Latest news, research and events from the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne
Questions about the Community-Based Research Scheme?
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Funding Opportunity | Community-Based Research
The next round of Community-Based Research Scheme is now open for applications. This scheme aims to meet the research needs of community organisations by providing research support and evaluation of innovative programs that are making a difference in the lives of people with disability, their families and carers.
Research support provided through the Scheme may include a scoping report, literature review, data analysis and a small research project done in partnership with University of Melbourne researchers.
We are inviting applications from organisations who are running programs that are building the capacity of people with disability, their family or carers, to live engaged, self-directed and fulfilling lives.
Applications close Friday, 13 November.
Community-Based Research | Round 1 and 2
Project Summaries and Outcomes
The Community Based Research scheme, which first launched in 2019 to help build evidence in the disability sector, has supported 11 projects in the first two rounds of funding.
In our recent showcase, 5 organisations who have completed projects presented their programs and research findings; spanning the impact of sport, building social connections, setting up micro-enterprises through to improving workplace skills. The Scheme is helping to support initiatives that are making a difference and delivering evidence of the positive impact on peoples’ lives.
Read more about the projects funded in the first two rounds, including summaries of the research findings and recommendations.
National Disability Research Partnership | Research Agenda Update
We're pleased to announce that the University of Sydney is leading an inclusive consortium to deliver a national disability research agenda that will see research significantly enhance the lives of people with disability, their families and carers through policy and practice.The research agenda will be developed from a broad and deep consultation led by lived experience and a strong review and prioritisation methodology. Co-production and collaboration are embedded in the culture, practices and structure of the project. You can read more about the partnership and the next steps for the research agenda on the NDRP website here. Please make sure to follow along and join the conversation on Twitter with #AusDisAbilityResearch
National Disability Research Partnership | New Working Party Members
We're also very pleased to announce that the NDRP working group is growing. Please join us in welcoming Ms Ellen Fraser-Barbour, Dr Scott Avery and Ms Christina Ryan. Ellen, Scott and Christina bring lived experience and expertise in advocacy to the working party, which is made up of academics, industry leaders and people with lived experience.
You can read their full biographies on the NDRP website here.
At the end of August, the Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI) and the Summer Foundation lodged a submission in response to the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) Accessible Housing Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), which addressed a proposal to include minimum accessibility standards for housing in the National Construction Code (NCC). The original submission included three important pieces of research, in order to further inform the ABCB and Ministers on the importance of minimum accessibility housing
standards: 1. an independent review by two economists, Mr Andrew Dalton and Emeritus Professor Rob Carter, of the social cost benefit analysis undertaken by the Centre for International Economics (CIE) for the ABCB. 2. a study by Dr Ilan Wiesel from the University of Melbourne entitled, Lived experience and social, health and economic impacts of accessible housing, which includes 1187 survey responses and 45 in-depth interviews, providing some of the most comprehensive data ever collected in Australia about the lived experience of people with a disability living in accessible or inaccessible housing. 3. an audit of accessible features in
20 new build, high volume house plans, by Dr Di Winkler and Mr Tom Greaves from the Summer Foundation and Dr Andrew Martel and Mr Yizi Chen from the University of Melbourne. Since we lodged our initial submission, our team has had a constructive meeting with representatives of the ABCB and CIE and we have now provided them with a final report from Dr Ilan Wiesel's study entitled Lived experience and social, health and economic impacts of accessible housing as well as a supplemental report which adds further weight to our core recommendation that governments set minimum mandatory standards for accessible housing at the Gold (LHDG) standard. Over the coming months, the MDI and the Summer Foundation will continue to work to build support for this position. In the meantime, you can access more information about this effort, along with copies of our submission, on our
website or by using the links below.
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.
ONEINFIVE PodcastAt the end of last year, MDI launched ONEINFIVE, a new podcast which explores some of the most complex issues facing people with disability today. All seven episodes are available for download through
iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Pocketcasts or RSS
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.
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