Built Environments And Child Health In WalEs And AuStralia (BEACHES)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$797,256.00
Summary
A better understanding of how the built environment drives obesity in children will inform evidence-based planning policy and practice strategies to prevent the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in future generations. We will bring together five large UK and Australian cohort studies to understand how complex and interacting built environment factors influence modifiable risk factors (physical inactivity, sedentary time, unhealthy diet) for NCD’s across childhood.
Addressing Evidence Gaps And Developing A Novel Treatment To Reduce The Burden Of Post-traumatic Knee Osteoarthritis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Arthritis caused by knee injury has a devastating personal and economic impact. Research is needed to develop strategies to prevent arthritis and improve outcomes for people living with arthritis. This research will improve treatment of knee injury to reduce arthritis risk, understand why some people are more likely to get knee arthritis, and develop a new treatment to improve outcomes for people living with knee arthritis. A clinical trial will determine if this treatment achieves this aim.
Reforming evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policy. This project aims to develop and evaluate a ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ framework to strategically guide evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policies in order to effectively and safely tackle contemporary nutrition and food security problems. The project intends to use interdisciplinary approaches that integrate nutrition science, health promotion and policy science. The project would also examine policy-make ....Reforming evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policy. This project aims to develop and evaluate a ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ framework to strategically guide evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policies in order to effectively and safely tackle contemporary nutrition and food security problems. The project intends to use interdisciplinary approaches that integrate nutrition science, health promotion and policy science. The project would also examine policy-maker acceptance of the framework. Expected project outcomes include an enhanced capacity to critically analyse existing policies and guide future food and nutrition policy formulation and evaluation. This project would provide significant benefits by helping to promote public health, wellbeing and food system sustainability.Read moreRead less
Accuracy and cost-effectiveness of technology-assisted dietary assessment. This project aims to compare leading methods for technology-assisted dietary assessment. Excessive cost and questionable accuracy limit the routine use of dietary assessment and undermine decision making in Australia. This project intends to compare three technology methods of assessing diet with the current standard recall method used in population surveys in order to confirm if the use of food images and automated metho ....Accuracy and cost-effectiveness of technology-assisted dietary assessment. This project aims to compare leading methods for technology-assisted dietary assessment. Excessive cost and questionable accuracy limit the routine use of dietary assessment and undermine decision making in Australia. This project intends to compare three technology methods of assessing diet with the current standard recall method used in population surveys in order to confirm if the use of food images and automated methods provide new approaches to improve accuracy and consumer acceptability. Expected outcomes of this project include more accurate and acceptable methods of assessing dietary intake. These findings will inform decision making for researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Australia, and potentially lead to more regular population surveillance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100051
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$337,000.00
Summary
Unhealthy food marketing to children. This project aims to quantify children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing online and identify how online and TV food marketing influences food consumption and may affect death and disease. Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is a global health priority. Online marketing is relatively unregulated and unstudied, but provides unprecedented opportunities for marketers to target children. Food marketing exposure leads to a hypothesised ca ....Unhealthy food marketing to children. This project aims to quantify children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing online and identify how online and TV food marketing influences food consumption and may affect death and disease. Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is a global health priority. Online marketing is relatively unregulated and unstudied, but provides unprecedented opportunities for marketers to target children. Food marketing exposure leads to a hypothesised cascade of effects, including brand awareness, affect, and behaviour. This project will provide quantifiable data on online food marketing and will lead to a standard protocol for global monitoring.Read moreRead less
Torres Strait Islander History: Sport, Culture and Identity. This project aims to investigate sport as a means of understanding the cultures, identities and history of Torres Strait Islanders. Through a community-centred approach, and a project team including Torres Strait Islanders, the project challenges versions of Australian history that marginalise the Strait or conflate Islanders with Aboriginal people. Expected outcomes of this project include a more nuanced history of Indigenous Australi ....Torres Strait Islander History: Sport, Culture and Identity. This project aims to investigate sport as a means of understanding the cultures, identities and history of Torres Strait Islanders. Through a community-centred approach, and a project team including Torres Strait Islanders, the project challenges versions of Australian history that marginalise the Strait or conflate Islanders with Aboriginal people. Expected outcomes of this project include a more nuanced history of Indigenous Australia, a significant body of repatriated resources on Islander sport and increased involvement of Islander communities in the history-making process. Anticipated benefits include a multifaceted contribution to reconciliation and better understanding of our unique and complex national identity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101791
