SPHERE Announces 2024 Big Ideas Health Services Research Grant Recipients
SPHERE is excited to announce the recipients of its 2024 Big Ideas Health Services Research Grants, which recognise innovative research projects addressing pressing healthcare challenges. The three awarded initiatives reflect SPHERE’s commitment to advancing translational research, fostering collaboration, and improving health outcomes across diverse populations.
Dr Oscar Lederman, will lead the groundbreaking project Community In Motion: Preventing health disparities through a physical activity and wellbeing program for adults with complex mental health issues.
This initiative targets a critical gap in healthcare by addressing the reduced life expectancy and poor physical health outcomes often experienced by individuals with complex mental health conditions. By embedding exercise physiology services within the NGO sector, the project aims to create a scalable and impactful model that can be adopted by other mental health services, supporting a marginalised population.
Professor Jason Prior, will lead the project Strengthening translation of ‘place-based design for health’ guidelines for NSW health precincts into practice. This project focuses on developing a standardised framework to evaluate the impact of “place quality” in health precincts, measuring how precinct design influences health, equity, environmental outcomes, and the experiences of communities, patients, and healthcare workers.
By being adaptable to different settings and supported by a team with diverse expertise, this project has the potential to drive meaningful change and create clear guidelines for developing health precincts in the future.
Associate Professor Deborah Fox will lead the Virtual Maternity Ward for Women with Pregnancy Complications* project. This innovative initiative combines telemonitoring, telehealth, and midwifery home visits to provide care for women with high-risk pregnancies, allowing them to receive treatment at home. By addressing the social and mental health challenges of extended hospital stays, the project offers a more supportive and patient-centred approach to care.
The project also stands out for its strong focus on consumer involvement, with a consumer included as an Associate Investigator, ensuring the program remains firmly centred on the needs of patients.
*Note: Funding for this project is contingent on the outcome of the NHMRC Collaborations in Health Service Research Grant, with results expected by the end of Q1 2025.