ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network Annual Report 2009
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Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network Annual Report ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research 2009 ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network Annual Report 2009 New knowledge for better outcomes for children and young people For more information visit: www.aracy.org.au/researchnetwork Annual Report (2009) of the ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation Contact us The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) owns copyright of all material in this report, except where noted otherwise. You may reproduce this material in unaltered form only (acknowledging the source) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Commercial use of material in this report is prohibited. Except as permitted above, you must not copy, adapt, publish, distribute or commercialise any material contained in this publication without ARACY’s permission. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: The Communications Manager Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth PO Box 25 Woden ACT 2606 or [email protected] Glossary / abbreviations ISBNs ARACY Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth Print version: 978-1-921352-62-1 Online version: 978-1-921352-63-8 ARC Australian Research Council Contact us FaHCSIA Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs If you have any queries about this report, please contact: The ARACY Research Network LSAC Longitudinal Study of Australian Children University of Melbourne Department of Pediatrics Royal Children’s Hospital NAC ARACY Research Network’s Network Advisory Committee Flemington Road Parkville VIC 3052 NGED Network on Genes and Environment in Development Phone: (03) 9345 5145 Email: [email protected] NIN New Investigators Network Website: www.aracy.org.au/researchnetwork NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth Contents 1 Introduction . 1 2 Highlights . .5 Major achievements . 6. Challenges . 6. Strategic directions . 7. Future directions . 7. 3 National Convenor’s report . .9 4 Issues . 13 Supporting collaborative and innovative research . 1. 4 Overcoming the tyranny of distance . 1. 4 Breaking down silos . 1. 4 5 About the ARACY Research Network . 17 Our vision and objectives . 1. 8 History . 1. 8 Governance . 2. 0 Network Advisory Committee members (2009) . 2. 0 Participants and contributors . 2. 1 Our supporters . 2. 1 6 Our work . .23 Seed funding . 2. 4 New Investigators Network . 3. 0 Sub-networks . 3. 4 Knowledge brokering . 3. 5 Access Grid seminars . 3. 6 Networking and other events . 3. 6 Communications . 3. 7 National collaborations and contributions . 3. 7 International links and collaborations . 3. 9 National benefits . 3. 9 7 Management and accountability . 41 Staffing and organisational structure of the ARACY Research Network . 4. 2 Financial reports . 4. 4 ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation i APPENDICES Appendix 1 — ARC reporting requirements . .48 Appendix 2 — ARACY Research Network participants . .49 Appendix 3 — Contributing organisations . 56 Appendix 4 — Collaborations funded by the ARACY Research Network Seed Funding Program in 2009 (Round 5) . 59 Appendix 4 .1 — Collaborations funded by the ARACY Research Network Seed Funding Program 2006–2008 . 6. 3 Appendix 4 .2 — Summary of topic areas identified as targets for seed funding rounds 1–5 (2005–2009) . 6. 6 Appendix 4 .3 — Seed funding selection committees 2006–2009 . 6. 7 Appendix 5 — Publications developed as outputs of ARACY Research Network funding or activities (published in 2009) . .68 Appendix 6 — New Investigators Network 2009 . .70 Appendix 7 — Longitudinal Studies Network member studies 2009 . .72 Appendix 7 .1 — Prevention Science Network members 2009 . 7. 3 Appendix 8 — Access Grid seminars in 2009 . 76 Appendix 8 .1 — Access Grid seminars 2005–2009 . 7. 8 Appendix 9 — Member networking events 2006–2008 . .81 Appendix 10 — Successful grant applications in 2009 that were facilitated by ARACY Research ARACY Research Network membership . 83 Appendix 11 — Successful grant applications 2005–2009 that were outcomes of seed funded grants . 84 Glossary / abbreviations . IBC TABLES Table 5 .1 — Significant milestones in the history of the ARACY Research Network . .19 Table 6 .1 — Seed funded collaborations 2009 . 25 Table 6 .2 — Projects awarded ARC, NHMRC or other external funding, 2009 . .27 Table 6 .3 — Key activities of the New Investigators Network . .31 ii ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation 1 Introduction The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) is a national non-profit organisation working to address the major problems affecting children and young people. In 2004 ARACY led a successful bid for funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to form the ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation (hereafter referred to as “the ARACY Research Network“ or “the Network”). ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation 1 The ARACY Research Network was formed to improve our In Section 5 we explain the history and governance of national capacity to research the big questions confronting the Network, describe the important role of the Network Australia’s children and young people. This report outlines Advisory Committee, and acknowledge our members and how the Network has done this, by developing the capacity, supporters. skills and knowledge of researchers, policy makers and In Section 6 we provide detailed information about our practitioners, and by enabling these groups to work programs, activities, events and approach — describing how together more effectively, generate new approaches and the ARACY Research Network has worked, the benefits of transfer knowledge from research into policy and practice. our programs and our achievements in 2009 and over the This report documents the activities and achievements of past five years. the ARACY Research Network in 2009. Given that 2009 In Section 7 we report on the Network’s organisational and was the final year of formal ARC/NHMRC funding support financial management. for the Network1, this report also presents a summary of our achievements and contributions over the past five years. The ARACY Research Network was one of 24 research networks funded by the ARC, and one of five co-funded In Section 2 we list the Network’s key achievements, by NHMRC. These networks were intended to encourage acknowledge the challenges we have faced and note collaborative approaches to research in interdisciplinary future directions. settings. This report meets the annual reporting In Section 3 Network Convenor Professor Fiona Stanley AC requirements of the ARC. Appendix 1 explains the reporting reviews our activities and outcomes. requirements and where the information required by the ARC can be found in this report. In Section 4 we outline how the ARACY Research Network has addressed key issues confronting researchers, policy makers and practitioners working to improve the wellbeing of children and young people. 1 Carry-over funding together with external support will allow the Network to continue some programs in 2010. 2 ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation 3 2 Highlights In 2009, the Network built on the formative work and successful programs of its first four years, increasing the breadth and impact of our efforts to improve outcomes for children and young people. As this was the final year of ARC/NHMRC funding for the Network, we also focused on consolidating and sharing our learnings and outcomes to benefit our members and other organisations in the future. ARACY ARC/NHMRC Research Network — Future Generation 5 The many successes of the ARACY Research Network over • mentored new investigators its five year lifespan are outlined in this report, with a Our innovative New Investigators Network continued in particular focus on our activities and achievements in 2009. 2009. The two year program (February 2008–December More detailed accounts of achievements in 2005–2008 are 2009) enabled 20 high-calibre early career researchers provided in previous annual reports, all available on the to work with, and receive mentoring support from, ARACY website2. leading researchers. In 2009 this was primarily via three workshops, a symposium and ongoing The Network’s major achievements in the year under review communications. Read more on p 30 and over the past five years are summarised below. • confirmed that the NIN was valuable Evaluations of the New Investigators Network found that the participants considered it a great opportunity Major achievements and have benefited considerably from the networking, professional and personal development, and peer and The ARACY Research Network has: mentor support. Read more on p 32 • enabled collaborations to develop new research • promoted knowledge sharing Over its five year lifetime (2005–2009) the Network The ARACY Research Network has convened two awarded $1.08 million seed funding to support new workshops to promote and encourage knowledge research on priority issues facing children and young brokering and a third is planned for early 2010. people in Australia. Seed funding has been provided to A book about the linkages between policy, practice 51 collaborations, which brought together 542 people and research, developed from papers from the 2007