Researchers awarded more than $2 million

A message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Wayne McKenna:

I am delighted to announce that ACU researchers have been successful in Australian Research Council Discovery funding for research in education, health, and history. The success of our researchers in these highly competitive grant rounds demonstrates ACU’s growing achievements in our priority areas.

Institute for Positive Psychology and Education

Professor Rhonda Craven, Director of ACU’s Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, has been awarded $771,651 to study preschool oral language, literacy, numeracy and wellbeing interventions for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian students. The project, which includes researchers from four Australian states, seeks to reduce the socio-economic costs of literacy and numeracy failure and strengthen both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research

A team from Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research has been awarded $471,968 to further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic sensing. Led by Dr John Scott, the research will generate new knowledge relevant to sporting performance and the metabolic dimensions of ageing, as well as industries that rely on the living organisms, including agriculture, biotechnology and brewing.

National School of Arts

Associate Professor Nell Musgrove from the National School of Arts has been awarded $345,083 to undertake the first history of survivor-activism that challenged and exposed failings in Australian child welfare systems. Along with researchers in South Australia, the project will use an innovative survivor-led participatory research model to investigate the advocacy efforts of over half a million Australians who were institutionalised as children in the 20th century and produce an interactive website presenting new narratives of out-of-home care.

Professor Noah Riseman in the National School of Arts has been awarded $264,435 to explore how the Australian military and its members have dealt with sex and sexuality since the First World War. The research team, all based in NSW, aims to inform veterans’ health and welfare as well as the Australian Defence Force’s ongoing process of culture change by analysing the relationships between the Australian military, sexual cultures, the law, health and public policy.

Institute for Humanities and Social sciences

A project led by Professor Susan Broomhall in the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences has been awarded $191,683 to investigate early modern European management of water and forests. Drawing from legal, economic, scientific, literary and artistic sources, the research will show how past practices and mindsets still shape present responses to environmental challenges.

Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry

The Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry’s Dr Matthew Champion is also collaborating on a project led by University of Melbourne researchers on a collection of prints by early modern artist, Albrecht Dürer, that is part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection.