Ten Griffith University academics are among the 200 early career researchers who have been named in the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRAs).
Griffith’s 10 new DECRAs represent the Science, Health, Griffith Business School and Arts/Education/Law academic groups, with the research projects winning a combined total of $4,579,244 from this round’s $92.9 million funding.
Griffith’s new DECRAs are:
Dr Christopher Ambrey (Adjunct Research Fellow, Cities Research Institute), awarded $452,019 for ‘On the hardship that is homelessness’. Homelessness is a global human rights violation and exists, even among States that have adequate resources to remedy it. This study builds on earlier research efforts to investigate: (1) how people fall into and climb out of homelessness; (2) the consequences homelessness has for wellbeing; and (3) how these consequences evolve the longer individuals are homeless. This study is expected to generate new knowledge in our understanding of homelessness by employing underutilised longitudinal data; coupled with sophisticated nonlinear panel data techniques. Ultimately, real service practice and policy changes, informed by theory and based in evidence, are expected to improve the lives of people at-risk of, or experiencing homelessness.
Dr Shevan Wilkin (Adjunct Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution), awarded $484,941 for ‘Ochre as a preservation reservoir for archaeological biomolecules’. The use of ochre in ancient artwork and adornments is widespread. As ochre is metal oxide-rich, its antimicrobial properties act as a preservative agent for intermixed organic binding agents. This project, through proteomic analysis of ochre-laden residues on archaeological materials, will explore the plant or animal products used to facilitate ochre use in the past. Proteins can illuminate the tissues (blood, milk, saliva) mixed with ochre, allowing insights into ancient human-animal-plant interactions. The completion of this project will: 1) clearly demonstrate the viability of ochre-based residues as a reservoir for biomolecules, and 2) provide insights into primary and secondary products from wild and domesticated species in the past.
Dr Liang Wang (Centre for Catalysis and Clean Energy), awarded $427,691 for ‘Single-Atom Electrode for Hydrogenation Reactions at High Current Densities’. This project aims to develop a new type of single-atom electrodes for electro-catalytic hydrogenation to produce value-added products at industrial-scale current densities. A single-atom tailoring strategy together with precise control of the electrode micro-architectures will be applied to maximise device performance. The expected outcomes include the establishment of basic rules on the fabrication of high-efficiency single-atom electrodes and a fundamental understanding of the relationships between the morphological properties of single-atom sites and catalytic activities. The project secures Australia’s leading position in materials science and renewable energy, bringing economic benefit through the commercialisation of novel electrodes.
Dr Dechao Chen (Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre), awarded $464,071 for ‘Quantum Dot Hybrids for Methanol Photoreforming’. This project aims to develop heavy-metal-free quantum dots hybrid materials for solar-driven reforming of methanol into high-value chemicals accompanied with carbon emissions-free, zero-pollution hydrogen production. The project expects to contribute new knowledge in the colloidal synthesis of quantum materials by overcoming the challenges of organic-inorganic synthesis barriers and providing platform technologies for handling highly efficient photocatalysts. This project will address the critical challenges in methanol photoreforming, and significantly contribute to Australia’s sustainable hydrogen industry and value-adding export economy.
Dr Ryan Heneghan (Australian Rivers Institute), awarded $458,693 ‘Sustainably feeding the world: the potential of climate-adaptive fisheries’. This project aims to uncover the ability of climate-adaptive fisheries management to counteract climate change impacts on the world’s marine ecosystems. Existing global marine ecosystem models lack the speed and certainty to robustly explore this potential, meaning a step-change approach is needed. Leveraging advanced mathematical and statistical methods, this project will develop new tools to deploy global models for strategic, long-term marine ecosystem management. The outputs will allow rapid and accurate long-term planning for sustainable use of the world’s shifting marine resources under climate change. Benefits include advances in climate-adaptive fisheries management to sustainably feed the world’s growing population.
