9 December, 2020
Over $70,000 in grants for social science researchers.
Eight projects will receive over $70,000 in funding from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia’s 2021 Workshop Program.
President of the Academy Professor Jane Hall congratulated grant recipients whose proposals were selected from a competitive field of applications.
“Each workshop will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners from academia, government, business and community organisations to advance research and policy agendas on some of the biggest issues facing Australia today: including COVID-19 to international relations in the Asia region, urban development and parenting support”, she said.
The Academy supports up to eight workshops each year with funding and other support. The workshops are typically run over two-days and aim to foster innovative ideas on areas of importance to the social science disciplines or for social policy. They identify areas for further research and demonstrate the practical utility of the social sciences.
The program also provides valuable opportunities to engage young researchers in the Academy’s activities, a group particularly hard-hit by COVID-19 related job losses. A record number of 43 early to mid-career researchers will participate in this year’s program:
“Our young researchers provide the critical pipeline for future talent and expertise. This is not only a huge opportunity for them to be mentored by an Academy Fellow and rapidly expand their networks, but their participation will also add new, fresh perspectives to each topic,” Professor Hall said.
Dr Anna Kosovac from the University of Melbourne is the leader of one of the successful workshops that will draw heavily on the perspectives of early-career researchers to reimagine the future of water management in Melbourne.
“Water has traditionally been managed within the realm of the natural sciences and engineering, with limited involvement from the social sciences. Our workshop will bring the disciplines together to build networks, identify collaboration opportunities and to solve common problems within water planning,” Dr Kosovac says.
Professor Matthew Sanders, Director of the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland, will lead a workshop to initiate the first ever decadal plan for Best Practice in Parenting Support (parenting research).
“Over the next decade, families face unprecedented changes. It is critical that research, policy and practice work together to provide the best possible support to parents during this time. Our workshop will develop a roadmap for parenting research collaboration over the next 10 years” Professor Sanders says.
Academy Fellow Professor Anthony Milner will lead a workshop to promote dialogue between specialists in international relations and Asian studies on key regional strategic issues.
“Assessment of international dynamics in the Asian region matters more than ever, now that United States leadership is under challenge. The time is right for Australian analysts to debate the approaches we take in interpreting Asian developments”, says Professor Milner.
Over the past 30 years the Academy is pleased to have been the catalyst for over 180 workshops involving thousands of leading experts across Australia. It continues to be an exciting and integral means of delivering on the Academy’s goal to recognise and champion excellence in the social sciences.
See the full list of 2021 grant recipients at: https://socialsciences.org.au/workshops