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Radio relationships and well-being in older age (Old ID 26687)
This project addresses a need for non-invasive, cost-effective solutions to assist older Australians in managing their well-being. It aims to examine the role of radio relationships, including those developed between presenters and listeners and amongst presenters, in improving older Australians’ psychosocial well-being. It seeks to explore how the radio can promote individual and community well-being using participatory methods and a multi-phase, mixed methods design. Expected outcomes include evidence relating to the characteristics of listening and production practices that enhance experiences of social connection and social well-being; and substantiating the mechanisms underpinning these benefits. An evidence-based resource will be produced.
Principal Research Fellowship (Old ID 19984)
My expertise is in the area of host-parasite interactions with a particular focus on the molecular basis of the interactions between helminth parasites of humans and host tissues. I use genomic and proteomic approaches to characterise the parasite secretome and the impact of these proteins on host tissues and immune responses. A major focus is in the development of antigen discovery approaches to aid the discovery and development of anthelmintic vaccines.
Population Health Planning for Rural Medicare Locals: evaluating a community participation method for delivering outcomes (Old ID 21197)
The study, in six communities, will evaluate whether an evidenced based method of rural community participation from the UK translates to assist healthcare planning by Medicare Locals. Medicare Locals must involve local people in designing services to improve health, but lack methods to do this. The focus of the study is oral health, a major issue in rural areas. The study evaluates whether new services are designed and implemented and whether there is a change to health knowledge and behaviours.
Strengthening economic resilience in Monsoon Asia (Old ID 21899)
Sharing, reciprocity and resource pooling are at the frontline of recovery and relief when economic crisis or disaster hits Monsoon Asia. This research sheds light on cases where these economic practices have been innovatively harnessed to diversify livelihoods and build economic resilience. Working with contemporary Asian scholars, practitioners in the disaster field and a data set gleaned from multiple sources, including mid-20th century tropical geography texts, the project brings to the fore a regional landscape of diverse economic practices across Monsoon Asia. A cross-regional on-line knowledge community is formed to explore how this asset base might be mobilised towards more effective local development and disaster response.
Fieldwork or remote sensing? The blurred line of unmanned airborne systems (Old ID 22374)
The aim of the project is to develop a state-of-the-art Unmanned Airborne System (UAS) capability in support of field data acquisition in Northern Australia. The system will provide highly detailed calibrated imagery of difficult or inaccessible survey sites and bridge the scale gap between in situ observations and imagery acquired by higher altitude airborne or satellite sensors. The Unmanned Airborne System will have a diverse range of applications, including environmental monitoring, disaster management and recording sites of indigenous cultural significance. In addition, the System will be more flexible and cost effective than any other field or remote sensing tool.
UCS, Indirect Tensile Strength and 3-Point Beam Tests on MIM Paste (Old ID 22399)
JCU is requested to carry out an extensive series of different tests on 50 mm dia. X 100 mm cylindrical specimens prepared and cured in the geomechanics laboratory. The tests will be in three stages, covering the three different solid contents 74.5%, 76.5% and 77.5%. The tests include uniaxial compression tests, indirect tensile strength and three-point bending. For each mix, slump tests have to be carried out at the beginning, to develop the slump height versus solid content variation.
Fostering the repair of Australia's lost shellfish reefs (Old ID 22934)
Shellfish reefs were once prominent features of Australia’s nearshore environments, providing important services such as water filtration, providing food and habitat for fish and protecting shorelines. Less than 1% remain today and restoration projects are starting in most states. This funding will empower me to work with the best shellfish restoration scientists in the USA to develop experimental and assessment methodologies to measure the potential water quality benefits of shellfish restoration in Australia. This project will provide the springboard for myself to become a national leader in the field of coastal restoration. Outputs will include two high-impact publications and a $600,000 Category 1 funding proposal.
2016 MangroveWatch training for Queensland southern Gulf Rangers. (Old ID 23131)
Traditional owners are concerned about the recent mangrove dieback in their area. They have sought the help of Tropwater scientists to train and equip two of their dedicated Ranger teams in Normanton and Burketown for the monitoring and assessment local shorelines. This project will raise capacity of two Ranger teams consisting of around 19 Rangers, to conduct boat-based MangroveWatch surveys in their respective areas of the southern Gulf region.
Ecotoxicology of pesticides on the Great Barrier Reef for guideline development and risk assessments (Old ID 23137)
Over 50 land-sourced pesticides have been detected in waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments. Previous studies on the risks posed by pesticides have focused on five priority PSll herbicides. However, other pesticides are increasingly being used, for which there are few fate, persistence and toxicity data. In order to improve water quality guidelines and assessments of the potential risks posed by these ' alternate' pesticides to GBR and its catchments we will quantify their toxicity to freshwater and marine species.
Improving technical and institutional capacity to support development of mariculture based livelihoods and industry in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (Old ID 23279)
The overall aim of this project is to provide a sustainable basis for the further development of a mariculture sector in PNG and to further build capacity within country partner organisations and coastal communities to support this development. Specific research objectives are: * to further develop culture and husbandry protocols for target species; * to develop community-based sea cucumber culture methodology to a level potentially supporting income generation; and * to continue building long term institutional mariculture capacity in PNG. Given the significant community benefits expected from this project, detailed economic and socio-economic assessments will be undertaken to describe project impacts.