Grants & Opportunities

Deciphering the effects of self-repair on human language and communication. Language production is complex, fast, and fallible. Its latent troubles are a fundamental but understudied constraint on human languages and communication. This project aims to explore the formative effects of troubles with language production by establishing how people self-repair them in conversation. It will examine this subtle yet crucial process using a novel observational approach incorporating important forms of human diversity. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the multimodal and interactive forces shaping language production and diversity in human communication. Benefits include improved support for Australians who experience language and communication barriers and future strategies to measure human skills and competency.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4704 - Linguistics. Lead: A/Prof Scott Barnes

Unravelling the bactericidal biomechanics of nanoengineered surfaces. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics could bring Australia back to the dark ages. The project aims to generate fundamental understanding of surface engineering technology that efficiently kills bacteria upon contact, through rationally designed interactions specifically devised for targeting bacterial weaknesses. This project is expected to discover novel pathways to tackle bacterial infections by preventing surface colonisation and revealing the underlying molecular mechanisms that make bacteria susceptible to antimicrobial compounds. This should provide new knowledge to inform the development of future antibacterial materials and treatments urgently needed in many areas of society, ranging from healthcare to water supply.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4018 - Nanotechnology. Lead: A/Prof Abel Santos

Bio-enhanced Hydrogen production and CO2 mineralisation. This project pioneers a revolutionary approach to producing Gold Hydrogen while converting industrial CO2 into permanent solid-state storage, harnessing innovative biocatalyst-engineered interactions with olivine. By targeting iron-magnesium bonds, the biocatalyst enables rapid olivine dissolution in an optimised reaction environment leading to substantial hydrogen production through serpentinization. The key objectives include (1) maximise Gold Hydrogen production, (2) accelerate CO2 mineralisation at low temperatures, and (3) enhance carbonation required for industries such as cement manufacturing. This paradigm-shifting approach promises an energy-generating, scalable solution for clean energy production and permanent CO2 sequestration.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4019 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy. Lead: Prof Hamid Roshan

The Chemistry of Phosphorescent Metal Complexes: Lights, Camera, Action! This project aims to generate new knowledge in the chemistry of phosphorescent metal complexes that can be activated by light and then alter the function of biological cells. An aspiration is to develop new ways to synthesise photoactive molecules that contain either iridium, rhenium or ruthenium. This research is significant because these molecules will be target specific cell types and be tuned to be triggered by activation with light to become biologically active. The expected outcomes of this research include an improved understanding of the coordination chemistry of high value metals which is required to inform their future use in potential applications in biotechnology and biology. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3402 - Inorganic Chemistry. Lead: Prof Paul Donnelly

Can quantum computers solve sensing problems? This project aims to tackle the critical challenge of integrating quantum sensors with quantum computers, unlocking their combined potential for transformative applications. It expects to integrate quantum sensors into quantum computers, enabling practical, large-scale, high-sensitivity precision measurement and computational advancements. Expected outcomes include capacity building, forging collaboration between the sensing and computing communities and advancing applications in magnetometry, gravimetry, astronomy, and medical imaging. This work will significantly enhance scientific and industrial capabilities while strengthening Australia’s leadership in next-generation quantum technologies.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 5108 - Quantum Physics. Lead: Dr Zixin Huang

Governance, Diversity, and Information Design in Teams. This project aims to investigate how teamwork can be improved through effective design of team governance and information flow. It expects to determine how different team governance structures can improve the design of information about individual contributions to overcome issues of underperforming teams. Expected outcomes include (i) new knowledge on effective governance to implement information systems in project-based team tasks, and (ii) tools which are directly applicable and low-cost interventions. This will provide significant benefits for fundraising platforms, community groups, and workplaces by mitigating under-provision of collectively beneficial goods, poor firm performance, and insufficient responses to environmental problems.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3801 - Applied Economics. Lead: Prof Nisvan Erkal

