Locations

Exploring solar-powered EV charging networks

This project explores strategies for developing a solar-powered EV charging network that ensures comprehensive coverage across urban and remote regions in Australia. The expected outcome is to enhance energy security, mitigate range anxiety, and protect user data, by leveraging AI-driven data analytics and privacy-preserving mechanisms. The project will potentially provide insights into the feasibility and design of a scalable and sustainable EV charging solution in Australia.

Genomic assessment of early signatures of adaptation from a provenance trial

This project performs genomic analyses of juvenile eucalyptus trees from the Collaborator’s climate-adapted provenance trial at Nardoo Hills. The expected outcome is to identify genetic variation associated with greater fitness in two key revegetation eucalypts, Eucalyptus microcarpa and Eucalyptus melliodora. The project may provide valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms underpinning resilience and adaptation, which are vital for informing conservation strategies and restoring ecosystems.

Policy and regulatory aspects of water banking in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia and California, USA

This project investigates the policies and rules that influence the ability and motivations to store river water in underground aquifers for use during drought. The expected outcome is information that can be used to design policies and regulations that allow greater uptake of water banking techniques. These practices can provide cost effective water supplies during drought conditions for Murray-Darling Basin communities, irrigators, First Nations peoples, and the environment.

Enhanced resilience of irrigated agricultural floodplain landscapes of the Murray-Darling Basin

This project investigates the functional response of floodplain vegetation to environmental drivers at multiple scales in the Murray-Darling Basin. The expected outcome includes a series of tools for prioritising the management of floodplain vegetation communities across the landscape of the Murray-Darling Basin at multiple scales and identifying thresholds for environmental watering. The potential benefits are spatial data and new knowledge that will guide future environmental flow management for the benefit of iconic floodplain vegetation communities and related ecosystem services, especially those important to irrigated agricultural, such as water quality. 

Enhancing sustainable land management practices through natural capital profiles

This project addresses knowledge gaps in environmental sustainability and social marketing, focusing on river health and sustainable land management practices via co-creation and adoption of Natural Capital Profiles. The expected outcome is to extend existing frameworks in social marketing, with a particular emphasis on the Co-Create – Build – Engage (CBE) process, to design more user-friendly behaviour change solutions for improved river health and land management practices. The project will potentially increase the adoption of Natural Capital Profiles by landholders, enabling healthier river ecosystems and better land management.

AI-driven automatic translation of blueprints into construction instructions 

This project develops AI models to address the critical gap in automated interpretation of blueprints in construction domain. The expected outcome is an AI system that translates complex blueprints into plain language actional construction instructions. The project outcome will reduce errors, delays and cost in construction industry, enhancing productivity, safety, and sustainability. 

Identifying serum biomarkers in PFAS serum concentration using metabolomics

This project investigates the health impacts of PFAS exposure in firefighters using advanced metabolomic techniques to identify biomarkers. The expected outcome is the development of new biomarkers for PFAS exposure, enhancing health diagnostics and preventive measures. This research will potentially lead to improved health risk assessments, better regulatory policies, and enhanced safety for workers exposed to hazardous substances.

Welfare and behaviour implications of virtual fencing in Northern beef cow-calf systems

This project will investigate use of virtual fencing in northern Australian beef production. The expected outcomes will improve knowledge on efficacy, and implications for animal behaviour and welfare of using virtual fencing in northern cow-calf systems. This research will potentially improve land management in pastoral systems.  

Generalisation of the radiotherapy atlas contouring (TRAC) tool

This project will develop AI tools to both define and check medical image segmentations in radiotherapy clinical trials and clinical practice. The expected outcome is to develop quality assurance tools from artificial intelligence techniques and data from multiple medical imaging modalities. This project will have potential to improve patient outcomes and ensure effective implementation of advanced radiotherapy technologies and clinical trials.

Maximising effectiveness of limited insecticide resources to improve sheep health and wool yields

This project will establish best practice for insecticide applications in the sheep industry using molecular genetic analysis and computational modelling. The expected outcomes are to understand the level of resistance and cross resistance to the primary insecticides and to use computational modelling to develop optimal strategies for insecticide rotation. This solution will help prolong the usefulness of existing insecticides thereby improving animal health and profitability.