Research & Innovation News issue #5

Issue 5, September-October 2011

Research & Innovation

news Bionic man Gordon Wallaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groundbreaking medical bionics research

X-ray vision Eureka! Seeing through walls becomes a reality

PM visits Innovation Campus Professor briefs Pentagon

www.uow.edu.au/research/newsletter

University of Wollongong ranks in the top 2% of research universities worldwide Source: QS World University Rankings 2011.

Research & Innovation News is the research magazine of the University of Wollongong and is published six times per year. Contact: Research Services Office Building 20, Level 1 University of Wollongong Northfields Ave, Wollongong NSW, Australia, 2522 Publication manager: Sharon Martin Editor: Vicky Wallace vwallace@uow.edu.au +61 2 4221 4126 Writer and designer: Elise Pitt epitt@uow.edu.au +61 2 4221 3761 Subscriptions: Visit www.uow.edu.au/research to subscribe to electronic versions of Research and Innovation News. Cover image: Synapse- a structure in the nervous system which allows neuron communication. Saporob | Dreamstime.com

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Contents

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News

X-ray vision wins Prof. Eureka Prize & Wearable bionic devices to cut hospital stays

feature

UOW’s Bionic Man, Gordon Wallace wins prestigious ARC Laureate Fellowship

travel tale

Dr Brian Yecies heads to Singapore

student researcher profile Roba Abbas

New staff Hugh Mackay & Prof. Catherine Cole join UOW

Library news

UOW Outreach Librarians & Researcher profile on Dr Louise D’Arcens

Grants news

Grant outcomes & upcoming funding opportunities

27 28 29

PODS news The Early Career Researcher Program

rSC News PM’s Endeavour Award winner visits Hong Kong

ethics news Upcoming meeting dates

researcher spotlight Prof. Geoff Spinks

Events Uni in the Brewery & Research Showcase Series

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News

X-ray vision for defence wins Prof. Eureka Prize

Until now X-ray vision has been relegated to science fiction movies and comic books, but one UOW researcher is on his way to making the technology into a reality. Professor Abdesselam Bouzerdoum (pictured above) from UOW’s School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering has just been announced as the winner of the prestigious 2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science in Support of Defence or National Security for his ground breaking work in developing through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) systems that can “see” objects behind walls, doors and other opaque materials. It’s a skill that military and search-and-rescue teams have long wished for and thanks to Prof. Bouzerdoum that dream is now within reach. Over the past five years Professor Bouzerdoum’s research has transformed the technology required to provide reliable see-through-wall imaging, notably through his innovative work to reduce interference from wall reflections. This is considered a major breakthrough in the field as many existing image formation techniques require a prior knowledge of the scene being examined, so that so-called background clutter can be removed – something which is not feasible in real-life situations. His work on compressed sensing, which requires fewer measurements to reconstruct a scene, has also led to improved image quality and faster data. He is currently focusing his research on developing advanced signal-processing

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techniques to extend the operational range and sensitivity of TWRI systems. This is expected to lead to the design of a low-cost, portable TWRI system that supports real-time target detection and tracking, high-resolution 3D imaging, removal of background clutter and automatic target recognition. “I have always been fascinated by “seeing” systems, be it biological or artificial vision systems. I have also worked in the past on radar systems. When the opportunity arose to work on a radar system than can see through the walls, naturally I was attracted to the idea”, says Prof. Bouzerdoum. Professor Bouzerdoum’s research is much sought after worldwide and is positioning Australia among the leading nations in this technology. “There are many situations where it is important to detect the presence of someone hidden inside a closed building and to know their precise location and movements. Fire fighters, law enforcement officers and security personnel all have a need for a portable and compact throughthe-wall sensing system that can discriminate between targets of interest and clutter with high resolution. Not only can this type of system play a role in protecting and safeguarding Australia from terrorism and crime, it can also help save lives in search and rescue missions in earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters”, says Prof. Bouzerdoum. Currently still in the development stage, Prof. Bouzerdoum says there are still a few kinks to iron out, before his TWRI system is available. However, with a few years and continued funding, he hopes the system will be compact, operating in real time and saving lives.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard visits Innovation Campus PM Julia Gillard met UOW researchers, including the Directors of two key UOW Research Strengths Prof. Gordon Wallace (Intelligent Polymer Research Institute) and Prof. Shi-Xu Dou (Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials), on a recent visit to Innovation Campus on August 30. Her visit to the region was in response to the recent nearby job losses at BlueScope Steel. Accompanied by Innovation Minister Kim Carr, Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird, Member for Throsby Stephen Jones, NSW Minister for the Illawarra Greg Pearce, as well local business owners, unions and other key members of the Illawarra community including Professor Sutton, the Prime Minister hosted a roundtable meeting to discuss create a sustainable manufacturing future for the region.

Prof. Wallace, Prof. Dou, David Campbell, Prime Minister Julia Gillard

New Research Centre will help build a sustainable future UOWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Innovation Campus will house a new $26 million Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC). SBRC, on which work is now underway, will be a unique environmentally advanced building, targeting 6 Star Green Star accreditation and Net-Zero Energy performance. It will be the research and collaboration link with industry to meet the challenge of improving energy efficiency in new and existing building stock by researching advanced retrofit technologies, integrated component testing, skills training and the impacts of day-to-day behaviours of building occupants. Retrofitting of buildings is one of the cheapest carbon abatement strategies currently available. The 2,600mÂ˛ building will be home to 50 UOW and industry research support staff and students and is due to be completed in mid-2012. www.innovationcampus.com.au/sustainablebuildings-research-centre-sbrc/ R e s e a r c h & I n n ovat i o N N e w s

News

UOW hosts leading Chinese rehabilitation experts

UOW has played host to a party of 20 top Chinese rehabilitation physicians, clinicians and managers as part of AusAID’s Australian Leadership Award (ALA) Fellowship Program spearheaded by UOW Senior Research Fellow, Frances Simmonds. Titled ‘Developing Best Practice Rehabilitation Services in China’, Frances Simmonds, Director of the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC), says the study tour, which is funded by the Australian Government’s overseas aid program AusAID, aims to provide the Chinese visitors with insights into the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of Australian rehabilitation services. In China, each year over one million people fall victim to workplace and roadrelated injuries such as brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and amputations, which require rehabilitation. In addition, 83 million people live with other

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permanent life-impacting disability requiring ongoing rehabilitation services. But the facilities and experts that care for this vast quantity of people struggle to cope. The recent earthquakes in Sichuan in 2008, and Qinghai in 2010, left more than 7000 and 3500 people respectively with injuries resulting in varying degrees of impairment which require rehabilitation and treatment. These recent disasters have thrust the importance of rehabilitation services as a public policy issue into both the public and political limelight. Even the China Rehabilitation Research Centre (CRRC) admits that their country’s rehabilitation services significantly lag behind the level of services delivered in countries like Australia, where advanced technology, models and skills are brought to bear.

Frances Simmonds, together with Prof. Kathy Eagar, Director of UOW’s Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI), hosted the professional development study tour of China’s leading rehab experts at UOW Innovation Campus in late August. The group, which included representatives from the China Rehabilitation Research Centre in Beijing and the China Disabled Persons Federation, started their 3 week tour with an intensive 2 day introduction to the Australian health system and rehabilitation policy and service delivery in Australia. They then visited rehabilitation services in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as meeting with officials from the Australian Department of Health in Canberra. Their tour culminated with attendance at the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Annual Congress in Brisbane.

Wearable bionic devices to cut hospital stays

Dr Kieran Daly, Prof. Gordon Wallace, Prof. Peter Choong

Digging into school kitchengarden program Dr Wendy Nielsen from The Interdisciplinary Educational Research Institute is part of a team that has been selected to evaluate the national Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program. The $12.8 million program, currently implemented in more than 100 Australian primary schools, aims to influence food choices among children. This government-funded project aims to develop lifelong healthy eating habits in students from Years 3-6 by teaching them how to grow, harvest and prepare fresh food. Four years since its implementation, the research team is now set to evaluate a variety of factors including changes to food preferences, lifestyle, behaviour and cooking skills.

