The project - Bushfires, Social Connectedness and Mental Health - is one of 24 projects from the University of Melbourne which received more than $7 million in funding in round two of the ARC Linkage Projects scheme, announced today by Senator Kim Carr, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

The research will increase our understanding of long-term disaster recovery needs for individuals and communities affected by the Black Saturday bushfires.

Following the devastation of the bushfires, University of Melbourne researchers established a working group to determine what contribution could be made to bushfire recovery efforts. The ARC grant will allow researchers to gather crucial information to help to understand long term individual and community recovery needs.

“It is important that as a community we understand the factors that lead to the best possible recovery for people affected by natural disasters,” says Professor Elizabeth Waters, Director of the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, University of Melbourne, and Principal Investigator of the study.

As part of the project, the team will conduct comprehensive community surveys and interviews with children, adolescents and adults from affected and unaffected regions. The five–year study will involve partners including health and community organisations from bushfire affected communities, the Australian Red Cross, Australian Rotary Health, Centrelink, the Victorian Department of Health, Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, University of New South Wales and Flinders University.

“A novel aspect of the study is its focus on the interaction between recovery at an individual level and recovery at a community level,” says Professor Waters.

Dr Lisa Gibbs, also from the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program and manager of the study says the research will ultimately give us a better understanding of the recovery process and how to improve it.

“Therefore, as a community, we will be better prepared to cope with future natural disasters,” she says.

University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Rathjen says the project is a great example of what the ARC Linkage Projects grants are designed to encourage – innovative collaborative research between Universities and partner organisations.

“These Linkage awards show how our high quality research programs, developed in partnership with companies and government, can deliver results of benefit to society.”

The University of Melbourne received $7.4 million in round two of the ARC Linkage Projects scheme – the highest funding received by a research institute in Victoria.

Other projects to receive funding include:

• A/Professor Jane Fisher, School of Population Health, on understanding fertility management in Australia
• Professor Iven Mareels, Engineering, on the impact of mass-adoption of electric cars on the Australian electricity grid
• Professor Kim Dovey, Architecture, Building and Planning on intensifying places: transit-oriented urban design for resilient Australian cities
• Dr Kirsten Parris,  Botany, on the impact of severe bushfires on the ecology, demography and genetics of frogs