Disaster prepardness, split-sleep and Indigenous projects funded
Published on 08 November, 2012
CQUniversity is celebrating success in the latest round of Australian Research Council grants, thanks to researchers based at its Appleton Institute for Behavourial Science* in Adelaide and Office of Indigenous Engagement...
Splitting of sleep investigated for some shiftwork settings
Developing a network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers
Tapping Aussie animal instincts to save lives
Researchers celebrating ARC funding success. Caption details via LINKS
Dr Kirrilly Thompson will receive $371,622 in Discovery Early Career Researcher Award funding for her Should I Stay or Should I Go? project aiming to increase natural disaster preparedness and survival through animal attachment.
This project will determine the extent to which people's willingness to risk their lives to save animals during natural disasters could be reinterpreted as a protective factor by motivating preparedness.
This information will be used to create effective public health campaigns designed to increase natural disaster preparedness and save lives.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Greg Roach, Dr Xuan Zhou and Professor Drew Dawson have gained Discovery Project funding of $302,000 for their Should we go halves? project exploring the impact of split work-rest schedules on sleep and cognitive performance.
This project aims to determine whether it is better to have one long sleep or two shorter sleeps each day. The results of the project will inform the development of work schedules for industries and/or situations where it may be appropriate to work more than one shift per day (such as fly-in fly-out, emergency response).
CQUniversity will also be part of a newly-funded Special Research Initiative for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers Network.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Chad Hewitt says that CQUniversity is not only a partner in the Network.
"Our Office of Indigenous Engagement is also one of the co-leads in the Health and Well-being Node," he said. "I congratulate Professor Bronwyn Fredericks and her colleagues at CQUniversity for this well-deserved outcome."
* The Appleton Institute combines excellence in research, teaching and community engagement across a range of scientific areas including sleep and biological rhythms, applied psychology, occupational health and safety, human factors, risk management and cultural anthropology. CQUniversity offers Psychology Honours, the Graduate Certificate in Fatigue Risk Management and the Graduate Diploma and Masters in Rail Safety Management, along with supervision for research higher degree students doing Masters and PhD projects.