The Australian Research Council (ARC) today announced the successful proposals for Discovery Projects, Linkage Projects and LIEF proposals commencing in 2012. Among the successful proposals were the following involving Environment Institute members:

Discovery Projects:

• Meta-modelling of ecological, evolutionary and climatic systems dynamics (Brook, Prof Barry W; Bradshaw, Prof Corey J; Cassey, A/Prof Phillip; Wigley, Dr Tom; Lacy, Dr Robert C)
• Is regressive evolution associated with loss of gene function in subterranean animals? (Cooper, A/Prof Steven J; Humphreys, Adj/Prof William F; Austin, Prof Andrew D)
• The developmental genetics of major evolutionary transitions: a multidisciplinary investigation of limb reduction and loss in lizards (Michael Lee, Adam Skinner)
• Heat transfer in novel solar thermal reactors to process minerals and solar fuels. (Nathan, Prof Graham ‘Gus’ J; Alwahabi, Dr Zeyad T; Abraham, Prof John; Steinfeld, Prof Aldo)
• Determining the relative roles of dispersal and vicariance in the assembly of the New Zealand fauna (Trevor Worthy, Suzanne Hand, Sreven Salisbury, Richard Scofield, Alan Tennyson)
• Diversification and conservation of Australian frogs (Scott Keogh, Steve Donnellan, Conrad Hoskin, Daniel Rabosky) (Through ANU)

Linkage Projects (Round 1):

• Effects of fire on the reproductive ecology of terrestrial orchids and on their pollinators in fragmented landscapes of southern Australia. (Facelli, A/Prof Jose M; Austin, Prof Andrew D; Cooper, A/Prof Steven J; Stevens, Dr Mark I; Faast, Dr Renate)
• Seascape genetics for shark management: an innovation in sustainable fisheries modelling. (Gillanders, Prof Bronwyn M; Bradshaw, Prof Corey J; Donnellan, Prof Steven C; Huveneers, Dr Charlie)
• Temperate trophic cascades: impacts of seal foraging on benthic community dynamics. (Gillanders, Prof Bronwyn M; Kelaher, Adj/Prof Brendan P; Connell, A/Prof Sean D; Figueira, Dr Will F; Coleman, Dr Melinda A; Goldsworthy, A/Prof Simon D)
• Developing DNA tracking methods to identify illegally logged timber products from Africa. (Lowe, Prof Andrew J; Degen, Prof Dr Bernd)
• Conservation management of the endangered Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard (Christopher M Bull, Mark Hutchinson) (Through Flinders University)
• Long-term changes in the phenology of Australia’s temperate marine macroalgae: has climate change impacted the world’s most diverse algal flora? (Thomas Wernberg, Carlos Gurgel)(through the University of Western Australia)
• Islands of rocks: geckos as a model system to understand patterns of biodiversity, endemism and speciation in the Kimberley (Paul Oliver, Michael Lee, Paul Doughty) (through the University of Melbourne)

LIEF Projects:

• Stable isotope analysis of environmental and physiological samples. (Gillanders, Prof Bronwyn M; Robinson, Prof Sharon A; Walker, A/Prof Stewart; Kennedy, Prof Martin J; Watling, A/Prof Jennifer R; Soole, A/Prof Kathleen L; Tibby, Dr John; Guan, Dr Huade W; Cooper, Prof Alan; Ball, Prof Andrew S)
• Enhanced powder X-ray diffraction capabilities for South Australia. (Sumby, Dr Christopher J; Gerson, Prof Andrea R; Doonan, Dr Christian J; Pring, Prof Allan; Ellis, A/Prof Amanda V; Ebendorff-Heidepriem, A/Prof Heike; Zou, Prof Linda Y; Lenehan, Dr Claire E; Chittleborough, Prof David J; Majewski, Prof Peter J)

Full lists of successful proposals can be found on the ARC Website.

The Environment Institute would like to Congratulate all of our members who had success with their proposals!