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Photo: Andriy Solovyov, Rafael Laguillo | Dreamstime

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) has teamed up with Irish wearable sensor company Shimmer Research to develop wearable bionic devices which will be used post operatively to improve patient recovery times, thereby reducing duration of hospital stays. With input from ACES members including world renowned orthopaedic clinicians from St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, this agreement will allow work on building bionics devices that will improve the quality of life for a large number of elderly people and those recovering from injury. “The wearable devices will be used in post operative and diagnostic applications to improve patient recovery times, reduce hospital stay times and enable patients to be proactive about their own care,” said Dr Bridget Munro, ACES Associate Director of Strategic Development. “This will ultimately allow older people to live their dream of being healthy while living at home, reducing the strain on government resources.” Collaborators Prof. Peter Choong (Head of Department of Surgery and Director of Orthopaedics at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne) and Dr Kieran Daly (VP Business Development at Shimmer Research), visited the Innovation Campus for the launch of the partnership on September 14. Mr Daly said he is excited by the potential of this collaboration. “Our joint efforts will positively impact patient recovery time as well as bringing economic benefits to the wider healthcare system” The agreement will provide the potential for the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM )new Government funded Processing and Devices facility at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus to become a valuable functional aspect to the prototyping path enabling faster development and market impact.

News

Photo: Georgy Shafeev | Dreamstime

Innovation: ACES researchers create polymer with ‘shape memory’

A team from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) at UOW have created a nanostructured conducting polymer wherein shape can be controlled by the application of electric current. A number of applications are envisaged including a high density (nano domain) memory device or a platform for controlling the electrode-cellular interface for bionic devices. “We’ve always been interested in the dynamic properties of conducting polymers, particularly in the way they expand and contract (actuation) when an electrical signal is applied. We have a good understanding of the mechanism behind conducting polymer actuation however really don’t know how the actuation manifests when we down-size the same materials to the nanoscale” said ACES researcher Dr Michael Higgins. Dr Higgins pictured right) and his team found that temporary nano-indentations created by the Atomic Force Microscopy machine on the polymer could be

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smoothed out again with the application of an electrical current, restoring the polymer to its original shape. Polymers that change shape from one form to another are familiar to many as heat shrink materials, but ACES researchers have been focusing on a change of shape occurring without the application of heat, as heating or cooling in nanocomputers could adversely affect other components just nanometers away. Dr Higgins and his team, have made, for the first time, polymers that are able to change between one form and another on the nanoscale in response to an electric current. Previous research showed that nanoscale polymer actuation could be achieved through ‘reprogramming’ of the polymer with the application of heat, which could revert the polymer to its original smooth shape, however the indentations would then be lost. “In our polymer (polybithiophene), the nanoindentations are never lost. They are hidden and can be reversibly recovered through the application of

electrical signals. We believe that the nanoindentations disappear because the insertion of ions/solvent upon an electrical signal causes the polymer to expand and smooth out the structure of the nanoindentations” said Dr Higgins. Dr Michael Higgins’ work at the ACES lead node, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute has been published as highlighted research on the Nature Asia Materials website. www. natureasia.com/asia-materials

Historical researcher recognised for her work on Allied Occupation of Japan Dr Christine de Matos (Honorary Research Fellow) from the Faculty of Arts has been awarded almost $16000 by the Japan Foundation’s Intellectual Exchange Conference program to host a workshop in December this year. The workshop will bring together participants from Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia who will be contributing to a book to be edited by Christine (pictured right) and Professor Mark E. Caprio from Rikkyo University in Tokyo. The workshop is part of a collaborative project titled ‘Before and After Defeat: Japan as the occupier and the occupied. Crossing the 1945 divide’. Themes to be explored in the workshop and book include gendered impacts of occupation, daily life under occupation, resistance under occupation, labour, class and occupation, performances of power, repatriation issues, memory and nostalgia, human rights, Collaboration, and literature and film under occupation. It is expected that the workshop will be held 2-3 December at the University of Wollongong. Christine has also been invited to be part of the Living Histories Interview Series 2011, run by the Japan Foundation’s Sydney Office. The series, coordinated by Dr Ian McArthur, consists of live interviews with Japanese and Australians ‘who are shaping the relationship’ between the two countries. Christine will be interviewed in September about the process of writing her book: ‘Love under occupation: A personal journey through war, marriage and White Australia’.

Congratulations to: •IIBSoR Assoc Prof. Ulrike Gretzel, who is on the Steering Committee of an international collaborative research project: ‘The Global Research Network on Women and Sustainability: Mentoring underrepresented women and women from developing countries in research on environmental sustainability and climate change’. They have just received US$ 749,000 in funding. •Prof. Bev Derewianka from the Interdisciplinary Educational Research Institute (IERI) has been shortlisted in the Tertiary entry category for the 2011 Australian Educational Publishing Awards for her book: ‘A New Grammar Companion’. •IIBSoR members Joseph Ciarrochi, Melanie Randle, Leonie Miller and Sara Dolnicar had an article published in the leading social work journal British Journal of Social work. Title of article; “Hope for the future: Identifying the individual difference characteristics of people who are interested in and intend to foster care”. •Assoc Prof. Garry Hoban and Dr Wendy Nielsen from the Faculty of Education (members of IERI) will be published in the November issue of the most prestigious science education journal in the world, the Journal of Research in Science Teaching. The article, ‘Slowmation: Preservice Primary Teachers Representing Science Knowledge through Creating Multimodal Digital Animations’, explains a new theoretical framework they have developed to underpin students’ learning of science through making a slowmation, which is an outcome of the $240,000 ARC Discovery Grant that Garry leads.

IERI Research Showcase Day Monday 26 September 2011 The inaugural IERI Research Showcase Day is aimed at teachers as one of the main audiences for our research dissemination. The day includes a keynote address, seminars from researchers across all of Institute’s the four themes (Learning Design and Technology; Language and Literacy; Social Inclusion and Physical Activity and Nutrition), and hands-on workshops in the afternoon. There are still a few places left if you or a teacher you know would like to attend. Registration is necessary and places are limited. Go to http://ieri.uow. edu.au/members/index.html for link for registration.

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News

Photos: Salvador Ceja, Kmowery3 | Dreamstime

UOW Professor briefs the Pentagon

Professor Clive Schofield (pictured above), Director of Research of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), part of the University of Wollongong’s Faculty of Law, led a series of high-level briefings on East and Southeast Asian maritime disputes in Washington D.C. in July. These briefings with officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Bureau of Intelligence and the United States Senate Committee shared some of the findings from a three-year research project entitled Maritime Energy Resources in Asia (MERA) on which Professor Schofield is Principal Investigator. The project, which is administered by the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) and supported by a grant from the

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MacArthur Foundation’s Asia Security Initiative, brings together scholars from countries involved in the long-standing maritime and territorial disputes that are a persistent feature of the East China Sea, South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand to critically examine these disputes and offer fresh perspectives as to their management and potential resolution. An NBR Special Report, ;From Disputed Waters to Seas of Opportunity: Overcoming Barriers to Maritime Cooperation in East and Southeast Asia’, was released recently to coincide with the briefings to policy-makers in Washington DC (available at: www.nbr.org). Two books arising from the project will also be published by NBR by the end of the year. Professor Schofield commented: “Thanks to NBR’s excellent contacts we had

a great opportunity to hold a series of meetings at the Pentagon, State Department and on Capitol Hill. This allowed us to engage with high-level United States Government policy-makers. It was clear from these exchanges that the United States is increasingly concerned with the disputes covered by the MERA research project. Sovereignty and maritime jurisdictional disputes in East and Southeast Asia are longstanding flashpoints with the potential to threaten peace, security, and, accordingly, economic prosperity in these regions. We hope that the project research findings will assist US policy-makers, as well as those in East and Southeast Asia, to better manage and resolve these serious disputes.”

