Research News & Funding Opportunities

1. Congratulations to A/P Julie Choi for being awarded the Australia-Korea Foundation Grant from DFAT for her project “Creating Cross-Cultural Connections: Australian Children’s Korean Stories”
2. Congratulations to Dr Kelsey Deane being part of a successful MRFF lead by The University of Queensland for the project “Safer Baby SEEK: Strengths-based Education, Empowerment and Knowledge for help-seeking during pregnancy”
3. Plan Early: Ethics review delays may impact your research application timeline
4. Hybrid Seminar: NEP 2020 and the Emerging Landscape of Teaching and Teacher Professional Development in India October 9, 1-2pm
5. Fay Fuller Foundation – Supporting Strategic Advocacy for Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes in SA Communities – closes 17 October
6. New Podcast for Graduate Research Students Out Now- Beyond the Thesis

1. Congratulations to A/P Julie Choi for being awarded the Australia-Korea Foundation Grant from DFAT for her project “Creating Cross-Cultural Connections: Australian Children’s Korean Stories”

This project invites Australian children from diverse backgrounds to create stories about Korean language and culture through their own eyes. These multilingual, arts-rich stories will highlight children’s creative connections between Australian and Korean cultural elements. The project lead, an experienced teacher educator specialising in multilingual pedagogies, will mentor these young storytellers, drawing on experience producing community language books through the Kids Own Languages series and authoring “Kimchi is for Everyone”. Upon completion, the project lead will present the anthology at children’s book festivals across South Korea.

2. Congratulations to Dr Kelsey Deane for being part of a successful MRFF lead by The University of Queensland for the project “Safer Baby SEEK: Strengths-based Education, Empowerment and Knowledge for help-seeking during pregnancy”

Safer Baby SEEK is a national multidisciplinary consumer driven project guided by co-design and preventive health principles. This project aims to identify and strengthen approaches to support help-seeking behaviour among parents within the described Priority Populations, to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes and to better women’s experiences of care. Using an integrated approach, we build on our existing evidence-based programs to improve health literacy, raise awareness about healthy pregnancies, improve health care provider response to reduce stigma, and empower families to engage with antenatal care and seek help when concerned.

3. Plan Early: Ethics review delays may impact your research application timeline

On Monday 22 September, a new single-reviewer model was introduced for lower-risk human ethics research applications. While the application forms remain unchanged, researchers should anticipate temporary delays in ethics reviews during the transition. It is recommended that researchers allow extra time for both human and animal ethics application reviews over the next 6–8 weeks as processes are streamlined.

What’s changed?

The single-reviewer model has replaced the Human Ethics Low or Negligible Risk (LNR) Committee framework and aims to streamline the review process for lower risk applications, reducing administrative burden and accelerating turnaround times over the long term.

In parallel, the Animal Ethics Office is undergoing some changes that may cause short term delays to animal ethics application review times.

The Office of Research Ethics and Integrity team remains committed to delivering a high-quality ethics review service to the University, and while short-term delays are anticipated, steps will be taken to minimise disruption.

If you have an enquiry about an ethics application, please submit a ServiceNow ticket

4. Hybrid Seminar: NEP 2020 and the Emerging Landscape of Teaching and Teacher Professional Development in India October 9, 1-2pm

Overview

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, India adopted a New National Education Policy (NEP).  While drawing on progressive school reform initiated by the NEP 1986 and the and the Right to Education Act 2009, the NEP has ushered in a new phase of reforms and restructuring.  These aim to address respond to the growing middle-class desire to assert Indian identity and globalise, while also addressing persisting gaps and inequalities in school education. 

In this talk Prof. Padma M. Sarangapani will draw on recent data to deliberate on the nature of the socio-political, educational, technological cusp on which the NEP 2020 sits in relation to schools and teachers. She will also draw out some emerging  directions, pathways with their opportunities and challenges.

About the speaker

Padma M. Sarangapani is Professor of Education and Chair, Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai, INDIA.  She has served on several national and international bodies including the National Curriculum Framework 2005, the National Council of Teacher Education, India, and has worked with the UNESCO’s Teacher Task Force. 

She has led several field action projects involving collaborations with State Governments in India and in the Global South, including the Connected Learning Initiative which was awarded the UNESCO-King Hamad Prize for the use of ICTs in Education and the Connected Learning for STEM which was awarded the IDRC-KIX-GPE global grant. 

Her current research is in the areas of culture and pedagogy, status of teachers and the teaching profession, and teacher professional learning.    Her recent publications include the Springer Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia, of which she was co-editor in Chief, (2021) and the State of Teachers Teaching and Teacher Education Report for India 2023.  She is currently working on the 2025 edition of the report.

Registration is available via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hybrid-seminar-nep-2020-and-the-emerging-landscape-of-teaching-and-teacher-tickets-1727540573359

5. Fay Fuller Foundation – Supporting Strategic Advocacy for Better Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes in SA Communities – closes 17 October

The Foundation is commissioning a series of research reports to better understand mental health and wellbeing needs in South Australian communities – and strategies to promote community-led solutions.

Individuals and organisations are invited to express interest to deliver research across two different (but connected) parts of this research.

The Foundation is currently seeking proposals to deliver research across one (or both) of the below topics:

1. Rethinking Evidence: Elevating Community Knowledge in Mental Health Advocacy
– This research will address the critical challenge of how different types of evidence, particularly community knowledge and qualitative data, are valued in mental health advocacy. It will explore the tension between the need for “proven” interventions and the reality that many effective community-led approaches lack traditional forms of evidence. The goal is to equip the sector with the tools and arguments needed to advocate for a broader acceptance of diverse forms of evidence
– Budget guide: $100,000 (excl. GST)
– Timeframe guide: Nov 2025 – May 2026.

2. Transforming Community Wellbeing: A Cultural Shift Towards Prevention
– This research will focus on the cultural and systemic shifts needed to support a more community-centric approach to mental health and wellbeing. It will examine the broader social, economic, and community conditions that impact wellbeing and propose strategies for empowering communities to take the lead in prevention efforts. The report will also address the systemic barriers that prevent the health system from being responsive to diverse community needs
– Budget guide: $115,000.00 (excl. GST)
– Timeframe guide: Nov 2025 – May 2026.

Click here to view full funding guidelines on the provider’s website.

6. New Podcast for Graduate Research Students Out Now- Beyond the Thesis

Are you a graduate research student who’s ever felt stuck, stressed, or not good enough?

Beyond the Thesis is a new podcast that explores the emotional ups and downs of research life-from imposter syndrome to rejection-featuring real stories and practical tools to help you get through.

Find out more at beyondthethesis.com