Research 2011
Caring journeys (PDF, 99Kb)
Associate Professor Debbie Horsfall from the Sustainability and Social Research Group, Dr Ilse Blignault from the University of New South Wales and Dr Astrid Perry from Multicultural Health Service South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), together with St George Migrant Resource Centre Inc., have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to study decision making around aged care options by older carers from the Greek community.
The world keeps turning (PDF, 81Kb)
Dr Tamara Watson from the School of Psychology is exploring how humans make rapid eye movements without the world being blurred. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Projects grant scheme.
Measurement Matters for Indigenous Children (PDF, 103Kb)
Dr Anthony Dillon from the Centre for Educational Research has been awarded a prestigious Indigenous Australian Research Fellowship, with mentoring from Professor Rhonda Craven, Dr Gawiain Bodkin-Andrews, and Associate Professor Alex Yeung, to explore issues around using medication for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and bias in assessing Indigenous children displaying ADHD behaviours. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development scheme.
Moving Home (PDF, 120Kb)
Dr Rae Dufty-Jones of the School of Social Sciences is investigating the link between housing and population mobility, both nationally and internationally. This research is funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).
Knotty Problems (PDF, 78Kb)
Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Associate Professor Andrew Francis from the School of Computing and Mathematics is using mathematical modelling to explore biological systems. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council.
Real Estate in Asian Pension Funds (PDF, 83Kb)
Professor Graeme Newell of the School of Economics and Finance has been investigating the level of real estate held in pension funds in Asia. This research is funded by the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA).
‘ManUp’ Project (PDF, 75Kb)
Professor Gregory Kolt from the School of Science and Health and Professor Anthony Maeder from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics are part of a large team undertaking research into men’s physical activity and nutritional behavioural change. This project is supported by the Department of Health, Queensland.
Building Arabic Businesses in Central Western Sydney (PDF, 103Kb)
Professors Phillip O’Neill and Tong Wu with Dr Felicity Wray of the UWS Urban Research Centre, and Dr Geoffrey Lee of the College of Business with Dr Jane Pollard of the University of Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK, have investigated ways to encourage the growth of Arabic businesses and related employment opportunities in the western Sydney area. This research has been funded by Industry and Investment NSW.
Building Children’s Ethical Relationship Skills with Parents and Educators (PDF, 90Kb)
Associate Professor Kerry Robinson and Professor Moira Carmody from the Centre for Educational Research and Dr Suzanne Dyson from La Trobe University are exploring how parents, children and teachers learn the skills to build ethical and respectful sexual relationships. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Projects grant scheme.
Controlling Cane Toads (PDF, 110Kb)
Dr Mike Letnic from the UWS Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, together with Dr Tim Dempster and Dr Jonathan Webb from the University of Sydney will be testing a new approach for controlling the impacts of cane toads on native predators. This research is being funded by The Hermon Slade Foundation. PhD Student, Ben Feit, will be concurrently investigating the indirect effects of toad exclusion on reptiles and small mammals.
More Rungs in the Ladder (PDF, 78Kb)
Ms Joanne Ross of the School of Accounting is examining the factors driving the increasing use of “non-equity” leadership positions for women in large and mid tier accounting firms in Australia. This project is funded by the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ).
Entrepreneurial Accountants (PDF, 77Kb)
Dr Dorothea Bowyer and Dr Anne Abraham of the School of Accounting are examining the entrepreneurial orientation of Australian accounting academics and the relationship to their research involvement and teaching performance. This project is funded by the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand.
Brain Gain (PDF, 109Kb)
Dr Nida Denson from the Centre for Educational Research and Professor Christine Halse from Deakin University are collaborating with primary schools in the Liverpool region to investigate the impact of an innovative ‘Brain Training’ game to improve numeracy skills. This research has been funded by the NSW Department of Education and Communities Priority Action School Grant Scheme.
Summerfruit quality (PDF, 135Kb)
Adjunct Professor Barry McGlasson of the School of Natural Sciences will lead a team of researchers who will investigate orchard management techniques and the extent to which these practices may lead to variability in quality of summerfruit. The project is being funded by Horticulture Australia Limited, including contributions from Woolworths Limited and UWS.
