2022 Winners and finalists

In our research, we develop radio frequency front ends, electronic circuits for a whole range of applications. These are crucial for anything that has wireless connection. So we started from scratch out of the box to make it low cost, low cost production methods. So the final terminal, hopefully at the end give the user without upfront payment anything that has wireless capability, vehicles, homes, and offices in remote areas where there's no other form of internet. And that's going to change the satellite telecommunications industry completely.

My research is on market design and in particular how technology is transforming financial markets. Starting with the first wave of transformation, which was when markets went electronic. Second wave was when markets became automated and largely driven by algorithms. And now we're on the cusp of the third wave that we're studying, which is how blockchain and distributed ledgers are changing overall market structure. And what I do in my research is I examine how these changes to market structure affect the market quality.

The research is important because markets form the core infrastructure of a market-based economy, and without that plumbing and wiring working effectively, the economy just wouldn't work well. Some of the most challenging and perhaps even existential threats that we face at the moment as a society are ones where scarce resources are being used in an unsustainable manner. Markets are forward-looking, and they can understand and price scarcity today to drive more sustainable use of those finite resources that we have.

Well, our research is primarily concerned with trying to develop a sense of social consciousness in one of the largest industries in Australia, the construction industry, which means developing an awareness of, and concern for, the general unfairness and injustices in society and a sense of agency to be able to actually do something about it.

My end goal will be able to walk down George Street one day and ask the average person in the street what they thought of the industry, and for them to be able to respond to me and say that they'd be proud to work in the industry, and they'd be proud for their children to work in the industry, no matter what their background.

My research is around how people learn to ethically navigate uncertainty and disagreement. And the teaching that I've done is primarily around quantitative literacy and things like critical thinking. We need to learn to communicate about and with data, and we're understanding the human-centered nature of it. It's not just the technical capabilities, but it's being able to use that to persuade people to explain what that evidence can inform us about and the impact potential there.

The concept and understanding of place are at the center of my research and teaching. These are foundational in urban design and planning, and for students to be successful professionals who make just decisions and create equitable cities. My research about place also goes beyond the university through, for example, collaborating with the New South Wales government in delivering face-to-face workshops on the application of the movement and place framework in real life.

My research is looking at digital health tools such as structured telephone support, telehealth and telemonitoring. The COVID Pandemic really brought the strength of digital health to the forefront. My research was able to inform the adaptation of healthcare from face-to-face format to remotely delivered. I think this next chapter as we move past the pandemic is really looking at using the best possible digital healthcare tools based on the evidence to keep patients at home safe and secure and connected with their healthcare team.My research is looking at digital health tools such as structured telephone support, telehealth and telemonitoring. The COVID Pandemic really brought the strength of digital health to the forefront. My research was able to inform the adaptation of healthcare from face-to-face format to remotely delivered. I think this next chapter as we move past the pandemic is really looking at using the best possible digital healthcare tools based on the evidence to keep patients at home safe and secure and connected with their healthcare team.

My research is designed to expose the experiences of exclusion and exploitation from migrant workers in Australia who are not otherwise seen or properly understood, and we are looking at the ways that laws and policies fail them in practice and where there's urgent need for reform.

When the national lockdown hit in during COVID in 2020, thousands of temporary visa holders lost their jobs and struggled to make ends meet. They were locked out of JobKeeper, and so we sought to document the financial insecurity caused by that government policy. We provided that evidence base to the government and it was used by a national campaign to press for inclusion of temporary visa holders in the financial support packages, and by 2021, those government policies had been reversed. Our research, I think, gave voice to the experiences of so many migrants that were so marginalized at that time.

My team's research is in marine micro algi, and it's incredibly abundant in the world's oceans. It produces about half the oxygen we breathe, so it's very important, and some species can produce toxins, which can be harmful to marine ecosystems and accumulate in seafood. In coming decades, seafood and aquaculture is going to become increasingly important because it's a sustainable food source. We need to find safe, sustainable ways to monitor the seafood and aquaculture industry for biotoxins.