Latest news, research and events from the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne
Happy Holidays from the Melbourne Disability Institute!
We would like to thank each of you for your support this year and wish this community a happy holiday season and new year!
As we head into 2021, we want to let you know that Tessa de Vries will be resigning her role as Institute Manager to take up a position at the Mansfield Autism Statewide Service, effective 31 January 2021. This is a wonderful opportunity for Tessa, as she has wanted to live and work in the country for many years. Tessa has been integral to the establishment of MDI and we would like to thank her for her many, many contributions and especially the positive reputation and close networks she has helped MDI establish. The good news is that Tessa will not be leaving us completely. She will continue to coordinate the National Disability Research Partnership, helping to build a national collaborative network of researchers interested in disability, as she has helped to achieve at the University.
This means we will be recruiting a new Institute Manager. The advertisement can be viewed here or in the newsletter below. If you know of anyone who is interested in disability research, is a good project manager and relationship builder who might be looking for their next role, we would love to hear from them.
We are looking forward to 2021, after all of the disruptions and dislocation during 2020. We have a number of exciting initiatives we are developing and we will be using the next few months to think about other potential ways for MDI to better support interdisciplinary disability research on campus. As always we welcome your feedback, thoughts and suggestions.
Cheers!
The Melbourne Disability Institute
We're Hiring! The Melbourne Disability Institute is hiring a General Manager to drive the MDI's mission and agenda to position the University as a leader in research that improves outcomes for people with disability and their families.
The General Manager will have high level skills in strategic thinking and planning; demonstrated excellence in building productive relationships and partnerships with diverse stakeholders; outstanding written and oral communication
skills; experience in managing professional staff; high-level leadership skills, and, outstanding project management capabilities, including the capacity to juggle priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Read more about the role here or contact us with any questions.
md-i@unimelb.edu.au
Congratulations to the new round of Community Based Research Scheme recipients!
The Melbourne Disability Institute's Community Based Research Scheme is designed to encourage and support the evaluation and research of innovative ideas in the broader disability community.
We are delighted to announce the eight projects that have been selected for a research partnership. Congratulations to UsherKids Australia, We Are Vivid, Horses For Hope, Accessible Beaches Australia, Mansfield Autism Statewide Service, Inclusion Melbourne, Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria and Down Syndrome Victoria.
NDRP: APO Disability Research Collection and Newsletter
The NDRP and Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO) have established a Disability Research Collection. The Collection will aim to share evidence and knowledge on a range of topics for policy makers, researchers, advocates, people with disability
and their families and carers, service providers and practitioners.
You can view the collection on the APO website here or sign up the NDRP's monthly newsletter featuring the latest additions to the collection, guest editorials and news updates.
Building Better Homes Campaign
Earlier this month the Building Better Homes Campaign launched a new website to kick-start the campaign to change the National Building Code.
The next few months will be critical in the fight for more accessible housing, with Building Ministers due to meet early in 2021 to decide whether to change the Code. We urge you to get involved and share the campaign with your networks.
Every Australian deserves a home which is safe, secure and meets their needs. Help make it happen.
Dame Kate Campbell Fellowship Congratulations to Professor Anne Kavanagh and Dr Tania King
Dame Kate Fellowships recognise and reward outstanding research performance. This year's Fellows were selected for their incredible contributions through outstanding research and wider involvement in the local community and the world stage. We are delighted that two disability researchers were recognised in this way, and our heartfelt congratulations go out to both Anne and Tania.
Imagining a new way forward: a discussion about the future of disability research, policy and practice
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our webinar discussion on the eve of the International Day for People with Disability. We had a robust chat with a powerhouse group of panellists on opportunities to reshape the landscape for disability research, policy and practice and what the roadmap could look like to achieve a more inclusive and resilient Australia by 2030.
If you missed it the first time, or want to re-watch the conversation, you can now view the recording, listen to the audio and read the transcript of the event on our website.
Upcoming events and opportunities
Find out about opportunities and events that are happening in the community below. Interested in promoting your event, sharing a job posting, research opportunity or another item of interest? Send the details through to Sara.Donaldson@unimelb.edu.au.
New podcast series launched | One Screened Every Minute
A new Australian podcast, One screened every minute, brings you urgent conversations with ordinary people who have received extraordinary information about chromosomal differences in their pregnancy. One screened every minute is supported by The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Disability Institute and The Vasudhara Foundation.
All six episodes are available today on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you do your listening.
The inaugural Department of Paediatrics Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Child Health Research PhD Scholarship | PhD opportunity | Closing date 11 Jan 2021
This PhD opportunity is focusing on the design, validation and evaluation of a psychometric measure to evaluate developmental outcomes in Australian Aboriginal children.
This project is a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Northern Territory (NT) Department of Education, Nunkuwarrin Yunti Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation and Victorian agencies.
Job Opportunity | Senior Policy Advisor
The Brotherhood of St Laurence is looking for a professional Senior Policy Advisor to lead the development of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) policy work within their Inclusive Communities research theme and strategic framework. Working closely with people with a disability, BSL NDIS Services Managers, organisations within the disability sector and academic partners, the Senior Policy Advisor will harness insights from BSL’s service delivery experience in relation to the NDIS, as well as the latest research and policy literature to develop evidence based policy and programmatic responses to key initiatives.
The Melbourne Disability Institute was established in 2018 to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary and translational research program to improve the lives of people with disability. The MDI program of research aims to capitalise on national reforms and active partnerships with the disability sector to deliver evidence for change and is centered around providing much-needed evidence for the disability sector and broader community to address the complex problems facing people with disability, their families and carers.