Dr Yun Shi (Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics), awarded $483,691 for ‘Molecular Functions of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Metabolites’. This project aims to investigate the functions of metabolites from the breakdown of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential molecule for all cellular life forms. These metabolites are likely to play important biological roles in bacteria, plants, and animals, especially in their immune systems. This project expects to determine the structure and function of these metabolites at the molecular level, filling a critical knowledge gap in NAD+-mediated signalling processes. Expected outcomes of this project include advanced knowledge of NAD+-mediated signalling and innate immunity pathways. This should provide significant commercial and economic benefits via the development of technologies against pathogens in plants and animals.
Dr Jessica Kirk (Centre for Governance and Public Policy), awarded $401,029 for ‘Improving the global management of health (mis)information’. This project aims to investigate how health mis/disinformation is managed globally and assess which kinds of governance initiatives are most effective in addressing this problem. Through an in-depth comparison of four global initiatives, this project expects to answer current research gaps concerning the best practices, challenges, and barriers in addressing health mis/disinformation globally, as well as further our understanding of how contemporary global governance operates. The expected outcome of this project is an evidence base to enhance and develop global responses to health mis/disinformation. This should provide significant benefit to Australia’s efforts to improve regional and global health security.
Dr Jianyin Huang (Australian Rivers Institute), awarded $477,931 for ‘Major hidden source of land-based nutrients affecting Australian estuaries’. The project aims to investigate a previously undiscovered driver of declining water quality in Australian rivers and estuaries, namely organic and particulate nutrients. Innovative research approaches, which combine chemical characterisation, measures of ecosystem response and machine learning, will be used to unpack the complex behaviours of particulate matter in delivering a significant source of bioavailable nutrients affecting waterways. The insights of this project will enhance model predictions of water quality and inform catchment management approaches. The benefits include cleaner water, healthier estuarine habitats, more robust fishing and tourism industries, and protection of important sites such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Dr Emanuele Polino, awarded $445,055 for ‘Understanding and control of quantum nonlocality in complex scenarios’. The future quantum internet and cybersecurity are dependent on quantum nonlocality, referring to the strong correlations between distant quantum physical systems. Nonlocality has been studied mostly in two-party scenarios. This project aims to understand and realize multiparty scenarios. It expects to create significant new knowledge on complex quantum networks, generating new nonlocality forms. Anticipated outcomes include innovative quantum optics protocols and causal inference techniques enabling quantum nonlocality in diverse networks, opening new paths for quantum technology. Expected benefits will impact the future quantum internet with the ultimate cybersecurity for transferring economic, personal, health, and government data.
Dr Emma Palmer, awarded $484,123 for ‘Universal Jurisdiction for International Crimes in the Asia-Pacific’. This project aims to investigate how universal jurisdiction is used to prosecute atrocities in the Asia-Pacific. Advancing international relations theories about how norms are adapted in different contexts, it expects to generate new knowledge about how universal jurisdiction can be applied to prosecute crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide in domestic courts – regardless of where the violence occurred, or the perpetrator or victims’ nationalities. Expected outcomes include an evidence base for improved decision-making and collaborations for practitioners and officials investigating and prosecuting international crimes in the Asia-Pacific. Benefits include improved access to justice and enhanced responses to atrocity crimes.
“The ARC Discovery Program has an impressive track record in generating new knowledge that addresses a significant problem or gap in knowledge, and it offers exciting opportunities for Australia’s promising early career researchers to develop in supportive environments,” ARC Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Johnson said.
“As well as boosting Australia’s research and innovation capacity, DECRA projects result in new technologies and ideas, leading to new jobs, economic growth, and ultimately improved quality of life for Australians.”
The mystery surrounding the targeted removal of red blood cells from the human body is at the centre of new Griffith University research.
Dr Lennart Kuck
Research Fellow Dr Lennart Kuck from Griffith’s School of Health Sciences and Social Work led a study investigating the enigma with his findings published today in PNAS.
“Red blood cells are optimised for oxygen transport and surrender their organelles in the process, thereby losing the tools it would normally have that would regulate the cells’ natural, controlled demise,” Dr Kuck said.
“As a consequence, red blood cells age progressively, before their removal from circulation after around 120 days.
“If old red blood cells continue to circulate throughout the human body, it can pose serious health risks with the potential for clots and depriving some tissue areas of oxygen.
