Competitive Research and Teaching Grants

Australian Research Council Discovery/Linkage Grants

These grants are awarded from the most prestigous research grant program in Australia.

Privacy preserving data sharing in data mining environments

• Dr Jiuyong Li and Dr Hua Wang
• 2007–2009
• Preserving privacy in data mining among various enterprises and organisations is essential for many real world applications in areas like health surveillance, business analysis, fraud detection and terror protection. Efficient and effective techniques are badly needed to protect privacy in data sharing and data mining. The developed cutting-edge techniques in this project will be implemented in freely available open source software tools, empowering Australian organisations to utilise the techniques to develop intelligent systems in data sharing environments. These techniques will ultimately lead to better utilisation of the information available in many enterprises and organisations.
• 2007, $60,000
• 2008, $55,000
• 2009, $50,000

Approved Growing Sustainable Regions: Developing a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework

• Prof PR Grace; Dr EA Miller; Dr CI Wilson; Dr GS Hamilton; Ms JA Summerville; Mr M Hefferan; Dr A Plank; Mr M McFarlane
• 2007–2010
• Given the challenges facing rural and regional Australia, it is essential that communities and decision-makers have the information and resources to make informed and sustainable decisions. While there is a plethora of data that can provide this evidence-base, it is often complex, disorganised and inaccessible to those who need it. Hence, to facilitate smart information use, this research develops and implements a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework and decision support modelling tool that integrates environmental, economic and social data into a single user-friendly source. This will provide a platform for evidence-based decision-making that will lead to a sustainable future for rural and regional Australia.
• 2007, $55,000
• 2008, $107,500
• 2009, $100,000
• 2010, $47,500

RadioGenes2: Modelling complex biomolecular interactions in radiated tumours: Towards understanding the genesis of therapeutic radioresistance

• Dr Jesus Lopez
• 2007–2009
• About 45% of bladder cancer patients require radiotherapy or surgery. Radiotherapy has a failure rate of ~50%. Surgery (bladder removal) diminishes quality of life considerably. Modelling complex gene interactions in radiated cancer cells will provide crucial knowledge on the molecular genesis of radiotherapy-resistance of tumours. Our findings will provide: (i) an accurate mathematical/computational model for diagnosing radiosensitivity; (ii) further insights to be applied in the pharmaceutical sector such as the discovery of novel molecular targets that have the potential to increase radiotherapy success ratios; (iii) a holistic modelling technique applicable to a larger diversity of tumours.
• 2007, $60,000
• 2008, $55,000
• 2009, $55,000

Modelling of multiscale systems in engineering and science supports large-scale equation-free simulations and analysis

• Prof Tony Roberts and Prof IG Kevrekidis
• 2007–2010
• A persistent feature of complex systems in engineering and science is the emergence of macroscopic, coarse grained, coherent behaviour from the interactions of microscopic agents (molecules, cells) and with their environment. In current modeling, ranging from ecology to materials science, the underlying microscopic mechanisms are known, but the closures to translate microscale knowledge to a system level macroscopic description are rarely available in closed form. Our novel, equation free, computational methodologies will circumvent this stumbling block, and promises to radically change the modeling, exploration and understanding of complex system behavior. We continue to develop this powerful computational methodology.
• 2007, $113,083
• 2008, $115,000
• 2009, $105,000
• 2010, $59,058

The feasibility, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led models of chronic disease management in general practice

• Prof DG Hegney; Prof C Del Mar; A/Prof EA Patterson; Prof PA Scuffham; Dr D Eley; and Mr Paul Fahey
• 2007–2009
• This study directly relates to the National Research Priority of 'promoting and maintaining good health' through our approach to trial a new and innovative model of chronic disease management specifically for CVD and Type II diabetes in general practice. This project aims to test a new model of health service delivery - that is, the use of a practice nurse to provide chronic disease care rather than a general practitioner. Our strategy involves collaboration with health providers, stakeholders and consumers to help achieve this by providing patient education and disease management through a registered nurse in general practice.
• 2007, $175,000
• 2008, $175,000
• 2009, $175,000

Protect information sharing within distributed collaborative environment

• Dr Hua Wang
• 2006–2008
• Industries require secure information accessing and communication. This project continues development of new delegation frameworks and information assurance requirements in Internet-based collaborative environments. The frameworks will be systematically upon policy-based models to set up a reliable, secure information sharing and communication medium. We also aim to develop techniques for setting up secure group communication and providing accesses to group members for many database systems. The approach leads to a great understanding of advocating selective information sharing in role-based systems. The project develops fundamental enabling methodologies for the information and communication industry.
• 2006, $47,254
• 2007, $25,000
• 2008, $25,000

