Phonological effects on the development of inflectional morphology. This project investigates the mechanisms underlying typically developing children's variable omission of inflectional morphemes (for example, plural, past tense). The results will have significant implications for the evaluation and design of interventions for language-delayed populations where serious problems of communication persist.
The relationship between speech production and perception in Australian language speakers: implications for speech development and learning in Aboriginal children. Chronic ear infection blights the life of at least 50% of Aboriginal Australians. In a vicious cycle that extends from generation to generation, it leads to hearing loss, educational disadvantage, socio-economic disadvantage and environmental depredation, which once again leads to ear (and many other) infections. This is a unique atte ....The relationship between speech production and perception in Australian language speakers: implications for speech development and learning in Aboriginal children. Chronic ear infection blights the life of at least 50% of Aboriginal Australians. In a vicious cycle that extends from generation to generation, it leads to hearing loss, educational disadvantage, socio-economic disadvantage and environmental depredation, which once again leads to ear (and many other) infections. This is a unique attempt by researchers across academic disciplines to study the role of language in educational disadvantage and whether this disadvantage might be made worse for Aboriginal children by the early use of English at school. We ask whether, on purely acoustic or linguistic grounds, communicating in an Aboriginal language might offer improved educational and health outcomes for Aboriginal children in the early years.Read moreRead less
Political Risk, Institutions and Regulatory Regimes: Business, Foreign Investment and Public Administration in Asia. Rating accurately the risk environment of emerging economies has always been problematic. Insufficiently developed methodological tools and the lack of institutional and regulatory data make the process imprecise. This project overcomes this problem, developing a new industry based risk assessment system for understanding political risk to commercial activities and foreign investo ....Political Risk, Institutions and Regulatory Regimes: Business, Foreign Investment and Public Administration in Asia. Rating accurately the risk environment of emerging economies has always been problematic. Insufficiently developed methodological tools and the lack of institutional and regulatory data make the process imprecise. This project overcomes this problem, developing a new industry based risk assessment system for understanding political risk to commercial activities and foreign investors in nine of Asia's most rapidly developing economies. The study, one of the first to correlate institutional and regulatory forms to the incidence, severity and recurrence of risk, will deepen our knowledge of political and regulatory institutions in Asia and provide investors with the ability to navigate those environments successfully. Read moreRead less
Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is ....Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is applicable in a range of areas, with applications in miniature unmanned vehicles and collision avoidance detectors in defence and civilian roles. Our project could also assist in the development of artificial intelligence and as a basis for designing implantable artificial eyes.Read moreRead less
Moral Panics and the Law in Eighteenth-Century England. This project will reveal the origins of a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in modern western society. By doing so it will attract international attention from academic historians and sociologists. It will also contribute to Australia's reputation for producing high-quality intellectual products, and further enhance its standing as a leading centre for the study of Britain in the eighteenth century. Because of its contemporary relevance the stu ....Moral Panics and the Law in Eighteenth-Century England. This project will reveal the origins of a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in modern western society. By doing so it will attract international attention from academic historians and sociologists. It will also contribute to Australia's reputation for producing high-quality intellectual products, and further enhance its standing as a leading centre for the study of Britain in the eighteenth century. Because of its contemporary relevance the study will provide a critical perspective on modern politics, especially the perception that governments legitimise their authority by helping to constitute popular anxiety about threats to moral and personal security.Read moreRead less
A lossy compression paradigm for sensory neural coding. By applying new interdisciplinary theoretical results, this research aims to enhance our understanding of how the ear turns sounds into electrical signals in the presence of high levels of random noise. Socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) contributions to the knowledge base of theoretical neuroscience, and communications systems, enhancing Australia's reputation for cutting-edge research; (ii) strengthening of European interna ....A lossy compression paradigm for sensory neural coding. By applying new interdisciplinary theoretical results, this research aims to enhance our understanding of how the ear turns sounds into electrical signals in the presence of high levels of random noise. Socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) contributions to the knowledge base of theoretical neuroscience, and communications systems, enhancing Australia's reputation for cutting-edge research; (ii) strengthening of European international collaborations; (iii) outcomes that will ultimately impact on improved designs for bionic ears and future biomedical prosthetics; and (iv) commercialisation and technology transfer opportunities, via the transfer of results to wireless artificial sensor networks.Read moreRead less
Investigation of the component distributions of pause duration in spontaneous speech: Constraints for models of language production. We have discovered that the distribution of pause durations in spontaneous speech of individual speakers can be decomposed into at least two log-normal distributions. Our project will investigate this finding and provide a foundation for new research relevant to language production models. This will be achieved by determining the semantic, lexical, psycholinguistic ....Investigation of the component distributions of pause duration in spontaneous speech: Constraints for models of language production. We have discovered that the distribution of pause durations in spontaneous speech of individual speakers can be decomposed into at least two log-normal distributions. Our project will investigate this finding and provide a foundation for new research relevant to language production models. This will be achieved by determining the semantic, lexical, psycholinguistic, physiological, and acoustic concomitants of each component distribution and by investigating the impact of selected variables on the shape and location of each. The project has important implications for models of language production and applied problems involving automatic speech recognition, forensic speaker identification, and human communication disorders.Read moreRead less
Forgiveness in conflict resolution and peacebuilding: international dimensions. In an age in which ongoing conflicts and tensions have very real ramifications for international and regional security, finding new and more effective ways to resolve international disputes is critical to ensuring Australia's ongoing security. This project will therefore benefit Australia by 'enhancing our nation's understanding of social, political, and cultural issues' associated with the resolution of conflict in ....Forgiveness in conflict resolution and peacebuilding: international dimensions. In an age in which ongoing conflicts and tensions have very real ramifications for international and regional security, finding new and more effective ways to resolve international disputes is critical to ensuring Australia's ongoing security. This project will therefore benefit Australia by 'enhancing our nation's understanding of social, political, and cultural issues' associated with the resolution of conflict in the Asia Pacific region. By helping to develop an alternative peacebuilding tool, it will also assist those engaged in the practical delivery of peacebulding initiatives in the region.Read moreRead less
Land of the Black Stump: a history of Australias Inland Corridor, 1815-2005. This project explains the origins of key areas of current interest and concern about rural and regional Australia. It provides historical lessons that address four National Research Priority areas (sustainable water and land management, sustainable communities, technological innovation, Australia in regional and global context). The project highlights the historical importance to Australia of inland regions, industries, ....Land of the Black Stump: a history of Australias Inland Corridor, 1815-2005. This project explains the origins of key areas of current interest and concern about rural and regional Australia. It provides historical lessons that address four National Research Priority areas (sustainable water and land management, sustainable communities, technological innovation, Australia in regional and global context). The project highlights the historical importance to Australia of inland regions, industries, and communities which today are undergoing fundamental economic, technological, and social readjustments. The project identifies the relationships that bind urban and rural Australia yet problematise racial reconciliation. It brings together a national network of researchers and provides vocational training for students.Read moreRead less
The origin of the first Australians. Using new DNA methods researchers aim to uncover the origins of the first Australians and to provide new evidence for when people came here and where they came from. This exciting work aims to determine some of the physical and metabolic characteristics of these early people.