Four research teams led out of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences have secured more than $2.2 million in funding through the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects, working alongside partners including Corrective Services NSW, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, the Telstra Foundation and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The projects, spanning prison education, youth justice, First Nations cultural heritage and disability-led community building, are a timely reminder of what's possible when research is shaped through genuine partnership with the organisations and communities it aims to benefit.
These projects also reflect the kind of research the Faculty is actively working to grow. They build on groundwork laid during an earlier strategic push to diversify the Faculty's research income, while signalling where that work is headed next, helping more researchers build partnerships, visibility and sector relationships that open up funding beyond traditional Category 1 schemes.
Dr Jedidiah Evans (School of Art, Communication and English) and Corrective Services NSW, will develop The Moral Emotions Inside Initiative, a project addressing the lack of meaningful education and development opportunities for women in the NSW prison system. Using participatory action research, Dr Evans and his team will examine how an innovative humanistic education program affects the wellbeing of incarcerated women, generating an evidence base and lived-experience-informed recommendations expected to inform prison reform for women nationally.
Associate Professor Justine Humphry (School of Art, Communication and English), partnering with Youth Justice NSW, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, the Telstra Foundation and the Youth Action & Policy Association NSW will research Digital Media for Youth Justice: Co-producing media for education and policy. The project will work directly with young people in the justice system, more than half of them First Nations, to co-produce media and build evidence-based digital safety education. The goal is better, sector-wide prevention strategies for justice-involved young people across Australia.
Dr Amy Mosig Way (School of Humanities, and the Net Zero Institute) in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rock Art Australia and the Australian Museum will focus on Ancient Baaka: Strengthening culture through deep-time knowledge. The project brings Barkindji knowledge holders and archaeologists together at Kinchega and Paroo-Darling National Parks — the first archaeological project of its kind designed specifically to inform the legislative revival of Native Title rights in NSW national parks. Outcomes will include new evidence of 30,000 years of economic and artistic practice, a community-led conservation program, and a Living Culture Plan supporting Native Title reactivation.
Associate Professor Emma Tseris (School of Education and Social Work) will work with the Community Disability Alliance Hunter on Disability-led community building to transform social inclusion. Moving beyond individualised service models, the project takes a disability-led approach to co-designing strategies for peer support, community networks and social inclusion — culminating in a public exhibition and practice frameworks intended to guide disability-led community development more broadly. Together, these four projects reflect the applied, partnership-driven research the Faculty wants to see more of - work that pairs academic rigour with organisations tackling real-world challenges, translating into policy influence, sector practice and public benefit well beyond the life of the grant.
These awards reflect the breadth, excellence and impact of FASS research. Through strong partnerships with communities, organisations and government, our researchers are generating knowledge that addresses critical social challenges and creates meaningful benefits for people across Australia.
Professor Lisa Adkins
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
"These awards reflect the breadth, excellence and impact of FASS research. Through strong partnerships with communities, organisations and government, our researchers are generating knowledge that addresses critical social challenges and creates meaningful benefits for people across Australia.” said Professor Lisa Adkins, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
While ARC Linkage funding will always be finite and highly competitive, there is significant scope for FASS researchers to build the kinds of partnerships with industry, government and community organisations that underpin other, less-constrained funding pathways.
The faculty will deepen its investment in partnered research with the recent appointment of Associate Professor Russell Toth as the inaugural Director of Engaged Research Development. In this role, he will help raise the visibility of the Faculty’s research strengths across its Schools and Flagship Centres, support researchers to build compelling public profiles, and strengthen the brokerage, partnership development, and negotiation support available as new collaborations emerge.
Congratulations to Dr Evans, Associate Professor Humphry, Dr Way and Associate Professor Tseris, and to the many partner organisations backing this work.
For more information on FASS's research partnership initiatives, contact the Faculty's Research Office.