NGO Research Development
NGO Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Research Grants Program
The Research Grants Program is an exciting opportunity for NGOs to undertake research that is relevant to their work with people with mental health and drug and alcohol problems. The main aim of the Research Grants Program is to engage non government mental health organisations and non government drug and alcohol organisations in research that will result in improved services and outcomes for people with mental health and drug and alcohol issues. The Program has the additional aim of increasing the capacity of mental health and drug and alcohol NGOs to undertake research.
The NGO Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Research Grants Program is funded by NSW Health. The grants are being administered by the Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) and the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA). MHCC conducted 3 rounds to allocate approximately $1.3 million of funding. All projects are currently underway and will be completed by December 2010.
A total of 10 projects have been funded by MHCC. Agencies, alone or in consortia with other NGOs, are undertaking the research in partnership with university research partners. Research can be conducted for up to a two years. The funded projects are an important initiative in contributing to evidence from a practice base and in developing recognition and valuing of the work undertaken by NGOs, and fostering the development of a research culture amongst NGOs. A key aspect of the grants program is the dissemination of the research findings back to the sector. A conference open to both sectors showcasing the research is planned for December 2010.
The projects funded are diverse in nature, investigating different aspects of mental health and drug and alcohol problems and service delivery responses. Project listings and updates.
The research grants project builds NGO capacity in undertaking research by providing an opportunity for collaboration and learning between NGOs with their research partners. For NGOs it is an opportunity to lead and determine what is valuable to research from their perspective and to access the research expertise of the research partners. For the research partners it is an opportunity to understand how NGOs operate and to plan and undertake research from a social perspective. Already important lessons for NGOs in undertaking research are emerging from the projects and these will be made available to both sectors.
Additionally the research grants project is providing a unique opportunity for collaboration between mental health and drug and alcohol community organisations. MHCC and NADA are running workshops for the funded organisations and their research partners. This is an important step in fostering the development of a research community across the two sectors.
Research Resources
MHCC and NADA have produced the following three research primers to assist NGOs in undertaking research:
Manual on writing for publication produced by Kate Dolan(NDARC)
http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/TR229-233/$file/TR.231.pdf
Peer review: A guide for researchers
This new guide provides researchers with an understanding of how peer review works and highlights some of the issues surround the current debates about the peer review process.
http://www.rin.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Peer-review-guide-FINAL-March10.pdf
Research News email update
For more information contact Debbie Greene debbie@mhcc.org.au