UOW’s Shackleton Medal monopoly Dr. Zenobia Jacobs (pictured right), currently an ARC QEII Research Fellow from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded the prestigious Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal at the recent International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Congress held in Bern, in Switzerland. Her groundbreaking work focuses on the role of ecological change in the lives of our earliest ancestors in Africa and the effect of humans on the native biota of newly colonised lands, such as megafaunal extinctions in Australia. “I am flattered to have received a medal named after someone that was such a giant in our field of science and grateful that all the hours slogging away looking at individual grains of sand has made a contribution to a better understanding of when and where our species came from and how interconnected our existence has been and still is with our natural environment”, Dr Jacobs said. This is the second time the medal has been awarded to a University of Wollongong researcher. In 2007, Prof. Chris Turney was bestowed the same honour for his pioneering research across a range of Quaternary topics. “It has been a real coup for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences to be the host institution of the first two recipients of the Sir Nicholas Shackleton medal”, she said.

What is Quaternary Science ? The Quaternary Period spans the last 2.6 million years of the Earth’s history. The Quaternary is an interval with dramatic and frequent changes in global climate. Warm interglacials alternated with cold ice ages. The Earth is right now entering a time of unusually warm climate. Significant and potentially rapid environmental changes could pose major challenges for human habitability. The expertise of Quaternary scientists is to interpret the changing world of the glacial ages and their impact on our planet’s surface environments. Quaternary palaeoclimatic investigations play a key role in the understanding of the possible future climate change on our planet.

Non-invasive medical monitoring collaboration Researchers from UOW’s Institute of Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) are collaborating with biomedical engineers from South Korea’s Sangji University in a bid to advance the development of non-invasive medical pulsimeters. Researchers from the newly-established AIIM Processing and Devices Facility (the first building of its kind in Australia) at UOW’s Innovation Campus aim to produce magnetic field sensing thin films for the sensors developed by Sangji University. If successful, the pulsimeters will be much more reliable and minimise the time needed to find the pulse. “Wearable wrist pulsimeters provide a non-invasive diagnostic tool with a range of applications including the ongoing monitoring of heart rates and blood pressure which is important for people who are trying to manage cardiovascular conditions which ranks among the most prevalent chronic diseases in Australia”, ISEM Director Professor Shi Xue Dou said. Professors Lee and Hong from Sangji University visited UOW in August to meet with their collaborators and advance their research.

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News

New studies on the benefits of oats and meat

Photos: Scott Karcich, Melinda Nagy | Dreamstime, Steve Shurtz

Researchers from the Food and Health Strategic Research Initiative in the School of Health Sciences have recently published two new studies in high calibre international nutrition journals. These studies focused on the factors that relate to disease prevention and health promotion, such as lowering cholesterol and helping to control appetite. The first of these is a 6-week randomised controlled trial conducted in 87 mildly hypercholesterolaemic men and women to assess the cholesterol-lowering effects of oatcontaining food products. The second study answered the question of whether different types of meat affect appetite in the same way. Under carefully controlled experimental conditions, three meat-containing meals that were matched for protein and fat content (pork, beef or chicken) were provided to thirty women in random order, on three separate occasions. All meats had a similar effect on short-term feelings of fullness (satiety) and secretion of gut hormones that regulate appetite. This is the first time that these three meats have been compared in a human study, and the data contributes to evidence related to protein intake and mechanisms for weight loss. Charlton KE, Tapsell LC, Batterham MJ, O’Shea J, Thorne R, Zhang Q, Beck E. Effect of 6 weeks consumption of β-glucan rich oat products on total cholesterol levels in mildly hypercholesterolemic overweight adults. Br J Nut 2011 Charlton KE, Tapsell LC, Batterham MJ, Thorne R, O’Shea J, Zhang Q, Beck E. Acute effects on satiety of consumption of pork, chicken and beef. Appetite. 2010; 56: 1-8.

Technology and Society IEEE

E m T h ON I ECIA er e F STA L IS gin a S SU g T l l o u ’10 E ec t f : hn rom olo gie s

MAGAZINE

A PUBLICATION OF THE IEEE SOCIETY ON SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 3 | FALL 2011

Cyborg Rights

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Katina Michael takes reins of tech magazine Associate Professor Katina Michael, from UOW’s School of Information Systems and Technology (SISAT), will take the reigns as the new Editor-in-Chief of the respected publication IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Associate Professor Michael says she is thrilled to be appointed to this prestigious role so early in her career and is looking forward to utilising her research at UOW in the publication. “One of my research interests is the trajectory of future technologies and their social implications, and I hope that I can make that aspect even more prevalent in the Magazine”, she said. “One of the strengths that I bring to the editorship is my interdisciplinary research, and so while the magazine has had predominantly engineers submitting papers to it, I want to get more submissions from philosophers, sociologists, science and media studies commentators, business, ethics and legal experts”. To contact Katina, email: katina@uow.edu.au.

Creative Arts Lecturer wins coveted Australian photography prize

Jacky Redgate, Light Throw (Mirrors) #4, 2010–11, chromogenic print, 126 x 158 cm. Courtesy of the artist and WILLIAM WRIGHT // ARTISTS, Sydney.

Member of the UOW Senior Artists Research Forum and Creative Arts Senior Lecturer, Jacky Redgate, has won what is regarded as Australia’s most prestigious photography prize, the $25,000 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize. Ms Redgate’s winning hand-printed photograph, Light throw (mirrors) #4 2010-2011, is a large still life arrangement created by throwing light from silver, bronze and grey mirrors on to brightly coloured modular plastic food containers from the 1960s and 1970s. Labelled “a cosmos or cosmology of objects” by Ms Redgate and described as a “beautiful, ambiguous picture” by the Bowness judges, the photograph is from her series Light Throw (Mirrors), which is a major component of the creative research for her Doctor of Creative Arts Visions From Her Bed. Ms Redgate’s Doctorate is an autobiographic narrative engaging with recent theories of vision and pictorial representation, space and perception. She says “the trajectory into it began with an instinct to write through the personal and the emotional resonance” of a document her Mother gave her when she was in her early twenties. ‘It is a diary of her childhood utterances when hospitalised as a small child in London.” The photographic series Light Throw (Mirrors) is an outcome of her long-standing studio practice and research into light and mirrors. Inspiring the viewer to think through “the real and imaginary”,

Ms Redgate says her work engages with the complexities of space and perception. “The play of light makes it difficult to comprehend the precise source of the light and position of the objects in space”. Judge and Monash Gallery of Art Director Shaune Lakin said that in the end the judging process came down to two photographs (out of 2000 entries) which were both amazing pictures. “We gave the $25,000 first prize to Jacky’s picture because it is virtually flawless as a photograph. At the same time, the picture challenges many of the expectations we have about what a photograph is. It’s a highly ambitious photograph and an extremely worthy winner of the country’s most significant photography prize.” Ms Redgate is one of Australia’s pre-eminent photographic artists. She studied sculpture and photography at the South Australian School of Art and the Sydney College of the Arts and for more than 25 years her work has been included in important national and international exhibitions and held in many major public and private collections in Australia and overseas. She has received a number of grants and residencies throughout her career, including the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin and the Power Studio, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Ms Redgate’s photograph will be one of the 37 shortlisted entries of the Bowness Photography Prize on exhibition at the Monash Gallery of Art until 16 October 2011. R e s e a r c h & I n n ovat i o N N e w s

