UniSC Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Ross Young said UniSC’s success in the awards highlighted the important role that UniSC research played in seeking timely solutions across diverse areas of need.

“It is wonderful to see UniSC early career researchers recognised in these highly competitive awards. While their projects are vastly different, both outcomes will generate new knowledge and help to inform policy and planning that will benefit many across Australia,” Professor Young said.

Human geography specialist Dr Elrick-Barr has received $393,664 for a project to develop and communicate urgently needed strategies to assist coastal communities to prepare for and respond to climate hazards.

“More frequent and intense climate hazards are devastating Australian communities and are projected to worsen as the climate changes,” Dr Elrick-Barr said.

“This project has relevance for over 20 million Australians living in coastal areas by creating new knowledge to guide the delivery of targeted financial and educational support to help communities manage their preparation and response to natural disasters effectively and collaboratively.”

The project will compare case studies of four communities that are vulnerable to coastal threats in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

Leading scholar in music and heritage studies Dr Lauren Istvandity has received $427,140 to investigate the creative use of novel cultural heritage preservation methods to support migrant wellbeing in Australian museums and libraries.

“Australia is home to many diverse cultural communities whose stories and accounts of diasporic life are often under-represented in our memory and collecting institutions,” Dr Istvandity said.

“In this project, cultural communities will have the chance to re-story their lived experiences through music, engage with broad audiences and enhance the relevance of museum and library collections for increasingly multicultural societies,” she said.

“This project will generate evidence on the impact of creative heritage methods on migrant wellbeing to reframe practice and assist industry in their pivot to future-focused heritage management.”