Research highlights
2019 Key metrics, achievements and initiatives
- Total research income had been relatively stable over the period (2014-2017) at ~$20.5M - $22M p.a. The most recent completed year HERDC data (for 2018) shows an increase of research income for HaBS to ~$24.5 M (cf. $20.1M for 2017). This increase is a consequence of improvements in each of Cats 1-3 income.
- While final data are not yet available for 2019 there have been a number of major grant successes in the past year. These have included:
- $4.4M for QAEHS from ACIC for National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program
- $3.5M for Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research from the Commonwealth Department of Health for core research on youth substance abuse.
- MRFF Million Minds project ~$0.5M to Leanne Hides and Vanessa Cobham (Psychology) as co-CIs
- NHMRC Investigator grants to Dr Gary Chan (Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research) and Dr Sarah Wallace (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences).
- One successful NHMRC Ideas Grant ($491,452 to Greg Monteith in Pharmacy) and three successful PFAS Targeted Call grants totaling $3,584,842 (to researchers in QAEHS).
- US Strategic Environmental Research and Development program funding to Sarit Kaserzon (QAEHS)
- An ARC Future Fellowship for 2020 to A/Prof Glen Lichtwark (HMNS) and ARC DECRAs for Dr Luke Kelly (HMNS) and Dr Nathan Evans (Psychology)
- Seven ARC Discovery Grants to commence in 2020 totalling $2.8M with CIs from four different Schools/Centres within the Faculty.
- Australian Research Council Linkage projects led by Dr Genevieve Dingle (Psychology), Dr Guy Wallis (Human Movement and Sport Sciences), Dr Sarit Kaserzon (Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences) and Professor Kevin Thomas (Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences) (ARC funding - $1.4M).
- Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards- $426,770 to Dr Nathan Evans (UQ School of Psychology) to enhance our understanding of everyday thinking through experimental cognitive science and $400,000 to Dr Luke Kelly (School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences) to explore the relationship between foot morphology and foot function.
- A number of new senior appointments commencing in 2020 will also bring external grant funding with them, the largest of these being ~$11.3M in funding to transfer with the appointment of Prof James Ward to the Poche Centre/SPH.
- Significant philanthropic support for research has also been secured in 2019 - the largest being the $1M from the Bowness Foundation to support the establishment of the Qld Aphasia Research Centre
- The research of a number of HaBS staff was recognised through external awards and fellowships in 2019.
- Professor Paul Hodges (School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences) was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
- Professor Murray Phillips (HMNS) was elected an International Fellow of the American (National) Academy of Kinesiology
- Professor Stephen Birch (Centre for the Business & Economics of Health) was awarded the 2019 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Distinguished Scientist Award for Behavioural, Epidemiologic and Health Services Research.
- Dr David Klyne (Health & Rehabilitation Sciences) was awarded a 2019 Fulbright Scholarship
- Dr Arosha Weerakoon (Dentistry) won the 2019 Universities Australia ‘Pitch it Clever’ competition
- A number of HaBS staff were also recognised with UQ Research Awards for 2019.
- Prof Barbara Masser (Psychology) received a Partners in Research Excellence Award (with Red Cross Blood Service);
- Professor Louise Hickson et al. (Health & Rehabilitation Sciences) received a Partners in Research Excellence Commendation (with Sonova Pty Ltd);
- Associate Professor Sean Tweedy et al. (Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences) received a Partners in Research Excellence Commendation (with the International Paralympic Committee);
- Associate Professor Irina Vetter (Pharmacy/IMB) received an Excellence in HDR Student Supervision award.
- Internal research funding rounds were completed in 2019 to seed research on HaBS-Medicine collaborations; internal HaBS collaborations; Indigenous health (via the Poche Centre); and research on the economic and health values of student placements. A commitment was also made to a joint seed funding scheme with EAIT for 2021.
- In addition to usual grant writing support and readership schemes, workshops on wearable devices and mobile apps were also hosted throughout 2019.
- Faculty-wide research sharing sessions were conducted for Level C and D academic staff over the past year.
- Commitment to collaborative seed-funding schemes with FoM, EAIT and internal to HaBS.