National Disability Research & Development Steering Committee Disability Policy & Research Working Group

Message from Dr Ron Chalmers, Chair
Disability Services Ministers have endorsed the National Disability Research and Development Agenda. Click here for Agenda. The Research Agenda aims to increase the focus in research on issues facing people with disability and seeks to provide sound evidence for future policy and practice decisions that will ultimately lead to improved outcomes for Australians with disability.

This Research Agenda was developed following extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. Consultation processes were held across the country from August to December 2010. Representatives of people with disability, academics, service providers, peak organisations and government agencies were invited to attend roundtables where discussion was facilitated and opinions sought on disability research principles, directions and priorities.
The Australian, State and Territory governments have committed funding for disability research and development. This funding supports the delivery of the objectives and reform priorities of the National Disability Agreement and the National Disability Strategy. Future reforms such as a national disability insurance scheme will also benefit from this commitment.

Priority will be given to funding research, projects and initiatives that seek to adopt partnerships and collaborations with the disability sector, with people with disability or with other relevant sectors and disciplines. The Agenda aims to support research that includes disability issues within mainstream Australian research funding and activities, and builds the participation of people with disability either as researchers or research participants.

To support the effective implementation of the Research Agenda a range of research activities will be needed. The national funding commitment for disability research and development will be allocated over five years to research and evaluation projects, research ventures/partnerships, capacity building projects and collaboration and research dissemination activities. It is not intended that all the research directions and areas of inquiry set out in the Agenda will be resourced through disability research funding. The Agenda aims to influence the inclusion and direction of research relating to disability across a range of national research initiatives and sectors.

One of the first initiatives to be implemented under the Agenda will be to invite the submission of research proposals that support the directions of the Agenda. Researchers will be encouraged to demonstrate how research can be translated into practice and to articulate the potential outcomes for people with disability.

The Disability Policy and Research Working Group website will be a key source of information regarding the implementation of the Agenda. This will include information on how to apply for funding, details of commissioned research and the outcomes of research undertaken. Click here to go to the website for updates.

For more information: contact Ms Mary Osborn, Senior Policy Officer, DPRWG Secretariat, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Source: ADHC