to clean usable water'. Currently, there are significant water restrictions in all the Australian mainland capital cities. In January 2007, the Prime Minister of Australia, announced a bold plan to rescue the Murray-Darling ....WaterLog - A mathematical model to implement recommendations of The Wentworth Group. In 2003, The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists released their 'Blueprint for a national water plan' with the primary objective to 'protect river health and the rights of all Australians to clean usable water'. Currently, there are significant water restrictions in all the Australian mainland capital cities. In January 2007, the Prime Minister of Australia, announced a bold plan to rescue the Murray-Darling Basin. The plan incorporates political management changes, and an investment of $10Bn. Now is the time to develop improved techniques for management of water storage systems. This project will develop the fundamental mathematical principles required for this improved management.Read moreRead less
Judges' work, place and psychological health - a national view. This project aims to address the human, juridical and financial costs of judicial officers’ work-related psychological harm. This harm is implicated in early retirement, sick leave and suicide. It threatens appropriate courtroom conduct, procedural fairness and impartial adjudication. The project seeks to generate new knowledge of the stress judicial officers experience and the individual and institutional mechanisms for managing st ....Judges' work, place and psychological health - a national view. This project aims to address the human, juridical and financial costs of judicial officers’ work-related psychological harm. This harm is implicated in early retirement, sick leave and suicide. It threatens appropriate courtroom conduct, procedural fairness and impartial adjudication. The project seeks to generate new knowledge of the stress judicial officers experience and the individual and institutional mechanisms for managing stressors, combining socio-legal and psychological approaches. Expected outcomes include evidence-based understandings to inform recruitment and retention strategies specific to this highly specialized workforce. This should provide significant benefits for judges’ work capacities and courts' delivery of justice.Read moreRead less
How feedback can impair recognition judgments and undermine border security, criminal investigations, educational testing, and medical screening. If a customs officer learns that they have missed an explosive device while screening luggage, will this affect their judgment? In many scenarios, a person receives feedback about their recognition memory performance and has to try again without having another chance to study the material. Almost no research has examined the effects of feedback on reco ....How feedback can impair recognition judgments and undermine border security, criminal investigations, educational testing, and medical screening. If a customs officer learns that they have missed an explosive device while screening luggage, will this affect their judgment? In many scenarios, a person receives feedback about their recognition memory performance and has to try again without having another chance to study the material. Almost no research has examined the effects of feedback on recognition in the absence of opportunity for further study. This is problematic because many vitally important recognition decisions lack such opportunity. Using various scenarios (face recognition, security screening, multiple-choice testing, and medical screening) this project will demonstrate that feedback affects recognition performance differently depending on the nature of the recognition decision.Read moreRead less
Human identification, ancient DNA and genomics. This project aims to develop and apply a novel targeted sequence capture and high throughput DNA sequencing approach to simultaneously type thousands of informative identity, ancestry and phenotype markers in a single assay to facilitate identification of unknown suspects and missing persons. DNA based human identification is both critical and central to criminal and coronial investigations, disaster-victim and missing persons identification, repat ....Human identification, ancient DNA and genomics. This project aims to develop and apply a novel targeted sequence capture and high throughput DNA sequencing approach to simultaneously type thousands of informative identity, ancestry and phenotype markers in a single assay to facilitate identification of unknown suspects and missing persons. DNA based human identification is both critical and central to criminal and coronial investigations, disaster-victim and missing persons identification, repatriation of war dead and counter-terrorism operations. Persistent technological and conceptual issues associated with the application of standard procedures to trace degraded DNA, or when profiles have no match in DNA databases, limit their application to real-world human identification problems.Read moreRead less