Two University of South Australia academics have received Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRA) to further their innovative research.
Dr Skye Akbar and Dr Wei Cai were collectively awarded over $940,000 in funding for their projects that are set to empower Aboriginal tourism operators to achieve better business outcomes, and improve the fire safety properties of steel structures.
The ARC DECRA scheme aims to advance early-career researchers who have demonstrated their capacity for high quality research and their potential for leadership.
Projects:
Dr Skye Akbar, UniSA Business, ($456,561): Collaborative Trust Marks: Marketing Aboriginal Tourism
This community-based project will work with Aboriginal tourism stakeholders to support increased participation in Aboriginal tourism and better economic outcomes for tourism operators, and provide advice for tourism industry policy makers.
Led by Dr Akbar, UniSA researchers will collaborate with Aboriginal tourism stakeholders to generate new knowledge on how to increase participation in Aboriginal tourism to promote environmental sustainability and connection to Country.
"This project brings together many elements imperative to supporting Aboriginal economic participation in remote Aboriginal tourism at the optimum time for the industry's recovery from COVID-19," Dr Akbar says.
"Our goal is to use best practice business research methods to work with Aboriginal tourism operators, and their economic eco-systems, to support their self-determined economic participation through tourism."
Dr Akbar was recently appointed an inaugural member of the ARC Indigenous Forum, in recognition of her significant research experience.
Dr Wei Cai, UniSA STEM, ($488,261): Innovative Fire-Resistant Composite Coatings for Steel Structures
Dr Cai's project focuses on creating innovative fire-resistant polymer composite coatings designed to mitigate fire risks in steel structures.
"Improving the fireproof performance of steel structures to maintain their carrying capacity in case of fire, aims to help avoid catastrophic collapse and casualties, protecting the lives and properties of Australians," Dr Cai says.
"I aim to create new flame-retardant strategies superior to past approaches and to develop commercially viable and highly efficient fireproof coatings."
Dr Cai is a researcher with Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who will join UniSA from December 2025 for three years while he undertakes his research project.
