Cultural responsiveness: measuring and evaluating social work practice. This project aims to develop tools for use by social workers that measure and evaluate culturally responsive practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The tools have potential application across numerous sectors in social work practices with clients and families. The project will benefit social workers who can measure, evaluate and improve their culturally responsive practice, and in turn, the health and ....Cultural responsiveness: measuring and evaluating social work practice. This project aims to develop tools for use by social workers that measure and evaluate culturally responsive practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The tools have potential application across numerous sectors in social work practices with clients and families. The project will benefit social workers who can measure, evaluate and improve their culturally responsive practice, and in turn, the health and well-being outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.Read moreRead less
Cultural continuity and change: Indigenous solutions to mental health issues. This project will investigate the Aboriginal understandings of mental health in Aboriginal populations in Perth and in Broome. Concepts of cultural continuity and social and emotional wellbeing will be examined, and the outcomes of this will inform services and policy to better meet the mental health needs of Indigenous people.
Understanding the role of terrain geometry in eruptive bushfire behaviour. This project aims to improve understanding of the physical processes that cause eruptive bushfire behaviour, otherwise known as fire blow-up. Eruptive fire behaviour, characterised by rapid and unexpected escalation in fire intensity and rate of spread, is a global phenomenon that poses a major threat to fire-fighter safety and can seriously compromise bushfire suppression efforts. This project will address the role that ....Understanding the role of terrain geometry in eruptive bushfire behaviour. This project aims to improve understanding of the physical processes that cause eruptive bushfire behaviour, otherwise known as fire blow-up. Eruptive fire behaviour, characterised by rapid and unexpected escalation in fire intensity and rate of spread, is a global phenomenon that poses a major threat to fire-fighter safety and can seriously compromise bushfire suppression efforts. This project will address the role that terrain geometry plays in the incidence of fire eruption, through consideration of its effect on the attachment of flames to a surface. Expected outcomes include a dynamic fire spread modelling framework and the provision of better advice to bushfire authorities concerning fire blow-up.Read moreRead less
Investigation of atypical bushfire spread driven by the interaction of wind, terrain and fire. Large bushfires continue to pose a significant risk to communities in south-eastern Australia. Despite this, there is still very little known about the processes driving the development of large bushfires. This project aims to improve understanding of extreme fire processes and thus improve mitigation planning, community safety and environmental outcomes.
Babera dariadya yewing (Echoes of a flawed truth): investigating theory and practice on the interplay between bullying and racism. The negative impact of bullying and racism is being increasingly documented for Aboriginal youth, yet little attempt has been made to understand the differential impact of these stressors on the wellbeing and identity of Aboriginal Australian youth. This project will seek to address this issue, to guide future action-based research.
Saibai Island language and cultural knowledge project. This project aims to record the Saibai Island Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect, using the Australian Descriptive Framework. The diaspora of Saibai Islanders, the impact of climate change, and the ageing and passing away of knowledge custodians make it crucial to capture the language and cultural knowledge. Under the direction of elders and cultural knowledge custodians, this project will record and document the dialect, particularly ‘Big’ Sabai langua ....Saibai Island language and cultural knowledge project. This project aims to record the Saibai Island Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect, using the Australian Descriptive Framework. The diaspora of Saibai Islanders, the impact of climate change, and the ageing and passing away of knowledge custodians make it crucial to capture the language and cultural knowledge. Under the direction of elders and cultural knowledge custodians, this project will record and document the dialect, particularly ‘Big’ Sabai language. It will use recording technology and digital analysis to document cultural knowledge and language for current and future generations of Saibailagal (Saibai people). A culturally appropriate endangered language community methodology that preserves language and cultural knowledge will benefit Indigenous communities and researchers.Read moreRead less
Social capital and the academic success of indigenous students. This project aims to generate new knowledge about high-achieving Indigenous students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This longitudinal study will provide evidence on success factors that are most effective in improving academic achievement and experience of Indigenous students, and inform government and Aboriginal communities in developing evidence-based policy and practice. The project is expected to provide a unique opportunit ....Social capital and the academic success of indigenous students. This project aims to generate new knowledge about high-achieving Indigenous students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. This longitudinal study will provide evidence on success factors that are most effective in improving academic achievement and experience of Indigenous students, and inform government and Aboriginal communities in developing evidence-based policy and practice. The project is expected to provide a unique opportunity to unveil how Indigenous students’ network characteristics formed in family, school, and community interplay with their psychological constructs in shaping their academic success longitudinally. The project will also represent a significant advancement in the global research field of Indigenous education.Read moreRead less
Turning back the clock on brain cell aging. This proposal aims to determine the role of fundamental epigenetic mechanisms in the process of aging and whether modulation of the epi-genome underpins an improvement in cognitive function. It combines the fields of epigenetics, neurosciences and mathematics to delineate the dynamics of DNA methylation and histone modification marking on the transcriptome during normal, healthy aging. The outcomes will provide significant new knowledge of the variable ....Turning back the clock on brain cell aging. This proposal aims to determine the role of fundamental epigenetic mechanisms in the process of aging and whether modulation of the epi-genome underpins an improvement in cognitive function. It combines the fields of epigenetics, neurosciences and mathematics to delineate the dynamics of DNA methylation and histone modification marking on the transcriptome during normal, healthy aging. The outcomes will provide significant new knowledge of the variable cognitive decline that occurs in healthy aging and why some populations age less successfully than others do. Better understanding of the impact of environmental change on the biology of aging has potential community benefits.Read moreRead less
Understanding the role of deep flaming in violent pyroconvective events. This project aims to improve the prediction of firestorms by combining state-of-the-art knowledge of dynamic bushfire behaviour with atmospheric models to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the heat and moisture released by a bushfire interacts with ambient atmospheric instability to produce extreme fire events. Firestorms represent the most extreme and catastrophic phase of development of a bushfire. They often c ....Understanding the role of deep flaming in violent pyroconvective events. This project aims to improve the prediction of firestorms by combining state-of-the-art knowledge of dynamic bushfire behaviour with atmospheric models to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the heat and moisture released by a bushfire interacts with ambient atmospheric instability to produce extreme fire events. Firestorms represent the most extreme and catastrophic phase of development of a bushfire. They often cause broad-scale loss of property, environmental damage and human fatalities. Firestorms cannot be suppressed, and so accurate and timely warnings of their occurrence, combined with appropriate community responses, are the only way of mitigating their effects. Better understanding of extreme fire processes may improve mitigation planning, community safety, environmental outcomes and emergency response measures.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the quality of academic supervision provided to Indigenous Australian doctoral students. This project will undertake a detailed investigation into the supervision provided to Indigenous Australians who now hold a doctoral qualification in order to identify successful supervision strategies. A best-practice model for the supervision of Indigenous doctoral students will be constructed as a resource for all academics.