A New Approach to Inverse Problems for Minimal Submanifolds. Aim: This project will determine the geometric structure of an a priori unknown manifold from knowledge of only the volumes of the minimal submanifolds embedded in it. Significance: This project will encapsulate the celebrated Michel's conjecture for boundary rigidity into a broader framework of minimal submanifolds. For physics, this inverse problem is widely seen as a way of connecting quantum mechanics with general relativity through the framework of the AdS/CFT correspondence. Expected Outcomes: We will establish geometric rigidity results relating to minimal surfaces. Benefits: Creating a mathematical framework for minimal surfaces that potentially leads to new connections between quantum mechanics and general relativity. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4904 - Pure Mathematics. Lead: A/Prof Leo Tzou

Exploring Rural Women's Needs for Creative Spaces Through Co-design. Rural women make up a third of the nation’s female population but have more limited access to support services than urban counterparts. To help overcome this they crave women-only spaces for creative and social connection to combat social isolation. Through a series of co-design workshops and interviews with rural women the project will develop models for culturally diverse creative spaces that are unique to living in rural Australia. Based on robust evidence and successfully piloted approaches, expected outcomes from the project will directly address National Research Priorities providing models for rural women’s creative spaces. Benefits from the project include reduced social isolation and stronger individual and community wellbeing.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4405 - Gender Studies. Lead: Prof Lia Bryant

Mangroves reveal history of Australia's forested shorelines. This project aims to reveal the history of shoreline change and resilience of mangrove forests preserved in mangrove forest structure and substrates. In doing so, it seeks to reconcile the carbon benefits sea-level rise can provide with the risks sea-level rise poses to mangrove shorelines. A framework for integration of Earth observations with field and laboratory-based analyses will be proposed, and will complement a modelling approach that can be modified to generate both exploratory and real-world simulations based on future scenarios. This research seeks to centre Indigenous knowledges, provide confidence in forested shoreline resilience, and support investment in restoration, conservation, and blue carbon and nature repair markets.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3709 - Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience. Lead: Prof Kerrylee Rogers

An agreeable price: Discovering the path to critical road pricing reform. This project aims to investigate the timely and critical pathway for transitioning to a fair, equitable and parsimonious road user charging system for passenger cars. This project expects to generate knowledge in the area of road pricing using innovative experimental methods and field trials incorporating new technologies. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced understanding of responses to different pricing structures and sources of resistance in road pricing reform. This should provide significant benefits, such as a validated road pricing structure that is acceptable to drivers and policy-makers, and future-proof funding for road infrastructure that is essential to perform economic, commercial and social activities.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3509 - Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chains. Lead: Prof Michiel Bliemer

Multiscale design approach to photocatalytic selective methane oxidation. The project aims to enhance photocatalytic systems for converting methane to methanol, focusing on the discovery of highly-efficient photocatalysts that can facilitate this process. This involves a multiscale design approach, spanning atomic-level catalyst engineering to large-scale reactor development. The goal is to improve the efficiency, selectivity, and stability of selective methane conversion to methanol, addressing key challenges in reducing methane emissions. Fundamental insights into the mechanisms driven by radicals are sought, paving the way for targeted catalyst and reactor designs. This initiative represents a significant step in applying solar-driven catalysis to support the decarbonisation of the energy and chemical sectors.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4016 - Materials Engineering. Lead: Prof Rose Amal

Forever Chemicals Accidentally Produced in a Modern, Cleaner Atmosphere. Fluorinated gases used for heating/cooling are becoming more important as they are compatible with renewable energy. In the past, unexpected chemistry has caused ozone depletion and global warming. Contemporary gases, e.g. hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), are reported to have no ozone or climate impact. However, their atmospheric chemistry is not fully understood. Decisions are based on areas with high nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels. Australia is low NOx. The rest of the world is also reducing NOx. HFO chemistry is unknown under these conditions. Modern HFO emission has rapidly accelerated the accumulation of phytotoxic "forever chemicals" in other countries. This project will determine the HFO chemistry relevant to Australia and avoid this fate.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3406 - Physical Chemistry. Lead: Dr Christopher Hansen

Understanding the role of compressible mixing in high-speed combustion. This project aims to deepen understanding of fuel/air mixing and combustion in high-speed, air-breathing propulsion engines like scramjets and rotating detonation engines. Through a combination of experiments, direct numerical simulations, and large eddy simulations, it seeks to uncover the intricate relationship between flow Mach number, turbulence intensity, and flame stabilisation mechanisms. Expected outcomes include insights into compressible mixing and effects of novel burner configurations on flow expansions and shock wave structures, and refinement of combustion models for improved designs. This should provide significant benefits, such higher efficiency and reduced weight of space-launch and defence propulsion systems.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4012 - Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Engineering. Lead: Prof Matthew Cleary