“This can lead to cardiovascular events such as a stroke and myocardial infarction.”
Red blood cells also carry molecules that are toxic to the body if they are released freely into the blood stream.
By removing old red blood cells, cells in the liver or spleen in a controlled way ensures these molecules can be detoxified in these organs.
Despite the mystery surrounding the process of removing old blood cells, Dr Kuck’s research has made good inroads in explaining how this might occur.
“It seems the removal of red blood cells is regulated by proteins in the cell itself, which provides a first step towards developing novel therapeutics that could prevent premature removal of red blood cells in disease or following a transfusion,” Dr Kuck said.
“It also paves the way for early-stage diagnostics in individuals that may be at risk of anaemia due excessive clearance of red blood cells.”
The interdisciplinary research team at Griffith, consisting of Dr Kuck, Associate Professor Michael Simmonds and Dr Antony McNamee of the Biorheology Research Laboratory, teamed up with Associate Professor Jason Peart of the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, and the group of Professor Carsten Marr at the Helmholtz-Centre for AI health in Germany.
A next-generation COVID-19 mucosal vaccine is set to be a gamechanger not only when delivering the vaccine itself, but also for people who are needle-phobic.
New Griffith University research, published in Nature Communications, has been testing the efficacy of delivering a COVID-19 vaccine via the nasal passages.
Professor Suresh Mahalingam
Professor Suresh Mahalingam from Griffith’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics and Griffith Health has been working on this research for the past four years.
“This is a live attenuated intranasal vaccine, called CDO-7N-1, designed to be administered intranasally, thereby inducing potential mucosal immunity as well as systemic immunity with just a single dose,” Professor Mahalingam said.
“The vaccine induces strong memory responses in the nasal mucosa offering long-term protection for up to a year or more.
“It’s been designed to be administered as single dose, ideally as a booster vaccine, as a safe alternative to needles with no adverse reactions in the short or long term.”
Live-attenuated vaccines offer several significant advantages over other vaccine approaches.
They induce potent and long-lived humoral and cellular immunity, often with just a single dose.
Live-attenuated vaccines comprise the entire virus thereby providing broad immunity, in contrast to a single antigen which is used in many other vaccine platforms.
Dr Xiang Liu
Lead author Dr Xiang Liu said the vaccine provides cross-protection against all variants of concern, and has neutralising capacity against SARS-CoV-1.
“The vaccine offers potent protection against transmission, prevents reinfection and the spread of the virus, while also reducing the generation of new variants,” Dr Liu said.
“Unlike the mRNA vaccine which targets only the spike protein, CDO-7N-1 induces immunity to all major SARS-CoV-2 proteins and is highly effective against all major variants to date.
“Importantly, the vaccine remains stable at 4°C for seven months, making it ideal for low- and middle-income countries.”
The vaccine has been licensed to Indian Immunologicals Ltd, a major vaccine manufacturer.
Dr. K. Anand Kumar, co-author of the publication and Managing Director of Indian Immunologicals Ltd. Said: “We are a leading ‘One Health’ company that has developed and launched several vaccines for human and animal use in India and are currently exporting to 62 countries.”
“We have completed all the necessary studies of this novel COVID-19 vaccine which offers tremendous advantages over other vaccines.
“We now look forward to taking the vaccine candidate to clinical trials.”
Professor Lee Smith, Acting Director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, said he was delighted with the research findings.
“These results towards developing a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine are truly exciting,” Professor Smith said.
“Our researchers are dedicated to providing innovative and, crucially, more accessible solutions to combat this high-impact disease.”
In two new research papers, Griffith ecologists have highlighted the millions of insects that remain undiscovered and unnamed by scientists were likely to be more vulnerable to extinction than named species.
In Borneo, the teams collected rove beetles in an area of tropical forest. Of the 252 different species of beetle that were recorded, 76% were new to science and not previously named.
Dr Mike Boyle, from the University of Hong Kong and lead author, compared samples from unlogged forest and logged forest and showed that the unknown species were more likely to have disappeared than known species in logged forest.
