[Aqualist] ARC DP projects announced

[Simon Haberle]

Dear Colleagues,

The ARC have recently announced the outcomes of the Discovery Projects for 2024. Successful projects broadly related to Quaternary research (including archaeology) are listed below, and as always, congratulations to those who were successful.

Overall, there where 4 DPs funded to around $2.2M (compared to last year when there were 9 DPs totalling $4.2M).

It is also important to acknowledge the huge amount of effort and sacrifice of time that is required to submit these grants. To those who were not successful, thank you for continuing to generate great ideas and push the boundaries of our disciplines. Hopefully there will be future opportunities to fund the great work you are doing.

The successful projects are listed below in order of appearance on the ARC website.

Best wishes for 2024, Simon
__________________________

ARC DISCOVERY PROJECTS

The University of Adelaide

DP240102019
Associate Professor Damien Fordham; Professor Barry Brook; Professor Carsten Rahbek; Professor Kristofer Helgen; Professor Robert O'Hara; Dr Natalie Briscoe
Detecting and deciphering extinction dynamics under environmental change.
This project aims to improve knowledge of extinction processes and impacts. It will use high-performance computing and museum collections to disentangle the ecological mechanisms that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of Australia's unique mammals. Its significance is that it will establish the historical ranges and past population trajectories of Australian threatened mammals, pinpointing the combinations of ecological characteristics and threats that most affect risk of extinction from environmental change. Expected outcomes and benefits are new data and verified models to enrich conservation research and inform evidence-based solutions to better protect and recover some of Australia’s most threatened species. $523,813.00


The Australian National University

DP240101824
Dr Simon Connor; Mr Antonio Araujo; Professor Lisa Palmer
Deep-time history of culturally significant lands and waters in Timor-Leste.
This project aims to provide a new framework for understanding and managing lands and waters of exceptional biological and cultural value. The project expects to generate the first long-term records of ecological change in Timor-Leste's unique forest and tropical savanna ecosystems, providing novel insights into ancient cultural landscapes threatened by climate change. Expected outcomes include enhanced collaboration between Australia and Timor-Leste and comprehensive data and educational resources relevant to managing climate impacts on livelihoods. This should provide significant benefits to scientific dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region and help support economic opportunities that respect indigenous environmental knowledge. $431,280.00


DP240100747
Professor Susan O'Connor; Dr Shimona Kealy; Dr Sofia Samper Carro; Dr Christian Reepmeyer; Dr Ceri Shipton; Dr Mahirta Mahirta
Investigating the world's first maritime network in Pleistocene Wallacea.
This project will investigate the world’s first maritime exchange network located in the islands to Australia’s north. From ~16,000 years ago, tools made from exotic obsidian (volcanic glass) appear in the archaeological assemblages of three southern Wallacean islands, as do standardised items of personal decoration and fishhooks. Where the obsidian was acquired and how far the network extended are currently unknown. This project hopes to resolve this and determine how the network relates to other aspects of culture and changing sea levels. Through geological sourcing, geo-chemical analysis and multi-island excavations we will reveal the intensity and reach of this remarkable network to understand the origins of trade in our region. $574,845.00


Monash University

DP240101081
Associate Professor Luca Fiorenza; Professor Dr Stefano Benazzi; Associate Professor Rachel Sarig
>From foraging to farming. Human adaptations during major transitions.
This project aims to investigate the causes that led to the human demographic explosion occurred during the Neolithic Revolution by analysing dental tissues through cutting-edge methods. This project expects to generate novel insights about the diet, health and weaning practices in Mediterranean human populations from the last 30,000 years. Expected outcomes of this project include the creation of new data on early life dietary transitions in archaeological populations, enhancing capacity to build interdisciplinary collaborations, and refining methods and concepts to study the diet of the past. This should provide significant benefits to Australian research in evolutionary anthropology, nutrition and in dentistry. $717,816.00

Prof Simon Haberle
Director, School of Culture, History & Language
Professor of Natural History & Palaeoecology

ANU College of Asia & the Pacific
Coombs Building (Rm 3.378), Fellows Rd
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
+61 2 6125 5125 (ph)  0424453861 (mob)