Research
Internal Research Grants Awarded
The University supports the development of research projects through its competitive research grant schemes. These schemes are designed to enable researchers to bring projects to a point where they would be competitive in major grant schemes, including the ARC and NHMRC.
2017 Grants Awarded
Research Partnerships Program
| Researcher(s) | Project title | Total funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Mike Armour NICM Health Research Institute Professor Kathryn Holmes Centre for Educational Research Professor Caroline Smith NICM Health Research Institute Dr Freya MacMillan School of Science and Health A/Professor Tania Ferfolja School of Education Dr Christina Curry School of Education Partner Organisation: U by Kotex (Kimberly-Clark Australia) | Development and piloting of a menstrual health literacy program for women aged under 25 | $51,994 |
| Dr Jannine Bailey School of Medicine Dr Caroline Robertson School of Medicine Partner Organisation: Marathon Health | A nurse led community engagement model for engaging under-screened and never screened Aboriginal women in cervical cancer screening using HPV self-sampling | $75,000 |
| Dr Fran Gale School of Social Sciences and Psychology Dr Michel Edenborough School of Social Sciences and Psychology Partner Organisation: Youth Off The Streets | Understanding and strengthening the foundations of social resilience with refugee young people in western Sydney | $11,250 |
| Dr Evelyn Smith School of Social Sciences and Psychology Partner Organisation: Gastric Balloon Australia | Psychosocial predictors of weight before and after endoscopic non-surgical bariatric procedures | $90,000 |
| Dr Garry Stevens School of Social Sciences and Psychology Professor Andrew Page Translational Health Research Institute Partner Organisations: University of Wollongong; WentWest Primary Health Network | The Surveillance and Intervention Network for the Evaluation of Self-harm (SINES): A pilot study in western Sydney | $37,345 |
| A/Professor Vivian Tam School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Dr Khoa Le School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Partner Organisation: Innovyz Institute | Optimised algorithms for high-grade CO2 concrete | $37,500 |
2016 Grants Awarded
Research Partnerships Program
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Farzaneh Ahmadi The MARCS Institute Partner Organisations: Children's Hospital at Westmead; University College London | Clinical trials of the first bionic voice prosthesis for voice-loss children | $35,000 |
| Dr Scott Johnson Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Partner Organisation: Australian Steel Mill Services | Get tough, get toxic and get a bodyguard: Using silicon to augment direct and indirect anti-herbivore defences in cereals | $29,469 |
| Associate Professor Amanda Third Institute for Culture and Society Partner Organisation: Google Australia | Young and Resilient Living Lab Foundation Project | $33,406 |
Translational Health Research Grants Scheme
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Lynn Kemp Translational Research and Social Innovation (TReSI) Research Group; School of Nursing and Midwifery Partner Organisations: South Western Sydney Local Health District; Southern NSW Local Health District | Translating 'proportionate universal healthcare' into meaningful service system design to achieve outcomes for families with young children | $24,638 |
| Dr Freya MacMillan School of Science and Health Partner Organisations: South Western Sydney Local Health District; South Western Sydney PHN; Nepean Blue Mountains PHN; Western Sydney PHN | Reducing the impact of diabetes and its complications in the Greater Western Sydney Samoan community | $60,000 |
2015 Grants Awarded
Research Partnerships Program – Round 1
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Jason Siegler School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: NSW Institute of Sport | Determining the relationship between resting blood-based measures associated with oxygen carrying capacity and the adaptive response to exercising at altitude | $7,500 |
| Professor Zhong Tao Institute for Infrastructure Engineering Partner Organisation: Shenzhen City Bridge Bo Design Institute Co Ltd | Development of durable and resilient bridge columns through the use of emerging materials | $34,960 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 2
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Erika Gyengesi Molecular Medicine Research Group Partner Organisation: Verdure Sciences | In vivo evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activity of curcumin in a mouse model of chronic neuroinflammation | $25,000 |
| Professor Rosemary Leonard School of Social Sciences and Psychology Partner Organisation: Western Sydney Community Forum | Journeys to safety: The survival stories of women who have experienced domestic violence in the past | $25,550 |
| Professor Caroline Smith Partner Organisations: Oncology Massage Ltd; South Western Sydney Local Health District | Integrative oncology in Australia: Exploring unmet needs and mapping service provision | $15,000 |