In the Wet Tropics of Australia, Professor Stork and co-authors found that among the 107 species of bark beetles identified, 58 were undescribed by science.
As hypothesised, the undescribed species were significantly smaller, less abundant and less widespread than described species, making them harder to find and more extinction-prone than named species.
“In recent years estimates of how many species of insects there might be on Earth have varied from 100 million or more to as low as 2 million,” Professor Stork said.
“A consensus figure of 5 million species published by myself is now frequently used, supported by four different methods of calculating global species richness.
“Since only 1 million of these species have been named and described so far in the past 240 years of Linnaean taxonomy, the puzzling question is: where are the other 4 million species that have yet to be found and named?
“What are they like, what is the likelihood of their discovery and description, and are they more vulnerable to extinction? Our studies reveal that they are smaller, rarer and more difficult to find as well as being more extinction prone.”
Professor Nigel Stork
Only 20% of the estimated 5 million species of insects on Earth are named and yet insects are poorly represented in protected area assessments, and insect declines are of concern globally.
To increase species description rates and to avoid most species becoming extinct before being named, Professors Stork and Kitching are calling on taxonomists to use new character systems provided by DNA methods and advances in the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence.
“The unknown components of tropical insect biodiversity are likely more impacted by human-induced environmental change,” Professor Kitching said.
“If these patterns are widespread, how accurate will assessments of insect declines in the tropics be?”
From the soccer field to the stage, there’s no looking back for Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (the Con) alumnus Vidya Makan, having taken on the role of Eliza in Hamilton the musical.
Now playing at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre for its final Australian season, the Tony®, Grammy®, Olivier and Pulitzer prize-winning musical is a revolutionary tale of passion and ambition accompanied by a score of hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway.
Ms Makan said landing the role of Eliza was a dream for her.
“I feel like it’s the peak of my career,” she said.
Vidya Makan as Eliza in Hamilton the Musical
“Who knows, maybe I’ll keep climbing, but it’s definitely a really, really special moment in time for me.
“There’s a reason Hamilton is the biggest show in the world and why it’s become the company it is.
“It’s written with true genius but there’s something so special about being surrounded by people who all have such a similar but very different experience in this world, and being led by other people of colour – I’ve never felt more ‘myself’.
“We have such an incredible cast and creative team and I fall in love with everybody in that room more and more each day.”
Ms Makan’s love for music started early, with her parents often taking her to see musicals.
While she enjoyed the shows and soon became an avid pianist and cellist, her dream was originally to be in the pit of the musicals playing with the orchestra, or to keep playing soccer and become a Matilda!
It wasn’t until she was cast in her high school production of My Fair Lady that her true passion became clear.
“I just fell in love with the storytelling and community that comes with doing a theatre show,” Ms Makan said.
“I started taking heaps of lessons and worked really hard, and ended up studying musical theatre at the Con.
“I felt really seen by my tutors – they saw a strength in me and a power for storytelling, and gave me opportunities and challenges to step into.
“They helped me see my own potential and really set me up to work in this industry.”
There is no doubt Ms Makan has made some serious impressions since graduating, with reviews lauding her powerful vocals and depth of character.
“Catherine Parr [in SIX] is played by Vidya Makan, who blows the roof off with stunning vocals and – crucially – carries the show into a denouement that could, in less confident hands, feel far too treacly.”
– The Guardian
“With a stunning lower register and imposing presence, Makan was the perfect casting choice for Papa Ge [in Once On This Island]. While there was darkness in Makan’s performance, this was skilfully balanced with moments of understanding and light.”
– Theatre Haus
Ms Makan also recently had her composer/lyricist debut, writing a show called The Lucky Country.
The musical delves deep into the themes of identity and belonging, exploring what it means to be Australian.
“It’s a heartfelt, wildly entertaining and joyful celebration of who we can be as Australians.”
As in Japan, North America and elsewhere, the Australian music festival industry is in crisis. Australia’s largest event, Splendour in the Grass (or just ‘Splendour’ to its fans) announced a hiatus in March of this year, following the cancellation of New Year’s iconic Falls Festival and the regional Groovin’ the Moo music festival earlier in 2024. Byron Bay Bluesfest, will only run one more time. Poor ticket sales, high running costs including insurance premiums, changing consumer preferences, and cost of living pressures are most cited as the reasons why. But there may be another factor that is seldom considered. Getting huge crowds to and from distant music festival sites by car presents significant challenges for both organisers and visitors.
