ARC success for Arts & Social Sciences researchers

UNSW Arts & Social Sciences’ commitment to quality research has again been rewarded with a number of grants announced in the latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) funding.

The announcement comes after it was found that former Education Minister Senator Birmingham vetoed 11 grants for research projects in the humanities and social sciences in late 2017 and early 2018 – including three from UNSW. It was the first time a Minister had deployed such powers in more than a decade.

Overall, UNSW Sydney researchers have won the highest amount of ARC funding in Australia.

UNSW led with 88 grants, including seven from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. The Faculty’s research projects span clean energy, deforestation, the NDIS and street-harassment.

This year, the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences was particularly pleased to welcome two Discovery Early Career Research Awards (DECRA).

Nine current researchers from UNSW Arts & Social Sciences are also involved in successful grants which are administered by other faculties or universities.

UNSW Dean of Arts & Social Science, Professor Susan Dodds, congratulated the University’s researchers on securing grants and funding in this round.

“This is an excellent result, reflecting the depth and breadth of UNSW Arts & Social Sciences research.

“The outcome reminds us of the importance of pursuing high quality research and not allowing the pursuit of research excellence to be distorted by the short-term preferences of governments.

“I am especially pleased that two of our early career researchers have been successful in securing DECRAs.”

The following Arts & Social Sciences academics have been successful in the latest round of ARC grant awards.

Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA)

Dr Michael Richardson from the School of the Arts & Media was successful for a project that will investigate how drones are changing the way we bear witness and determine the meaning, importance and truth of events ($363,182).

Dr Bianca Fileborn from the School of Social Sciences was successful for a project which focused on developing victim-centred conceptualisations of justice in response to street harassment ($389,000).       

Discovery grants

Associate Professor Elizabeth Thurbon from the School of Social Sciences and colleagues were successful for a project entitled East Asia's clean energy shift: enablers, obstacles, outcomes and lessons ($301,000).

Professor Helen Groth and Professor Julian Murphet from the School of the Arts & Media and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Rioting and the literary archive ($196,000).

Professor Alison Bashford from the School of Humanities & Languages was successful for a project entitled The Huxleys and global science, 1825-1975 ($157,447).      

Professor Eileen Baldry from the School of Social Sciences and colleague were successful for a project entitled Housing Sex Offenders ($266,000).

Professor Alexander Broom, Dr Emma Kirby and Dr Katherine Kenny from the Centre for Social Research in Health and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Precision and the person: a sociological study of innovation in cancer care ($470,650).

Discovery grants featuring a UNSW team member

Associate Professor Anne Bartlett from the School of Humanities & Languages and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Improving payments for ecosystem services efficacy ($579,239).

Professor Deborah Lupton (joining UNSW Arts & Social Sciences as a SHARP Professor in 2018) and colleague were successful for a project entitled Living with personal data ($287,865, led by University of Canberra).

Dr Andy Kaladelfos from the School of Social Sciences and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Australian violence: understanding victimisation through history ($388,904, led by Griffith University).

Dr Richard Niesche and Dr Scott Eacott from the School of Education and colleagues were successful for a project entitled School autonomy reform and Australian public education ($340,692, led by Deakin University).

Associate Professor Tanja Dreher from the School of the Arts & Media and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Breaking silences: media and the Child Abuse Royal Commission ($284,000, led by University of Canberra).

Discovery grants from the Centre for Social Research in Health

Professor Alexander Broom from the Centre for Social Research in Health and colleague were successful for a project entitled Antimicrobial resistance, inequality and development in India ($408,000, led by The Australian National University).

Associate Professor Zhiming Cheng from Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Research Centre and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Demographic and social dimensions of migrant ageing and wellbeing in Australia ($478,000, led by Macquarie University).

Discovery grants from the Social Policy Research Centre

Professor Karen Fisher from the Social Policy Research Centre and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Making complex interfaces work for the national disability insurance scheme ($244,522, led by Griffith University).

Dr Jennifer Skattebol from the Social Policy Research Centre and colleagues were successful for a project entitled Social exclusion in adolescence: risks, assets, experiences and policy action ($437,088, led by Flinders University).