{"links":{"self":"http://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/API/grants/DE260100243"},"data":{"type":"grant-details","id":"DE260100243","attributes":{"code":"DE260100243","administering-organisation":"The University of Queensland","announcement-administering-organisation":"The University of Queensland","scheme-name":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","grant-status":"Active","funding-commencement-year":2026,"years-funded":3,"project-start-date":"2026-10-01","anticipated-end-date":"2029-09-30","grant-summary":"Lifestyle, Decision-Making & Behaviour: Econometric analysis & experiments. This project investigates how lifestyle and environmental factors—such as sleep, diet, exercise, and temperature—affect cognitive performance and decision-making. Using biometric data from WHOOP's wearable fitness devices and millions of chess decisions from Chess.com, it will generate new causal evidence on optimising mental performance. The project applies machine-learning econometrics with large-scale experiments to identify strategies that improve decision-making. Expected outcomes include new insights into cognitive resilience and personalised interventions for peak mental performance. This should provide significant benefits such as policy recommendations for optimising workplace productivity and performance in high-stake professions.","funding-current":532638.00,"funding-at-announcement":528417,"investigators-current":[{"title":"Asst Prof","firstName":"David","familyName":"Smerdon","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-2418-9069 "}],"investigators-at-announcement":[{"title":"Asst Prof","firstName":"David","familyName":"Smerdon","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-2418-9069 "}],"organisations-current":[{"organisationName":"The University of Queensland","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"QLD"}],"organisations-at-announcement":[{"organisationName":"The University of Queensland","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"QLD"}],"field-of-research":[{"isPrimary":true,"code":"3801","name":"Applied Economics","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"380102","name":"Behavioural Economics","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"380106","name":"Experimental Economics","type":"FOR20"}],"socio-economic-objective":[{"code":"150509","name":"Preference, Behaviour and Welfare","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280108","name":"Expanding Knowledge In Economics","type":"SEO20"}],"international-collaboration":["United States of America"],"lief-register":[],"achievement-summary":null,"national-interest-test-statement":"Cognitive performance is crucial to productivity, learning, and decision-making, particularly in high-stakes fields like healthcare, finance, and defence. Yet, 40% of Australians experience inadequate sleep, which—along with diet, exercise, and environmental stressors—can impair our ability to make fast, effective decisions. This project integrates biometric data from a leading wearable fitness company with millions of high-stakes decisions from online chess to generate the first large-scale causal evidence on how lifestyle and environmental factors shape real-world cognition and behaviour, delivering strategies to optimise mental performance.\n\nThe findings have broad implications for Australia’s workforce, education system, and health policies. Understanding the link between sleep, lifestyle, and decision-making could enhance workplace productivity, reduce fatigue-related errors in critical professions, and inform public health initiatives targeting cognitive well-being. Additionally, the research will explore the impact of climate-related stressors, such as heatwaves, on cognitive performance—an increasingly urgent issue for Australia.\n\nTo maximise impact, findings will be shared through policy reports and engaging the Australian public. Partnerships with WHOOP and Chess.com will help integrate insights into platforms' user recommendations, ensuring individuals, businesses, and policymakers can apply the results to enhance decision-making and performance in everyday life."}}}