Researchers from The University of Western Australia will lead projects to produce green hydrogen, explore innovative approaches to Aboriginal history and investigate the impact of sea-level rise on ancestral wetlands after receiving almost $3.5 million in Federal Government funding.
Dr Ingrid Ward, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences , Professor Hongqi Sun, from UWA’s School of Molecular Sciences, and Associate Professor Shino Konishi, from UWA’s School of Humanities and School of Indigenous Studies, received funding from the Australian Research Council’s Future Fellowships 2024 scheme.
Associate Professor Konishi will research innovative approaches to Aboriginal history by combining truth-telling imperatives with story retelling to produce an Indigenous-centred Aboriginal history of Western Australia in time for the State Bicentenary in 2029.
“We want to create an academic, methodical and culturally appropriate historical resource for communities, students, researchers and the general public,” Associate Professor Konishi said.
“It will serve as a model for future general histories of Aboriginal people which seek to truly embrace Indigenous perspectives.”
Professor Sun aims to facilitate large-scale green hydrogen production based on solar power.
The project will generate new knowledge with outcomes expected to include development of technology to produce green hydrogen at a cost and on a scale that will allow it to become an integral part of the future of sustainable energy.
“The project should deliver significant benefits, including an important new strategy for helping to achieve decarbonisation, both in Australia and overseas, and be a major boost to Australia's future hydrogen economy,” Professor Sun said.
Dr Ward’s project will explore the impact of post-glacial sea-level rise on ancestral coastal wetlands along WA’s southern coast.
Working closely with Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, the project aims to map changing coastal palaeogeography and historical biodiversity to provide insight into cultural narratives and songlines.
Long-term records of wetland ecology and fire history will be created from high-resolution analyses, including ancient environmental DNA, organic compounds and plant biomarker analyses.
“The findings will guide adaptive management strategies to safeguard the ecological and cultural significance of coastal and marine landscapes in the face of future environmental change,” Dr Ward said.
Image above: Associate Professor Shino Konishi, Dr Ingrid Ward and Professor Hongqi Sun.