The SSSHARC Research Impact Accelerator (RIA) delivers the University’s strategic vision for research excellence through supporting ambitious and innovative research projects that have a demonstrable potential for translation and application.
The SSSHARC RIA is a nine month program designed for interdisciplinary and cross functional teams to plan the social impact of their research from the outset of their project. The program offers project leads and their teams development opportunities, mentoring, administrative, and financial support.
Since its launch in 2024, the RIA has been proven to improve research collaboration and generate impact that is scalable and translatable.
Up to five project teams will receive support to develop and implement their research impact and translation visions. Each team will participate in three dedicated workshops.
Subject to meeting threshold requirements, teams will then be assigned a dedicated Research Support Officer to assist them in executing the activities plan in Phase 3 and may access up to $5,000 in funding for approved activities.
Applications are open for the 2026 round.
To ensure that you are best placed to succeed in your application, please:
Successful applicants will be notified by Friday, 13 March. Project teams must be able to attend all of the RIA’s key dates.
| Date | Program component | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Mar – 31 Mar | Phase 1 | Collaborative Foundations Workshop: half-day workshop to acquaint teams, identify opportunities, clarify impact vision and establish project benchmarks |
| 31 Mar – 12 Apr | Phase 1 | Team members meet after workshop 1 and collectively forge a definition of success and a working plan |
| Date | Program component | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr - 24 Apr | Phase 2 | Research Impact Canvas Workshop: half-day workshop clarifying impact pathways |
| 27 Apr – 8 May | Phase 2 | Team members fill out collaboration charter and submit to the SSSHARC team |
| Date | Program component | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May – 22 May | Phase 3 | Forward Planning Workshop: Two-hour 1:1 session with each team to review the collaboration charter, develop a roadmap, budget, and schedule for strategic research and impact activities |
| 25 May – 29 May | Phase 3 | Teams finalise their documentation for submission on 29 May |
| 8 June | Threshold Evaluation | Determines continuation in the program |
| Date | Program component | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Jun – Sep | Phase 4 | Schedule of strategic research impact activities to be delivered by team members with the support of a dedicated SSSHARC Project Officer with up to $5000 funding available for direct costs. |
| Nov – Dec | Phase 4 | Self-evaluation Final budget acquittal, future planning and reflection on progress |
We strongly encourage all interested applicants to attend our online information session:
Friday, 13 February, 12:30 – 1:30 via zoom
Questions
sssharc.research@sydney.edu.au
The project team consists of members from the Sydney College of the Arts, the University of Sydney, and social enterprise The Darkroom Social.
The research team includes:
The project goal is to transform image-making into an environmentally responsible practice by reducing chemical toxicity and promoting sustainable alternatives. Our research addresses these challenges head-on, promoting ethical, informed image-making for artists, educators, and the global photography community.
Digital and analogue photography have significant environmental consequences. While digital photography is often perceived as immaterial, it relies on extractive industries, energy-intensive data centres, and water-dependent cooling systems. Analogue photography, on the other hand, involves chemical processes that can contaminate waterways and ecosystems.
In response, a growing international community of photographers and artists has embraced plant-based 'eco-developers' as a sustainable alternative to traditional analogue photography.
The research team have been examining the ecological footprint of plant-based developers used in analogue photography. Preliminary findings suggest that, despite their reputation as sustainable alternatives, these developers may produce significant silver nanoparticle waste, posing significant risks to water systems and soil health. Read more about the project here.
Led by Dr Anna Noonan (SSRH), this project aims to realise universal sexual and reproductive rights in Australia by future-proofing abortion access and autonomy for all people, including those populations without Medicare or autonomous healthcare decision-making capacity.
Drawing on the expertise of researchers working in critical abortion and medical studies, community co-design, and lived-experience methodologies, this team aims to develop resilience strategies that protect and promote abortion access for people with current or recent experience of the justice system, people seeking asylum, and international students.
This project had its inception in a SSSHARC Huddle in 2023. It received Proof of Concept funding from Commercialization in 2024 for a data visualisation tool mapping abortion deserts in Australia, and had a spin-off podcast project in the RIA 2025. The team also includes partners in Canada and Mexico, including a USYD HDR student currently at UBC, and Honours students in Social Work to be supervised by Sue Goodwin.
Led by Dr Nikki Brunker (SSESW), this project aims to enable equitable schooling by changing the discourse around the types of evidence required to improve pedagogy in classrooms.
The team includes education and curriculum designers, staff with experience with the NSW Department of Education (Michelle Hostrup), and sector leaders (Virgina Moller, Steiner Education Australia), who will work together to establish a program of research and engagement activities to build awareness and support teachers and school leaders on the need for contextualized evidence practices. HDR student Grant Sciberras is also on the team.
Led by Dr Victoria Rawlings (SSESW) in collaboration with SHINE SA (formerly Family Planning SA), this project has a vision to improve student wellbeing across Australia through the development of professional training for teachers involved in sexual and relationship wellbeing education.
Made up of a combination of education researchers, professional staff and research students, this team has experience researching gendered violence in Australian classrooms and will apply their knowledge to delivering teaching and learning resources to approximately 200 South Australian teachers.
The project builds on Dr Rawlings current DCJ Sexual Violence Prevention project and includes Jacqueline Ullman (UWS), Barrie Shannon, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of South Australia Education Futures Academy, USyd HDR Lydia Fagan and Aisha Malik (SSSHARC Social Enterprise Program Manager).
Led by Associate Professor Christine Preston (SSESW), this project seeks to enrich science/STEM learning for all children from the start of school, regardless of social status, school system, or location.
Combining the expertise of education and pedagogy academics and research students with the technical expertise of professional staff working in user experience, this team will create a research-based, classroom developed, teacher friendly and easily accessible online resource of the Sci-5 program of materials.
Grounded in the belief that all children deserve to experience stimulating science learning at all levels of school, this project seeks to cultivate STEM literacy across the population through thought provoking learning experiences and accessible resources. The team also includes Jennifer Way (SSESW), Nina Goodwin (SSESW), Helen Geogiou (Wollongong) and Xiaoqing Zu (HDR).
