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Sustainable use of tailings as land-fill and non-structural construction material - Phase 1 (Old ID 27170)
The central aim of the project is the assessment of blended residue from Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) for sustainable use. Tailings can be processed to remove the acidic content or mixed with binder to become safe backfill or non-structural materials. TECH proposed to process annually 600,000 tons of high grenade Nickel and Cobalt ore. Phase 1 of the project will undertake physical, chemical, geotechnical and engineering strength tests on tailings from TECH to estimate the limits and to assess characteristics, including the acid-insoluble content of the tailings. The understanding will help to develop research in phase 2 and 3.
A global assessment of fisheries co-management
This project delivers a global assessment of fisheries co-management. It administers a structured survey to conservation practitioners and government officials working on fisheries co-management arrangements in coastal nations worldwide, recruited primarily through the Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF site networks, with broader outreach to practitioners in other NGOs and government agencies. The instrument captures governance characteristics, governance quality (effective, equitable, responsive, and robust), and perceived social and ecological outcomes. The work develops a typology of co-management systems and examines the conditions shaping their emergence, persistence, and impact, with findings disseminated through peer-reviewed synthesis articles.
Professionally Psyched: A Podcast to build professional identity, career clarity, and belongingness
JCU Learning & Teaching Innovation Grant
“Bonus Chats”: A podcast series to build professional identity
This project will use a podcast series to build professional identity within the psychology undergraduate cohort. The 15- minute podcast episodes will feature staff, PhD and Honours students discussing their research and contemporary issues relevant to the discipline. Research has shown that professional identity is important in the retention of people to organisations and careers. This project aims to build a sense of belongingness and community with the psychology undergraduate students through a creative and flexible delivery that showcases the diversity and opportunities within the psychology discipline. Improved retention, performance and engagement are the ultimate long-term goals.
Corals of the future: adaptation potential of Australian reefs to a changing climate (Old ID 27635)
Oceans are changing. Coral reefs are natural wonders of high socio-economic value but are under threat. Conservation genomics can inform managers where to move or establish reserves to prioritize biodiversity protection. This DECRA will help prepare Australia’s prized reefs against future decline by identifying “bright spot” reefs that protect three of the most fundamental biological processes found in nature: dispersal, symbioses, and adaptation. Outcomes include quantifying unknown genetic baselines to help managers optimise protection to sustain future reef ecosystem services. This will boost Australia’s standing as a global leader in the next conservation planning revolution using genomics.
Building strategic partnerships to address climate change in marine ecosystems
This project will forge a strategic Australia–UAE partnership to develop science that can support climate-ready marine management, co-design monitoring frameworks for marine protected areas using cutting-edge technology, and strengthen long-term research capacity through reciprocal institutional exchanges built on shared scientific priorities.
Enhancing biosecurity efforts in the Torres Strait: Science for Caring for Country
This project aims to engage Indigenous rangers from two Torres Strait islands, a high-biosecurity region, in hands-on workshops on environmental DNA methods, a technology that is transforming biosecurity monitoring
Evaluating the Teaching Excellence and Collaborative Hub (TEACH): Building Educator Capability and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
This non-funded research project will evaluate the Teaching Excellence and Collaborative Hub (TEACH), a multi-modal faculty development initiative within the College of Medicine and Dentistry at James Cook University. TEACH aims to build educator capability, confidence, collegial connection, and engagement with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through digital resources, mentoring, networking, communities of practice, showcases, and scholarly support activities. The evaluation will use a mixed-methods developmental evaluation design, including anonymous post-activity surveys, quarterly staff experience surveys, semi-structured interviews, and aggregate program-level engagement data. Findings will inform ongoing refinement of TEACH and contribute evidence about sustainable faculty development in regional health professional education contexts.
In what ways could Student-led Ward Rounds impact the experience of students completing their paediatric rotations? A Mixed methods study
This mixed-methods study will explore how Student-led Ward Rounds influence the learning experiences and values of medical students completing paediatric rotations. The project is framed as an action research study and involves introducing a revised inpatient ward round structure in which medical students lead ward round activities, including taking patient histories, examining patients, and contributing to management plans under direct supervision from a senior doctor. This differs from the traditional paediatric ward round model, where students usually participate primarily as observers. Students will experience both traditional and student-led ward rounds during their six-week rotation. After the rotation, consenting students will be invited to provide feedback through an online survey and a short semi-structured interview with a research assistant. Findings may inform future educational redesign and research into active learning approaches within paediatric clinical placements. The project has previously been reviewed by an external ethics committee: SA Health Research GEMS. External approval number: 2025/HRE00442.
Developing Feedback Literacy for First Year Nursing Students in North Queensland
This lower-risk research project will explore first-year nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding assessment feedback at a regional university in North Queensland. The study is situated within the Master of Health Professional Education and uses a positivist paradigm with a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey framework. Data will be collected through an anonymous online survey completed by first-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled at James Cook University. The survey will examine students’ previous experiences of receiving and using assessment feedback, their current understanding and interpretation of feedback, and how they apply feedback to support learning. Findings will be used to identify strengths and needs in students’ feedback literacy and to inform teaching strategies that support first-year nursing students in North Queensland and similar tertiary settings.