Arriving at Woodstock Music and Art Fair, August 16, 1969. Photo: James M. Shelley, CC BY-SA 4.0
Based on the original Woodstock model, events such as Splendour and the Bluesfest are situated on rural or regional sites, far from major population centres, train stations or airports. With road-based travel being the only available option – often via just one entry road – traffic flows can overwhelm the road network. Cars get bogged in unsealed parking lots; people get injured trying to push them out. Yes, these remote sites can be beautiful; Woodford Folk Festival’s site is amazing. But getting there can be a real hassle.
Weather disasters and traffic trouble
To solve the problems of car traffic, and to offer alternatives, music festival organisers have largely turned to shuttle bus operations and elaborate traffic management plans. These don’t always cut it however, with SITG’s 2022 event exemplifying how external factors such as weather can bring the entire system crashing down. Shuttle bus failures left tens of thousands of attendees stranded – many until the next morning – at the cold, muddy site without food, water or seating. At Victoria’s Beyond the Valley music festival car drivers and passengers were trapped in high temperatures for up to nine hours trying to get out a single exit, with some collapsing from dehydration and heatstroke. In the US the 2015 TomorrowWorld event forced thousands to shelter in place when even the shuttle buses got bogged. More famously, the 2023 Burning Man Festival in Nevada turned into a giant mud pit, trapping visitors for days. Car-based music festivals are clearly not weather resistant.
Splendour In The Grass, 2022. Photo: Carley Rosengreen
Looking at examples from around the world, however, one doesn’t need to do things this way. From Summer Sonic Tokyo and Osaka’s two-day, urban festivals, Lollapalooza in Downtown Chicago, to Roskilde’s small-town, regional festival site, many highly successful music festivals are rail-based. Hardly anyone drives, even if they plan to camp on the grounds. At the DGTL Festival in Amsterdam, you cannot park at all; visitors are offered discounts to travel by train and are encouraged to walk or cycle. Is this a better model that the Australian music festival industry should be considering for a viable long-term future?
Building a sustainable festival experience
With little to no existing research on the transportation challenges of large music festivals, this is a question that Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute is aiming to answer. Our early research on the issue has uncovered local planning resistance to the ‘drive-in’ model for larger music festivals. Splendour’s transport and land use planning for its final increase in size was rejected by the local authorities in Byron Shire, but then approved on appeal by the NSW Independent Planning Commission. Media reporting has also given us some insight into how transportation at these events has been experienced – both good and bad. But that’s mostly anecdotal evidence. We really need to get more robust data. We need to speak to the authorities, music festival organisers, site-owners and transport experts involved, which we are doing right now. We also need hear from a much larger number of previous attendees to get a clearer picture of visitor experiences.
No train, all pain at Splendour In The Grass, 2022. Photo: Carley Rosengreen
To do this, we have put together a short, ten-minute survey, for adults who attended a music festival at either Splendour in the Grass in the years since 2017, or Byron Bay Bluesfest since 2019. If this is you, please share your experiences. We really want to find out how your travels to and from the site impacted your overall festival experience and your views on the Byron Bay region. Whatever you tell us will help the music festival industry and the transport and planning authorities to understand the travel options visitors are seeking, how we might get people to and from music festivals in the future, and what better alternative approaches might look like. Just maybe we can help plot the way towards a more financially sustainable music festival industry.
New research from Griffith University provides crucial evidence the early retirement of coal-fired power plants can be financially advantageous for investors, which is contrary to mainstream belief.
Griffith Asia Institute Director Professor Christoph Nedopil.
In collaboration with Climate Smart Ventures and Fudan University, the paper offers innovative insights into the financial viability of accelerating the transition from coal to renewable energy in developing Asian economies to address climate change.
Griffith Asia Institute Director Professor Christoph Nedopil said the findings were relevant for countries grappling with energy security concerns and the need to meet climate commitments.