| Associate Professor Amanda Third Institute for Culture and Society Partner Organisation: Google Australia | Digital Inclusion Index: Measuring the digital capacity of Australian families | $33,804 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 3
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Qihan Dong NICM Health Research Institute Partner Organisation: Actel Medicine International Pty Ltd | Evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine in preventing prostate cancer progression in patients under active surveillance | $25,000 |
| Dr Matthew Liston School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: South Western Sydney Local Health District | Can a rapid access physiotherapy service (RAPS) improve satisfaction and clinical outcomes in acute low back pain? | $12,500 |
| Professor Andrew Page Centre for Health Research Partner Organisations: Synergia Consulting Pty Ltd; University of Sydney | Towards a national suicide prevention surveillance and simulation system | $24,416 |
2014 Grants Awarded
Early Career Researcher Grant Scheme
The following researchers were awarded funding under the Early Career Researcher Grant Scheme in 2014:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Abbas Amini School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics | Development of novel compostable polymeric composites with graphane nanofiller using indentation moulding method for the health and water treatment industries | $6,500 |
| Dr Alison Barnes School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Sensing 'home' in Greater Western Sydney. A sensory ethnographic study of the relationship between migrants' material and imaginative home-making practices | $2,535 |
| Dr Paul Glew School of Nursing and Midwifery | Validation of an academic literacy and languages skills (VALUES) model for undergraduate nursing students | $7,032 |
| Dr Clare Maclean School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Between sound and silence: expression of transcendence and ma in a musical work and exegesis | $4,000 |
| Dr Freya MacMillan School of Science and Health | Changes in incidental lifestyle activity and sitting time after the introduction of a supermarket and mall to a new neighbourhood in South Western Sydney | $7,495 |
| Dr Lise Mogensen School of Medicine | Medical students and doctors with disabilities in the Australian health care system | $6,279 |
| Dr Elizabeth Thyer School of Science and Health | Burnout in Australian paramedics | $7,455 |
| Dr Jessica Whyte School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Suffering and Morality in the New Humanitarianism | $7,078 |
| Dr Jerry Zhou School of Medicine | The effects of aging and anticholinergic treatment on gastrointestinal motility | $6,363 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 1
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2014 (Round 1):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Catherine Best The MARCS Institute Partner Organisations: Department of Classical Philology and Italian Studies, University of Bologna; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Italy; Federation of Italian Migrant Workers and their Families | Tracing regional Italian roots in the speech of Italian-Australians | $22,687 |
| Dr Louise Crabtree Institute for Culture and Society Partner Organisations: St Kilda Community Housing Ltd; City of Port Phillip; Inner Melbourne Action Plan; Mount Alexander Community Land Trust; SEMZ Property Group; Servants Community Housing Inc | Community land trust research project - phase 2 | $24,992 |
| Associate Professor Kamali Kannangara School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: AusBiodiesel Pty Ltd | Low-cost, scalable approach for conversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol | $33,350 |
| Dr Chwee Beng Lee School of Education Partner Organisation: Department of Education and Communities | Capturing and assessing the experience of experiential learning: Understanding teaching and learning in a behaviourally challenging context | $12,190 |
| Dr Sheridan Linnell School of Social Sciences and Psychology Partner Organisation: RichmondPRA | Recovering Creativity: understanding the role of art in mental health recovery, through the voices and images of people with lived experience of a major mental illness | $25,000 |
| Professor Gerald Muench School of Medicine Partner Organisation: Australian Mushroom Growers' Association | Identification of anti-inflammatory compounds from white button mushrooms | $6,000 |
| Professor Jane Ussher Centre for Health Research Partner Organisation: Gunawirra Ltd | Experiences and constructions of motherhood and fertility planning amongst young Aboriginal mothers attending an early intervention program: a comparison of perspectives | $25,000 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 2
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2014 (Round 2):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Thomas Astell-Burt School of Science and Health Partner Organisations: Greenfields Development Company Pty Ltd; Urban Growth NSW; Centre for Research, Evidence Management and Surveillance (REMS) – South Western Sydney Local Health District | The Healthy Environments and Active Living Study ('HEALStudy') | $30,000 |