News

UOW Professor wins Trailblazer Award for innovative rural management system UniQuest’s annual Trailblazer competition, rewarding innovative ideas and early-stage research that has the potential to benefit the community, industry or business, as well as generate a financial return, has come to a close for another year. The UOW final took place on August 4 before representatives were sent to compete for $50,000 in prize money at the grand final, held at the University of Queensland on August 15. Prof. Aditya Ghose (pictured below right) from the Faculty of Informatics took out the Vision Award for Enriched Communities at the grand final for his innovative and original software rural service management, UNNOTI. Prof. Ghose’s computerbased toolkit supports continual monitoring and improvement of rural services for increased agricultural production and better quality of life for impoverished farming communities. The toolkit is already being deployed, with positive results, in the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura. The UOW Final winners: An innovative web based system which focuses on broadening the understanding of the interrelationship between corporation and society by anchoring corporate social responsibility, took out the award in the Open Category at the UOW final. Ms Belinda Gibbons-Parrish and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Professor Trevor Spedding, developed the system, IDLE, which stands for ‘Interactive Dynamic Learning Environment’ and requires multidisciplinary teams to compete across a performance matrix which includes profit, environmental impact, sustainability, social responsibility, quality of service and ethical performance. Mr Consulato Cara and team member, Dr Danielle Skropeta, won the Student Category for their work: ‘Diagnostic Approaches Targeting Cancer’s Sweet Spot’. Through the use of sugars as modulators, the category winners can design tailored diagnostic agents that demonstrate selectivity for specific tumour types. As a result, higher resolution imaging will lead to greater accuracy during tumour diagnosis and hopefully, increased survival rate due to early detection. The ‘Pitching Excellence’ award was won by Mr Christopher Anderson for his topic ‘Sustainable Shredding: A Biodegradable Surfboard Foam’. High performance surfboards are currently made using Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) which is a non-renewable petrochemical foam. Christopher aims to make surfboards more sustainable through the use of a new material that is structurally superior to EPS and more environmentally friendly. Another notable entry to the competition was the eFood Traka, developed by Dr Yasmine Probst, which streamlines the process of recording daily calorie intake and links it directly to professional feedback.

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Carrie Hillyard (Uniquest Chair) with Aditya Ghose, Winner of the UniQuest Vision Award for Enriched Communities

Trailblazer 2011 Grand Finalists from UOW (left to right) Con Cara, Chris Anderson, Belinda Parrish, Jie Yang

Five minutes with… Associate Research Fellow, Dr Christine Eriksen

“My research examines wildfire awareness and preparedness amongst women, men, households, communities and agencies at the interface between city and beyond. It focuses on two regions where wildfires are common and disastrous, and where how to deal with them is a major political issue: southeast Australia and the west coast United States. I follow women’s and men’s stories of surviving, fighting, evacuating, living and working with wildfire to reveal the intimate inner workings of wildfire response - and especially the culturally and historically distinct gender relations that underpin wildfire resilience. I will be in Europe all September firstly to run two sessions on ‘imagining rural landscapes beyond traditional gender(ed)

Photo: Mark Atkins | Dreamstime

Dr Christine Eriksen is a social geographer with the Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research at the University of Wollongong and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers. Her research focuses on the role and place of local environmental knowledge in building resilience to natural hazards and maintaining sustainable land management practices. Christine has undertaken fieldwork in Australia, the United States, southern parts of Africa, Britain and India. She has worked with organisations such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and the Sindisa Foundation. She has won prizes for her conference presentations to diverse audiences. roles’ at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) international conference in London. From there I head for Tuscany to present a paper at a conference on ‘Gender and Climate Change: Women, Research and Action’. The body of knowledge shared at this conference will be drawn together for input into the 2011 UN Framework Convention and the Earth Summit 2012. During the month of October I will based in California continuing collaborative fieldwork commenced earlier this year with Dr Don Hankins from California State University, Chico. We will be conducting interviews with Native Americans on indigenous fire knowledge and management practices in extension with the 26th Annual California Indian Conference.”

Australian Standards adopt UOW models UOW’s research into the proper execution of prefabricated vertical drains has been written into Australian Standards (AS8700). This is the first time that Australian Standards for the use of prefabricated (synthetic) vertical drains for stabilising soft soil have been written for civil infrastructure development especially for roads, rail, port and land reclamation, and for high rise buildings. The new standards predominantly adopt UOW’s research conducted over 15 years by the geotechnical staff and students of the Centre for Geomechanics and Railway Engineering under the guidance of Prof. Buddhima Indraratna. “For both consulting engineers and contractors, AS8700 will provide general principles for the execution, testing, supervision and monitoring of prefabricated vertical drains for any major infrastructure project involving coastal soft clays that require significant consolidation prior to construction and application of live loads.” says Prof Indraratna. R e s e a r c h & I n n ovat i o N N e w s

Image: Graham Smith | Glue Studio

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Feature

Bionic man UOW’s Prof. Gordon Wallace awarded prestigious ARC Laureate Fellowship for his groundbreaking medical bionics research.

Imagine if being diagnosed with spinal damage didn’t have to mean a life relegated to a wheelchair. Or if blindness didn’t mean living life in the dark, never seeing the faces of loved ones. One UOW researcher is working towards making what seems like the impossible, a reality. Prof. Gordon Wallace, Director and Founder of UOW’s Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI) and Executive Research Director at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), is a pioneer in the emerging field of nanobionics. It’s a field that has already produced the Cochlear Bionic Ear and in the future, has the potential to drastically change the capabilities of modern medicine. Prof. Wallace and his team are developing innovative approaches to bionics, including new material composition, new fabrication methods, new nano visualisation methods and innovative approaches to energy storage for bionics. “Using material synthesis protocols developed over the past two decades we are able to engineer electrically conducting surfaces in the nanodomain so as effective electrical communication with living cells is possible”, says Prof. Wallace, who has recently been named among a select group of Australian Laureate Fellows for his groundbreaking research in the field. The prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) award will result in funding of more than $2.6 million over the next five years for a team of postdoctoral fellows and PhD students to work with Prof. Wallace on his groundbreaking bionics research program. “The Australian Laureate Fellowship will

enable us to continue to build a world leading Nanobionics research team here in Wollongong – covering all aspects from biomolecules to bionic devices,” says Prof. Wallace, who established the world’s first intelligent polymer research laboratory in 1990 and was appointed a professor at just 32 years of age. In practical terms, this groundbreaking research provides hope for those suffering loss of nerve/muscle function, blindness, hearing loss or from epilepsy. “The impact of success will be enormous”, says Prof. Wallace.

“We envisage that orthopaedic surgeons will have at their disposal in surgery, 3D printing capabilities that will generate regenerative bionic devices to replace damaged or diseased bone”. “The merging of nanomaterials science with engineering capabilities to generate new fabrication approaches will enable the rapid production of customised bionic devices, on demand, for specific applications. We envisage, for example, that orthopaedic surgeons will have at their disposal in surgery, 3D printing capabilities that will generate regenerative bionic devices to replace damaged or diseased bone”. While the technologies that make such bionic devices are in the early stages and Prof. Wallace admits that “the

challenges [researchers] face are not insignificant”, there are a few bionic devices that already exist. In addition to the Cochlear Ear Implant (on which Prof. Wallace is constantly collaborating with Prof. Graham Clarke to improve his revolutionary invention) which aids deaf people, US researchers have developed artificial hearts, which have been used as a bridge to human heart transplants since 2004. Then there’s Scottish company, Touch Bionics, which launched the first commercially available bionic hand, i-Limb Hand, in 2007. Three years later, they had fitted more than 1200 patients worldwide. Meanwhile, Australian researchers are currently working on a Bionic Eye, which they hope to release as a prototype in 2013. It’s an exciting time for the emerging field of nanobionics and Prof. Wallace and his team are at the helm. In August this year, the IPRI team received the first component to a $500,000 three dimensional bio-printer, which is capable of producing complex structures for bone regeneration. It will aid them in their goal of putting protocols for bionanomaterials synthesis and fabrication in place for bionic conduits for bone regeneration, nerve and muscle repair, as well as producing bionic systems for epilepsy detection and control. Looking into the future, Prof. Wallace hopes his research will create new local industries in the Illawarra in a number of areas: processing and supply of highly functional (specialised) nanocomponents, fabrication and supply of new device fabrication machinery and specifically targeted companies in new medical device componentory.

