Research
The Centre for Rural Health and Community Development’s interdisciplinary, collaborative, and innovative research covers a range of topics that focus on its three themes.
Here are some highlights of current and recent research:
· Rural social care
· Measuring and building community capacity
· Indigenous community functioning
· Indigenous livelihoods and the bush foods industry
CRHaCD pursues a focused, coherent research and consultancy agenda that is organised into three themes with 11 embedded programs. Each of these is led by an experienced Key Researcher.
Theme 1: Sustainable rural communities and livelihoods in rural and remote places
Leader: Professor Brian Cheers
Program 1: Rural social care, including rural human services and rural social work
Program 2: Community development, including community capacity, community strength, and community engagement
Program 3: Regional development
Theme 2: Health and wellbeing in rural and remote communities
Program 1: Community health development, including primary health care, health services evaluation and planning, community participation in health
Leader: Dr Judy Taylor
Program 2: Population health to improve physical and metabolic fitness and reduce risk factors for chronic disease, including mental illness and obesity
Leader: Associate Professor Gary Misan
Program 3: Prevention and management, including self-management, of chronic illness, including mental illness
Leader: to be determined
Program 4: Palliative care and aged care
Leader: Associate Professor Mary Oliver
Theme 3: Indigenous health
Leader: Dr Judy Taylor
Program 1: Heart, mind, and body – emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing of Indigenous people and its relationship with chronic disease and mental health
Program 2: Birthing, mothering, and grand-mothering
Program 3: Indigenous understandings of community/community development
Program 4: Developing, trialling, and using Indigenous research methodologies
Revenue
In 2006 CRHaCD Key Researchers won research grants and consultancies worth more than $850,000. This includes $752,800 from government and industry sources, $87,970 from Australian Cooperative Research Centres, and $25,744 from Australian Competitive Grants.