The funding will support collaborations between academics, health services and community organisations to help turn research into better care.
UNSW Sydney researchers have received more than $3.5 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Projects scheme .
The three successful projects will investigate ways to improve health services and care for people affected by congenital syphilis, improve HIV prevention and address mental health challenges among refugees.
Led by researchers from the faculties of Medicine & Health, Arts, Design & Architecture and Science, the three projects received a combined $3,503,039 in funding.
The Partnership Projects scheme supports research collaborations that address specific health questions and translate findings into changes in the delivery, organisation, funding and access to health services.
The UNSW projects will be delivered in partnership with community organisations, health departments and service providers, helping ensure the research can inform health policy and practice.
UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Professor Bronwyn Fox, said the projects reflected the University's commitment to collaborative research with real-world impact.
"Partnerships are essential to ensuring research delivers meaningful benefits for communities," Prof. Fox said.
"By working closely with the people and services at the centre of complex health issues, UNSW researchers are helping translate evidence into practical improvements in health care and better outcomes for communities across Australia."
NHMRC Acting CEO Prue Torrance said: "NHMRC-funded researchers are strongly encouraged to collaborate with partners whose decisions and actions shape health services, health policy and the delivery of care.
"The Partnership Projects receiving funding today have the potential to do that, and to ultimately improve the health of all Australians through research translation into better health care."
Congenital syphilis prevention and health equity
Dr Belinda Hengel from Kirby Institute received $1,301,879 for a project investigating gaps in congenital syphilis prevention and health equity.
Syphilis has increased substantially among women over the past decade, contributing to transmission to babies during pregnancy and stillbirths. The project will work with community organisations and health departments to identify gaps in syphilis testing during pregnancy, understand the reasons behind them and develop strategies to address the growing epidemic.
"Congenital syphilis is preventable, yet we are seeing the devastating consequences when opportunities to diagnose and treat syphilis during pregnancy are missed. This research will help us understand where those opportunities are being lost and, importantly, what we can do differently," Dr Hengel said.
"Syphilis does not affect everyone equally. Factors such as unstable housing, racism, discrimination and substance use can increase people's vulnerability to infection, while also creating barriers to accessing testing and treatment."
Improving HIV testing and prevention
Professor Martin Holt from UNSW's Centre for Social Research in Health received $1,288,412 for a project focused on improving HIV testing and prevention among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
The project will use collaborative research with 12 community organisations and government health departments to address disparities in HIV testing and prevention, while strengthening responses to emerging health threats such as mpox and syphilis.
Prof. Holt said the funding would support new approaches to engaging priority communities and strengthening responses to emerging health challenges.
"This funding will allow us to test new methods of engagement with gay and bisexual men, respond more quickly to health threats and outbreaks and give junior researchers leadership opportunities."
Mental health services for refugees
Professor Angela Nickerson from UNSW's School of Psychology received $912,749 for a project aimed at improving mental health services for refugees living with ongoing threat.
In partnership with Foundation House , researchers from UNSW and the University of Melbourne will test a brief, evidence-based therapy to reduce post-traumatic stress and assess how it can be delivered through real-world services.
The findings will help guide refugee services and improve access to effective mental health care across Australia.
"Many refugees continue to face significant threats and uncertainty even after reaching safety, and this can make recovery from trauma much more difficult. We need treatments that are effective in the context of these ongoing challenges and can complement the high-quality support already provided by specialist refugee services," Prof. Nickerson said.
"By working closely with Foundation House, this project brings together research evidence and specialist clinical expertise to understand how effective treatments can best be delivered in real-world settings, with the aim of improving mental health outcomes for refugees a who continue to live with ongoing threat and uncertainty."
By working closely with the people and services at the centre of complex health issues, UNSW researchers are helping translate evidence into practical improvements in health care and better outcomes for communities across Australia.
