Integrating economics and science for land, water and biodiversity policy. Australian government programs for land and water conservation involve expenditure of billions of dollars, combined with much larger contributions from program participants. However, various problems with these programs have been identified. This research will assist program investors to better target funding, to employ more appropriate policy mechanisms, and to operate in a cost-effective way, achieving the most highly v ....Integrating economics and science for land, water and biodiversity policy. Australian government programs for land and water conservation involve expenditure of billions of dollars, combined with much larger contributions from program participants. However, various problems with these programs have been identified. This research will assist program investors to better target funding, to employ more appropriate policy mechanisms, and to operate in a cost-effective way, achieving the most highly valued environmental outcomes that can be achieved with the available budget. The project will develop improved theories, frameworks and economic models, integrating information from physical, biological and social sciences, and decision tools for use by environmental decision makers.Read moreRead less
Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific commun ....Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific community and will be disseminated back to the scientific community, to the humanities and to the Australian public. The project will bring to Australia the strengths of the applicant's existing collaborations with leading research centres in this field in the USA, UK and Canada.Read moreRead less
Ecology and evolution in dynamic systems: a new approach to conserving Australian biodiversity. Australia has different ecosystems and different species than the rest of the world, and we need a different approach to conserve and manage our unique animals. This project will develop a new, specifically Australian-oriented approach to conservation biology.
Science for resilience of coral reef systems. Hughes's Fellowship has enormous capacity to provide economic, cultural, environmental and social benefits for Australia. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value to this country. Hughes and his collaborators in a newly-created ARC Centre of Excellence will be the premier providers of the scie ....Science for resilience of coral reef systems. Hughes's Fellowship has enormous capacity to provide economic, cultural, environmental and social benefits for Australia. The coral reefs of Australia, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are Australian national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value to this country. Hughes and his collaborators in a newly-created ARC Centre of Excellence will be the premier providers of the scientific expertise that underpins the management of Australian reefs, which is vital for the sustainable use of biodiversity goods and services (e.g. by the tourist industry, fisheries, and recreational users).Read moreRead less
The toxins of water-borne cyanobacteria: regulation and exploitation of their biosynthesis. Water quality is a major concern in Australia, as is the global need for new natural products with antibiotic activity. The mechanisms by which cyanobacteria produce toxins that reduce the quality of water may very well be the answer to the lack of novel medicinal compounds currently being discovered in nature. Encompassed in this one program are the aims of ameliorating the effects of toxic algal blooms ....The toxins of water-borne cyanobacteria: regulation and exploitation of their biosynthesis. Water quality is a major concern in Australia, as is the global need for new natural products with antibiotic activity. The mechanisms by which cyanobacteria produce toxins that reduce the quality of water may very well be the answer to the lack of novel medicinal compounds currently being discovered in nature. Encompassed in this one program are the aims of ameliorating the effects of toxic algal blooms as well as introducing the means for the design and synthesis of a range of novel bioactive products. The benefits include better water quality and biosafety management options, a new generation of drug design and discovery, and the associated transformation of environmental and medical research and education in Australia.Read moreRead less
Theory for global biodiversity conservation. Australia's biological diversity underpins much of our economic wealth - for example the remarkable diversity of coral reefs fuels a multibillion dollar tourism industry. We will devise methods to make better decisions about where to invest conservation dollars amongst the biodiversity "hotspots" of the world and Australia to deliver environmental sustainability. We will solve the problem of how much of any environmental budget should be spent on mo ....Theory for global biodiversity conservation. Australia's biological diversity underpins much of our economic wealth - for example the remarkable diversity of coral reefs fuels a multibillion dollar tourism industry. We will devise methods to make better decisions about where to invest conservation dollars amongst the biodiversity "hotspots" of the world and Australia to deliver environmental sustainability. We will solve the problem of how much of any environmental budget should be spent on monitoring conservation actions to make better and more cost-effective decisions. We will create new theory and freely available tools for building systems of marine reserves that allow for threats like coral bleaching and hurricanes.Read moreRead less
Towards an all-optical Internet. The Federation Fellowship will build on the applicant's established and highly successful research program into key technologies for the all-optical Internet. Unlike the current Internet, which relies heavily on electronics for switching and routing, the all-optical Internet will use optics for these functions. The all-optical Internet will enable a vast increase in network capacity and will revolutionize telecommunications. The research program wil produce impor ....Towards an all-optical Internet. The Federation Fellowship will build on the applicant's established and highly successful research program into key technologies for the all-optical Internet. Unlike the current Internet, which relies heavily on electronics for switching and routing, the all-optical Internet will use optics for these functions. The all-optical Internet will enable a vast increase in network capacity and will revolutionize telecommunications. The research program wil produce importatnt innovations and will advance the Australian knowledge base in optical comunications and photonics. The research will assist Asutralia to capitalize on this new technology and to become a significant player in the next phase of the information revolution.Read moreRead less
In vivo imaging of the immune system in self tolerance and infectious disease. This proposal will introduce sophisticated imaging technology into our cutting-edge research program. Our approach will permit high resolution imaging of the immune response within an intact animal; currently not possible in Australia at the present time. The unique combination of technology and biological resources will significantly advance knowledge in key areas of basic immunology research. It will provide local ....In vivo imaging of the immune system in self tolerance and infectious disease. This proposal will introduce sophisticated imaging technology into our cutting-edge research program. Our approach will permit high resolution imaging of the immune response within an intact animal; currently not possible in Australia at the present time. The unique combination of technology and biological resources will significantly advance knowledge in key areas of basic immunology research. It will provide local researchers insights into how the body responds to infectious disease and immune-related disorders and be directly applicable to vaccine design. The facility and related research program will undoubtedly attract a team of top-level national and international scientists and students keen to work with this advanced technology.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear Photonics and All-Optical Technologies. Information is playing an increasing role in the modern society. The future progress in the information data processing is associated with a new generation of compact nanoscale optical devices operating entirely with light. The research programme aims to develop innovative concepts of all-optical communication and information technologies and to carry out both theoretical and experimental studies on the photonic-crystal physics and engineering, o ....Nonlinear Photonics and All-Optical Technologies. Information is playing an increasing role in the modern society. The future progress in the information data processing is associated with a new generation of compact nanoscale optical devices operating entirely with light. The research programme aims to develop innovative concepts of all-optical communication and information technologies and to carry out both theoretical and experimental studies on the photonic-crystal physics and engineering, optical solitons, and nanoscale nonlinear switching devices in order to promote the new field of photonic crystals, to enhance its development in Australia and provide linkages between leading edge R & D and industry in an important emerging technology.Read moreRead less
All-optical technologies, nanophotonics, and metamaterials. This program will support a world-leading team in nanophotonics and metamaterials. It will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for manipulating optical pulses in specially designed nanoscale structures, making an essential step towards the creation of all-optical devices which perform fast switching and processing of optical signals. These developments will underpin the next generation of high-performance networks promising to revo ....All-optical technologies, nanophotonics, and metamaterials. This program will support a world-leading team in nanophotonics and metamaterials. It will introduce and demonstrate novel concepts for manipulating optical pulses in specially designed nanoscale structures, making an essential step towards the creation of all-optical devices which perform fast switching and processing of optical signals. These developments will underpin the next generation of high-performance networks promising to revolutionize global communications. This research program will keep Australia at the forefront of international research and provide training for students in breakthrough applications of photonics and nanotechnology, contributing to the uptake of frontier technologies by Australian industries.Read moreRead less