Novel role of RNA splicing and modification in white blood cell formation. This project aims to address how ribonucleic acid (RNA) regulates white blood cell formation. This project expects to gain new insights into the mechanism and conservation of molecular processes governing white blood cell development using advanced molecular, cell biology and biochemical assays coupled with innovative RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Expected outcomes of the project include enhancing knowledge on how white blood cells are continuously replenished for the well-being of vertebrates and promoting international collaboration in the RNA sector. This should provide significant benefit in sustaining food production via knowledge to maintain health and combat blood disease in animals and advance Australia's RNA research.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3105 - Genetics. Lead: Dr Justin Wong

FlexUnlock: Discovery of demand flexibility in residential buildings. This project aims to reduce energy costs and create demand flexibility (i.e. capacity of end users to change their consumption patterns) of Australian residential homes. It expects to generate new knowledge regarding demand flexibility using an interdisciplinary approach leveraging structured surveys, digital twin modelling, data analytics and machine learning. Expected outcomes include an open-source tool for raising awareness and accelerating demand flexibility in residential homes, data-driven forecasting models, and data-enabled predictive control strategies. It will provide significant economic and environmental benefits, improve energy affordability and security, and contribute to climate change mitigation and clean energy transition.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3302 - Building. Lead: Prof Zhenjun Ma

Structural health monitoring by using generative and physics-informed AI. This project aims to develop advanced generative and physics-informed Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques for structural health monitoring of civil structures. The developed approach applies novel generative and physics-informed deep learning techniques with synthetic data and domain knowledge, for reliable structural condition monitoring. This project expects to significantly improve data generation and interpretation by enhancing AI capacity. Expected outcomes of the project include novel generative and physics-informed AI approaches to conduct structural condition monitoring with limited monitoring data. This will provide significant benefits to infrastructure asset owners to ensure public safety and reduce maintenance costs.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4005 - Civil Engineering. Lead: Prof Jun Li

Unlocking the potential of radiogenic isotopes for ocean conservation. Monitoring biodiversity is key to understanding and managing ecosystem health. The development of radiogenic isotopes for tracking terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity has become a gold standard because of their precision and predictability. But the poster child of radiogenic isotopes, strontium, does not work in marine systems. This project aims to road test a radiogenic isotope that is suitable for marine biodiversity: neodymium. This project expects to establish neodymium isotopes as a go-to method for tracking diverse marine organisms, from sharks to sea snails, and generating crucial data on their mobility and origins. This project should result in improved monitoring and conservation of marine biodiversity under threat. . Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3103 - Ecology. Lead: A/Prof Zoe Doubleday

Mechanistic analysis of perovskite degradation for stable photovoltaics. This project addresses the largest roadblock in perovskite research—stability—and aims to identify the most promising pathway(s) to enhance the stability. Powerful interpretable, quantitative materials analysis techniques will be developed via physics-based machine learning, leading to the discovery of degradation mechanisms and the extraction of dominant material parameters. With these insights, this project will deliver targeted strategies to enhance perovskite stability, accelerating the revolution of low-cost solar technology and decarbonising Australia's economy. The new material analysis technique is adaptable to other materials and experiments, providing a new paradigm to the research community for developing novel semiconductors.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4009 - Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware. Lead: Prof Kylie Catchpole

Strategic Management of Agentic Artificial Intelligence for Innovation. This project aims to transform how organisations manage generative Artificial Intelligence agents to drive innovation. It will develop a robust groundbreaking theory-based framework, practical methods, metrics, and tools to tackle the growing strategic challenges organisations face with rapid AI advances. The anticipated outcomes include new strategies for organisations to increase performance, create transformative value and drive innovation. Key benefits include improving productivity, competitiveness, collaboration and innovation. The project will enhance Australia's competitive edge and global standing, increase new investment, economic complexity and high-skilled jobs, and strengthen the local and global innovation ecosystems.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3507 - Strategy, Management and Organisational Behaviour. Lead: Prof Mary-Anne Williams