“Our research offers a roadmap for implementing financially viable strategies to phase out coal power while expanding renewable energy capacity,” Professor Nedopil said.
“Options such as blended finance, green bonds, and debt-for-climate swaps could play a pivotal role in facilitating the early retirement of coal plants.
“With the right financial mechanisms, we can accelerate the retirement of coal plants in Asia without compromising investor returns.
“This opens new avenues for addressing climate change while ensuring economic stability.”
Key findings include:
Early retirement of coal plants can be financially advantageous for investors.
Younger coal plants, particularly those with high financing costs, can potentially be retired earlier than older plants while maintaining or increasing enterprise value.
Refinancing strategies, combined with renewable energy investments, can significantly enhance enterprise values for coal plant owners.
The study demonstrates that coal plants in Vietnam and Pakistan could be retired 3-13 years earlier than scheduled while preserving or increasing financial returns.
A love for storytelling transformed Griffith Film School alumnus Maeve McKenna into a prominent director in advertising and reality TV.
Ms McKenna has been directing Griffith University’s ‘Make It Matter’ campaign, highlighting the diverse motivations and purposes that drive students to study.
“So many aspects of the ‘Make it Matter’ campaign genuinely resonated with me because I had such a great experience at the Film School myself,” Ms McKenna said.
“The years I spent at Griffith were really formative in terms of setting me up with great connections and opportunities while I was studying, and I definitely found my purpose there.
“This campaign isn’t about degrees – it’s about the different purposes driving these people to achieve what’s really important to them – whether that’s career goals or something really personal and intrinsic, and knowing Griffith is here to support that.
“We had so many incredible Griffith students involved and I loved getting to know them.
“I went in thinking I’d have to bring them out of their shells but they were all so sure of themselves and confident.
Maeve McKenna
“I was honestly so impressed by them.”
While she had loved storytelling from a young age, Ms McKenna said she had never previously seen herself as a director.
Her film school experience allowed her to explore filmmaking in depth, from pre-production to post-production.
“I fell in love with the process,” she said.
“Being able to direct actors in the moment on set, and then take it all into post-production and piece it together was so fulfilling.
“I got hooked.”
One of Ms McKenna’s most memorable experiences at Griffith was her participation in the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival in Winton – a now-annual pilgrimage for Griffith University students and staff.
As an undergraduate student, she was the only one from her cohort selected to travel to the Outback Queensland town where she produced a short documentary with minimal resources.
The hands-on experience in a challenging environment was pivotal in shaping Ms McKenna’s approach to filmmaking, teaching her to focus on the essence of storytelling, stripped of technical luxuries, with the screening of her film at the close of the festival affirming her passion for the craft.
“That trip was a complete turning point for me,” she said.
“I sat with an audience as my work played in a cinema for the first time, and probably learned more about storytelling in one pressure cooker trip than I could’ve imagined.
“I had never felt so sure this was the career for me.”
A new Griffith University survey has asked the patrons of two iconic music festivals whether transport is make or break for their overall event experience.
Professor Matthew Burke and Honours student Rachael Leeson, from Griffith’s Cities Research Institute, are calling on festival-goers to share their experiences in the hope the feedback will help highlight the transport components that make for an amenable, large-scale, live music experience.
Professor Matthew Burke.
In the past 18 months, iconic Australian music festivals such as Falls, Groovin The Moo, Mountain Sounds have been cancelled or rested, with reasons cited including high touring costs, insurance premium rises and changes in the ways consumers were accessing music and live performances.
The latest major festival to be cancelled was Splendour in the Grass in March this year, which had been plagued with transport and infrastructure concerns since its relocation to North Byron Parklands in 2012.
It was followed most recently by Bluesfest, whose organisers announced that the 2025 lineup also at North Byron Parklands would its last after 35 years on the event calendar.
“Although these remote sites can be beautiful, getting there can be a real hassle which impacts people’s experience of the event,” Professor Burke said.
“But we don’t need to do things this way.
