Dr Ben Zala, a researcher at Monash University, has been awarded a Strategic Policy Grants Program grant to lead a new international research initiative aimed at enhancing Australia's national preparedness and resilience against the risk of major conflict.
The $124,170 grant will explore how Australia and its closest regional partners – Japan, South Korea, and the United States – can build coordinated approaches to crisis signalling in the Indo-Pacific.
Dr Zala said the research is designed to help Defence navigate the complex challenge of maintaining deterrence while avoiding dangerous nuclear crises.
"By identifying shared approaches and differences in strategic capabilities and signalling, we aim to produce concrete recommendations for crisis management interoperability among key allies," Dr Zala said.
The initiative builds on Dr Zala's preliminary research and leverages the expertise of three international consultants – Ankit Panda, Suon Choi, and Professor Yee Kuang Heng – who will contribute insights from their respective countries and participate in key dialogue sessions.
Dr Zala's work will help Defence shape its response capabilities to more clearly support deterrence, as outlined in the 2024 National Defence Strategy. The project's findings will contribute to Australia's efforts to maintain peace and prevent conflict in a region facing growing strategic uncertainty.
