Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults' knowledge-creating practices for higher education. As society moves into a new era, knowledge creation has become vital to Australia's participation in global society. Knowledge creation fuels innovation and economic prosperity, and fosters social cohesion through new forms of community engagement. Young adults play an important role in our society as the next generation of knowledge workers, with many already active k ....Living and Learning in a Knowledge Society: The implications of young adults' knowledge-creating practices for higher education. As society moves into a new era, knowledge creation has become vital to Australia's participation in global society. Knowledge creation fuels innovation and economic prosperity, and fosters social cohesion through new forms of community engagement. Young adults play an important role in our society as the next generation of knowledge workers, with many already active knowledge creators in their everyday and academic lives. By investigating how young adults create knowledge across these diverse contexts, this research will provide important practical insights for educators and policy-makers who are trying to determine the role of higher education in a knowledge society.Read moreRead less
Understanding the Australian public's expectations of personalised genomics. This multi-disciplinary project aims to be the first to explore the Australian public's awareness of new developments in genetic science that allow healthy individuals to access their own genetic makeup. Called 'personal genomics', this broad group of genetic tests can be used for a variety of purposes that include ancestry, paternity, sporting ability and health. These tests are developing at a rapid rate yet little is ....Understanding the Australian public's expectations of personalised genomics. This multi-disciplinary project aims to be the first to explore the Australian public's awareness of new developments in genetic science that allow healthy individuals to access their own genetic makeup. Called 'personal genomics', this broad group of genetic tests can be used for a variety of purposes that include ancestry, paternity, sporting ability and health. These tests are developing at a rapid rate yet little is known about why, how and where they are used by the public. This project will employ a mixed methods approach to examine how the public might engage with this new technology. The research aims to help define educational strategies and supports and thereby to inform national policy for personal genomics.Read moreRead less
Human Oöcytes for Stem Cell Research: donation and regulation in Australia. This study will contribute to the development of workable, ethical guidelines and practices for Australian research oöcyte donation. It will contribute to the protection of women's health and autonomy and the design of sound donation practices and support services. It will contribute to the national and international debate about the ethics of stem cell research, and improve the knowledge base available to regulators and ....Human Oöcytes for Stem Cell Research: donation and regulation in Australia. This study will contribute to the development of workable, ethical guidelines and practices for Australian research oöcyte donation. It will contribute to the protection of women's health and autonomy and the design of sound donation practices and support services. It will contribute to the national and international debate about the ethics of stem cell research, and improve the knowledge base available to regulators and other stakeholders to frame adequate and comprehensive regulation.Read moreRead less
Living with personal data: Australians' understandings and practices. This project aims to involve citizens and other stakeholders in generating new knowledge about Australians' practices and understandings related to their personal data and data futures. Personal digital data have possible benefits not just for the individuals from whom the data are generated, but also for society, government and the economy. Yet there are also potential harms, such as challenges to civil rights, life opportuni ....Living with personal data: Australians' understandings and practices. This project aims to involve citizens and other stakeholders in generating new knowledge about Australians' practices and understandings related to their personal data and data futures. Personal digital data have possible benefits not just for the individuals from whom the data are generated, but also for society, government and the economy. Yet there are also potential harms, such as challenges to civil rights, life opportunities and data privacy. The project intends to develop applied and theoretical insights into the nature of people’s understandings of and engagements with their data. Its findings are expected to contribute knowledge relevant to policy development and data privacy advocacy.Read moreRead less
Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for t ....Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for the first time. It will produce an effective, innovative online resource for affected Australians, their family and friends, and the wider Australian community including health professionals and policymakers.Read moreRead less
E-Government: prospects for public administration, citizenship and social theory. This project examines how electronic technologies effect modes of governing and citizenship in liberal democracies. It focuses on electronic client records and electronic communications in social security, taxation and primary health care. It uniquely adopts and extends a theoretical framework (of 'governmentality') and applies an innovative research design to the study of e-government. Attention is given to how e- ....E-Government: prospects for public administration, citizenship and social theory. This project examines how electronic technologies effect modes of governing and citizenship in liberal democracies. It focuses on electronic client records and electronic communications in social security, taxation and primary health care. It uniquely adopts and extends a theoretical framework (of 'governmentality') and applies an innovative research design to the study of e-government. Attention is given to how e-government differently affects rural, urban, young, old, rich and poor persons. Outcomes include theoretical developments in studies of technology, government and citizenship, and the identification of practical ways to realise governmental objectives such as active citizenship, individualised service delivery, access and equity.Read moreRead less
Public and Proprietary Knowledge in Biotechnology: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of First Generation Recombinant DNA Pharmaceuticals Development. The 'biotechnology revolution' of the 1980s was a formative period that set the present pattern of links between university life science and commerce. A clearer analysis of the shifting boundary between public and proprietary scientific knowledge in this key recent episode will thus provide valuable insight into the social role of university- ....Public and Proprietary Knowledge in Biotechnology: An Historical and Sociological Analysis of First Generation Recombinant DNA Pharmaceuticals Development. The 'biotechnology revolution' of the 1980s was a formative period that set the present pattern of links between university life science and commerce. A clearer analysis of the shifting boundary between public and proprietary scientific knowledge in this key recent episode will thus provide valuable insight into the social role of university-based science today. In addition to matters of science policy and sociology, this more accurate account of the scientific initiatives, commercial strategies, and relationships with universities among the first biotechnology firms may also contribute to business scholarship aiming to foster success in the life science sector.Read moreRead less
Experimental workers of the world - the labour of human research subjects in the emerging bioeconomies of China and India. China and India have become significant new hubs for domestic and multinational clinical trials, the process by which new drugs are tested for global consumption. Developing the concept of experimental labour, this project will investigate the growing numbers of the poor and uninsured who enrol in clinical trials as a means of making a living.
'Digital Natives': Growing up with new and old media in Australia. Developing a sophisticated digital literacy is important for both the future of children, the cultural, social and economic well-being of the nation. Digital literacy requires not only communications infrastructure but targeted investment in human skills. Investing in the development of a digitally literate Australian population has become an explicit means for promoting the future economic and social well-being of the nation. Th ....'Digital Natives': Growing up with new and old media in Australia. Developing a sophisticated digital literacy is important for both the future of children, the cultural, social and economic well-being of the nation. Digital literacy requires not only communications infrastructure but targeted investment in human skills. Investing in the development of a digitally literate Australian population has become an explicit means for promoting the future economic and social well-being of the nation. The information provided by this project has the potential to contribute significantly to giving children 'a healthy start to life' in their early years. Read moreRead less
Generating insights for the future: A retrospective, comparative study of attempts to implement large-scale electronic health record systems. This is a retrospective, comparative study of five attempts to set up regional and national systems for sharing electronic health records in Australia and Britain. The purpose is to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past, so that complex technology projects such as these can be better managed in the future.