The Kids in Communities Study: national investigation of community level effects on children's developmental outcomes. This project (a cross-disciplinary collaboration) will investigate community level factors influencing early childhood developmental outcomes using a mixed methods approach in up to 10 communities across Australia. This will result in a potential set of measures or indicators that reflect communities that are good for children.
Opportunity spaces - community engagement in the planning, use and governance of shared school facilities. This project will capitalise on investment across Australia in renewing schools and building community education precincts. The work will illuminate the role played by civic infrastructure in community building, the benefits of coordinating social and educational services, and the potential of schools as learning resources for the whole community.
Curating Photography in the Age of Photo Sharing. This project aims to develop new curatorial models to enable Australian art galleries to respond effectively to changes in the medium of photography wrought by digital technologies. By conducting the first comprehensive analysis of nearly five decades of Australian photography curating and comparing it to curatorial approaches in related institutions locally and internationally, the project seeks to: identify the crucial role of photography exhib ....Curating Photography in the Age of Photo Sharing. This project aims to develop new curatorial models to enable Australian art galleries to respond effectively to changes in the medium of photography wrought by digital technologies. By conducting the first comprehensive analysis of nearly five decades of Australian photography curating and comparing it to curatorial approaches in related institutions locally and internationally, the project seeks to: identify the crucial role of photography exhibitions in the shaping of Australian visual culture; and develop opportunities for curators to better engage with the current proliferation of images, including new forms and practices of photography enabled by the Internet.Read moreRead less
The social determinants of childhood injury. Child hood injury is a preventable problem of major importance. This project will provide a comprehensive, research-based policy solution that will minimise death and disability among children zero to three years of age.
Paving the way for effective public health interventions for bulimic eating disorders: Understanding stigma and mental health literacy. This research contributes to promoting and maintaining good health. The burden of bulimic eating disorders in the community is high, frequently ignored and increasing. Our research will pave the way for improved understanding of eating disorders and a reduction of stigma in relation to these problems. In so doing, it will lead to reduced shame and suffering for ....Paving the way for effective public health interventions for bulimic eating disorders: Understanding stigma and mental health literacy. This research contributes to promoting and maintaining good health. The burden of bulimic eating disorders in the community is high, frequently ignored and increasing. Our research will pave the way for improved understanding of eating disorders and a reduction of stigma in relation to these problems. In so doing, it will lead to reduced shame and suffering for people with eating disorders and enhance appropriate treatment seeking and the quality of advice received from family, friends and health professionals. A public health intervention based on our findings will contribute to a more tolerant and understanding community.Read moreRead less
Creating the conditions for collective impact: transforming the child serving system in disadvantaged communities. No one institution can close the gap in child wellbeing and school achievement between poor and affluent areas. This project will draw schools, child serving agencies and community members into coalitions in disadvantaged areas to build, test and evaluate an integrated 'backbone support system' designed to foster healthy development of the whole child.
Improving Regional Low SES Students' Learning and Wellbeing. This study aims to address the learning and wellbeing needs of over 7000 predominantly low socio-economic status students in regional Australia by researching the conditions that enable refinement and extension of a successful curricular and wellbeing program. The current low educational performance of this student cohort has significant negative effects on individual employment prospects and broader national productivity. Their under- ....Improving Regional Low SES Students' Learning and Wellbeing. This study aims to address the learning and wellbeing needs of over 7000 predominantly low socio-economic status students in regional Australia by researching the conditions that enable refinement and extension of a successful curricular and wellbeing program. The current low educational performance of this student cohort has significant negative effects on individual employment prospects and broader national productivity. Their under-achievement and disengagement from schooling also contribute to many antisocial, harmful short-and long-term outcomes for individuals, with significant health and other costs to the broader community. Outcomes from the project have the potential to improve these current outcomes and to be applicable to similar settings.Read moreRead less
Welfare receipt, demoralisation and mental health: how can welfare reform promote personal wellbeing and social inclusion? Welfare recipients are more likely to experience mental disorders and have poor wellbeing than non-recipients, and this can be a barrier to employment. This project examines the factors that may improve their mental health, promote employment outcomes, and help the Commonwealth Government develop effective welfare reform policies.
HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE: A STUDY OF THE PETER LALOR HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE, 1947-2004. This project is a comprehensive study of an innovative urban housing development in northern Melbourne. Formed by ex-servicemen who shared a vision of a better future for themselves and their families in post-war Australia, the Peter Lalor Housing Co-operative brought together veterans, the organised labour movement and government in a constructive partnership. The history of the Lalor Co-op and the men and women w ....HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE: A STUDY OF THE PETER LALOR HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE, 1947-2004. This project is a comprehensive study of an innovative urban housing development in northern Melbourne. Formed by ex-servicemen who shared a vision of a better future for themselves and their families in post-war Australia, the Peter Lalor Housing Co-operative brought together veterans, the organised labour movement and government in a constructive partnership. The history of the Lalor Co-op and the men and women who forged a suburb on farmland in the Shire of Whittlesea has been virtually ignored by historians and the significance this important social experiment has been largely lost. It is a story that deserves to be rescued.Read moreRead less
The Social Sciences and the Making of Postwar Australia. This project explores the foundational significance of the social sciences in the creation of modern Australia. Using the history of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as a focus, it will provide the first broad historical analysis of the various social scientific fields in Australia since WWII. In doing so it will highlight the previously under-examined but critical influence these fields of knowledge exerted over civil socie ....The Social Sciences and the Making of Postwar Australia. This project explores the foundational significance of the social sciences in the creation of modern Australia. Using the history of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia as a focus, it will provide the first broad historical analysis of the various social scientific fields in Australia since WWII. In doing so it will highlight the previously under-examined but critical influence these fields of knowledge exerted over civil society and public policy. Its finding will be of great significance both to our industry partner, in fulfilling its role as advocate for the social sciences, and to an understanding of the development of post-war Australian society.Read moreRead less