Changing land uses in the environs of India’s cities (PDF, 98Kb)
Associate Professor Basant Maheshwari from the School of Natural Sciences is leading a research team that will build a partnership between Australia and India for a major future international study integrating science, policy planning, management and community aspirations for a secure long-term water future. This project is being supported by the Australia India Institute.
Sustainable Dairy Sheds (PDF, 136Kb)
Dr Dharma Hagare from the Civionics Research Centre and Associate Professor Muttucumaru Sivakumar from the University of Wollongong together with Dairy Australia have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to develop a dynamic model for sustainable management of dairy shed effluent using stabilisation ponds and recycling systems.
Tackling Tough Times (PDF, 124Kb)
Professor Beverley Raphael and Dr Mel Taylor from the Disaster Response and Resilience Research Group are investigating the effects of the Global Financial Crisis and other major challenges on the mental wellbeing of families and children. This project is funded by the NSW Department of Health.
Pain in the Foot (PDF, 94Kb)
Ms Verona du Toit, Associate Professor Andrea Bialocerkowski and Adjunct Professor Joshua Burns from the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences have received funding support from the Australasian Podiatry Council to undertake study that will increase the availability of clinical guidelines for the treatment of foot pain.
How fast can we heal? (PDF, 89Kb)
Dr Michael Muller and Professor Neil Merrett from the School of Medicine are researching the bacteria present in various wounds and how they affect the repair process. This research is funded by the Australian Wound Management Research Foundation.
Rethinking Multiculturalism (PDF, 93Kb)
Dr Megan Watkins and Associate Professor Greg Noble of the Centre for Cultural Research and Professor Kevin Dunn from the School of Social Sciences, together with investigators from the NSW Department of Education and Communities and the NSW Institute of Teachers, are examining prevailing practices of multicultural education in Australian schools. This project is funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects scheme in conjunction with the NSW Department of Education and Communities and the NSW Institute of Teachers.
The dingo and the dusky hopping mouse (PDF, 122Kb)
Dr Michael Letnic, of the School of Natural Sciences, is undertaking research that will shed light on how the presence of dingoes in an arid region might provide benefits for the conservation of small native mammals. This project is supported by a Margaret Middleton Fund Award from the Australian Academy of Science.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Records (PDF, 108Kb)
Professor Athula Ginige and Professor Anthony Maeder from the School of Computing and Mathematics, Professor Alan Bensoussan from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research and Dr Xiaoshu Zhu from the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences together with Surity Pty. Ltd., have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to develop an electronic medical record information system for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
Inter-generational play groups (PDF, 78Kb)
Dr Margaret Skropeta and Dr Alf Colvin from the School of Biomedical and Health Sciences with Ms Renee Smith and Mr Andrew Collins from UnitingCare Ageing, together with Playgroup New South Wales, have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to explore the development and implementation of the UnitingCare Ageing - Sydney Regional Intergenerational Playgroup Project.
Improving Mental Health Services (PDF, 101Kb)
Ms Sharyn McGee from the School of Social Sciences is collaborating with Mr Charles Folami of Aftercare to evaluate a progressive adolescent mental health service. This research has been funded by Aftercare, a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides mental health care services in NSW.
Working and Having MS (PDF, 93Kb)
Professor Margaret Vickers from the School of Management, College of Business and Law is being funded by Trauma Research International Pty. Ltd., a small philanthropic organisation, to investigate the workplace experiences of people who have Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Biodiesel from Microalgae (PDF, 70Kb)
Associate Professor Kamali Kannangara, Dr Nguyen Tran and Dr Adriyan Milev from the School of Natural Sciences together with AusBiodiesel Pty Ltd have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to investigate ultrasound effects on extraction of algal crude oils to biodiesel.
