Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0989521
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A Qualitative Study of Barriers to Effective Infectious and Parasitic Disease Interventions in Aboriginal Communities. This project is significant and innovative as it will enhance current understandings of the experience Indigenous communities have with infectious diseases. To date there have been no significant qualitative studies that examine the perceptions Indigenous communities have about infectious disease treatment interventions that draw on their current knowledge, experiences and on he ....A Qualitative Study of Barriers to Effective Infectious and Parasitic Disease Interventions in Aboriginal Communities. This project is significant and innovative as it will enhance current understandings of the experience Indigenous communities have with infectious diseases. To date there have been no significant qualitative studies that examine the perceptions Indigenous communities have about infectious disease treatment interventions that draw on their current knowledge, experiences and on health, functionality and well-being. This study will develop a model that Indigenous communities, clinicians, policy makers and researchers can use to guide the implementation of sustainable infectious disease interventions. The outcomes of this project will help guide, inform and improve future infectious disease intervention strategies and programs.Read moreRead less
Planning and Building Healthy Communities: A multidisciplinary longitudinal study of the relationship between the built environment and human health. This project examines how urban environments support health. Tracking residents’ behaviours over a long time, the study fills a gap in current knowledge about how urban environments manage and promote good health (a national research priority area). It will identify the design features, social interventions and locational qualities in selected sit ....Planning and Building Healthy Communities: A multidisciplinary longitudinal study of the relationship between the built environment and human health. This project examines how urban environments support health. Tracking residents’ behaviours over a long time, the study fills a gap in current knowledge about how urban environments manage and promote good health (a national research priority area). It will identify the design features, social interventions and locational qualities in selected sites which positively benefit human health. The research will describe the likely health outcomes for future Australians living in areas with similar characteristics. It will also strengthen multidisciplinary approaches and policy development in this area by bringing together a team from urban planning, development and health.Read moreRead less
Examining organisational complexity and clinical risk to improve hospital patients' safety. Improving communicative practices will reduce the massive rate and cost of medication errors and hospital-acquired infections. Current costs of hospital-caused incidents are around AU$2 billion per year. These costs are likely to rise further because hospitals are becoming busier, more culturally and linguistically diverse, less generously resourced per patient, and more technologically capable of keeping ....Examining organisational complexity and clinical risk to improve hospital patients' safety. Improving communicative practices will reduce the massive rate and cost of medication errors and hospital-acquired infections. Current costs of hospital-caused incidents are around AU$2 billion per year. These costs are likely to rise further because hospitals are becoming busier, more culturally and linguistically diverse, less generously resourced per patient, and more technologically capable of keeping sicker patients alive for longer, leading to increased clinical risk and more incidents. This project could save around 20% of the total cost of hospital operations by reducing lengths of stay, lowering re-admission rates and ensuring better deployment of clinical resources.Read moreRead less
Numerical Modelling and Experimental Studies to Design and Engineer Nanoparticulate Systems for Bioapplications. Project outcomes will enhance Australia's reputation for scientific innovation in the field of bio-nanotechnology. The project will expand the knowledge base in this area and increase Australia's international profile in research on nanomaterials for bio-related applications. The project partners UNSW and Australian company (Minomic), integrating their skills, expertise and facilities ....Numerical Modelling and Experimental Studies to Design and Engineer Nanoparticulate Systems for Bioapplications. Project outcomes will enhance Australia's reputation for scientific innovation in the field of bio-nanotechnology. The project will expand the knowledge base in this area and increase Australia's international profile in research on nanomaterials for bio-related applications. The project partners UNSW and Australian company (Minomic), integrating their skills, expertise and facilities to address current limitations in understanding the stability of magnetic nanoparticles in biological fluids. The Australian partners will play a leading role in commercializing new applications for functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. The project will provide an excellent multidisciplinary research environment and training for early career researchers.Read moreRead less
The Effects of Nano and Ultrafine Particles from Traffic Emissions on Children's Health. The socio-economic benefits to Australia will include (i) quantitative knowledge of the exposure to nano and ultrafine particles, pollutants in the centre of current scientific, medical and policy debates and (ii) a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of the specific particle properties, which have impacts on health effects. The ultimate economic benefit will be improved urban design to lower, in pa ....The Effects of Nano and Ultrafine Particles from Traffic Emissions on Children's Health. The socio-economic benefits to Australia will include (i) quantitative knowledge of the exposure to nano and ultrafine particles, pollutants in the centre of current scientific, medical and policy debates and (ii) a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of the specific particle properties, which have impacts on health effects. The ultimate economic benefit will be improved urban design to lower, in particular, children's exposure to ultrafine particles, thus reducing life long impacts, health care cost and productivity losses. The research will also place Australia at the forefront of international progress towards better methods for achieving environmental and public health sustainability.Read moreRead less