| Dr Tara Hamilton The MARCS Institute Partner Organisation: Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Department of Defence | Optimisation of Supporting Circuits for High-Density SPAD Arrays | $35,000 |
| Associate Professor Chun Guang Li NICM Health Research Institute Partner Organisation: Integria Healthcare (Australia) Pty Ltd | Anti-inflammatory activity and synergistic potential of herbal medicines | $22,500 |
| Professor Virginia Schmied School of Nursing and Midwifery Partner Organisations: NSW Kids and Families; Liverpool Hospital | POstnatal Processes & PathwaYs (POPPY): A study investigating postnatal pathways and care for women and their infants in NSW | $10,358 |
| Dr Charlene Thornton School of Nursing and Midwifery Partner Organisation: NSW Kids and Families | The effect of prenatal and antenatal factors on outcomes for mothers and babies: A NSW population-based data linkage study | $28,530 |
| Professor Lesley Wilkes School of Nursing and Midwifery Partner Organisation: Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) | Feeding at end-of-life for people with advanced dementia: An exploratory study of decision-making | $24,750 |
| Associate Professor Richard Yang School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Partner Organisation: SNS Unicorp Pty Ltd | Chain-die forming for fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites | $15,000 |
2013 Grants Awarded
Early Career Researcher Grant Scheme
The following researchers were awarded funding under the under the Early Career Researcher Grant Scheme in 2013:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Samantha Edwards-Vandenhoek School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Searching for the Jirrawun: A pilot study of contemporary Indigenous inscription practices in the Kimberley region of Western Australia | $4,734 |
| Dr John Giblin School of Social Sciences and Psychology | Contemporary archaeology of displacement, internment and abandonment: IDP camp heritage in post-conflict northern Uganda | $6,386 |
| Dr James Gourley School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Vladimir Nabokov and Thomas Pynchon: temporal affinities | $3,557 |
| Dr Erika Gyengesi School of Medicine | Effects of chronic inflammation on the cholinergic neurodegeneration and its therapeutic prevention by using highly bioavailable curcumin as an anti-inflammatory agent | $6,580 |
| Dr Morwenna Kirwan School of Science and Health | Development and validation of a smartphone application that measures physical activity and sedentary behaviour | $6,797 |
| Dr Glenda McDonald School of Nursing and Midwifery | The use of seclusion and its effects on recovery and personal resilience: perceptions of mental health service consumers | $7,285 |
| Dr Saad Nagi School of Medicine | A novel substrate of pain in humans | $7,330 |
| Dr Tracy Olverson School of Humanities and Communication Arts | In retrospect: a digital resource of nineteenth-century Australian women writers | $6,125 |
| Dr Duong Tran Centre for Health Research | Use of primary care and hospitalisation in older Australian culturally and linguistically diverse populations with Type 2 diabetes | $7,500 |
| Dr Scott Willis Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Research Group | Development of pulse sequences and phantom samples for magnetic resonance imaging | $7,250 |
Research Grants Scheme
The following researchers were awarded funding under the Research Grants Scheme in 2013:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright School of Science and Health | Synthesising G4-DNA Metallodrugs | $18,162 |
| Professor Moira Carmody School of Social Sciences and Psychology | Sexual and gender diverse women's experiences of negotiating intimacy in later life | $22,617 |
| Dr Tania Ferfolja School of Education | The elephant in the (class)room: Parents' and students' perceptions of LGBTQ education | $21,025 |
| Dr Gisselle Gallego Centre for Health Research | Disability and health: People with disabilities and professionals' views on access to health services in western Sydney | $21,625 |
| Associate Professor Simon Green School of Science and Health | Potassium and the control of blood flow in contracting human skeletal muscle | $17,994 |
| Associate Professor Chun Guang Li Centre for Complementary Medicine | Synthesis and testing of novel tanshinone analogues | $22,094 |
| Dr Fidelis Mashiri School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics | Fatigue behaviour of retrofitted steel structures using innovative materials | $17,500 |
| Dr Oliver Morton School of Science and Health | Predicting susceptibility to invasive Aspergillosis through the characterisation of the immune regulatory response of monocytes during interaction with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus | $19,200 |
| Dr Julie Old School of Science and Health | Molecular markers of protective immunity in dasyurid mammals | $23,000 |
| Dr Dallas Rogers School of Social Sciences and Psychology | The politics and practice of Chinese direct foreign investment into Australian housing | $14,996 |
| Associate Professor Pauline Ross School of Science and Health | Current and future threats to the biodiversity of Sydney Harbour - shifting studies of climate change from the laboratory into the harbour | $13,555 |