Metabolic control of genome integrity - Insight into mechanisms. This project investigates how caloric restriction enhances organism fitness by improving DNA repair through the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway, a key nutrient and energy sensor in all eukaryotes. Preliminary research has revealed a novel energy-dependent mechanism by which the TOR pathway boosts DNA repair. This interdisciplinary project will use innovative methods to provide new insights into the effects of caloric restriction on DNA repair. Expected outcomes; include fundamental insights into the energy regulation of genome integrity to enhance organism fitness, new knowledge benefiting both basic and applied biology across all eukaryotes, potential future interventions in longevity and cancer research; fostering global collaborations.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: Prof Janni Petersen

Urbanism and the Tongan Maritime State. The project’s aim is to investigate urbanism in the Tongan maritime state through a study of its earthwork architecture. An urbanism record for an Archaic state that survived for 650 years will provide significant new insights to the development of an important Pacific population centre. Expected outcomes include a high-resolution chronological record of an ancient neighbourhood in Oceania and quantitative indicators of urbanism at the state centre. Australia is one of the most urbanised societies in the world and historical records of urbanism in our region are important for understanding the factors that contribute to sustainable long-term settlement growth.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4513 - Pacific Peoples Culture, Language and History. Lead: Prof Geoffrey Clark

It takes two: defining the genesis of metabolites that activate T cells. Immune cells detect threats by recognising conserved molecules made by microbes, termed “antigens”. The generation and presentation of peptide antigens, leading to T cell activation, is well studied. In contrast, how metabolite-based antigens form is unknown. This project aims to define how bacterial and host cell metabolites react together to form an antigen that activates specialised T cells, with anti-microbial functions. Using conceptually novel approaches, it should provide benefits by resolving a key knowledge gap in immune detection of microbes that unlocks new research directions and may inform future translational research. It is also expected to support the training of researchers and to develop new methods and research tools.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 3204 - Immunology. Lead: Prof Alexandra Corbett

How our gender and sexuality euphorias predict our identity development. This project aims to discover how our gender and sexuality identity (GSI) euphorias (positive affect e.g. happiness) predict our lifespan GSI development. It creates the first interdisciplinary bio-social-cognitive model of people's lifespan GSI development and fluidity within ecological systems, via mixed methods. It identifies latent profiles of individuals’ ‘GSI euphorias’ (positive affect) – and others’ responses to these – and how these profiles are associated with typical vs. atypical GSI development and fluidity, education/service appropriacy, and lifespan wellbeing. Meeting gaps in male-and-youth-centred, deficit-based models; new GSI development models enrich professional approaches towards intervention benefits centring wellbeing.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4405 - Gender Studies. Lead: Prof Tiffany Jones

Exploiting new mathematical encodings of phylogenetic trees and networks. Phylogenetics needs new results from discrete mathematics to incorporate information from non-tree-like evolutionary processes, such as hybridization or horizontal gene transfer, and to cope with the large data sets that arise from contexts such as pandemics. This project will bring recently-developed encodings from the discrete mathematics of combinatorics, graph theory, and set theory, to the study of phylogenetic trees and networks. In proving results in combinatorics and graph theory, and by developing new algorithms using those results, it will provide mathematical and computational tools for biology and public health, and build connections between mathematics and phylogenetics.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4904 - Pure Mathematics. Lead: Prof Andrew Francis

Upcycling of Mixed Waste Plastics for Sustainable Jet Fuel Production . This project aims to develop an integrated plastic separation and pyrolysis process that can sustainably upcycle mixed waste plastics into jet fuel. A selective separation technology will be developed to recover plastics suitable for jet fuel production, using the light oil internally generated as the solvent. An advanced pyrolysis process will then be designed to integrate reflux and staged condensation systems for maximising the formation of jet fuel range products. Through techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment, the jet fuel production cost at larger scale can be greatly reduced. By diverting mixed waste plastics from landfilling, the project will also provide significant benefits to plastic waste management in Australia.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4004 - Chemical Engineering. Lead: Dr Yun Yu