Five Griffith University researchers have been awarded more than $2.1 million in Australian Research Council funding, further asserting the University as one of Australia’s leading research-intensive institutions.

The Federal Member for Moncrieff Ms Angie Bell announced the outcomes of the ARC’s Discovery Early Career Researcher Award program applications on Tuesday, November 5 with five Griffith-led projects earning a total of $2.1 million in funding.

Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans said the funding acknowledges Griffith’s reputation for undertaking world-class research across a range of academic fields and with clear societal impact.

“The diversity of projects approved for 2020 further highlights the University’s commitment and capacity to produce high-impact, future-focused research for the betterment of society in Australia and across the world,’’ Professor Evans said.

The successful projects are:

Dr Jamie Ranse — Menzies Health Institute Queensland: The impact of mass gathering events on emergency healthcare services ($422,241)

Using routinely collected data from Tourism and Events Queensland, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Emergency Departments, and the Bureau of Meteorology, Jamie’s research aims to determine the impact on ambulance and emergency department services in the vicinity of 750 planned MGEs over a five-year period (2015 – 2019). The development of predictive models will inform ambulance service and emergency department planning for MGEs leading to the more efficient deployment of emergency healthcare resources.

Dr Chin Hong Ooi — Queensland Micro & Nanotechnology Centre: Manipulation of non-wetting droplets for cell culture (424, 607)

Dr Ooi will undertake a project to provide scientific and technical insights required for developing a liquid marble-based three-dimensional cell culture platform. The outcome of the project is expected to have direct impact in the niche area of advanced biomanufacturing, providing Australians with economic and health benefits. In particular, the developed platform technology allows for fast screening of new anti-cancer drugs and growing healthy cells for implantation therapy towards curing spinal cord injuries.

Dr Hoang Phuong Phan — Queensland Micro & Nanotechnology Centre: Integrated silicon carbide nanosensors for monitoring extreme environment ($426,087)

Dr Phan’s research will provide new insights into the physical properties of silicon carbide nanosensors and their use in harsh environments in which they are subject to high temperature, corrosion and shock. The project will provide Australia with the expertise necessary for developing the next-generation electronics for harsh environments, potentially solving numerous industrial problems such as energy efficiency of combustion engines, and safety issues of oil and gas transportation.

Dr Laura Grogan — Environmental Futures Institute: Understanding infection tolerance to improve management of wildlife disease ($426, 742)

Dr Laura Grogan, will undertake research that aims to develop improved strategies for mitigating the impact of infectious diseases in wildlife. The project will contribute to the conservation of Australia’s unique amphibian fauna, with a focus on the barred frogs of subtropical rainforests. This project will also benefit amphibian conservation globally.

Dr Quoc Viet Hung — Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems: Minimising Human Efforts to Fight Fake News and Restore the Public Trust (419, 498)

Combating fake news to restore the public trust in governments, the media and other key institutions is undoubtedly a high priority globally. Working in the Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems under the supervision of Professor Abdul Sattar, the research of Dr Henry Nguyen will develop cost-effective, scalable and real-time tool to benefit media organisations and governments in monitoring fake news and re-emerging as guarantors of information quality.