Scholarship opportunities

Fingerprinting critical minerals development in continental margins

This project will study how critical minerals develop in the Andean-type plate margins through case studies in eastern Australia. The expected outcomes are results that characterise signature minerals in a polymetallic minerals province in Far North Queensland. This may result in supplying new data-driven mineralisation models for key exploration regions.

Li-ion battery separator material recovery and utilisation

Sodium battery is a promising alternative for energy storage if precious metal prices for making LIB remain high. This Project will mainly focus on the recovery of LIB separator material and explore economic applications of the recovered separator materials, such as turning it into high-value hard carbon for making sodium battery anode material.

Crop disease management

This project aims to integrate novel automated disease surveillance technology into real-time management of crop diseases for improved yield and sustainability outcomes. The expected outcome is grower recommendations for crop diseases informed by real-time automated disease surveillance. The potential benefit is improved productivity and sustainability through reduced crop losses and chemical inputs.

Integrated management of invasive pampas grass

This project develops novel management solutions for alien grasses (with a focus on pampas grass) that threaten the rehabilitation of ash dams associated with power plant closures. The expected outcomes are an improved understanding of the invasive grass species, their responses to different control methods and development of management guidelines. The potential benefits are enhanced rehabilitation outcomes for disturbed landscapes and improved quality of desirable flora and fauna.

Data analytics for enhanced hearing health

This project aims to consolidate hearing health data with other datasets to unlock valuable insights and drive personalised hearing healthcare interventions. The expected outcomes are to streamline access to hearing health data, improve data connectivity, and enhance treatment outcomes. The potential benefit is to facilitate informed decision-making for healthcare providers to enable better patient care.

Communicating in the real world

This project aims to utilise existing sensor technologies to evaluate the impact of hearing loss when communicating in noisy environments. The expected outcome is the discovery of novel analysis methods that utilise multi-sensor fusion techniques. The potential benefit is improved outcomes for individuals with hearing loss.

Optimising vegetation management and grazing in solar farms

This project aims to use high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to derive measurements that enhance vegetation management and grazing efficiency in solar farms. The expected outcome is to develop algorithms that can be applied to near real-time satellite data to enable the spatially comprehensive measurements of vegetation growth, grazing patterns overgrazing, curing rating for decision making in monitoring and determining the effectiveness of land management strategies.

Operationalising quantum communications

This project will develop infrastructure for quantum communications including quantum memory technology and quantum communication protocols. The expected outcomes are a quantum memory platform for free-space communications and software architecture for operating quantum communications. This could result in a solution for deploying quantum communications technology within Australia for government, industry and public utilisation. 

Compostable plastics

This Project aims to design and develop compostable plastics. The expected outcome is to produce new materials and compositions from sustainable sources to make plastics. This could benefit Australia to find new ways to make plastics that are sustainable and circular.