School autonomy reform and Australian public education. This project aims to provide an evidence base for policymakers and practitioners that articulates how Australian public schools at an individual and system level engage with school autonomy reform. The project expects to generate an evidence base and new knowledge in the form of dilemma cases, position papers and a practice framework to support social justice through school autonomy reform. This evidence base will produce national economic ....School autonomy reform and Australian public education. This project aims to provide an evidence base for policymakers and practitioners that articulates how Australian public schools at an individual and system level engage with school autonomy reform. The project expects to generate an evidence base and new knowledge in the form of dilemma cases, position papers and a practice framework to support social justice through school autonomy reform. This evidence base will produce national economic and social benefits for Australian communities by identifying the requisite knowledge and practices that will enable key stakeholders to mobilise school autonomy in ways that produce just outcomes for all students.Read moreRead less
Criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia: A national study. The project aims to assess the policing and enforcement of public order crimes and related offences (e.g. obstruct/disobey police, breach of bail, and minor property offences) on individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. The project endeavours to collect and analyse qualitative data from across Australia on the lived experience of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, regarding the impact of crimin ....Criminalisation of poverty and homelessness in Australia: A national study. The project aims to assess the policing and enforcement of public order crimes and related offences (e.g. obstruct/disobey police, breach of bail, and minor property offences) on individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. The project endeavours to collect and analyse qualitative data from across Australia on the lived experience of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, regarding the impact of criminal laws and police powers concerned with presence in, and movement around public places. It will particularly focus on the impact on women, children and Indigenous peoples. The outcomes will seek to reduce the criminalisation of homeless people, by identifying law and policy reform options, and comparing their cost with that of 'business as usual'.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision system ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision systems with applications in industry and national security. Other knowledge will develop novel diagnostic technologies, for application in health delivery.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal sex-offenders in Australia: Assessing risk for practice and policy. A key priority of Australian governments is to improve community safety through reducing the risk of sex offenders re-offending after release from prison. This project will assess the validity of tools used to predict the risk of sexual offender recidivism and identify alternate risk assessment tools for Indigenous and non-Indigenous sex offenders.
Neural plasticity in older adult human vision. This project aims to expand our understanding of age related changes in brain function, specifically plasticity. The project will increase knowledge of the role of an inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in visual plasticity. Expected outcomes include new knowledge regarding the regulation of brain function in adulthood, enabling future research and planning for societal benefit to older Australia.
Bone regulation - cell interactions to disease. Many bone disorders such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease and chancer related bone diseases are directly related to disruption of communication pathways between bone cells leading to imbalances in bone remodeling. Although these disorders are common and cause considerable suffering, in most cases little is known about the mechanisms responsible for dysfunctional remodeling. Understanding the communication network between bone cells and their inter ....Bone regulation - cell interactions to disease. Many bone disorders such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease and chancer related bone diseases are directly related to disruption of communication pathways between bone cells leading to imbalances in bone remodeling. Although these disorders are common and cause considerable suffering, in most cases little is known about the mechanisms responsible for dysfunctional remodeling. Understanding the communication network between bone cells and their interaction with drugs is essential in order to develop new therapies and to effectively design novel biological compatible bone implants. This research proposal closely aligns with national research priority two, i.e., promoting and maintaining good health (ageing well, ageing productively).Read moreRead less
Developing a disability policy model to target the prevention or reduction of limitations on functioning and wellbeing. With the ageing of Australian society the challenge for public health is shifting from preventing death and disease onset to supporting healthy and productive ageing. The disability policy model will allow cost-effective targeting of interventions to reduce or prevent onset of disability or reduce its severity particularly among older Australians.
Design and Analysis of Optimal Algorithms for Automated Perimetry. Australian demographic studies reveal that visual impairment contributes significantly to disability in the elderly. Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in developed nations, may be slowed if detected early, however recent studies estimate 50% of Australians with glaucoma are undiagnosed. Automated perimetry is used to detect and track such vision loss, but perimetry algorithms perform poorly. This project will design ....Design and Analysis of Optimal Algorithms for Automated Perimetry. Australian demographic studies reveal that visual impairment contributes significantly to disability in the elderly. Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in developed nations, may be slowed if detected early, however recent studies estimate 50% of Australians with glaucoma are undiagnosed. Automated perimetry is used to detect and track such vision loss, but perimetry algorithms perform poorly. This project will design and analyse new algorithms with superior accuracy and efficiency, improving detection and monitoring of vision loss. Enhanced tools for community vision screening will also result, crucial for the ARC's priority goals of ?ageing well, ageing productively? and ?preventative healthcare?Read moreRead less
Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of ....Resolving multi-sensory conflict as we age: audio-visual integration and the role of normal and abnormal sensory decline. Australia has an ageing population. Even the healthiest older individuals undergo some deterioration of vision and hearing, however, these senses are almost invariably studied in isolation. The real world is multisensory. This project will enhance our knowledge of how ageing impacts on the interpretation of visual and auditory information regarding the timing and location of objects; essential precursors to many real world tasks, for example: driving, interpreting speech, and hazard avoidance. This knowledge is essential for the optimisation of audio-visual environments for the elderly, and for the development of tools to improve performance in the presence of sensory decline due to age-related eye disease.Read moreRead less
Unsaturated zone functioning in a semi-arid flash flood driven climate. Groundwater is the only perennial water source in arid and semiarid zones, which encompass 1/3 of the global landmass and 70 % of Australia. We still do not fully understand how the unsaturated zone contributes to groundwater recharge in semi-arid zone floodplains. We will study the dynamics of soil moisture, and its contribution to groundwater recharge respective to hydrological regimes and weather patterns. We will measure ....Unsaturated zone functioning in a semi-arid flash flood driven climate. Groundwater is the only perennial water source in arid and semiarid zones, which encompass 1/3 of the global landmass and 70 % of Australia. We still do not fully understand how the unsaturated zone contributes to groundwater recharge in semi-arid zone floodplains. We will study the dynamics of soil moisture, and its contribution to groundwater recharge respective to hydrological regimes and weather patterns. We will measure direct responses to flood events using loggers and compare them to indirect measurements inferred from hydrochemical and isotope tracer models to better understand recharge patterns, evaporative losses, and interactions between surface runoff, floodplains, and aquifers at different positions in the landscape.Read moreRead less