NCI Australia is proud to support incredible Australian research through the 2021 Australasian Leadership Computing Grants (ALCG). The highly competitive Grants will allow researchers to work on some of the most complex problems facing science today. The five successful projects will use the ALCG allocations to accelerate their research and produce unprecedented results at incredible resolution.

Read the whole 2021 ALCG announcement.

Watch a summary video of the five recipients.

The five recipients of the 2021 Australasian Leadership Computing Grants are:

  • Professor Ben Corry, The Australian National University – Predicting the next coronavirus outbreak
  • Professor Alan E Mark, University of Queensland – Understanding organic semiconductor morphology at an atomic level: Simulating the formation of realistic devices
  • Dr Bernhard Müller, Monash University – High-resolution Core-Collapse Supernova Simulations
  • Associate Professor Ekaterina Pas, Monash University – Design of Phase Change Materials of the Future
  • Professor Julio Soria, Monash University – High-fidelity direct numerical simulation of high Reynolds number turbulent thermal boundary layer flow with distributed high energy sources: An analogy for high-fidelity simulations of bushfires

Research Project Details

Predicting the next coronavirus outbreak

Professor Ben Corry – The Australian National University

Mr Josiah Bones – The Australian National University

Dr Amanda Buyan – The Australian National University

Mr Matthew Witney – The Australian National University

A man, Ben Corry wearing glasses and a jumper stands in a science laboratory with his arms crossed smiling at the camera.
Professor Ben Corry from The Australian National University

COVID-19 has resulted in millions of deaths and created enormous social and economic upheaval. However, this is not the only coronavirus circulating in the world as there are a large number of coronaviruses in animal populations; and so far we cannot judge which of these will be dangerous to humans. This project will fill this knowledge gap by using computer modelling to determine which circulating viruses have the potential to generate future outbreaks, helping to avoid future pandemics and allowing pre-development of vaccines.

 

Understanding organic semiconductor morphology at an atomic level: Simulating the formation of realistic devices

Professor Alan E Mark – The University of Queensland

Professor Paul L Burn – The University of Queensland

Dr Martin Stroet – The University of Queensland

Dr Paul Shaw – The University of Queensland

Ms Audrey Sanzogni – The University of Queensland

Mr Abhay Sharma – The University of Queensland

A collage of five portrait photos showing people smiling at the camera. From left to right there is Alan Mark, Paul Burn, Martin Stroet, Paul Shaw and Audrey Sanzogni.
The Alan Mark research group, from left to right: Professor Alan Mark, Professor Paul Burn, Dr Martin Stroet, Dr Paul Shaw and Ms Audrey Sanzogni.

The aim to understand how different manufacturing techniques affect the properties of certain semiconductors used in OLEDs, photovoltaic devices and sensors. The researchers will use computational techniques to replicate the physical processes that occur during manufacturing and thereby predict the effect of different production protocols on the properties of the final device. Because the active layers in these devices are so extremely thin the way the molecules are deposited has a large effect on how the molecules pack. This research has the potential to transform the way that thin-film devices are developed. Thin-film devices such as these can be used for efficient lighting systems, photovoltaic solar energy production and high-tech device innovation.

 

High-resolution Core Collapse Supernova Simulations

Dr Bernhard MüllerMonash University

Dr Jade PowellSwinburne University

Professor Alexander HegerMonash University

A collage of three portrait pictures of people smiling at the camera. From left to right there is Bernhard Mueller, Jade Powell and Alexander Heger.
The Bernhard Müller research group, from left to right: Dr Bernahrd Müller, Dr Jade Powell and Professor Alexander Heger.

Core-collapse supernovae, the spectacular explosions of massive stars, are one of the grand challenges in computational astrophysics, a true multi-physics problem that involves multi-dimensional turbulent fluid flow, neutrino radiation transport, extremely strong magnetic fields, general relativity, and nuclear physics. This project aims to conduct high-resolution 3D simulations to investigate the effects of turbulence, magnetic fields, and general relativity on supernova formation. With models that set new standards in terms of numerical accuracy and physical completeness, the researchers seek to find a solution to the supernova “energy problem” and to reliably predict the properties of the leftover neutron star, the gravitational waves emitted from the supernova core, and the chemical elements made by nuclear fusion during the explosion.

 

Design of Phase Change Materials of the Future

Associate Professor Ekaterina Pas – Monash University

Dr Giuseppe Maria Junior Barca – The Australian National University

A collage of two portrait photos of people smiling at the camera. From left to right there is Ekaterina Pas and Giuseppe Barca.
The Ekaterina Pas research group, Associate Professor Ekaterina Pas is on the left and Dr Giuseppe Barca on the right.

This project aims to design improved Phase Change Materials (PCMs) for use in heat storage and conversion in buildings and industry. These PCMs store and release heat as they melt and freeze. Carefully designed PCMs with very precise melting and freezing points have significant commercial value and environmental benefits as they reduce energy use for heating and cooling buildings, thereby reducing emissions from the housing sector. The research team will use world-leading software running on NCI’s entire set of Graphic Processing Units to efficiently investigate the properties of various promising PCMs, certain organic ionic salts.

 

High-fidelity direct numerical simulation of high Reynolds number turbulent thermal boundary layer flow with distributed high energy heat sources: An analogy for high-fidelity simulations of bushfires

Professor Julio Soria – Monash University

Dr Shahram Karami – Monash University

Dr Callum Atkinson – Monash University

A collage of three portrait photos of men smiling at the camera. From left to right there is Julio Soria, Shahram Karami and Callum Atkinson.
The Soria research group, from left to right: Professor Julio Soria, Dr Shahram Karami and Dr Callum Atkinson.

This project aims to simulate the turbulent boundary layer of bushfires at high resolution, taking into account the interactions between different kinds of fuel sources and the atmosphere. Direct Numerical Simulations will be used to investigate flows of energy, mass and momentum within turbulent bushfire flows. Bushfires are complex to measure and predict. This research should help to provide detailed, physically accurate information about the processes occurring in and around a bushfire.