Public Health

Charles Sturt University

ON-TRAC: Improving the Mental Health of Older Australians Navigating the Transition to Residential Aged Care
$600,000 over 5 years

The Ageing Well in Rural and Regional Australia Research Group of the Faculty of Science and Health at Charles Sturt University is undertaking a research program to improve the mental health and well-being of older adults transitioning into permanent residential aged care (RAC).

Australia's rapidly ageing population is increasing the demand for RAC. The transition to RAC facilities is often associated with psychological distress, manifesting as depression and anxiety, negatively impacting the quality of life and well-being of older Australians.

The incidence of depression in older adults in RAC facilities is alarmingly high (52%) when compared to older adults still living in the community (10-15%). With anxiety disorders often co-occurring, improving the mental health of older Australians during this critical transition phase may have a long-lasting positive impact well beyond the period of the project, potentially reducing the overall incidence of depression and anxiety amongst older Australians in aged care facilities nationwide.

The research team will focus on the upstream prevention of depression and anxiety by targeting the transition phase before relocation into RAC. This grant supports the research team – working in partnership with consumers, industry partners and research institutions – to co-design, implement and evaluate an evidence-informed psychological intervention tailored to improve mental health and optimise the well-being of Australians transitioning into RAC.

RMIT University

Linking health, place and urban planning through the Australian Urban Observatory
$600,000 over 5 years

This grant supports a project by RMIT's Centre for Urban Research that will link multi-disciplinary research evidence on health and place to transform the development of urban planning that influences chronic ill health. The research team will evaluate existing infrastructure, cycling behaviour and area-based health outcomes to support healthy city design using the Australian Urban Observatory's digital liveability platform.

Planners and governments are struggling to support physically active communities, address the health impacts of climate change, support zero emissions and translate research evidence into healthy city planning. Cycling is an affordable, pollution-free, physically active transport mode that can prevent chronic ill health with the potential to replace short to medium-distance car trips that support local living.

Current levels of cycling are impeded by a lack of safe cycling infrastructure, built and natural environment factors, traffic speeds and volumes and socio-cultural factors. More knowledge is needed on the relationship between cycling behaviour and infrastructure that incentivises cycling for transport. Cycling is an undervalued transport mode critical for net-zero policy ambition with public health benefits.

With this funding, the research team aim to address evidence and policy gaps by developing easy-to-use tools and research evidence that connects the presence of cycling infrastructure to cycling behaviour and health outcomes.

This project is a significant step towards providing evidence for urban planners, councils, and governments to adopt a public health perspective in city development.

Arts

Geelong Performing Arts Centre Trust (GPAC)

Creative Engine: Where Artist Meets Audience
$700,000 over 4 years

Creative Engine is Geelong Arts Centre's (GAC) development program designed to nurture the professional careers of emerging artists. After a two-year $140 million build and redevelopment period, GAC is expanding its Creative Engine program to develop the skills of Geelong and Bellarine artists and connect them with GAC staff and facilities.

This grant will support GPAC to expand its successful three-year pilot of Creative Engine to offer:

• Artist Residencies – artists from up to 15 projects from the local region will be selected to participate.
• Associate Artist Program – employing two Associate Artists annually, with the equivalent of four months of full-time work per year, spread over 12 months.
• Launchpad + Audience Development – providing emerging artists with the opportunity to take their creative ideas from the development stage through to audience presentation at GAC.

Musica Viva Australia

Musica Viva Australia Skill Development for Creative Concerts – Evolving Chamber Music
$525,000 over 4 years

Over 2024–2028, Musica Viva seeks to deliver a program that will strengthen the organisation's leadership in the sector as a presenter of excellent chamber music and evolve as a producing house. The focus of this program is to provide mentorship and training to 'creative artisans' or 'classical music technicians and professionals', equipping them with a distinctive array of skills that will lead to new concert experiences for audiences and increase the emotional impact of live classical music.

The Musica Viva Australia' Skill Development for Creative Concerts' responds directly to the need to train or upskill technical and production roles for the classical music industry.

Koorie Heritage Trust

Fashion and Textiles Design
$200,000 over 2 years

Since 2019, the Foundation has supported Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) to deliver Blak Design. An Australian first, the Blak Design program equips emerging Aboriginal designers with the skills, confidence and industry networks necessary to advance their design and commercial expertise and nurture long-term sustainable design practices.

Each year, the program focuses on a single design discipline. The program has mentored 31 Victorian creatives in jewellery and ceramics design. The 2024 and 2025 iterations of the Program will focus on fashion and textile design.

KHT will continue to partner with RMIT to facilitate a series of intensive practical and theory-based workshops that provide participants with professional development opportunities and access to industry and cultural mentors, design professionals and industry practitioners.

Community Wellbeing

Ceres Earth Limited (CERES)

CERES – Capacity Building
$450,000 over 5 years

CERES (The Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) is an environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four locations, linked by the Merri and Darebin Creeks in inner-north Melbourne.

Over the last forty years, CERES has transformed a former quarry and landfill site into an urban oasis, nursery and bookshop, café, environmental education centre and social enterprise hub, which is open seven days a week to the public and is one of the prime examples in Australia of re-generation, sustainability and employment pathways.

CERES is one of Australia's most successful examples of not-for-profit social businesses, with 90% of its income derived from the trade of its social enterprises.

This capacity-building grant provides core funding to allow CERES to develop its next generation of leaders, build an effective financial reserves strategy, improve systems and operations and pursue a critical infrastructure renovation and expansion strategy over the next five years.

Details of all grants awarded in this round can be found in the Grants Database.