Research Projects
How does morality influence climate change adaptation? (Old ID 27634)
Jacqueline Lau
14 Nov 2023 - 10 Nov 2028
This project aims to understand how morality influences adaptation to climate change in the Great Barrier Reef region. This interdisciplinary project expects to generate new knowledge in the critical area of climate change adaptation. Expected outcomes include empirical insights into the connection between morality and adaptation, international collaborations, theory development, and refined methods to help identify leverage points for incorporating morality into decision-making. This should provide significant benefits including a basis for policy-making in Australia and globally, of practical significance to policy-makers seeking to support successful and just adaptation to climate change sustains livelihoods and respects local values.
Trait plasticity and the maintenance of functional diversity (Old ID 23341)
Tom Bridge
15 May 2018 - 31 Dec 2022
This project aims to determine if trait plasticity mediates functional degradation of coral reefs by using natural environmental gradients to identify mechanisms that enable corals to persist in marginal habitats. The project will use innovative 3D imaging to measure how intraspecific variability in traits influences functional redundancy, facilitating better predictions of the effects of environmental change on reef systems. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of the response of coral reef ecosystems to environmental change and a framework for predicting reefs at risk of functional degradation, providing benefits to both global biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services in reef dependent communities
Southern Expansion of Mackay-Whitsunday Ambient Marine Monitoring Program. (Old ID 23603)
Nathan Waltham
03 Jul 2017 - 31 Jul 2027
TropWATER will provide seagrass assessment and water quality logging/chemistry services to assist regional marine ambient monitoring program administered by Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership. These data will assist Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership with the preparation of a regional report card.
Governance and accountability: the experience of Aboriginal Health Workers (Old ID 25066)
Steph Topp
01 Jul 2018 - 31 Dec 2018
This program will form a foundational component of Dr. Topp’s long term vision to develop a JCU-based health systems governance research program focussing on Australia’s remote and rural health workforce. The proposed project encompasses the first empirical study on AHW governance in Australia, leveraging collaborations with key industry stakeholders in the tropical north. Outcomes, both publications and established industry relationships, will form the basis for future competitive grant applications that extend Dr. Topp’s research expertise and presence, including by opening up new opportunities for collaborations with international colleagues working in the health system governance and accountability domain.
Serving the underserved in the tropics: Making a difference with positive psychology (Old ID 25136)
Wendy Li
28 Jun 2019 - 29 Jun 2019
As the first AASP (mini) conference focusing on serving the underserved in the tropics, the proposed mini conference aims to address this gap to promote making a difference in tropical Asia with positive psychology. The themes of the mini conference include: * mental health and psychological wellbeing in the tropics; * projudice, discimination and structural inequality; * individual and community resilience.
Positrons in biosystems (Old ID 26263)
Ron White
04 Apr 2019 - 03 Apr 2022
This project aims to improve our understanding of the damage processes in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). PET is a widely used medical imaging technique, but there are gaps in our understanding of the underlying interactions, in particular in the case of the radiation damage induced during the process. By using new models incorporating accurate descriptions of interactions processes, verified by experimental measurement, this project will develop a new model of positron transport in PET. The project will allow validation of predictions from the model by undertaking experiments in liquid water.
Develop a deployable hardware and firmware control system (Old ID 26806)
Ian Atkinson
12 Apr 2020 - 11 Apr 2021
Develop an integrated Agriculture control systems solution that will increase functional flexibility with more inputs, outputs using low energy, long range communications networks and low energy, longrange sensing devices for large area multi-farm applications.
Classifying the Type and Severtiy of Traumatic Injury in North Queensland: A Multicentre Retrospective Study (Old ID 26830)
Hayley Letson
01 Oct 2020 - 01 Mar 2023
Queenslanders living in regional, rural and remote areas having a higher incidence of traumatic injury and are disadvantaged by prolonged prehospital times. The aim of this project is to define and describe trauma patients transported by aeromedical emergency services to and between Townsville, Cairns, Mt Isa and Mackay hospitals over a 3 - year period (2016-2018). A key objective is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of clinical interventions and therapies from point-of-injury to hospital admission, and patient outcomes to hospital discharge. This data will help inform all stakeholders on the current state of emergency trauma care in the tropics.
Novel governance for marine ecosystems in transition (Old ID 27169)
Tiffany Morrison
01 Jan 2022 - 30 Jun 2025
Human pressures are tipping marine ecosystems into new equilibrium states. Australia has the third largest marine estate in the world, and its marine ecosystems support critical industries and social and cultural values. The transition in our marine ecosystems requires similar transitions in governance. This project aims to pioneer knowledge about the new governance arrangements required to manage changing marine ecosystems. It does this though a comparative study of novel interventions now underway in Australia, from which practical guidance on responsible marine governance will be elicited, with significant benefits to the sustainability of Australian and international marine ecosystems.
Mapping Coastal wetland extent, heterogeneity and use by aquatic fauna using UAV technology to inform applied environmental management of tropical wetlands. (Old ID 27174)
Sophie Walker
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in research has surged, however this has not been matched by a parallel increase in their use for conservation works. This projects aims to assess barriers to the use of UAV's in environmental management by surveying conservation professionals. Solutions to these barriers will then be incorporated into UAV surveys assessing complexity and connectivity in tropical estuaries. Overall this project will build connection between the management and research community and showcase ways in which this inexpensive, customisable technology can be used in local level conservation.