Nazmi Sari from the University of Saskatchewan is editing a book on smoking which will be published by Nova Science Publisher, and would like to include  a chapter on smoking behaviour within rural context. Nazmi would like to identify someone with interest and time for this contribution.

In particular, Nazmi has in mind a new research or review article for this edited collection (invitation only) being assembled under their overall direction tentatively entitled “Smoking Restrictions, Risk Perceptions and Environmental Impact”. The contributions for this edited book are intended to range from 4,000-7,000 words.

The tentative deadline for the chapter is by the end of December 2013, but we can be flexible if this would be tight deadline with the author’s other commitments.

The contact details for Nazmi are as follows:

Associate Professor Nazmi Sari
Department of Economics, University of Saskatchewan
Arts 815, Saskatoon, SK S7N5A5
Web: http://homepage.usask.ca/~sari
Tel:   +1(306) 966-5216Fax: +1(306) 966-5232
Email: nas961@mail.usask.ca

Better outcomes for those affected by mental illness is the focus of two Monash University research projects that have received more than $4 million in combined funds from the Victorian Government.

In June, Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge announced five projects to receive grants from the Victorian Coalition Government’s $10 million Mental Illness Research Fund.

One Monash grant was won by Associate Professor Darryl Maybery of Monash University’s Department of Rural and Indigenous Health (MUDRIH) and Dr. Andrea Reupert from Education (Krongold Centre) with $1,855,891 awarded to continue their research into support services for parents with a mental illness. They were partnered in the grant by Northern Area Mental Health Services, Family Life Shine, Parenting Research Centre, The Bouverie Centre, Eastern Health, University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Beyond Blue, Neami, and SANE Australia.

The four-year project, ‘Developing an Australian-first recovery model for parents in Victorian mental health and family services’, will trial specific interventions that engage families and children within specialist mental health and family services.

Associate Professor Maybery said ‘the Australian-first approach was expected to deliver significant mental health and wellbeing benefits to both parents and their children’.

‘The key question to be addressed by this project is how we can improve longer-term recovery of people with severe mental illness by addressing their parenting role as a core part of their treatment,’ Associate Professor Maybery said.

‘We know that between 21 to 23 per cent of all children at some stage have a parent with a mental health problem.’

‘Family interventions have important mental illness prevention benefits for children.

The five funding recipients were chosen from 43 submissions, based on the strength of their collaboration across different sectors, including the active and ongoing involvement of clients, their carers and families.

Congratulations to Dr Julie Willems of MUDRIH on the release of two books in which she is co-author. The books are entitled ‘Global challenges and perspectives in blended distance learning’ and ‘Outlooks and opportunities in blended distance learning’. Well done, Julie!

Thanks to a generous Wildfire grant, I was able to attend the 2013 Conference for the Environment and Health held in Basel, Switzerland in August.  This conference brought together experts from across the world to discuss issues relating to the impact of the environment and climate change on human health.  I attended the conference in order to give an oral platform on “Preparing rural GPs and health services for climate change and extreme weather” which was research completed as a part of my Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours).

Basel is a city embracing environmentally friendly technologies and uses 100% renewable energy.  There is a strong focus on environmental preservation and strategies to minimise the impacts of the city on the environment.  With efficient public transport, cyclist friendly roads, and the River Rhine which is so clean that swimming is a popular local and tourist activity (a big change from the Yarra!), Basel is a fitting city to host such a conference.  Over 1700 clinicians, researchers and scientist from 70 countries across the globe converged on Basel for the conference week.

As the conference for the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, International Society for Indoor Air Quality and the International Society for Exposure Sciences, the topics discussed at the conference were broad and reflected the wide scope of impacts that the environment has on human health.

The conference was a valuable opportunity to learn about other research being done internationally regarding the environment and health.  It was also particularly interesting to hear about this research in a rural context, from both researchers based in Australia and elsewhere.  It offered the potential to learn from other projects, and also to receive suggestions on further directions for this research in Australia, with particular relevance to rural health.  It was fantastic to be able to meet people whose work and ideas had helped shape how I structured the research I did for my BMedSci.  There was a strong representation of Australian researchers from across different universities and it was inspiring to meet some of these people working in an Australian context.

The research I presented, “Preparing rural GPs and health services for climate change and extreme weather” was based in the South West of New South Wales.  The project explored the views of rural GPs as to the needs for preparing rural health services for climate change and extreme weather events.  It also sought to identify the perceptions of rural GPs on their role as advocates in their communities for extreme weather and climate change issues, both in relation to community and patient engagement, and in the forward planning of rural health services.

Attending the Conference for the Environment and Health was a valuable learning experience and I would like to thank Wildfire for the support of their grants program.

Rachael Purcell

Title of Seminar:
“The Mad, The Bad & The Sad”: Life courses of women transported to Tasmani, Dr Rebecca Kippen

Date:
Tuesday 1 October from 5-6pm

Venue:
At the Auditorium, School of Rural Health, Monash University, 26 Mercy St Bendigo

RSVP
by Monday 30 September to Cathy Ward or ring 03 5440 9082.

Please note seating is limited.

Dr Rebecca Kippen is an ARC Future Fellow and visiting Academic at Monash University.  Dr Kippen graduated with a PhD in Demography from the Australian National University in 2002 and currently holds an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship in the Centre for Health and Society at the University of Melbourne. Her two main research projects are ‘Epidemics, mortality and longevity in Tasmania, 1838-1930’ and ‘Convicts and Diggers: a demography of life courses, families and generations’.