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Travel tale

Photo: Courtesy of JJCB

Singapore

Dr Brian Yecies, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Media and Communication shares his stories of a recent trip to Singapore, where he was invited by the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a short-term visiting scholar under the prestigious Isaac Manasseh Meyer Fellowship program. On the surface, Singapore is clean and orderly. Reminders of the country’s longstanding National Courtesy Campaign are ubiquitous, including slogans on public buses and outdoor signage such as “Let’s move with courtesy”, “Lets be gracious”, and “Let’s be tidy”. But, no matter what one reads or hears about Singapore, Singapore is hot – in terms of both temperature and spirit. Presidential elections occurred during my visit. Like Australia, Singapore has compulsory voting. In 2011, all four presidential candidates shared the same family name of “Tan”, which made the event all the more interesting (and slightly confusing). Although it drizzled for most of the election day (27 August), the mood was generally upbeat – especially for the people celebrating until 1:30 am in the hotel room above mine. I half expected headlines announcing the voting result in the Sunday edition of the local The Straits Times to read: “Sun-Tan”. Tony Tan Keng Yam, who ran as an Independent, won the election by a mere 7,269 votes (a 0.34% margin). Prior to 2011, Mr. Tan was a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been Singapore’s dominating political party since 1959. Like the Governor-General in Australia, the President of Singapore plays a key ceremonial role, meaning that the country’s Prime Minister (currently Lee

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Hsien Loong) and his Cabinet officially control and run the Government. Singapore is multicultural. And, there is no better public display of this policy, philosophy, and passionate attitude than what I have come to call “Curry-gate” – the story behind the “Cook and Share a Pot of Curry” day event. On Sunday 21 August, Singaporeans (and expats) of all backgrounds were encouraged by a grass-roots movement (via its Facebook site and subsequent nation-wide newspaper articles) to cook and share a pot of curry. The event, which coincided with the Tan election campaigns, was launched in reaction to an incident from several years earlier that apparently involved a Mainland Chinese family complaining to community officials about the “curry smell” coming from their Singaporean Indian neighbor’s apartment. To show national support for multiculturalism, the day was used to celebrate curry and camaraderie. According to headlines in The Straits Times (22 August 2011: A1, A9), all four presidential candidates used the event to promote harmony among Singapore’s culturally diverse nation-state. Tony Tan Keng Yam’s message was heard slightly louder than the other candidates. These events and other activities that I experienced during my brief visit, including time spent with X’ho (aka Chris

Ho) – a well-known underground rebel artist, musician, and social critic, have revealed some of Singapore’s passionate spirit. Clearly, there is much for us in Australia to learn about our close Asian neighbor, but first we’ll have to try walking in its many different types of shoes. Above all, I am sincerely grateful to the academic and general staff in the Communications and New Media (CNM) Department at NUS for their warm hospitality during my visit. Special thanks goes to Dr. Cho Hichang for inviting me and for exploring ideas for potential research and cross-institutional collaboration – and to the others who braved the Hungry Ghosts (lunar-month holiday) and attended my research talk. Similar to the Communications and Media, and Media and Culture programs at the University of Wollongong, many academics in CNM are expatriates. (Dr. Cho, for example, is from South Korea.) More importantly, there are shared similarities across the teaching and research nexus upon which our respective programs and institutions can capitalize in a range of dynamic ways. This kind of global and collegial interaction embraces the innovative spirit and forward thinking views of Sir Manasseh Meyer, the man commemorated by the NUS fellowship that enabled my visit.

Student researcher profile

Roba Abbas Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research (IIBSoR) PhD student

What are you studying? I am studying towards a PhD in the School of Information Systems and Technology, Faculty of Informatics. My research broadly focuses on the topic of location-based services (LBS) regulation in Australia. What does your research focus on? LBS are the applications that allow for the pinpoint positioning, tracking and monitoring of individuals and objects. These services are increasingly being utilised in the Australian market for the purposes of personal navigation, fleet management and locating friends in social networks. My research, which is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, seeks to conduct a consultation process involving various LBS stakeholders, specifically users, business and government entities towards influencing telecommunications policy in Australia. The expected outcomes of the consultation include: modelling the risks and benefits of LBS usage, identifying the social implications of LBS, examining the present regulatory environment in Australia, and presenting design recommendations to aid in future LBS development cycles. How did you come to study at UOW? Upon graduating from an Undergraduate Honours degree in Information and Communication Technology in 2006, I entered the technology industry as a Product Manager for the local web design and development company Internetrix. In 2009 I decided to return to UOW in pursuit of my postgraduate studies, and encouraged by my family to do research. UOW was my first choice for higher degree research based primarily on my positive experience in completing my Honours research. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been the highlight of your career so far? There have been many highlights during my studies including publishing numerous articles relating to my research, delivering presentations at both national and international conferences/workshops alongside other prominent researcher and academics in my field, and co-editing a special issue of the Journal of Cases in Information Technology (JCIT) with Associate Professor Katina Michael and Dr MG Michael. Have you always been interested in technology? I have always held an interest in technology and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gadgetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in general, and have particularly been fascinated by the rapid speed at which technology evolves and is adopted by individuals. When younger, I had a number of career options in mind, the majority unrelated to technology. However, after attending the Information Technology Spring School for Girls in 2001, run by the Faculty of Informatics at UOW, I commenced researching the industry and field in general, after which my interest in technology increased and it became an appealing career choice.

What do you think are the key issues relating to your industry today? I believe that the key issues relating to the LBS industry today are largely centred on the actual design of the applications and the associated regulatory frameworks in place within a specific market context. Specifically, researchers and technologists are faced with the challenge of developing LBS applications in a manner that accounts for the interests of all stakeholders such as users, developers and government. This involves consideration of the socio-technical implications of the technology and the regulatory environment in which the applications are situated in which is often complex and ambiguous. What do you plan on doing after the completion of your study? At the moment, I have several options which I am weighing up - I can take the academic path, I can take the industry path or I can find employment that can incorporate a research role within industry. What do you hope to achieve in your research/field in the future? The methodology underpinning my PhD is novel and innovative- I hope to continue to build on that into the future towards outcomes that are tangible and practical for the emerging technologies industry.

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New staff

Professor Catherine Cole is Professor of Creative Writing and newly appointed Deputy Dean, Faculty of Creative Arts. She has previously worked at RMIT University in Melbourne, University of Technology, Sydney and the University of UNSW. She has academic relationships with the University of East Anglia, Norwich and the Writers Centre, Norwich and the Iowa Writers Workshop as well as other universities internationally including in Vietnam. On top of reviewing the writing and creative arts programs of universities in Australia and overseas, Professor Cole also advises tertiary and secondary institutions about teaching and learning in the creative arts. She has published three novels, short fiction, poetry and academic books and has published a number of edited collections of fiction and essays and is currently leading a research project on creative communities which examines the role of UNESCO’s Cities of Literature in conjunction with Melbourne, Iowa and Norwich. She works extensively with writers and writers’ associations in Australia and has been a member of the Executive of the Australia Society of Authors and is currently on the board of the Eleanor Dark Foundation (VARUNA) in Vietnam, she works on the promotion of contemporary Vietnamese literature world-wide. She is a project coordinator and journal editor for The Australian Literary Compendium, a coproject with ABC Radio National which develops webbased resources on Australian Literature for schools and universities in Australia and internationally.

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Dr. Bridget Munro has been appointed the Associate Director of Strategic Development for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES). After working on a collaborative basis with ACES for the last ten years, we now welcome Bridget in a new role at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (IPRI). After completing a postdoctoral research fellowship with CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology, Bridget returned to University of Wollongong, working with applying intelligent textiles into training devices. A stint in a teaching and research position in the school of Health Sciences was followed by research in the areas of foot structure and function, footwear design, landing mechanics and injury prevention, breast health and bra design and use of intelligent textiles in biofeedback devices. In Bridget’s new role she will be attracting international interest to look for opportunities to progress research being undertaken in the energy and bionics programs, fostering key partnerships and overseeing the development of potential for spinouts and commercialisation opportunities including licensing technologies to third parties. Bridget is working Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from the new AIIM P&D building at IPRI.

