The aim of the National Centre’s Research Plan is to build an accessible and robust evidence base that contributes to addressing our seven key challenges and supports our organisational goals.
To achieve this, we will pursue four interrelated objectives:
Objective 1:
Keep up to date with evidence
Objective 2:
Undertake and commission high quality research and evaluations
Objective 3:
Support the adoption of continuous improvement practices
Objective 4:
Support effective dissemination and translation of evidence and research findings
All research conducted or commissioned by the National Centre will be guided by five key principles.
Our research will be:
- Participatory and collaborative
- Development, trauma and healing informed
- Inclusive and culturally-safe
- Rigorous and ethical
- Relevant and translational
Research projects commissioned by the National Centre are identified through a competitive funding round that consist of:
- widely disseminated request for applications
- a range of short and longer-term projects aligned with the National Centre’s priorities
- merit based selection by independent multi-disciplinary peer assessment panel(s) against specific selection criteria.
In accordance with the National Centre’s commitment to funding projects that go beyond the creation of new knowledge to include the implementation of practice improvement, capability building and the development of partnerships that can drive change, the open competitive grants rounds consist of two streams: research and quality improvement.
To learn more about the National Centre’s approach to commissioning research watch our webinar here.
Current grants
The National Centre is pleased to announce the following successful grant recipients for our 2022 competitive grants round.
Overall, a total of $2.99M has been awarded, supporting the National Centre’s vision of a community in which children are safe, and victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across the lifespan are supported to heal and recover.
Commissioned research
Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling
Commissioned research
Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material
Commissioned research
The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future
Commissioned research
Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors
Commissioned research
Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes
Commissioned research
Differentiating adverse childhood experiences profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours
Commissioned research
CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour
Commissioned research
Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending
Commissioned research
Investigating experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court
2022 Grants Round Peer Assessors
Dr William Allington
National Office for Child Safety. Policy Maker.
Caroline Anderson
Family & Community Services (NSW). Researcher.
Alison Birchall
Department of Justice (TAS). Policy Maker.
Professor Jan Breckenridge
University of New South Wales. Researcher.
Reg Casley
Relationships Australia. Practitioner.
Professor Catherine Chamberlain
University of Melbourne. Researcher.
Dr Rebekah Chapman
Bravehearts Foundation. Researcher.
Panda Cheong
National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.
Louise Cooke
National Indigenous Australians Agency. Policy Maker.
A/Professor Jodi Death
Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.
Dr Lesley-anne Ey
University of South Australia. Researcher.
Dr Gary Foster
Department of Children, Youth Justice & Multicultural Affairs (QLD). Policy Maker.
Robbie Gambley
National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.
Dr Graham Gee
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Researcher.
Dr Frank Golding
National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.
Professor Cathy Humphreys
University of Melbourne. Researcher.
Paul Jones
Family Safety Victoria. Policy Maker.
Glenda Kickett
Australian Childhood Foundation. Practitioner.
Paul Klotz
National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.
Karen Kobier
People with Disability Australia. Practitioner.
Dr Katrina Lines
Act for Kids. Practitioner.
Noel MacNamara
Australian Childhood Foundation. Practitioner.
Dr Nadine McKillop
University of the Sunshine Coast. Researcher.
A/Professor Loyola McLean
University of Sydney. Researcher.
A/Professor Lynne McPherson
Southern Cross University. Researcher.
Professor Patrick O’Leary
Griffith University. Researcher.
Tamara O’Sullivan
Blue Knot Foundation. Practitioner.
Amanda Paton
Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Researcher.
Sonya Pringle-Jones
Department of Education, Children & Young People (TAS). Policy Maker.
Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh
University of the Sunshine Coast. Researcher.
Malika Reese
National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.
Professor Kelly Richards
Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.
Carol Ronken
Bravehearts Foundation. Researcher.
Douglas Russell
Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Researcher.
A/Professor Michael Salter
University of New South Wales. Researcher.
Jamie Sorby
National Centre First Nations College. Person with Lived Experience.
Chrystina Stanford
Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. Practitioner.
Jacqueline Stewart
Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Researcher.
Professor Kerryann Walsh
Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.
Leonie Williamson
The Healing Foundation. Policy Maker.
In-house research
In addition to commissioning research, the National Centre undertakes in-house research. Our current slate includes studies in community attitudes and harmful sexual behaviours.