Increasing the rural medical workforce: investigating personal traits to enhance our understanding and improve training of rural registrars. This project will research new methodologies for increasing the number of rural doctors in Australia. A better understanding of those individuals best suited for rural practice will provide value for money to the Government by making the most efficient use of initiatives to increase recruitment and retention of the rural workforce.
Influences on farmer suicide in Queensland and New South Wales. Australian farmers have been identified as being at high-risk of suicide. This project will provide direction for targeted suicide prevention strategies by quantifying the individual and environmental factors that place farmers at higher risk of suicide, as well as the protective factors that may buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviours.
An integrated modelling approach for efficient management of irrigated landscapes. Northern Victoria's irrigators use a substantial portion of water from the Murray-Darling Basin, which is under mounting pressure to satisfy competing economic, social and environmental needs for water in the face of climate change. Up to 20 per cent of this water may be on-farm surface runoff and deep percolation, with poorly known spatial distributions. This project will provide reliable temporally and spatially ....An integrated modelling approach for efficient management of irrigated landscapes. Northern Victoria's irrigators use a substantial portion of water from the Murray-Darling Basin, which is under mounting pressure to satisfy competing economic, social and environmental needs for water in the face of climate change. Up to 20 per cent of this water may be on-farm surface runoff and deep percolation, with poorly known spatial distributions. This project will provide reliable temporally and spatially distributed information on surface runoff and deep percolation for Northern Victoria irrigation regions. This will inform decisions which improve water use efficiency, agricultural productivity and environmental values through optimisation of irrigation infrastructure and by better management of groundwater resources and salinity.Read moreRead less
Post-parental care planning for rural people with intellectual disabilities. This project addresses the urgent issue of post-parental care plans for people with an intellectual disability and their older parental carers in rural areas. The project aims to co-design a post-parental care planning approach and resources in collaboration with people with an intellectual disability, older parental carers and disability services. The results will be used by the researchers to generate new knowledge on ....Post-parental care planning for rural people with intellectual disabilities. This project addresses the urgent issue of post-parental care plans for people with an intellectual disability and their older parental carers in rural areas. The project aims to co-design a post-parental care planning approach and resources in collaboration with people with an intellectual disability, older parental carers and disability services. The results will be used by the researchers to generate new knowledge on post-parental care transitions and how to construct post-parental care plans within the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The planning approach and resources will assist families and services to avert crisis transitions through improved coordination, preparation and support for post-parental care. Read moreRead less
Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the i ....Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the individual and community processes that influence outcome. This project being undertaken in partnership by academic, disaster management, health and community organisations will provide crucial information for shaping policy for disaster management in the years ahead.Read moreRead less
Bad tastes, odours and toxins in our drinking water reservoirs: are benthic cyanobacteria the culprits? Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce toxins and bad tastes that contaminate drinking water sources, cause public concern about water quality. This project will address a critical knowledge gap by investigating species that grow on the sediments of reservoirs, thus providing more comprehensive management solutions to the water industry.