| Dr Siobhan Schabrun School of Science and Health | Targeting pain mechanisms from 'top-down' and the 'bottom-up' in chronic tension-type headache | $19,746 |
| Associate Professor Caroline Smith Centre for Complementary Medicine | Assessing health literacy in a population of complementary medicine users | $23,231 |
| Dr Vivian Tam School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics | The use of recycled concrete in steel-concrete composite construction | $23,000 |
| Dr Chloe Taylor School of Science and Health | The morning surge in blood pressure: Role of the sympathetic baroreflex? | $15,004 |
| Dr Gang Zheng School of Science and Health | Development of a NMR spectroscopy based biomedical research platform drive by designing the next generation water signal filtering techniques | $9,500 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 1
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2013 (Round 1):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Ann Dadich School of Business Partner Organisation: Cancer Council NSW | Feasibility study of research methods to capture lifestyle choices among young people | $11,067 |
| Dr Paul Rymer Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Partner Organisation: WA Department of Environment and Conservation | Adaptive capacity of Corymbia calophylla to future temperature extremes | $23,676 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 2
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2013 (Round 2):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Ricky Spencer School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority | Ecological function of turtles in the Murray River: Risks of extinction and human induced changes in the structure of food webs | $25,000 |
2012 Grants Awarded
International Research Initiatives Scheme
The following researchers were awarded funding under the International Research Initiatives Scheme in 2012:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Andrew Gorman-Murray School of Social Sciences and Psychology International Link: Brock University, Canada | LGBT neighbourhoods in transition: urban and political change in Sydney and Toronto | $14,534 |
| Associate Professor Paul Holford School of Science and Health International Link: Zhejiang University, China | Plant-soil cadmium interactions | $10,296 |
| Dr Feng Li School of Science and Health International Link: National Centre for Scientific Research, France | Spin-switch materials in molecular recognition: Towards molecular devices | $13,660 |
| Associate Professor Adam Possamai Religion and Society Research Centre International Link: University of Edinburgh, Scotland | Non-religion amongst Australian Aboriginal peoples | $10,851 |
| Professor Yang Xiang School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics International Link: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China | Buckling and vibration analysis of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite structures | $12,179 |
Research Grants Scheme
The following researchers were awarded funding under the Research Grants Scheme in 2012:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Kelvin Chan Centre for Complementary Medicine | Synergistic activity of herbal medicines in stroke | $24,985 |
| Dr Zhonghua Chen School of Science and Health | Molecular mechanism of halophytic NHX1 genes for improving salt tolerance in Australian malt barley | $11,875 |
| Associate Professor Raymond Clarke School of Medicine | Optimising molecular profiling for prostate cancer detection and diagnosis | $25,000 |
| Associate Professor Qihan Dong School of Science and Health | To determine the mechanism of cell cycle re-entry by quiescent prostate cancer cells | $22,448 |
| Professor Iain Gosbell School of Medicine | ICU environmental biofilms and healthcare-associated infections | $19,438 |
| Dr Benedict Imbun School of Business | Food security challenges in the hydrocarbon enclaves of Papua New Guinea: An exploratory study | $20,070 |
| Dr Slade Jensen School of Medicine | Mechanism(s) of Daptomycin resistance in MRSA and VRE clinical isolates | $24,000 |
| Dr Antonio Lauto School of Science and Health | Fabrication of graft-antenna prototype for nerve stimulation | $23,000 |
| Dr Joanne Lind School of Medicine | Are short telemeres a cause or consequence of high blood pressure? | $22,000 |
| Associate Professor Alexandre Morin School of Education | Cultivating capability for youth with intellectual disabilities: A longitudinal investigation of school life and physical activity benefit | $16,245 |
| Dr Ahmed Moustafa School of Social Sciences and Psychology | Identifying factors underlying the development of Psychiatric Symptom's Disease using behavioural and computational methods | $12,597 |
| Dr Olayide Ogunsiji School of Nursing and Midwifery | Female genital mutilation: Prevalence, attitudes and associated health issues amongst African migrant | $18,295 |
| Dr Laura Parker School of Science and Health | The cost of living in a high-C02 world: Does food availability limit the capacity of molluscs to acclimate to ocean acidification? | $22,914 |
| Associate Professor Adam Possamai Religion and Society Research Centre | Muslims on campus: University life for muslim students in Australia | $18,163 |