Hugh Mackay, one of Australia’s most prominent researchers and commentators on social trends, recently joined UOW as Professor of Social Science with the Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research (IIBSoR). Having developed his own unique methodology for qualitative research and with extensive research experience, Hugh is an ideal fit with the team at IIBSoR, whose key aim is to develop and validate innovative and reliable qualitative and quantitative measures for business and the social sciences. Hugh will be involved in a range of initiatives including IIBSoR research projects, public lectures on social issues, mentoring early career researchers, and the new Masters of Market and Social Research Course developed by IIBSoR. One of the first research projects Hugh and the IIBSoR team are undertaking centres on focus group methodology. Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on qualitative research in Australia and the majority of this takes the form of focus groups. Information resulting from these groups is used to inform important commercial, social and political decisions, however little consideration is given to the validity of the data produced or the appropriateness of the method used. This project compares the commonly accepted “typical focus group” method with Hugh’s unique alternative approach: the “unfocused group discussion technique”. The study will identify whether the focus group method influences the data that emerges, and in turn, whether different methods should be considered when designing focus group research rather than just blindly accepting the current industry norm. As a psychologist, author and social research practitioner, Hugh has been a pioneer of social research in Australia. His influence extends to the government, education and corporate sectors and he has become a household name through his thirteen popular works of both fiction and non-fiction. His latest book, ‘What makes us tick? The ten desires that drive us’, is a highly personal account of the things Hugh has learnt from decades of experience listening to people talk about their dreams, fears, hopes and disappointments. www.hughmackay.com.au

James Walsh has recently joined the Research Services Office in the role of Grants Officer. James studied Creative Arts at UOW, majoring in music performance, and Law. He has since worked in music copyright administration for the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners’ Society and for major and independent Australian music publishers. More recently, he worked as an editor with a large legal publisher, and as a freelance technical writer. James looks forward to immersing himself in the research culture at UOW, and enhancing the university’s prospects of securing funding monies to further the work of its researchers.

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Library news

Scholarly content: bringing global publishing output to your desktop The Library has continued to build on our information resources portfolio in 2011 with the purchase of the following new resources:

The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection This collection, also known as the Henry Stewart Talks, provides online access to over 1,300 seminar style talks ranging from genetics to disease aetiology and therapy. The collection is updated each month with additional series and talks. The Psychiatry Legacy Collection This journal archive collection covers more than a century of psychiatry through six respected, peer-reviewed psychiatry journals from American Psychiatric Publishing. This archive supplements Psychiatry Online. LWW Doody’s Essential Collection 2011 51 core titles identified by the Doody’s Review Service™ as essential for expanding the medical resource portfolio. Elsevier Science & Technology 2010 Ebook Collection 400 ebooks published by Elsevier in 2010 in a wide range of subject areas including biological sciences, business, chemistry, engineering, genetics, hospitality and tourism, management, media technology, molecular biology, physics and psychology. Title will appear in Summon search results or search directly in the ScienceDirect database under Books. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ebook collection The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies is a regional research centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment. The Library has purchased 167 ebooks published recently by the Institute.

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Researcher profile

Louise D’Arcens Louise D’Arcens, currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Arts English Literatures Program speaks to Ainsley Lynch, Library, about her research career, advice for new players and what can go wrong!

As I walk into Dr Louise D’Arcens office she is frantically finishing off an email, apologising profusely as she hammers the keyboard. It’s obvious that her days at UOW are jam-packed, not to mention at home with her family. As a mother of 2 young children, she says she is most proud of “reaching Level D without letting my children pay the price.” How has she achieved this? “Brutal time management. My day is planned by the half-hour!” Louise’s day starts again after her children are in bed, when she can finish off her work, often working until 1am. Louise has a very strong research career, despite an early perception that an academic career would predominantly be teaching. “In those days you got your PhD and concentrated on getting a lot of teaching experience to increase your chances of getting a job. I had no idea how dominant research would be in my career.” Louise took up a Lecturer position at UOW in 2000 after completing her PhD in 1997 from University of Sydney. She has been a leader of the Cultural Memories research strand for the ARC-funded Network for Early European Research (2007-09), and co-ordinator of the Network’s Australasian Medievalisms research cluster (2006-09). She is very proud to lead the current ARC-funded Discovery project “Medievalism in Australian Cultural Memory” as a Chief Investigator. The project has been very successful so far: “We have a great team and have been able to produce a number of prominent publications and a web repository”. They have also run conferences and several Postgraduate Support Workshops across Australia, encouraging new researchers to the area. Louise was recently appointed Chair of the Faculty Research Committee, working to support and enhance an active research culture in the Faculty. Not accustomed to the notion of medievalism, I asked her to explain what this project is about. Her team “demonstrates, through extensive evidence that Australian settler culture hasn’t only developed out of Enlightenment values, as is commonly believed”, she explains. “There is a strong medieval basis to this culture, for example in the rituals still used in parliament, our architecture, our visual and literary culture.” I start to understand what she means when she points out that while Australia was colonised in the 18th century, we built gothic-style buildings whose architecture dates back to the 12th century in our brand new cities – why? What does this mean for the Australian cultural memory and the historical associations it cultivates? In July Louise presented on the surprisingly numerous ‘fake medieval ruins’ scattered around Australia, at the ‘Hearts and Stones’ colloquium of the ARC Centre for the History of Emotions, held at the University of Melbourne. For those just starting out in research, Louise has some

excellent advice: “If you’re worried or feel blocked, seek out senior members of staff for advice”. She also recommends seeking out a mentor who can guide you through the process of publishing. Early in her career she submitted a book manuscript to a publisher, who liked it, then ‘sat on it’ for 2 years without finally publishing it. “As a young inexperienced author I didn’t feel like I had the authority to push them or demand it back”. An experienced mentor would have immediately encouraged her to be assertive with the publisher. Finding a mentor has been the repeated advice of all of the researchers I have interviewed for this series. Time management is also crucial for Louise, “Set deadlines! Make yourself accountable to these deadlines by giving your mentor your plan, that way you can’t let your deadlines slide, they’re non-negotiable.” Expanding the current thoughts on Medievalism means constantly reading and researching toward books, articles and conference papers. Spending time using Library databases such as MLA Bibliography, Project Muse, JSTOR and Expanded Academic Index is important for Louise’s research. She also looks at other authors’ bibliographies to find key texts when she is starting a new research project and keeps up with her preferred journal titles. Until her recent Library research consultation with Liaison Librarian Jeanetta Kettle, she admits she did not have a strong opinion of the Library’s discovery tool, Summon. “I definitely had a prejudice against Summon, I thought it was a very dumbed-down search tool.” Jeanetta was able to show Louise how to take full advantage of the search refinement features, making the search as broad or as refined as needed. Summon is a really good starting point Louise recommends “now I’ve learnt to use it properly.” Over several consultations she has also picked up tips for different search options in the databases using more than keywords, revealing that she has been shown “how to search databases with greater precision.” Continued on pg 24.

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Library news

Applying for a promotion at UOW requires hard evidence of research impact, often difficult to ‘prove’ in Arts & Humanities because the publication patterns aren’t well matched to the dominant measurement tools. Following a consultation with Lucia Tome, the Research Training Librarian, Louise was able to utilise different ways of measuring her research impact. Most of the citational measures for research impact aren’t useful in the humanities disciplines because books and book chapters make up a large portion of the publication output, and tracking citations of individual chapters, within books is virtually impossible. Louise can now identify how many copies of her books and book chapters have been purchased by Libraries around the world to demonstrate demand for her research outputs. Louise was successful in her application for a promotion last year.

Louise’s tips for new researchers: •Get a mentor so that you can seek advice when you need it. •Manage your time rigorously. •Set deadlines that you are accountable to someone else to keep. •Learn how to search databases with precision by seeking advice from the Library’s Research Consultation Service. •Ask for assistance calculating research impact for promotion applications.