Eli Ristevski attended the recent Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC)/International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer Conference.

It was held in Berlin, Germany and Eli presented a poster entitled: ‘Health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and skills in supportive care screening and referral: outcomes of an education program.’

The poster presentation has provided a basis for two key publications to come out of the study, one by the end of the year and the other planned for mid-2014. Eli said the conference reinforced to her that Australian research into cancer supportive care is world class.

The emphasis was on how different health care systems and policies can impact on patient care. For example, issues of travel, availability of services and even having the drugs to treat people.

Differences in cultural meanings associated with cancer are an issue, where families can request that a patient is not told they have cancer.

Eli felt this was a challenge to her personal and professional beliefs about patient care, patient involvement in decision making, information seeking and provision, confidentiality and the role of the family in the care trajectory. Patient care issues around the world demonstrate how different health systems can achieve different health outcomes for people.

A reminder that the Academic Conference Attendance and Funding Guidelines and Application Form can be accessed on the Staff Intranet.

As stated in one of Judi Walker’s recent communiques, the Ethics Application Flowchart is now available on the School of Rural Health Intranet.

All Monash Ethics applications, Multi-Centre applications or external applications need to follow the process on the flowchart.

A reminder that you can also find the flowcharts for grant and contract research applications which outline the process for submitting grants and establishing contracts for research projects.

Please contact Cathy Ward if you have any questions about these processes.

Following are research funding opportunities available in the next three months, identified by the existing School of Rural Health searches on Research Professional.  Remember, if you would like to learn more about Research Professional please contact Helen Chambers or Cathy Ward who can help you set up specific searches or alerts for your particular area.

Research grants – Financial Markets Foundation for Children
Grants support projects that aim to improve the health, well-being and welfare of children in Australia. The foundation generally awards grants of between AU$50,000 and AU$80,000 for up to two years. This award is listed in the Australian Competitive Grants Register (ACGR) – research income Category 1.
Closing date: 30 Sep 13

Beat cancer hospital research grants – Cancer Council South Australia
These support cancer research and integration of translational research activities into health outcomes. Grants are worth up to AU$250,000 per year for a period up to five years. Equivalent matched financial support from a partnering source is required.
Closing date: 30 Sep 13

Focus grant – Heart Foundation of Australia
This supports research projects that specifically address research questions identified by the foundation and deliver information that can inform the future work of the foundation.  The grant is worth up to AU$150,000.
Closing date: 01 Oct 13

Clinical placement scholarships  – Australian Department of Health and Ageing
These support allied health and oral health students to undertake a clinical placement in a rural or remote Australian community during their degree. Scholarships are worth up to AU$11,000 for a maximum period of six weeks.
Closing date: 08 Oct 13

Honours grants – National Stroke Foundation Australia
These are for honours students undertaking a thesis in the area of stroke research. Grants will be made to students in the areas of allied health, nursing and basic science. The value of the grant is AU$3,000.
Closing date: 17 Oct 13

Travel grants – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
These enable Australian early-stage researchers or allied health and nursing professionals to travel to research institutions or scientific meetings for the purpose of furthering their expertise on type 1 diabetes. Grants are worth up to AU$2,000 for domestic travel or up to AU$4,000 for international travel.
Closing date: 18 Oct 13

Accelerator research grants – National Breast Cancer Foundation
These enable research teams to further develop cancer research capacity and competitiveness in translational research. Grants are worth up to AU$250,000 per year for up to five years.
Closing date: 18 Oct 13

Robert Pierce grant-in-aid for indigenous lung health – Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
This supports a project focused on understanding and improving the lung health of indigenous people in Australia or New Zealand. Grants are worth AU$15,000 for one year.
Closing date: 16 Nov 13 (Forecast)

Lizotte family research award for interstitial pulmonary fibrosis research – Australian Lung Foundation
This aims to assist research in interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.  The award is worth AU$5,000.
Closing date: 19 Nov 13 (Forecast)

Future fellowships – Australian Research Council
These encourage mid-career researchers to build collaborations across institutions and disciplines by conducting innovative research. Each investigator’s administering organisation will receive up to AU$50,000 annually to support research related infrastructure, equipment, travel and relocation costs. Fellows can receive up to AU$203,248 per year for up to four years.
Closing date: 30 Nov 13 (Forecast)

Note: MRO Closing date is early-mid Nov (tbc)
For further information, go to the Staff Intranet.
Contact: Michelle Armstrong

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report late in August, titled ‘Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2011-12.’

Almost 700 agencies provided more than 150,000 treatment episodes for alcohol and other drug issues in Australia in 2011-12.

Most of the closed episodes provided in 2011-12 were for clients receiving treatment for their own drug use, and these clients tended to be male and in their 20s and 30s.

Alcohol was the most common principal drug of concern, accounting for almost half of these closed episodes, and counselling was the most common type of treatment.

View the media release and download the full report for free online.

There was plenty of networking at the Research Soiree.

Monash and La Trobe Universities have a proven track record of working together in North-West Victoria.

This was evident at a Research Soiree held recently in Bendigo to give staff an opportunity to exchange news about current research activities, share ideas for future research collaborations, renew old acquaintances and make contacts. Approximately 50 staff from both universities attended.

A proposed joint Research Bootcamp from 20-24 January 2014 based in Bendigo received strong support from attendees who provided plenty of suggestions for activities to include in the program.

Cathy Ward will be working with Jacquie Randles from La Trobe University to finalise a program in the next month.