Beyond Disasters Research Advisory Groups
The Beyond Disasters Research Advisory Group
The Beyond Disasters Research Advisory Group is a collective of researchers, practitioners and policy makers focusing on the human impacts of disasters in terms of recovery and resilience. It is a cross-sectoral forum to exchange ideas and advice, identify evidence needs for policy makers and practitioners, and contribute to development, conduct and dissemination of research being conducted by the academic members.
The Children & Disasters Advisory Committee
The Children & Disasters Advisory Committee gradually developed after the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009, with the goal of creating and maintaining solid partnerships with practitioners and communities involved in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Over the last 10 years, these collaborations have been crucial for our research team to carry out high quality disaster recovery research that has a meaningful impact and is sustainable over time.
Currently, the Children & Disasters Advisory Committee meets quarterly and gathers practitioners and decision-makers from the following agencies and organizations: Aboriginal Cultural Consultancy, Australian Red Cross, Australian Childhood Foundation, Bushfire Recovery Victoria, Catholic Care NSW, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Emergency Management Victoria, Independent Education Union of Australia, NSW Department of Education and Communities, Save the Children, and the Teacher’s Health Foundation. Additionally, the Advisory Committee includes members of our Unit and academic partners from Curtin University, Phoenix Australia, Swinburne University, and the Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne. The Committee also involves community partners from the Kinglake Ranges area including Smouldering Stump, a charity organization that promotes child and youth wellbeing in the areas affected by Black Saturday, and other representatives of the community. Finally, during 2020, the Advisory Committee welcomed its first Youth Representative, with the goal of increasingly promoting the active participation of children and young people in decision-making processes related to our research and knowledge translations activities on disasters and climate change.