| Dr Alphia Possamai-Inesedy Religion and Society Research Centre | Sex and post-secularism: A marriage of convenience? | $16,249 |
| Dr Ruying Qi School of Humanities and Communication Arts | Person and Identity in Mandarin-English children's language development: a singleton and sibling case study in Australia | $15,291 |
| Associate Professor Kerry Robinson School of Social Sciences and Psychology | An historical analysis of queer youth identities: A pilot study | $16,400 |
| Dr Colin Stack School of Science and Health | Tritrichomonas foetus - epithelial interactions: Dissecting the roles of attachment, cytotoxicity and host factors in the infection process | $23,050 |
| Dr Chloe Taylor School of Science and Health | Inter-individual differences in blood pressure responses to stressors | $13,760 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 1
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2012 (Round 1):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Kelvin Chan Centre for Complementary Medicine Partner Organisation: PuraPharm Australia Pty Ltd | Pharmacological interactions of Oncozac (Coriolus versicolor,Yunzhi) and chemotherapy medications | $25,000 |
| Associate Professor Gary Dennis School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: Phenomenex Australia Pty Ltd | Green preparative supercritical - fluid separations | $30,000 |
| Dr Emma Power School of Social Sciences and Psychology Partner Organisation: Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia Pty Ltd | Renting with pets in Sydney, Australia: A social and animal welfare challenge | $22,732 |
| Associate Professor Arumugam Sathasivan School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics Partner Organisation: Sydney Water | Trial of a new nitrification management approach for chloraminated systems | $35,000 |
| Dr Jason Siegler School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: Western Sydney Football Club Ltd | Physiological fatigue and performance monitoring in Australian Rules Football | $32,970 |
Research Partnerships Program – Round 2
The following researchers were awarded Research Partnerships Program funding in 2012 (Round 2):
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Ajesh George School of Nursing and Midwifery Partner Organisations: NSW Ministry of Health - Centre for Oral Health Strategy Australian Dental Association (NSW) Philips Australia | Developing perinatal oral health guidelines for dentists and prenatal care providers in Australia | $29,940 |
| Associate Professor Charles Morris School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: Greening Australia | Overcoming barriers to restoring Cumberland Plain Woodland | $24,985 |
| Dr Paul Rymer School of Science and Health Partner Organisation: Greening Australia | Genetic issues in seed production for ecological restoration | $25,133 |
| Dr Shameran Slewa-Younan School of Medicine Partner Organisation: NSW Refugee Health Service | Mental health literacy in a resettled refugee community in New South Wales: Paving the way for mental health promotion in vulnerable communities. | $16,844 |
| Dr Chunwei Zhang Institute for Infrastructure Engineering Partner Organisation: Tanjin Haixu Technology Development Co. Ltd | Monitoring, evaluation and control of ship motions for offshore infrastructure construction | $35,000 |
Research Seed Grant Scheme for Early Career Researchers
The following researchers were awarded funding under the Research Seed Grant Scheme for Early Career Researchers in 2012:
| Researcher | Project title | Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Dr BriAnne Addison School of Science and Health | Immunoecology of Manorina honeyeaters: Effects of landscape, range size, and extinction risk | $6,500 |
| Dr Thomas Astell-Burt School of Science and Health | The influence of crime, and fear of crime, on physical activity and mental health. Evidence from New South Wales, Australia | $7,500 |
| Dr Yossi Buskila The MARCS Institute | Astrocytic K+ regulation as a mechanism to modulate brain waves | $7,300 |
| Mrs Rakime Elmir Family and Community Health | A time of joy or distress: Men's experiences of birth trauma | $7,471 |
| Dr Zhouyu Fu School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics | Learning simple classifiers for complicated problems | $4,366 |
| Dr Xiaohua Jin School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics | Exploring stakeholder-associated transaction costs in privately financed public infrastructure projects | $5,936 |
| Dr Kylie Steel School of Science and Health | Can the use of video-self modeling improve the bilateral skill execution of a reach and grasp task for stroke patients? | $7,458 |
| Dr Son Truong School of Education | A photo-elicitation pilot study on children's views of play opportunities in Greater Western Sydney | $6,388 |
| Dr Jacqueline Ullman School of Education | Locating 'Gender Climate' inside 'School Climate' to safeguard academic identity development for Australia's same-sex attracted youth | $7,410 |
| Dr Elise Wright Molecular Medicine Research Group | Quantitative analysis of differential gel electrophoresis (DIGE) - based protein detection | $7,467 |
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