Frank Hurley: The Making of a Modern Cultural Icon. I propose to write a book about Frank Hurley (1885-1962) dealing comprehensively for the first time with his photography, cinematography and writing from the perspective of the new humanities disciplines, and to make an original argument about the significance of his career for modern Australian culture in its international contexts. The book will exemplify a new theory and practice of interdisciplinary research. A second objective is to publis ....Frank Hurley: The Making of a Modern Cultural Icon. I propose to write a book about Frank Hurley (1885-1962) dealing comprehensively for the first time with his photography, cinematography and writing from the perspective of the new humanities disciplines, and to make an original argument about the significance of his career for modern Australian culture in its international contexts. The book will exemplify a new theory and practice of interdisciplinary research. A second objective is to publish an edition of Hurley's diaries. Melbourne University Press have formally expressed interest in both books. The text of the diaries will also be made available on the internet by the Mitchell Library and National Library of Australia. Read moreRead less
Mujaku Dochu (1653-1744) and the hidden foundations of modern Zen scholarship. Mujaku Dochu (1653-1744), a polymath Japanese monk of the Rinzai Zen Buddhist school was the major, but unacknowledged, founder of modern Zen scholarship. He established many critical editions, compiled dictionaries of colloquial Chinese terminology used in Zen, and wrote numerous commentaries or glosses to key Zen texts. He wrote the monastic regulations still used in Rinzai monasteries, and advised Hakuin (1685-17 ....Mujaku Dochu (1653-1744) and the hidden foundations of modern Zen scholarship. Mujaku Dochu (1653-1744), a polymath Japanese monk of the Rinzai Zen Buddhist school was the major, but unacknowledged, founder of modern Zen scholarship. He established many critical editions, compiled dictionaries of colloquial Chinese terminology used in Zen, and wrote numerous commentaries or glosses to key Zen texts. He wrote the monastic regulations still used in Rinzai monasteries, and advised Hakuin (1685-1768), the restorer of all modern Rinzai. This study will investigate Dochu's methodologies, his scholarly predecessors, and his influences on contemporaries and on modern Zen scholarship by examining his analyses of Chinese vocabulary, his lexicography and text criticism.Read moreRead less
America Publishes Australia: Australian Books and American Publishers, 1890-2005. Research into the commercial and cultural links between American publishers and Australian writers will reveal a new dimension of the nation's relationship to its most important cultural trading partner. By focusing on a neglected area of Australian publishing history, the project will also contribute significantly to our understanding of the changing circumstances within which Australian writers and publishers hav ....America Publishes Australia: Australian Books and American Publishers, 1890-2005. Research into the commercial and cultural links between American publishers and Australian writers will reveal a new dimension of the nation's relationship to its most important cultural trading partner. By focusing on a neglected area of Australian publishing history, the project will also contribute significantly to our understanding of the changing circumstances within which Australian writers and publishers have worked. Publishing remains under-researched compared to other cultural industries in Australia, despite its significance both culturally and economically.Read moreRead less
Banks, endogenous network formations and financial crisis. This project aims to understand how endogenous network formations affect financial crisis and how such situations can be made into a coherent microeconomic model of financial network formations using modern tools in economics. The project intends to study the properties of financial systems in the presence of possible financial crisis, conduct applied economic policy analysis and provide policy implications for lifting productivity and e ....Banks, endogenous network formations and financial crisis. This project aims to understand how endogenous network formations affect financial crisis and how such situations can be made into a coherent microeconomic model of financial network formations using modern tools in economics. The project intends to study the properties of financial systems in the presence of possible financial crisis, conduct applied economic policy analysis and provide policy implications for lifting productivity and economic growth. The projects expected outcomes would contribute to the theoretical understanding of financial crisis and consequences in financial markets as well as the economy and public policy. In the longer term, the project should benefit the health of the financial system.Read moreRead less
Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already i ....Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already in the country by providing predictive tools to estimate likelihood of spread. For formal Pest Risk Analysis by regulators (eg Biosecurity Australia), our project will provide genomic tools by which the potential weediness of a regulated plant can be assessed through genetic screening, and forms part of an international effort to identify 'weedy genes'. Read moreRead less
Asian Migration in the 21st Century: An Integrated Account . Migration is a defining issue of the 21st Century. Despite its significance, migration is poorly understood because different types of movement are conceptualised, measured and studied separately. This project aims to develop an integrated understanding of multiple forms of population movement in Asia incorporating both internal and international migration and temporary and permanent moves. It will establish the intensity, spatial patt ....Asian Migration in the 21st Century: An Integrated Account . Migration is a defining issue of the 21st Century. Despite its significance, migration is poorly understood because different types of movement are conceptualised, measured and studied separately. This project aims to develop an integrated understanding of multiple forms of population movement in Asia incorporating both internal and international migration and temporary and permanent moves. It will establish the intensity, spatial patterns and interaction between the different forms of migration for countries in Asia, and its impacts at origins and at destinations. The results are expected to provide significant benefits including a strong evidence base for the formulation of national and international migration policy in the 21st Century.Read moreRead less
Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish ....Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics in alkaline solution. The project is expected to generate cost-effective hydrogen electrodes for hydrogen electrolyzers, advanced knowledge in the electrode material engineering, electrochemical reaction mechanistic insights, and eventually promoted development of disruptive electrolysis technology.Read moreRead less
Designing for uncertainty in conservation auctions. Economic theory and case study evidence show that tenders or auctions are more efficient than grant mechanisms for encouraging landholders to produce environmental outcomes on private land. These studies have ignored the effects of uncertainty of both bidders and administrators about factors such as landholder participation and the level of environmental benefits that will be delivered. This project will test whether distributing environmental ....Designing for uncertainty in conservation auctions. Economic theory and case study evidence show that tenders or auctions are more efficient than grant mechanisms for encouraging landholders to produce environmental outcomes on private land. These studies have ignored the effects of uncertainty of both bidders and administrators about factors such as landholder participation and the level of environmental benefits that will be delivered. This project will test whether distributing environmental funds via tenders is still efficient when uncertainty about various important factors is considered. Results from this research are expected to inform the cost effective design of systems to pay landholders for the provision of environmental benefits even when there is high uncertainty.Read moreRead less
A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical ....A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical models of the genetic basis of adaptation. This integrative approach will enhance Australia's research profile in genomics and evolutionary biology. The project will provide emerging scientists with skills in areas including genomics, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and agricultural genetics.Read moreRead less
Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the effi ....Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the efficiency of gene mapping methods, including applications in humans for traits related to productive ageing and a healthy start to life, will allow the estimation of genetic relatedness and genetic variation in natural populations, and will lead to more efficient selection programs in agricultural populations.Read moreRead less