Emergency Communication: Addressing the challenges in health care discourses and practices. Communication breakdowns have been identified as the major cause of
critical incidents in public hospitals in NSW (NSW Health, 2005a). A key applied benefit of knowledge generated by the project will be a
contribution to the reduction of critical incidents leading to patient
harm - an outcome applicable to Emergency Departments nationally. This project will benefit Australia's Hospital and Health admin ....Emergency Communication: Addressing the challenges in health care discourses and practices. Communication breakdowns have been identified as the major cause of
critical incidents in public hospitals in NSW (NSW Health, 2005a). A key applied benefit of knowledge generated by the project will be a
contribution to the reduction of critical incidents leading to patient
harm - an outcome applicable to Emergency Departments nationally. This project will benefit Australia's Hospital and Health administrations as they endeavour to find solutions to the impact of communication breakdowns and provide communications training of health care personnel. The research will deliver recommendations for system-wide improvements in communication competency.Read moreRead less
Masculinities, change and conflict in global society. The rapid development of research on masculinities has enormously increased our understanding of men and gender. This has opended new perspectives for preventing violence at individual, community and international levels. To realize this potential in today's changing conditions requires field research to explore emerging patterns of masculinity in Australia and internationally, fresh theoretical work linking gender with change and conflict in ....Masculinities, change and conflict in global society. The rapid development of research on masculinities has enormously increased our understanding of men and gender. This has opended new perspectives for preventing violence at individual, community and international levels. To realize this potential in today's changing conditions requires field research to explore emerging patterns of masculinity in Australia and internationally, fresh theoretical work linking gender with change and conflict in world society, and specific case studies of how masculinities are mobilized in conflict situations and lead towards violence. This knowledge will be used to develop new practical models of violence prevention and peace-making.Read moreRead less
Engineering of composite particles to enhance performance in respiratory drug delivery. Respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic pulmonary disease affect in excess of 5.8 million Australians and the common method of treatment is via drug inhalation. Although a wide range of drugs are commercially available as dry powder inhalers the efficiency of these systems is poor, with most devices delivering less than 20% to the lung. This project will develop a new method of high-efficiency respi ....Engineering of composite particles to enhance performance in respiratory drug delivery. Respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic pulmonary disease affect in excess of 5.8 million Australians and the common method of treatment is via drug inhalation. Although a wide range of drugs are commercially available as dry powder inhalers the efficiency of these systems is poor, with most devices delivering less than 20% to the lung. This project will develop a new method of high-efficiency respiratory drug delivery based on composite particles. The technology developed from this project will advance Australia’s Research & Innovation and Pharmaceutical industry sector, and improve healthcare outcomes in the government’s key priority area of Promoting and maintaining good health: ‘A healthy start to life’ and ‘Ageing well’Read moreRead less
Response of Proteins to External Non-Ionising Radiation: an Experimental and Computer Modelling Investigation. The expanding use of digital technologies such as mobile phones has led to major health concerns about the effects of non-ionising pulsed radiation exposure which has been shown to produce instantaneous temperature rises undetectable by normal thermometry. The health implications of exposure are not understandable without establishing molecular mechanisms by which pulsed microwaves can ....Response of Proteins to External Non-Ionising Radiation: an Experimental and Computer Modelling Investigation. The expanding use of digital technologies such as mobile phones has led to major health concerns about the effects of non-ionising pulsed radiation exposure which has been shown to produce instantaneous temperature rises undetectable by normal thermometry. The health implications of exposure are not understandable without establishing molecular mechanisms by which pulsed microwaves can cause biological effects. We aim to establish methods for studying the molecular mechanisms of protein structural and energetic changes occurring due to non-ionising radiation. The results will help our industry partner to design specific drugs as well as formulate a scientifically based standard for microwave utilisation.Read moreRead less
Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The r ....Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The research is innovative with important implications for community public safety, the national and international smoke alarm industry, performance based models of building safety and our theoretical understanding of cognitive processing during sleep.Read moreRead less