“From Summer Sonic Tokyo and Osaka, Lollapalooza in Downtown Chicago, to Danish Roskilde Festival, many highly successful music festivals are rail-based. Is this a better model that the Australian music festival industry should be considering?”
Professor Matthew Burke
Leeson added: “Our early research uncovered local planning resistance to the ‘drive-in’ model – Splendour’s transport and land use planning for its final size was rejected by Byron Shire Council, but approved on appeal by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.”
The surveys asks respondents:
Which Byron Bay Bluesfest since 2019 or Splendour in the Grass (SITG) since 2017 patrons have attended;
If disability affects their travel;
How they travelled to the festival and if they experienced delays or issues;
And whether these experiences would alter their attendance at future festivals
If you thought your kids were away from harm playing multi-player games through VR headsets while in their own bedrooms, you may want to sit down to read this.
Griffith University’s Dr Ausma Bernot teamed up with researchers from Monash University, Charles Sturt University and University of Technology Sydney to investigate what has been termed as ‘metacrime’ – attacks, crimes or inappropriate activities that occur within virtual reality environments.
The ‘metaverse’ refers to the virtual world, where users of VR headsets can choose an avatar to represent themselves as they interact with other users’ avatars or move through other 3D digital spaces.
While the metaverse can be used for anything from meetings (where it will feel as though you are in the same room as avatars of other people instead of just seeing them on a screen) to wandering through national parks around the world without leaving your living room, gaming is by far its most popular use.
Dr Bernot said the technology had evolved incredibly quickly.
“Using this technology is super fun and it’s really immersive,” she said.
Dr Ausma Bernot
“You can really lose yourself in those environments.
“Unfortunately, while those new environments are very exciting, they also have the potential to enable new crimes.
“While the headsets that enable us to have these experiences aren’t a commonly owned item yet, they’re growing in popularity and we’ve seen reports of sexual harassment or assault against both adults and kids.”
In a December 2023 report, the Australian eSafety Commissioner estimated around 680,000 adults in Australia are engaged in the metaverse.
This followed a survey conducted in November and December 2022 by researchers from the UK’s Center for Countering Digital Hate, who conducted 11 hours and 30 minutes of recorded user interactions on Meta’s Oculus headset in the popular VRChat.
The researchers found most users had been faced with at least one negative experience in the virtual environment, including being called offensive names, receiving repeated unwanted messages or contact, being provoked to respond to something or to start an argument, being challenged about cultural identity or being sent unwanted inappropriate content.
Eleven per cent had been exposed to a sexually graphic virtual space and nine per cent had been touched (virtually) in a way they didn’t like.
Of these respondents, 49 per cent said the experience had a moderate to extreme impact on their mental or emotional wellbeing.
With the two largest user groups being minors and men, Dr Bernot said it was important for parents to monitor their children’s activity or consider limiting their access to multi-player games.
“Minors are more vulnerable to grooming and other abuse,” she said.
“They may not know how to deal with these situations, and while there are some features like a ‘safety bubble’ within some games, or of course the simple ability to just take the headset off, once immersed in these environments it does feel very real.
“It’s somewhere in between a physical attack and for example, a social media harassment message – you’ll still feel that distress and it can take a significant toll on a user’s wellbeing.
“It is a real and palpable risk.”
Mr You Zhou
Monash University’s You Zhou said there had already been many reports of virtual rape, including one in the United Kingdom where police have launched a case for a 16-year-old girl whose avatar was attacked, causing psychological and emotional trauma similar to an attack in the physical world.
“Before the emergence of the metaverse we could not have imagined how rape could be virtual,” Mr Zhou said.
“When immersed in this world of virtual reality, and particularly when using higher quality VR headsets, users will not necessarily stop to consider whether the experience is reality or virtuality.
“While there may not be physical contact, victims – mostly young girls – strongly claim the feeling of victimisation was real.
“Without physical signs on a body, and unless the interaction was recorded, it can be almost impossible to show evidence of these experiences.”
With use of the metaverse expected to grow exponentially in coming years, the research team’s findings highlight a need for metaverse companies to instil clear regulatory frameworks for their virtual environments to make them safe for everyone to inhabit.