Solar Energy (PDF, 87Kb)
Dr Leigh Sheppard and Dr Maria Nowotny of the Solar Energy Technologies Research Group, School of Natural Sciences, have been awarded an ARC Discovery grant to investigate different methods of improving the efficiency of solar-hydrogen fuel production. A Partner Investigator to this award will be Dr David Kisailius from the University of California at Riverside.
Rehabilitating steel structures (PDF, 105Kb)
Professor Brian Uy, Dr Xinqun Zhu and Dr Olivia Mirza of the Centre for Civionics - Infrastructure Engineering, have received funding to develop an innovative technology to connect steel and concrete elements in steel framed structures. This ARC Discovery project will allow new structures to be made demountable and will increase the remaining life of existing infrastructure.
Food Security and Climate Change (PDF, 94Kb)
Associate Professor Samsul Huda from the Centre for Plants and the Environment is leading an international research team that will investigate likely shifts in the pattern of rain and water availability and to what extent climate change will contribute to any mismatch between crop development and water availability. The project is supported by Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.
Degrees of Impact (PDF, 103Kb)
Professor Christine Halse from the Centre for Educational Research is collaborating with NSW Department of Education and Training South Western Sydney Region to evaluate the impact of a professional doctorate program on education quality. This research is funded by the NSW Department of Education and Training (NSW DET).
Children’s Futures Today in Chile (PDF, 78Kb)
Professor Michael Singh, Associate Professor Christine Woodrow and Associate Professor Steve Wilson from the School of Education, and Dr Juan Salazar from the School of Communication Arts are working in Chile to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative intervention in early childhood education and community capacity building in an area of extreme poverty and disadvantage. This project is funded and supported by the Fundacion Minera Escondida of Chile, a social foundation linked to a global mining company. Chile’s National Board of Early Childhood and INTEGRA Foundation are also partners in this project.
Community Land Trusts (PDF, 75Kb)
Dr Louise Crabtree and Professor Peter Phibbs of the Urban Research Centre, together with Professor Carolyn Sappideen of the School of Law and Associate Professor Vivienne Milligan of the City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales are researching community land trusts and Indigenous housing options. This project is funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
‘Mirror, Mirror.......’ (PDF, 97Kb)
Associate Professor Kerry Robinson from the Centre for Educational Research and Cristyn Davies from Semann & Slattery are using innovative research methods to explore how processes of reflection and critical thinking could improve diversity and inclusion in early childhood education. This research has been funded by Child Australia in Western Australia.
Feasible or not? (PDF, 81Kb)
Associate Professor Virginia Schmied from the School of Nursing and Midwifery is leading a team of researchers to investigate the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services for children aged zero to eight. This research is funded through an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant in partnership with a number of state government and non-government organisations.
Spanish America – a Literary Laboratory (PDF, 81Kb)
Dr Christopher Andrews of the Writing and Society Research Group, School of Humanities and Languages, is studying recent fiction by Spanish American writers and how their compositional procedures are related to their political, ethical and aesthetic values. This project is funded by the Australian Research Council through its Discovery Projects grants scheme.
"Helping the helpers" – a key for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease? (PDF, 73Kb)
Megan Steele, a PhD student in the School of Medicine and her supervisor Associate Professor Gerald Münch, together with Dr. Gilles Guillemin from the University of New South Wales, are researching the protective capabilities against dementia of certain central nervous system cells. This research has been funded by Alzheimer’s Australia Research.
Discovering the Power in Me™ (PDF, 97Kb)
Dr Kathryn Nicholson Perry from the School of Psychology will commence a pilot study to help people with spinal cord injury better understand how they can contribute to their own recovery. This research was funded by the Spinal Cord Injury Network.
Exam coaching and UMAT (PDF, 81Kb)
Dr Barbara Griffin (Conjoint) and Professor Ian Wilson from the School of Medicine are collaborating with Associate Professors Sally Carless and Margot Story and Dr Margaret Hay from Monash University to investigate the effects of coaching students prior to them undertaking their Undergraduate Medical and Health Science Admission Test (UMAT). This research is funded by the Undergraduate Medical and Health Science Admission Test Consortium.
