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Understanding Health Professionals' Infection Control Practices In The Acute Care Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$151,196.00
Summary
Health-care acquired infections have a considerable personal, social and economic impact in Australia, and better understanding of the causes of these infections is necessary. Failure by health professionals to follow infection control recommendations has important consequences in terms of the personal risk of acquiring an infection as well as the risk of infection transmission to patients. In Australia surgical site infections alone are estimated to cost as much as 268 million dollars a year. H ....Health-care acquired infections have a considerable personal, social and economic impact in Australia, and better understanding of the causes of these infections is necessary. Failure by health professionals to follow infection control recommendations has important consequences in terms of the personal risk of acquiring an infection as well as the risk of infection transmission to patients. In Australia surgical site infections alone are estimated to cost as much as 268 million dollars a year. Health-care acquired infections are associated with poorer health outcomes, a greater probability of prolonged hospital stays, greater re-hospitalisation rates, and significant reductions in health related quality of life. In this qualitative study we will use grounded theory and a comparative analysis strategy. We will initially identify participants sampled from health professionals employed in the acute care setting at a major teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. We will seek representation of a range of health professionals recruited from multiple occupational groups, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who have direct patient contact in the study sample. Sampling will also aim to recruit participants from a number of different acute care areas within the hospital, and staff with a range of individual characteristics, experiences and beliefs. We will interview a range of health care workers in order to explore their experiences of engagement in infection control practices and the factors influencing these experiences. We aim to develop a substantive theory that explains health professionals' engagement in high-risk infection control practices in the acute care setting. This will have implications for current understandings of the factors influencing adherence to recommended infection control practices, current theoretical perspectives which guide infection control practice, and strategies used to promote compliance with recommended practices.Read moreRead less
Can Lure And Kill Strategies Prevent Dengue Transmission In North Queensland, Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,621.00
Summary
Dengue fever is a growing threat to human health in the tropics. In north Queensland, 11 dengue outbreaks have resulted in 985 confirmed cases since 2000. Furthermore, 2004 saw the emergence of severe disease, with 4 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever resulting in at least one death in the Torres Strait. The current dengue managment plan employs methods to control larvae and adults of the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Adult control consists of spraying dark, protected areas inside houses and b ....Dengue fever is a growing threat to human health in the tropics. In north Queensland, 11 dengue outbreaks have resulted in 985 confirmed cases since 2000. Furthermore, 2004 saw the emergence of severe disease, with 4 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever resulting in at least one death in the Torres Strait. The current dengue managment plan employs methods to control larvae and adults of the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. Adult control consists of spraying dark, protected areas inside houses and buildings with a residual pyrethroid insectcide. However, this method is laborious and exposes residents and the environment to pesticide. Our research team, funded by NHMRC project grant no. 279401, has developed lure and kill methods to kill Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using traps. These traps are baited with chemicals that attract female dengue mosquitoes trying to bite (host-seeking traps; HSTs) or trying to lay eggs (lethal ovitraps; LOs). The use of traps to kill specific target insects is termed lure and kill strategy. This strategy reduces the amount of pesticide used by 1000X, and are twice as fast to employ than house spraying. We are seeking funding to conduct a series of field trials to provide proof of concept that the lure and kill strategy will rapidly reduce populations of Ae. aegypti and thus stop dengue transmission. These trials will be conducted in the Cairns area. We will also trial a biodegradable lethal ovitrap that could be put into yards without having to return to retrieve the trap. The trap would simply biodegrade after 4 weeks, and thus pose no threat to become a mosquito breeding site once the pesticide had become ineffective. A biodegradable trap would be especially useful in the Torres Strait where return visits are costly and time consuming. Finally, we propose to trial a new paper strip device that emits vapors of the pyrethriod insecticide metofluthrin, shown to repel mosquitoes for weeks, to set in dengue case houses.Read moreRead less
Protecting young people from harm and injury: investigating the utility of a risk and protective framework. Serious injuries due to transport, violence and alcohol associated risk-taking are the main cause of teenage death. An innovative school course will be taught and evaluated that increases protecting others from risk, helping injured friends and promoting a connected environment where teachers and peers reach out to provide support.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100825
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,128.00
Summary
Evaluating interventions to prevent serious road traffic crashes. This project aims to advance knowledge on the prevention of road traffic crashes that result in serious injury or death. Road traffic injuries are the second leading cause of hospitalised injury and injury-related deaths in Australia, and are estimated to cost the economy $27 billion annually. This project will establish a data collection system that will evaluate existing and novel countermeasures to serious road traffic crashes. ....Evaluating interventions to prevent serious road traffic crashes. This project aims to advance knowledge on the prevention of road traffic crashes that result in serious injury or death. Road traffic injuries are the second leading cause of hospitalised injury and injury-related deaths in Australia, and are estimated to cost the economy $27 billion annually. This project will establish a data collection system that will evaluate existing and novel countermeasures to serious road traffic crashes. The outcome of this project will inform road safety policies and cost-effective countermeasures. Insights from the project can contribute to road safety improvements in Australia and a substantial reduction in the burden of fatal and non-fatal road traffic injury.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0566924
