ARC DP Funding Success for CRIS Researchers

Multiple CRIS researchers have been awarded Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project funding announced in late November for 2023.

Over $2.5 million in funding was awarded for the projects and will allow the researchers to lead large-scale research projects helping to understand and respond to extremist violence in Australia, identify efficient online anti-racism intervention, study Australian students in the climate change movement, conduct the first nationwide study of spirituality in Australia and improve leadership preparation and development for school principals.

CRIS Director Professor Michele Grossman says the funding success highlights the importance and scope of work being done by CRIS members. 

‘These grants reflect the innovative national impact research CRIS members are doing to advance our core themes of understanding and preventing social harms such as racism and violent extremism,’ she said.

Western Sydney University Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Kevin Dunn, says the funding will ‘allow us to identify and evaluate effective online anti-racism. Our project will help to make online racism more difficult, lessen the socially damaging effects of racism and improve community relations and social cohesion’.

Congratulations to the following CRIS researchers for their ARC Discovery Project Success:

Prof Michele Grossman (CRIS, Deakin) with A/Prof Stephane Shepherd, Prof Michele Pathe (Swinburne) and Prof Paul Gill (UCL): Understanding the drivers and motivators of extremist violence ($864,680.00) 

Despite intense interest in the issue, our understanding of and ability to respond to extremist violence is limited. This innovative program of research is designed to establish an empirical foundation for understanding and responding to extremist violence in Australia. It aims to examine risk and protective factors for such violence, the needs of those susceptible to committing such acts, and the effectiveness of intervention. Findings are expected to inform health, national security, social welfare, and justice agencies in their pursuit to identify those at risk of offending, address their clinical needs and manage the risk of harm they pose to society and to themselves.

Professor Kevin Dunn; Dr Alanna Kamp; Associate Professor Tristan Kennedy; Associate Professor Nida Denson; Professor Craig McGarty; Professor Yin Paradies; Dr Mandy Truong; Dr Rachel Sharples; Dr Jehonathan Ben: Online anti-racism for Australia ($386,382.00)

Harmful manifestations of online racism are increasing. The neo-liberal assumption is that social media users and user groups can be responsiblised to disrupt online racism. This project analyses a subset of online anti-racism campaigns. The review provides the material to test effectiveness, using surveys. The survey findings will identify the ingredients for effective, safe and efficient online anti-racism intervention. An online anti-racism program will be developed, implemented and evaluated. The development of guidelines for online anti-racism will overtly address the challenges and risks of action in this environment where regulation is so heavily contested.

Associate Professor Philippa Collin (CRIS, Deakin) with Professor Judith Bessant; Dr Michelle Catanzaro; Associate Professor Faith Gordon; Dr Stewart Jackson; Professor Robert Watts ($466,586.00)

New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal. Vibrant democracies require generational renewal as norms, values and cultures evolve. This project is a systematic study of Australian students in the climate change movement. Examining who the students are, why they participate, how they organise, how they represent themselves and are represented by others in social and mainstream media, the project ethically advances ways of co-researching students’ civic and political participation in offline and online settings. Expected outcomes include improved capacity for investigating student political action, new knowledge of the motivations, norms and practices that characterise student climate politics and concepts and tools for democratic renewal through engagement with young people.

Associate Professor Anna Halafoff (CRIS, Deakin); with Professor Cristina Rocha; Professor Andrew Singleton; Dr Tyson Yunkaporta; Professor Lori Beaman; Professor Paul Bramadat; Associate Professor Mar Griera ($420,790.00)

Australian Spirituality: Wellness, Wellbeing and Risks. While there has been significant research conducted in Australia on rising religious diversity and those who are non-religious, spirituality has not received the same scholarly attention despite its popularity. This is the first nationwide study of spirituality in Australia, investigating First Nations, religious, and holistic spirituality, their contributions to wellbeing, and their possible risks. It includes a national survey and interviews with spiritual persons, and case studies of sacred places around the country. This project also draws on the expertise of leading First Nations, Australian and international scholars, and will be of national benefit in its capacity to inform practices and policies for personal and planetary wellbeing.

Professor Amanda Keddie (CRIS, Deakin) with Professor Jane Wilkinson; Professor Lucas Walsh; Dr Fiona Longmuir; Dr Christine Grice ($384,332.00)

Invisible labour: Principals’ emotional labour in volatile times. Schools face a major principal recruitment and retention crisis due to intensified workloads and the emotional labour of managing diverse communities. This project aims to improve leadership preparation and development for school principals to help them manage complex emotional workload demands. The project expects to generate new knowledge about principal workforce development and to create a framework for policymakers that identifies the knowledge and practices required to develop leaders’ emotional skills and build bridges across diverse communities. Anticipated benefits include reduced principal turnover, improved teacher retention, improved student outcomes and greater social cohesion.