Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101338
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,711.00
Summary
Building your future: builder-building coevolution in animal architectures. This project aims to reconstruct how animal architectures change throughout time and how this affects body shapes and functions of their builders. By clarifying the biological role of building behaviour this project will assist in predicting long term responses of wildlife, ecosystems and human life to a changing environment. The project expects to be achieved by comparing the structure, assembly and mechanical performan ....Building your future: builder-building coevolution in animal architectures. This project aims to reconstruct how animal architectures change throughout time and how this affects body shapes and functions of their builders. By clarifying the biological role of building behaviour this project will assist in predicting long term responses of wildlife, ecosystems and human life to a changing environment. The project expects to be achieved by comparing the structure, assembly and mechanical performance of animal architectures with animal morphology and performance in a global phylogenetic framework. This is critical for strategic planning of wildlife and landscape management.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101052
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,959.00
Summary
All you can eat: evolution of feeding in the largest animals on Earth. This project aims to establish how Baleen whales, the largest animals on Earth and major ecosystem engineers, evolved their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike other mammals, whales are toothless, and instead use a keratinous, comb-like sieve to filter vast amounts of small prey from seawater. Various approaches, including biomechanics, three-dimensional imaging, geochemistry and quantitative palaeobiology will unravel ....All you can eat: evolution of feeding in the largest animals on Earth. This project aims to establish how Baleen whales, the largest animals on Earth and major ecosystem engineers, evolved their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike other mammals, whales are toothless, and instead use a keratinous, comb-like sieve to filter vast amounts of small prey from seawater. Various approaches, including biomechanics, three-dimensional imaging, geochemistry and quantitative palaeobiology will unravel how and when filter feeding emerged, how it diversified over time, and whether its evolution correlated with past environmental change. The project is expected to reveal clues on how whales became one of the greatest ecological actors in the sea, and will benefit conservation by providing a glimpse into their future.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101567
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,848.00
Summary
Skulls as machines: diversity and evolution in a group of charismatic Australian lizards. This project uses sophisticated computer software to analyse how the complex skulls of dragon lizards work. This will provide a greater understanding of the factors underlying their evolution and radiation in Australia where they are one of the most successful lizard groups and a vital part of the desert fauna.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100585
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Does foot shape even matter? Rethinking the function of the human foot. Human feet are unique in shape and structure, having evolved to allow upright locomotion. Despite their importance, we don’t understand how foot shape and structure facilitates upright locomotion.This DECRA aims to explore the relationship between foot morphology and foot function. I will close a large knowledge gap by applying novel experimental and shape modelling approaches to provide unprecedented insights into human foo ....Does foot shape even matter? Rethinking the function of the human foot. Human feet are unique in shape and structure, having evolved to allow upright locomotion. Despite their importance, we don’t understand how foot shape and structure facilitates upright locomotion.This DECRA aims to explore the relationship between foot morphology and foot function. I will close a large knowledge gap by applying novel experimental and shape modelling approaches to provide unprecedented insights into human foot function. The primary expected outcome is a detailed understanding of how foot shape and structure influences our ability to walk and run. This research will create a paradigm shift in how we think about feet in the context of human evolution, human athletic performance and athletic footwear design.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100755
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. Th ....Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. The project involves comparisons of the 3D structure of genomes in divergent species. These findings are expected to inform the underlying principles of gene regulation in animals and species evolution.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101175
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,643.00
Summary
The asset state: Comparing new models for financing public investment. This project aims to investigate policy models that account for public spending as an asset rather than a cost. The project expects to build knowledge about how changes in the way governments budget for and deliver funding create new options for public investment. The project develops a comparative study of the relationship between accounting reforms and financing models for higher education, social housing and renewable ener ....The asset state: Comparing new models for financing public investment. This project aims to investigate policy models that account for public spending as an asset rather than a cost. The project expects to build knowledge about how changes in the way governments budget for and deliver funding create new options for public investment. The project develops a comparative study of the relationship between accounting reforms and financing models for higher education, social housing and renewable energy in Australia and the UK. Expected outcomes include conceptualising new spaces of fiscal power in the 'asset state' and developing tools for policy makers to guide budgetary choices. This should provide significant benefits by identifying equitable and sustainable ways to pay for critical services and infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101660
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The secret of bee navigation: magnetic field sensitive cells in the honeybee Apis mellifera. Honeybees are known to use the Earth's geomagnetic field to orient themselves and carry out their vital role as crop pollinators and honey producers. Locating and characterising the cells responsible for this magnetic sense is of great significance to neuroscience and will provide important new insights into animal behaviour and ecology.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100456
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,288.00
Summary
The interaction between injury compensation and social security systems. With the ultimate goal of reducing the road traffic crash burden in Australia, on individuals, their families, and on the nation's social support systems, the project will determine the impact of pre-claim social factors on compensation system outcomes including claim duration, benefits and costs, and the impact of compensation system design on claim and social outcomes of road traffic crash survivors. Addressing an unmet n ....The interaction between injury compensation and social security systems. With the ultimate goal of reducing the road traffic crash burden in Australia, on individuals, their families, and on the nation's social support systems, the project will determine the impact of pre-claim social factors on compensation system outcomes including claim duration, benefits and costs, and the impact of compensation system design on claim and social outcomes of road traffic crash survivors. Addressing an unmet need, this project will determine the impact of macro-level compensation system design on social and claim outcomes and allows identification of groups at higher risk for poor post-crash outcomes, in whom earlier identification and intervention can improve these, and potentially save the Australian economy $300m annually.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100255
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,895.00
Summary
How costly is an unhealthy start in life? An econometric analysis of childhood health and adult prosperity. Knowledge on the consequences of poor health is crucial for effective allocation of public health funds. The project will investigate the long term costs of poor childhood health by quantifying the impacts of childhood illness on future economic prosperity. The analysis will employ advanced statistical techniques and high quality Australian data.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100390
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,371.00
Summary
Urban inequality: The initiation and preservation of spatial privilege in Australia's elite suburbs. Increased spatial inequality in Australian cities since the 1970s has seen rising wealth in the wealthiest suburbs and increased poverty in the poorest. Investigating the drivers of such polarisation, this project will innovate by focusing on the wealthiest suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne. It will measure inequalities in access to services and investigate how affluent communities mobilise their f ....Urban inequality: The initiation and preservation of spatial privilege in Australia's elite suburbs. Increased spatial inequality in Australian cities since the 1970s has seen rising wealth in the wealthiest suburbs and increased poverty in the poorest. Investigating the drivers of such polarisation, this project will innovate by focusing on the wealthiest suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne. It will measure inequalities in access to services and investigate how affluent communities mobilise their financial means, family and social networks and negotiation skills to draw in investment in infrastructure and services. This project’s results will advance international analytical knowledge of urban dynamics and will inform planning and policy strategies to achieve more equitable distribution of services and infrastructure in metropolitan areas.Read moreRead less