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$52,825.00
Summary
Develop and pilot an e-cohort research technique for longitudinal studies using multiple international cohorts. The aim of this project is to develop and pilot an e-cohort research methodology suitable for longitudinal studies with multiple international cohorts. Historically, studies of this nature are expensive as they are conducted in traditional paper-based mode and the studies are therefore confined to one country. Population-based epidemiological studies of this type have led to major scie ....Develop and pilot an e-cohort research technique for longitudinal studies using multiple international cohorts. The aim of this project is to develop and pilot an e-cohort research methodology suitable for longitudinal studies with multiple international cohorts. Historically, studies of this nature are expensive as they are conducted in traditional paper-based mode and the studies are therefore confined to one country. Population-based epidemiological studies of this type have led to major scientific advances in global health for the last sixty years. Developing and employing e-research techniques in longitudinal studies will significantly reduce the costs of this important research and enable multi-national cohorts of participants that will result in high quality research.Read moreRead less
Optimising the Utility of Injury Surveillance Systems for Injury Prevention in Active Populations. Promotion of physical activity is a key national health priority and a major focus for the Australian Defence Force to achieve and maintain operational fitness. Unfortunately, these goals are associated with the negative effects of increased injury occurrence and substantial related costs. Civilian and military injury surveillance systems inform injury prevention priorities and interventions but re ....Optimising the Utility of Injury Surveillance Systems for Injury Prevention in Active Populations. Promotion of physical activity is a key national health priority and a major focus for the Australian Defence Force to achieve and maintain operational fitness. Unfortunately, these goals are associated with the negative effects of increased injury occurrence and substantial related costs. Civilian and military injury surveillance systems inform injury prevention priorities and interventions but research is required to maximise their performance and utility. The project aims to 1) determine the extent to which current systems meet user requirements 2) assess utility and reliability of these systems specifically for active populations and 3) develop recommendations for future systems development and improved user application.Read moreRead less
A prospective investigation of self-injury, suicidal ideation and psychological distress in Australian secondary school students. Suicide prevention has been a national priority for the past 10 years. Self-injury is a predictor of suicide, results in considerable distress for family and friends and is associated with significant health care expenditure. In addition the known correlates of self-injury, such as depression and substance use, also pose significant burden to society and are themselve ....A prospective investigation of self-injury, suicidal ideation and psychological distress in Australian secondary school students. Suicide prevention has been a national priority for the past 10 years. Self-injury is a predictor of suicide, results in considerable distress for family and friends and is associated with significant health care expenditure. In addition the known correlates of self-injury, such as depression and substance use, also pose significant burden to society and are themselves predictors of suicide. Understanding the nature and extent of self-injury in Australian adolescents, and the causal relationships between self-injury, suicidal ideation and psychological distress, will improve the care given to those who self-injure, improve their well-being, decrease their chances of further self-injury, and decrease the chance they will die by suicide.Read moreRead less
Effects Of Anti-smoking Advertising, Tobacco-related Press Coverage And Tobacco Control Policies On Smoking Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,696.00
Summary
Tobacco control programs invest significant resources into the production, development, and placement of anti-smoking advertisements. Evaluation of anti-smoking advertising campaigns is made difficult by the fact that they operate within the broader social context of changing tobacco control policies, tobacco marketing, and other forms of relevant paid and unpaid media. Public health advocates spend considerable effort attempting to obtain favourable news coverage about tobacco control issues, y ....Tobacco control programs invest significant resources into the production, development, and placement of anti-smoking advertisements. Evaluation of anti-smoking advertising campaigns is made difficult by the fact that they operate within the broader social context of changing tobacco control policies, tobacco marketing, and other forms of relevant paid and unpaid media. Public health advocates spend considerable effort attempting to obtain favourable news coverage about tobacco control issues, yet virtually no research has systematically related the volume and nature of news coverage on tobacco issues to smoking behaviour change. This study will exploit the existing variation in tobacco control acitvity between states and over time to study effects of these two forms of media and tobacco control policies on youth and adult smoking behaviour. The study will merge reliable measures of exposure to televised anti-smoking advertising, press coverage about tobacco issues and detailed quantified measures of other tobacco control policies, with monthly surveys of smoking prevalence and consumption from 1991 to 2005. This unique monthly survey database has tracked smoking behaviour changes over time and between states using a standard method over the course of a 15-year period. Analysis of the data will determine the most optimum levels of anti-smoking advertised required to reduce smoking, the potential influence of news reporting as a way of educating people to reduce smoking and effects of tobacco policies, such as advertising bans, smoke-free policies and youth access policies on smoking behaviour. By assessing the effectiveness of anti-smoking advertising and other tobacco policies in changing smoking behaviour, this study will guide public health policy and funding decisions related to tobacco control.Read moreRead less