Research Bites is your research news digest which aims to capture the diverse research happening in our faculty, collated from various media outlets. In this edition…
Assoc Prof Quazi Mamun | SoCME | recently highlighted two important work he has been collaborating on. The first is a paper that presents a Decentralised Trust Layer (DTL) for AI-powered web platforms. In plain English, it proposes a way to make AI decisions more transparent and independently verifiable. Read more about it here. Quazi completed this work alongside Prof Rafiqul Islam | SoCME. The second is Quazi’s recent work on securing future 6G non-terrestrial networks through quantum-ready authentication, hierarchical key management, and fast secure handover. Read about this collaborative research here.
Professor Jac Birt | Head of the School of Business and Professor of Accounting| recently presented at the Curtin University’s Accounting Research Seminar.
Jac presented her research on the attractiveness of the accountancy profession, drawing on insights from key stakeholders across the education and employment ecosystem. The project examined perceptions of the profession, barriers to entry, and opportunities to strengthen and diversify the talent pipeline.
A School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering research team has just published their first journal publication with their new cybersecurity framework: Agile Resilience in Security for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy, 6(4), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp6040119. The team members, Huron Turen, Professor Rafiqul Islam, Kenneth Eustace and Geoff Fellows propose Agile Resilience in Security for Enterprises (ARISEs), a lightweight cyber-resilience framework and maturity model designed for resource-constrained small businesses. The paper positions ARISE as a practical, iterative, and standards-informed framework that complements, rather than replaces, enterprise-grade security operations. Its value lies in giving small businesses an accessible starting point for identifying risk, selecting controls, improving cyber awareness, detecting suspicious activity, responding consistently, and learning from incidents.
Dr Milind Tiwari | Senior Lecturer in Financial Crime | was a recent guest on the CPA Australia’s Crime by Numbers podcast, Series 2, Episode 1: Inside the Money Laundering Economy. In the episode, Milind shared insights on shell companies, beneficial ownership complexity, cross-border transactions, and the types of red flags that may indicate when corporate structures require closer scrutiny. This is a timely discussion, particularly as Australia’s AML/CTF regime expands in 2026 to include additional gatekeepers such as accountants, lawyers, real estate agents, and dealers in precious metals and gems. You can listen to the episode here.
The School of Business is proud to celebrate a new publication in Rural and Remote Health: a scoping review examining the healthcare needs of older community-dwelling adults in rural areas, co-authored by our own Professor Larissa Bamberry alongside colleagues across disciplines and research areas.
The review highlights the acute challenges facing rural and regional communities as populations age, including workforce shortages, geographic isolation and gaps in long-term care, and points to participatory co-design as a promising but under-evidenced approach to addressing these needs.
This work reflects the School’s ongoing commitment to research with real-world impact for regional and rural communities. You can access the full article here.
Public accountability is generally viewed as an administrative and stable relationship between the state and its citizens. However, during a crisis or disaster responsibility for what and/or who counts reveals the dynamic nature of public accountability. Assoc Prof Dianne McGrath and her co-authors, research led by Prof Sandra van der Laan, show how, in the public sphere, counts and accounts create meaning and legitimate decision-making and action as well as providing the basis for public accountability. You can access the article here.
Following Dr Leo Lin‘s participation in and presentation at the International Symposium on Volunteering and Complementary Policing (ISVCP 2026) in Budapest, Hungary, organised by the Global Foundation for Community Safety Volunteering at the Ludovika University of Public Service. He is now sharing his new publication here.
This new publication translates those global conversations into actionable strategies for today’s law enforcement executives. By synthesising comparative practices and key lessons from diverse Asian volunteer policing models, the article provides perspectives on how agencies can integrate and maximize their volunteer assets.
Associate Professor Cliff Lewis latest study looked at how environmental cues, like inclusive healthcare, social events , and visible symbols impact LGBTQ+ adults living in the NorthernTerritory (which has been noted as being one of Australia’s “most homophobic” places.
LGBTQ+ specific spaces and visible symbols play a massive role in fostering a sense of belonging, which in turn influences psychological wellbeing. Read the full study as part of the broader collection, Northern Territory Insights: Gender Equity and Diversity in Focus, led by Andrew Taylor
Professor Mark Morrison, Dr Kleinschafer Jodie and Kevin Parton (School of Business), together with David Dowell (University of St Andrews), recently celebrated their new article in the Journal of Sustainability Research.
A Champion, Any Champion: The Influence of Household Climate-Change and Energy-Efficiency Champions asks whether having a passionate “champion” in the household — someone driving energy-efficient or climate-conscious behaviour — makes a real difference.
Dr Leo Lin is pleased to share the new publication, Policing Gender-Based Violence and Cross-Border Human Trafficking in Bangladesh: The Role of State and Non-state Actors (Springer), which is live now.
A major challenge when assessing cognitive concerns is that people don’t always have full insight into their own memory problems. The Prospective Memory Concerns Questionnaire informant version (PMCQi) was designed to capture observations of prospective memory difficulties from someone that knows the individual well. From the School of Psychology, Dr Nicole Sugden, Dr Leigh Grant and their co-researchers’ share their findings here: Sugden, N., Driscoll, J., Fowler, T., Grant, L., & Ray, A. (2026). Validation of the Prospective Memory Concerns Questionnaire Informant Scale (PMCQi): How personality and self/proxy relationships influence prospective memory ratings.Psychological Assessment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001482
Dr Tariq Aziz | Lecturer in Engineering | recently published his collaborative research Dry Co-Ball-Milled Hybrid Glass Cement for High-Volume Waste Glass Mortars.
Their findings point toward a technically viable, low-carbon pathway for valorising waste glass at scale — an important step for circular economy thinking in the construction sector.
Congratulations to the first author Md Mofizul Islam on this important milestone and Dr Aziz thanks their co-authors, Aida Rahmani; Utsab Katwal; Prof Wengui Li; and particulary Prof Zhong Tao for his visionary leadership and guidance.
Dr Nicole Sugden, Amita Krautloher, Dr Leigh Grant, Dr Jenni Greig, & Dr Claudia Diaz are celebrating their latest paper, published today in Educational Assessment: Traditional Versus Innovative Assessment: Engaging Learners with E-Portfolios and Interactive Oral Assessments
In an era of generative AI, we are needing to find assessment approaches that are authentic, support student learning and engagement, maintain academic integrity, and also promote inclusion to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. In this study, the research team evaluated students’ experiences of 2 innovative assessment approaches: Reflective e-portfolios and Interactive Oral Assessments (IOAs). Going one step further, they compared students’ experiences with these innovative assessment approaches against more traditional assessment types (i.e., multiple-choice quizzes and written assessments).