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,567.00
Summary
Influence of the food environment near schools on children's food intake. Bridging the disciplines of nutrition, public health, geography and urban planning, this unique and innovative project strives to be the first in Australia to: (i) longitudinally map, measure and monitor the food environment near schools; and (ii) comprehensively investigate how the proximity of healthy and unhealthy food outlets near schools impacts on children’s eating behaviours. The findings will be used to develop a s ....Influence of the food environment near schools on children's food intake. Bridging the disciplines of nutrition, public health, geography and urban planning, this unique and innovative project strives to be the first in Australia to: (i) longitudinally map, measure and monitor the food environment near schools; and (ii) comprehensively investigate how the proximity of healthy and unhealthy food outlets near schools impacts on children’s eating behaviours. The findings will be used to develop a set of policy and practice recommendations for key stakeholders (e.g., school staff, students, parents, community members, retailers, planners and government) to help create equitable and health-promoting food environments near schools.Read moreRead less
The consistent growth of the Murray cod production sector in Australia is evidence that the industry is no longer fledgling and has grown into a significant production sector. Growth figures from 2012 until now effectively doubled year on year, with the total production from 2019/2020 season estimated to be around 516 tonnes with an industry value of around $9.2 million (AUD). With this increased production and forecast to reach a $50 million dollar sector by 2030, it is imperative that feeds fo ....The consistent growth of the Murray cod production sector in Australia is evidence that the industry is no longer fledgling and has grown into a significant production sector. Growth figures from 2012 until now effectively doubled year on year, with the total production from 2019/2020 season estimated to be around 516 tonnes with an industry value of around $9.2 million (AUD). With this increased production and forecast to reach a $50 million dollar sector by 2030, it is imperative that feeds for Murray cod are tailored and bespoke to reach their full potential. The development of bespoke feeds for the sector will have the added benefit of improving the economics of operations from both a growth performance and feed efficiency perspective.
Noting that past research on Murray cod primarily by researchers at the Deakin University was very successful in demonstrating some core aspects of fish nutrition, it remains to be determined what benefits are possible on larger fish size classes which represent the bulk of feed consumed. In other well studied species such as Atlantic salmon and barramundi, gains in production efficiency can be achieved by diet design, with incremental changes improving the profitability throughout the life cycle. Although there is no co-op or association for growers, a recently commissioned report has highlighted the need for improved feeds and key R&D support for the sector is required. The proposed project aims to address some of the fundamental gaps in Murray cod nutrition on large size classes to identify where gains in production efficiency can realistically be achieved. Objectives: 1. Determine a baseline for the most optimal macronutrient levels (principally protein and lipid) for medium and large Murray cod in extruded diets. 2. Understand the nutrient profile of the feed types and how this affects the fish performance. 3. Conduct a series of laboratory analyses to determine the biometric and biochemical effect of the feed. Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100410
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$452,085.00
Summary
Bridging the gap between rockfall theory and engineering practice. Fragmentation is often observed post rockfall events and it is recognised as a critical aspect of adequate rockfall risk management. Yet, rockfall fragmentation is a complex phenomenon still poorly understood and not properly considered in engineering practice. This project aims at developing a theoretical and stochastic fragmentation framework, based on high-quality and comprehensive experimental data, in collaboration with lead ....Bridging the gap between rockfall theory and engineering practice. Fragmentation is often observed post rockfall events and it is recognised as a critical aspect of adequate rockfall risk management. Yet, rockfall fragmentation is a complex phenomenon still poorly understood and not properly considered in engineering practice. This project aims at developing a theoretical and stochastic fragmentation framework, based on high-quality and comprehensive experimental data, in collaboration with leading international industry partners that provide advanced geotechnical design tools to practitioners around the world. The outcomes of the project will bridge the gap between rockfall theory and engineering practice. It will allow for more cost-effective and safer design of rockfall protection structures.Read moreRead less
A novel granular stress sensor for soil exploration. The project aims to develop a novel way to measure the state of soils and improve the perception of soft ground robots by combining advances in sensor development with granular physics. The project expects to produce new insights in geotechnical engineering by utilising innovative sensors compliant with the surrounding medium, thus improving measurements across broader deformation conditions than existing technologies. Expected outcomes includ ....A novel granular stress sensor for soil exploration. The project aims to develop a novel way to measure the state of soils and improve the perception of soft ground robots by combining advances in sensor development with granular physics. The project expects to produce new insights in geotechnical engineering by utilising innovative sensors compliant with the surrounding medium, thus improving measurements across broader deformation conditions than existing technologies. Expected outcomes include an increased ability to prevent soil failures by utilising these sensors to monitor stress levels underground. This should provide significant benefits for saving critical infrastructure from environmental and geotechnical failures, including landslides, tunnel collapses, and tailings dam damages.Read moreRead less