Estimating per capita use and release of chemicals by wastewater analysis. This project aims to systematically collect and analyse wastewater to assess human exposure to chemicals including drugs, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle chemicals and environmental pollutants. By combining temporal sampling from key sewage treatment plants with comprehensive nationwide sampling over the week of the 2016 census day, the project expects to estimate the per-capita human exposure to chemicals in the Australian po ....Estimating per capita use and release of chemicals by wastewater analysis. This project aims to systematically collect and analyse wastewater to assess human exposure to chemicals including drugs, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle chemicals and environmental pollutants. By combining temporal sampling from key sewage treatment plants with comprehensive nationwide sampling over the week of the 2016 census day, the project expects to estimate the per-capita human exposure to chemicals in the Australian population. Accurate and objective per-capita based consumption and release estimates for a wide range of chemicals is intended to provide a baseline against which to measure changes in our chemosphere.Read moreRead less
Optimisation of Road Network Maintenance Strategies for Life-Cycle Costs. The future of Tasmania and the nation as a competitive force in the international market is intimately linked to its transportation infrastructure network. The successful maintenance and performance of the road component is essential for an efficient and integrated system and minimisation of freight costs. The research proposes to develop a less empirical and phenomenological method of predicting the future performance of ....Optimisation of Road Network Maintenance Strategies for Life-Cycle Costs. The future of Tasmania and the nation as a competitive force in the international market is intimately linked to its transportation infrastructure network. The successful maintenance and performance of the road component is essential for an efficient and integrated system and minimisation of freight costs. The research proposes to develop a less empirical and phenomenological method of predicting the future performance of pavements, based on optimisation of maintenance strategies, by incorporating the use of probabilistic methods and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) into new Whole of Life Costing (WOLC) models.Read moreRead less
Building futures for young Australians at risk: a coordinated measurement framework and data archive. This project will build a national data base of evidence about and for programs that address the needs of the 16 per cent of young Australians currently at risk of school non-completion. It will generate important knowledge for program improvement and sustainability and coordination of evidence across diverse and fragmented programs.
Modeling Healthcare Systems. An efficient healthcare system is essential for the well-being of any society. The aim of the project is to develop major advances in the mathematical modelling of healthcare systems, in order to improve efficiency, and ultimately, patient health. The first expected outcome is the development of mathematical models that constitute a high-level description of patient flow through hospitals and subacute care, so that demands for emergency and elective capacity are met ....Modeling Healthcare Systems. An efficient healthcare system is essential for the well-being of any society. The aim of the project is to develop major advances in the mathematical modelling of healthcare systems, in order to improve efficiency, and ultimately, patient health. The first expected outcome is the development of mathematical models that constitute a high-level description of patient flow through hospitals and subacute care, so that demands for emergency and elective capacity are met given limited resources. The second is the development of a bed allocation algorithm that allocates patients to appropriate wards, so as to optimise the set of performance indicators of the system under appropriate constraints, given the current ward occupancy.Read moreRead less
An investigation of the impacts of increased power supply to the national grid by wind generators on the Australian electricity industry. The aim of this project is to discover the most economical and effective way to accommodate large increases in wind power into the national grid and to understand the effects on the national electricity market. This is crucial to ensure stability of electricity supply and affordable prices in the transition towards a low carbon economy.
Student retention beyond the compulsory schooling years in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities. This project will incorporate longitudinal mixed-methods study to investigate the factors that influence student retention in schooling beyond the compulsory years in rural, regional and disadvantaged communities. Research outcomes will identify best-practice educational strategies to enhance retention in such communities across Australia.
Technology and innovation management in high risk situations. The value of Australian bulk commodity exports and container imports is expected to double from $400 billion to $800 billion by 2020, placing considerable pressure on port waters. This project will examine the challenge whereby port operators are both encouraged to take risks to innovate but are constrained by the consequences of risk.
Gauging the value of flexible learning options for disenfranchised youth and the Australian community. Investment in flexible learning options (FLOs) for young people who have disengaged from schooling requires understanding of how they work and evidence about their economic and social value. This project will provide both through innovative and integrated methods, analysing FLO sites across three Australian states and the Northern Territory.
The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neuro ....The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neurohomones that control both appetite and physiological stress in fish have in stimulating the resumption of feeding after sea water transfer.The basic knowledge generated will be used directly in development of strategies for minimising smolt failure in Atlantic salmon aquaculture.Read moreRead less
The cellular basis of temperature impairment of reproductive function in Atlantic salmon. Elevated summer and autumn temperatures, either as a result of normal climate variation or global warming, inhibit reproduction in salmonid fishes by disrupting endocrine (hormonal processes). The mechanisms involved are unclear but are known to involve inhibition of ovarian estrogen and the assembly of egg-yolk proteins. This project will investigate the cellular basis of the inhibitory effect of high temp ....The cellular basis of temperature impairment of reproductive function in Atlantic salmon. Elevated summer and autumn temperatures, either as a result of normal climate variation or global warming, inhibit reproduction in salmonid fishes by disrupting endocrine (hormonal processes). The mechanisms involved are unclear but are known to involve inhibition of ovarian estrogen and the assembly of egg-yolk proteins. This project will investigate the cellular basis of the inhibitory effect of high temperature on reproduction, at the ovarian and hepatic levels. The understanding developed will be an essential component of amelioration strategies for managing the continued successful rearing of salmon and trout under warming environmental conditions.Read moreRead less