Inhomogeneous tissue conductivity influence on the forward and inverse electroencephalogram problems in realistic head models

• Dr P Wen and Dr Yan Li
• 2006–2008
• The brain dysfunction indicators have been extremely difficult to obtain, largely because many disorders of higher brain function reflect abnormalities of brain function rather than apparent brain structure. The neuronal generator localization and identification in this project will provide complementary information about source and timing of neural activities sub-serving higher brain function and form sequences of spatial-temporal brain activity image. That will enable the information from MRI, which has a good spatial but poor temporal resolution, and the information from EEG, which has a high temporal resolution on the scalp, to be combined to provide clinical psychologists and brain researchers a more efficient diagnostic tool.
• 2006, $75,000
• 2007, $30,000
• 2008, $30,000

Investigation and development of robust rule discovery and classification system

• Dr Jiuyong Li
• 2005–2007
• This research focuses on a national research priority, namely smart information use. The expected outcomes of the project will greatly advance intelligent system design, such as automatic decision making, fault detection and problem diagnosis, for finance, medical, telecom and many other areas. It has great potential for commercialisation and earning incomes for the future research. The publications will benefit the future development of intelligent systems for dealing with missing data. This project directly supports a PhD student and two research assistants who will most likely continue their higher degree study. These contribute to regional tertiary education.
• 2005, $46,196
• 2006, $26,136
• 2007, $40,182

Systematically model the large-scale complexity of turbulent floods and thin film flows

• Prof Tony Roberts and Dr Dmitry Strunin
• 2005–2007
• This project continues development of new models, and computer simulation, of turbulent flood, river and estuarine flow. The models will be based systematically upon established turbulence models to resolve accurately the complex physical processes. The development of new and robust computer models for thin layers of coating fluid will aid many industrial processes. We also aim to provide correct initial conditions and boundary conditions for simpler cases of the above flows. The approach leads to a greater understanding of the range of applicability of the models through better estimating the errors in the modelling process. The project develops a fundamental enabling methodology for engineering and the sciences.
• 2005, $40,000
• 2006, $38,000
• 2007, $40,000

Teaching grants

The IT Knowledge Bar: Developing pedagogy and a virtual community exchange playground to transform student's opinions about IT and encourage young Queenslander to pursue IT careers

• Dr Penny de Byl
• 2008–2010
• This research will be undertaken by the University of Southern Queensland in cooperation with the QSITE and Qld high schools to increase understanding about Web technologies and their uses by high school students and IT teachers with the aim of developing a two prolonged pedagogy whereby students are encouraged to mentor their teachers in new and emerging online technologies whilst being guided by their teachers to develop deeper understandings of the applications use. The project will leverage students' ongoing fascination with technology to sustain a perpetual virtual learning space to guide IT teachers toward relevant and engaging IT curricula.

  This research will provide Queensland IT teachers and students access to information about emerging technologies and their use in classroom situations enhancing the IT curriculum in schools and provide:

  • a reduction in ineffective delivery of IT content currently causing negative student negative perceptions of IT jobs which will in turn increase Queensland's skill base of IT professionals and teachers;
  • high and sustained levels of student engagement with deeper understanding of emerging technologies; and
  • professional development opportunities for IT teachers to increase their skill-base and keep up with IT trends supported by an online community of practice.
• 2008–2010, $150,000

The seamless integration of Web3D technologies with university curricula to engage the changing student cohort.

• Dr Penny de Byl
• 2007–2009
• The outcomes will: produce exemplars, tools and strategies to immerse Web3D technologies within curricula; empower educators to use Web3D technologies in curricula; enhance student engagement through authentic learning activities; and create an Australian community of practice for Web3D e-Learning to annex the international Web3D consortium.

  The Web3D exemplar development process will involve students and staff from two regional multi-modal universities and the wider higher education community through a three pronged integrated methodology framed within an action research model. Different approaches will be used to select and support academics from diverse disciplines as they design, create and evaluate elements built with Web3D technologies. Teams from both institutions will provide technical and education specialists to support the construction of up to 10 Web3D exemplars. This initial experience will guide the engineering of rapid-development tools for use by the wider community to support the production of another 10 exemplars. Outcomes and processes will be evaluated at each stage by project participants, members of the Web3D consortium, and the wider sector. A community Web3D e-Learning Exchange will be used to deposit resources, document the processes and provide avenues for dissemination to and support and development of the entire community.

• 2007–2009, $215,000