Louise D’Arcens has a new book coming out this year entitled Old Songs in the Timeless Land: Medievalism in Nineteenth-Century Australian Literature. Look out for it in the Library’s New Books list, available via RSS or online at http://library.uow.edu.au/ftlists/

Academics use Research Online to increase research visibility One of the main reasons why authors publish in open access journals is their perception that their work will reach a larger audience; the real reason for open access is not because of a serials crisis or because developing countries are in financial difficulty but because of greater research impact. Open Access benefits researchers, institutions, and nations as a whole. For researchers, it brings increased visibility, usage and impact for their work. Institutions enjoy the same benefits in aggregated form. Repositories can provide a platform for the storage and dissemination of research outputs. UOW’s Research Online repository can provide individual researchers with usage data to show the number of times articles have been downloaded. The Library’s Academic Outreach 2011 program has revealed strong support for the use of Research Online in promoting UOW research publications, archiving the work of individual academics and facilitating scholarly communication. If you are interested in improving the visibility of your research, and enhancing your citation rates, please contact your Outreach Librarian for further information.

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Outreach Librarians (from left): Beth Peisley, Lucia Tome, Rachel Bradley and Bernadette Stephens.

Outresearch Librarian

Area of responsibility

Lucia Tome (Team Leader)

Commerce, IHMRI, Informatics, SMART

Beth Peisley

GSM, IPRI, Law, Science

Bernadette Stephens

Arts, ASD, Creative Arts, Education

Rachel Bradley

Engineering, HBS

Ride to Uni day

Wednesday 12 October, 8 - 10 am McKinnon Lawn

Join thousands nationwide in the commuter revolution and celebrate Ride to Uni day! Improve your fitness and embrace an affordable, hassle and carbon free mode of transport. There will be a free breakfast, bike maintenance, free bike engraving from the Wollongong Police Bike Squad and more on the McKinnon Lawn from 8 am. The first 100 riders to arrive will receive a prize and there will be a competition for the Slowest Rider and Best Magpie Defence helmet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; let your imagination run wild! It doesn't matter if you ride to Uni every day, or if you haven't been on two wheels since high school, the important thing is to get involved and make your ride count. Join the UOW team and register at ride2work.com.au to help improve bike facilities across Australia.

uow.edu.au/transport/ridetouni Are you one of the thousands of UOW commuters who are ditching their car in favour of greener transportation? Our survey results show: The proportion of people arriving by car has decreased by 10.5% compared to May 2009

One third of all people arriving at the university are utilising one of the three free shuttle buses

It is quicker to cycle to the Wollongong Campus than to drive if you live within a 7 km radius - and 52 % of all Wollongong Campus commuters live within a 5 km radius. So hop on your bike!

uow.edu.au/transport transport-project@uow.edu.au R e s e a r c h & I n n ovat i o N N e w s l 2 5

Grants news

Grant outcomes ARC and NHMRC Outcomes The NHMRC have advised that outcomes will be announced in the week commencing 17 October 2011 for the following schemes: Project Grants, Partnership Projects, Centres for Research Excellence, Research Fellowships, Career Development Fellowships (previously CDAs) and Early Career Fellowships (including Australia-China Fellowships). The ARC is expected to announce major research grant outcomes on 1 November 2011. 2011 Australian Learning & Teaching Council Grants Congratulations to the following successful UOW applicants: Innovation and Development •Prof Stephen Tanner: awarded $120,000 for his project entitled: “Graduate qualities and journalism curriculum renewal: balancing tertiary expectations and industry needs in a changing technological environment”. Discipline Network •Dr Glennys O’Brien: successful in a collaborative grant with the Queensland University of Technology, for their project entitled “Chemistry discipline and teaching network”.

•A/Prof Anne Porter and Dr Mark Nelson: successful in a collaborative grant with the Queensland University of Technology, for their project entitled: “Australian mathematical sciences learning and teaching network”. Leadership for Excellence in Learning and Teaching •A/Prof Gerry Lefoe: successful in a collaborative grant with Macquarie University and the University of Melbourne, for their project entitled: “An evidence-based standards framework and self-evaluative tool for leadership capacity building through distributed leadership”. 2011/12 UIC International Links Grants Of the 22 applications received, 16 were successful. A total of $109,365 funding was awarded. Three grants were awarded for collaborative efforts with institutions in Thailand, and six grants were awarded for collaborative efforts with institutions in India, which were the countries of focus for this round. 2011 URC Research Partnerships, Round 1 Outcomes Of the 6 applications received, 4 were successful. A total of $48,000 was awarded.

Upcoming funding opportunities Deadline

Grant

30 September

ANPHA Preventive Health Research Project Grants due

24 October

ARC Linkage Projects - first draft of application due to RSO for review

24 October

Round 2 URC Research Partnership applications close

16 November

ARC Linkage Projects - applications due to the ARC More information at: www.uow.edu.au/research/researchgrants

2012 Preventive Health Research Project Grants The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (ANPHA), in collaboration with the NHMRC, invites preventive health researchers and policy makers to apply for grants under this Program. The Program is intended to attract applications in health promotion research. Applicants may apply for funding for translational research projects, with a focus being on the priority areas of alcohol, tobacco and obesity. ARC Linkage Projects 2012 Round 2 Applications for Round 2 of the ARC Linkage Projects Scheme for funding in 2012 close on 16 November, 2011. 2011 URC Research Partnerships Grant Scheme Round 2 the final round for 2011, closes at 5pm Monday, 24

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October. Interested applicants should contact Tansie Jarrett (tansie@uow.edu.au) or visit the RSO Grants Intranet page. 2012 Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Scheme This scheme was established to support outstanding early career researchers to undertake full-time research. Successful applicants will have a highly competitive track record relative to opportunity, and will propose an innovative program of research with the potential to make a significant contribution to the University’s research profile and priority research areas. Guidelines and dates for this scheme are currently being finalised. Further information will be made available on the RSO website and distributed via email.

PODS news

Early Career Researcher Development Program

The on-going development of early career researchers (ECRs) is a key element in ensuring the University of Wollongong’s position as a centre of research excellence and is a key strategic goal of both the University’s Strategic Plan and Research Plan. With that in mind, Professional and Organisational Development Services (PODS), in conjunction with the Research Services Office, have implemented an ECR Development Program aimed specifically at academic staff in the early stages of their research careers who are seeking opportunities for strategic career planning, guidance and support to develop the skills, knowledge and abilities required to be a successful researcher. Apart from providing the opportunity to develop strong networks and collaborative relationships, participants engage in a series of workshops on wide range of topics and receive individual mentoring by a senior, successful UOW researcher. Of the skill development workshops available throughout the program, one of the most intensive was a 2 day off-campus Writing Retreat to assist participants gain more confidence in their writing, which has a direct impact on their confidence as a researcher and a professional. Hosted by PODS on 13 & 14 July, the retreat was held at Peppers Manor House, a very charming retreat located in the beautiful Southern Highlands which offered the perfect environment for quiet writing with the added benefit of what seemed like an endless

supply of great food. The Writing Retreat proved to be very successful, with some fantastic outcomes achieved over the two days with the facilitation and guidance of Prof. Jan Wright, Faculty of Education and Bronwyn James, Learning Development. Participants had the opportunity to attend specific skill workshops, gain valuable individual feedback from the facilitators as well as time for uninterrupted writing. Overwhelmingly, the group remarked on how difficult it was to find the space to write in their daily work and the feedback highlighted the importance of being given the opportunity to have time to focus on writing and achieving goals. From a research support perspective, it’s so satisfying to know that the program has made a real difference which was reflected in comments such as: •“The retreat was great! Not only was the retreat productive from a writing point of view, it also made me feel valued, recognised and supported as a member of UOW staff.” •”What I liked most was having the time to write, feeling supported and meeting other early career researchers.” •”The best training course ever! I feel very supported and valued by UOW because they have taken the trouble to organise this wonderful retreat. I now know that UOW wants me to prioritise my early career research. I accomplished in 2 days what last time took me 5 months of ‘snack ‘writing …………... Thank You.”

