Research Impact

Our applied research focus emphasises the translation and uptake of research findings to meet external stakeholder needs – the focus is not merely on increasing academic publications and citation rates.

Several aspects of our research are oriented towards real-world outcomes, including influencing government policy and regulatory frameworks; developing greater understanding of social issues of the day and contributing to decision-making through salient advice.

Research impact in action

Implementing new rail safety technology is precarious business and a research partnership between CQUniversity and Keolis Downer Adelaide illustrates just how important it is to consider the broader operating environment, and the people who will use it.

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For nearly a decade, world-class research at CQUniversity’s Experimental Gambling Research Laboratory (EGRL) has had the pulse of Australia’s rapidly-transforming gambling habits – and the evidence is informing better regulation of the gambling sector.

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Research and collaboration has driven improved conservation management outcomes for endangered koala populations across Central Queensland, in Australia.

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The U-BEACH study is a collaborative project led by CQUniversity Physiotherapy academics to inform planning for improved beach accessibility throughout Australia, facilitating health and wellbeing impacts for beach-based therapeutic interventions.

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CQUniversity exercise science researcher Dr Melanie Hayman has joined a new Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) taskforce for championing women’s health, alongside former World Number 1 star Kim Clijsters and Australian champion Rennae Stubbs.

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With more and more microplastics emerging in our oceans, CQUniversity researchers are working with local government to introduce ‘Drain Buddies’ to ascertain what exactly is being washed down our drains and hopefully make their communities more aware.  

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Over the next two years' the national CQUniversity’s research team will use light-weight drones to snap millions of ultra-high-resolution images of weeds in large farmlands in Central Queensland, Australia. Imagery data will be processed to create GPS location of weeds.

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What if you could be fined or lose your license for driving tired? Our new study just published in Nature and Science of Sleep has found if you had less than five hours of sleep last night, you are just as likely to have a vehicle crash as if you were over the legal limit for alcohol.

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A CQUniversity renewable energy researcher has been awarded a $240,000 boost for a Queensland grid project that could provide sustainable, renewable energy to rural communities in the state and beyond.

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An international research project led by researchers from CQUniversity and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) is now helping to boost the efficiencies of primary producers in the South Pacific through supported adoption of protected cropping systems.

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Salt adds to the taste and flavour of our food, but too much of it can lead to many health problems including high blood pressure or hypertension – a silent killer and a significant risk factor of cardiovascular disease that takes around 18 million lives each year worldwide.

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Our Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC)’s Sea Flowers project is contributing to the restoration of the vital flora which is responsible for filtering nutrients and sediments from the water.

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The Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education (RACE) program in Gippsland is growing STEM and agri-tech awareness, confidence and skills for young people, while connecting them with diverse agriculture career paths, to drive increased adoption of technology across the sector as they enter the workforce. 

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Railway operators now have a better understanding of track and wheel wear with this new technology. It will assist them in making informed decisions when it comes to rollingstock and track operational limits, while maximising the performance that the materials can offer and reducing maintenance actions.

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This research responds to policy calls for Indigenous community-driven initiatives to improve extant mental healthcare for Indigenous youth. The findings have been fed back to the community service providers and Indigenous youth to inform the co-design of novel youth-guided and community-driven ways to support mental health services for youth wellbeing.

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The research project has shown a need for change to pedagogy in driver training, as well as for new technology. One of the benefits of this project has been understanding about how expert train drivers use cues from their environment to drive safely and efficiently. In the longer term, this research will address the looming skills shortage facing the industry.

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The project results have been published in a book titled Preparing for the Unimaginable: Guidelines for Organisational Response and Staff Support Before, During and After Disaster, which is publicly and freely available for businesses in both electronic and print versions.

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Increased understanding of youth gambling trends and pathways in NSW, to reduce gambling-related harms through research informed policy.

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CQUniversity’s flight time extension research into Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) could ultimately save lives. With the growing urbanisation, the use of terrestrial and underground space is being saturated for providing various services, although the aerial space remains under-utilised due to the lack of longer-term flights of commodity drones to provide services. With the development of techniques and technologies to extend flight times of such drones, better usage of aerial space in the smart cities will be possible.

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Very few women are currently sufficiently active for health benefits. These resources provide evidence based recommendations that pregnant women and health professionals can rely on to offer safe and appropriate physical activity/exercise guidance. Physical activity during pregnancy has health benefits, for both the mother and child. 

It is associated with fewer pregnancy conditions, including gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension. Active women are also more likely to gain an appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy and less likely to experience excessive gestational weight gain than those who are not active. These benefits have significant implications for the health of future generations. 

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The Parasites in the Wild project will contribute to resolving the taxonomic doubt around four subspecies of the tick and to identify strategies for effective citizen science approaches, particularly in rural and regional areas and with primary school aged children.

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The harvester, which forms part of an integrated system, will save costs, and improve productivity on farm, while driving consumer demand by ensuring a top quality eating experience every time. It also has the potential to solve some of the major labour force issues that currently limit the industry.

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The Poop-it Kit has the potential to improve the overall wellbeing of children aged four to eight by addressing their bowel issues through creative and innovative characters and narratives.

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CQUniversity’s and Planet Ark Power’s micro-grid (solar/battery) project aims at significantly improving accessibility to and affordability of renewable energy for corporate and domestic customers. 

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With NASA looking to return to the moon in the next five years, the space agency will need to focus on how it will protect its astronauts from the rigours of space travel. 

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A car crash can happen in a split second, but the aftermath can seem an eternity for victims who suffer injury to their spinal cord and are confined to a wheelchair.

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In the moments immediately after waking, when Australia’s on-call workers may need to make life or death decisions or drive themselves towards danger, their performance is not at its peak.

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A CQUniversity research team has established that an early warning system (EWS), designed to support nurses and doctors to quickly identify when a patient’s condition is worsening and escalate care, does work when used correctly.

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Sweet potato is the most important vegetable crop in Papua New Guinea (PNG), however, over time it has become heavily infected with viral diseases, leaving many locals with low yields.

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Imagine waiting at the bus stop, not knowing if you can board the next bus – or even the one after that. Mobility aids should allow greater freedom for a growing sector of the Australian community, but public transport access is still a gamble for thousands of users with restricted mobility.

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Coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has made headlines around the world – but what do visitors to Far North Queensland think about the news? The answer could have big implications for the future of eco-tourism in the region, and in 2015, CQUniversity researchers from the Centre for Tourism and Regional Opportunities (CTRO) embarked on a journey to find out.

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When it comes to protecting crops from pests and diseases, rapid detection is a vital element for ensuring a successful response. But across Queensland’s large-scale agriculture, primary producers can struggle to cover the hectares required often enough to spot problems as they appear.

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It’s a world-first trial of global positioning technology in the grazier’s field, and CQUniversity’s Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) research project aims to make locating livestock a centimetre-perfect process.

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Australia has witnessed a paradigm shift in how we regard the neurological condition of dementia. We now know that people with dementia can and do continue to live engaged lives long after receiving their diagnosis. However, despite this realisation, communities have been slow to address accessibility issues for this population, making travel conditions far from ideal.

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