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Research Student Centre news

PM’s Australia Asia Endeavour Award winner heads to Hong Kong UOW’s Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Endeavour Award recipient, Hua Zhao has commenced her research at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Hua is researching with the Faculty of Construction and Land Use which involves research areas such as FRP beam, FRP concrete columns and FRP concrete steel double skin tubular columns. Recently, Hua attended two conferences – 3rd International Postgraduate Conference on Infrastructure and Environment and the 5th Cross strait conference on Structural Geotechnical Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic. Chair Professor and Dean Teng, J.G. (4TH from right), Chair Professor and Associate Dean Chau, K.T. (5th from right) and other delegates of IPCIE and Hua Zhao (2nd from the right).

Annual Progress Reports 2011 Research Student Annual Progress Reports for 2011 will be released online via SOLS on 17 October 2011. It is a course requirement that all research students complete an APR in order to be re-enrolled for 2012. HDR Students who do NOT commence the APR process by the dates required may have

their enrolment discontinued. It is extremely important that all parties comply with the due dates for completion to allow the Rearch Services Office to process the enrolment prior to the Census date of 31 March 2012. Enquiries: Christine Mason: Ext. 5672, cmason@uow.edu.au

Deadline

APR Section- Action Required

17 October

APRs released on-line via SOLS

14 November

Section 1 – HDR Candidate to complete following discussions with supervisor(s)

28 November

Section 2 – Principal Supervisor to complete and publish to student

6 December

Section 3 – HDR candidate to complete in response to supervisor comments/recommendation

20 December

Section 4 – Head of Postgraduate Studies to make recommendation

31 January

Section 5 – Dean to make final recommendation then return APR to the Research Student Centre

1-28 February

RSC process HDR re-enrolments, LOA requests, enrolment amendments etc for 2012 More information at: www.uow.edu.au/research/rsc/

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Enrolments All HDR student enrolment variations for this year have been processed. HDR students are asked to check their enrolments are correct for Spring Session 2011. Any enrolment variations for Autumn and Spring Sessions 2012 should be entered in the 2011 Annual Progress Report (APR). Enrolment variations granted outside of the APR must reach the Research Student Centre together with Principal Supervisor or Head of Postgraduate Studies approval by the Census date of 31 March 2012.

Any enrolment enquiries or enrolment variation requests can also be made directly to the Research Student Centre, Building 20, Ground Level, phone 4221 5452 or email: research_student_ centre@uow.edu.au. For HDR students whose thesis has been examined: Please note that if you wish to graduate in December, you must satisfy the Thesis Examination Committee resolution, and submit the CD and Thesis Declaration to the Research Student Centre by Tuesday, 11 October 2011.

Jen Hawksley gears up for Three Minute Thesis Final Jen Hawksley, who took out the UOW 3MT title in June with her impressive presentation â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bereft: The extremities of wartime bereavement among Australian parentsâ&#x20AC;?, will be competing in the 2011 Australian and New Zealand 3MT Competition on 29th September at the University of Western Australia. Jen, together with finalists from 33 other universities will be competing for the overall title and a share of $8,000 in prizes. The university whose representative wins the 2011 Australia and New Zealand 3MT Competition will host the competition in 2012.

Research Ethics Upcoming meeting dates Agenda deadline

Meeting date

Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Health and Medical

26 October

15 November

Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Social Sciences

5 October

20 October

2 November

17 November

Animal Ethics Committee

6 October- Policy Meeting

27 October

Gene Technology Review Committee

9 November

23 November

More information at: www.uow.edu.au/research/ethics

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Researcher spotlight

Prof. Geoff Spinks New Faculty Research Committee (FRC) Chair for The Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM)

What does your new role involve? My role will be to chair a small committee that will be essentially concerned with helping develop the research careers of staff and students within AIIM. In particular, our Research Committee will make recommendations to the University Research Standing Committee (URSC) for the funding of small grants and scholarships to research staff and students associated with AIIM. These grants and scholarships are very important as they can kick start new research directions and foster new collaborations. What do you hope to achieve? AIIM consists of two of the University’s largest and most successful research strengths- the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials and the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute. We see a large turnover of students and we attract a large cohort of ECRs from all over the world. I hope that the FRC activities can provide valuable training to these students and staff, particularly in terms of developing grant writing skills, team building and the effective articulation or research outcomes. What you’ve been working on lately? My research is focussed on the development of polymer artificial muscles for use in medical bionics, robotics and miniature machines. Essentially, I’m trying to build polymer systems that mimic the function of natural muscle. The work has a good mix of fundamental materials issues and useful practical outcomes. The great part of this research is the ability to meaningfully interact with researchers in widely different disciplines including mechatronics, biomechanics and chemistry.

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How did you get to where you are today? Just recently I’ve moved to a full time research position supported by an ARC Professorial Fellowship grant. Before that I had 20 years as a regular teaching/researching academic in Materials Engineering here at UOW. My PhD was completed at the University of Melbourne. I’ve had brief stints overseas on study leave and one study leave with an industry partner. I’ve had various administrative roles within the University, most significantly as Discipline Advisor for Materials Engineering for several years and previously as Deputy Chair of the URSC. What advice would you give to early career researchers? Be patient and persistent - don’t give up! It can take a very long time to build up that “enviable” track record. Paying attention to getting the papers published, grants submitted and students graduated is the way to do it. I still remember the advice given to me by a senior professor when I first started here at UOW. He said “academics aren’t always smart, but they can count!”. With research success, it’s track record that counts! What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your industry these days? Put simply, I think the major challenge to science/engineering is how to continue to improve our quality of life in ways that are sustainable. This is a massive challenge that includes renewable energy, resources depletion, pollution and environmental protection and population growth. With these big challenges comes great opportunity and I think we live in exciting times. What are you looking forward to in the future? I’m genuinely excited about my research and I really hope that we can produce results that others are excited about, too.

Events

Uni in the Brewery Dr Siobhan McHugh “The Power of Voice” November 2, 5:30-6:30pm, Five Islands Brewery We constantly hear about the insatiable 24/7 news cycle and are endlessly assailed by social media. But in a rapidly evolving media landscape, some things don’t change - people can still be deeply moved by hearing others recount simple moments and significant turning-points in their ‘ordinary’ lives. Collectively, such stories can provide insight into our shared history and humanity and deepen our sense of community and connection – and that’s what this talk is all about. Dr Siobhan McHugh (pictured right) is the author of six books and over 60 radio documentaries, and co-writer of two television documentaries. Her book, The Snowy – The People Behind the Power, won the NSW Premier’s award for non-fiction, while her book Cottoning On: stories of Australian cotton growing, was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s History Prize. The stage adaptation of her book Minefields and Miniskirts: Australian women in the Vietnam War, has played to over 50,000 people. She was a contributor to the book Many Voices: Reflections on Experiences of Child Separation. Her radio work has been shortlisted for a Eureka Science prize, a Walkley award for excellence in Journalism, the NSW Premier’s History prize and the United Nations Association (Australia) Media Peace Prize. Visit: www.uow.edu.au/research/unibrewery

Research Showcase Series “Not just another survey...valid measurement in the social sciences” October 19, 12:30-1:30pm, UOW Lecture Theatre 20.2 Prof Sara Dolnicar and Prof Tim Coltman (pictured below), Directors of Institute for Innovation in Business and Social Research, will present their latest research along with their colleagues Dr Melanie Randle, A/Prof Ulrike Gretzel and Prof John Rossiter. Sandwiches will also be available for those attending. Visit: www.uow.edu.au/research/news > Research Strengths Showcase Series 2011

Positive 2012 The 3rd Australian Positive Psychology and WellBeing Conference: Spotlight on the future March 22-25, 2012 This year’s international conference, hosted by The Australian Institute of Business WellBeing at UOW’s Sydney Business School, will focus the spotlight on new ideas and new research. It will feature influential speakers such as Australian academic and feminist Eva Cox and Prof. David Clutterbuck, one of Europe’s best-known and innovative writers and thinkers on leadership and the foremost authority globally on mentoring, as well as an Emerging Researchers Symposium. Early bird registrations close 31 December 2011. www.uow.edu.au/sbs/positive2012

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Research Services Office, Building 20, Level 1, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, 2522 research@uow.edu.au | +61 2 4221 3386 | www.uow.edu.au/research

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