Understanding impacts to people and communities
Overview
This short course has been specifically designed for practitioners, volunteers and community members who are (or will be) working in post-disaster settings. The course has been written by leading disaster recovery researchers at the University of Melbourne and combines the rigour of academic research with a focus on practical application.
Over the last two decades there have been significant advances in the field of disaster recovery and resilience research. As disasters increase in frequency and intensity, disaster recovery practitioners are increasingly working in complex environments, often with limited access to training and professional development.
This course is in a flexible format across five weeks with a combination of online and (optional) in-person learning. The content covered provides a foundation for disaster recovery practitioners, volunteers and community leaders who want to deepen their understanding of disaster recovery, how to consider disaster related impacts and how to access evidence-based materials to support practice.
Throughout this course there will be an opportunity for participants to engage with contemporary disaster recovery research and work with others engaged in disaster recovery from a range of perspectives.
Who is the course designed for?
This short course has been specifically designed for practitioners, volunteers and community members who are (or will be) working in post-disaster settings. The course focuses on supporting learners to deepen their understanding of disaster recovery and using evidence-based materials to support practice.
Learning outcomes
- Understand key principles of disaster recovery
- Increase confidence in accessing and using research evidence
- Understand disaster impacts and their interconnected nature
- Build a network of peers
Course modules
Module 1: Understanding recovery
Module 2: Understanding disaster impacts
Module 3: Bringing theory and practice together
Module 4: Multiple disasters
Assessments
There are no assessments for this short course.
Delivery mode
Combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning over five weeks. Most of the content will be self-paced online learning, with one real time online meeting, one real time webinar and a one day in-person workshop (optional).
In 2026 the optional one day in-person workshop will be held on November 19. Attendance at this workshop is optional but is strongly encouraged for participants to get the most out of their learning experience. The workshop will be held in Melbourne at the Parkville campus and will run from 9am-5pm.
Participants should plan for a minimum 2-3 hours per module to complete the core components of this course, noting that there are options to engage with extension material beyond this.
Please note that the 2026 one day in-person workshop will be held on 19 November and requires sufficient participant numbers to proceed. To avoid disappointment and travel costs, we will notify participants who have registered for the workshop with final confirmation that it is going ahead 6 weeks prior to the workshop date. In any case of cancellation, full refunds for the workshop fee will be available.
Dates
2026
JULY 2026
July 20 - August 21, 2026
Register here for July 2026
Register here for July 2026
OCTOBER 2026
October 12 - November 13, 2026
Register here for October 2026
2026 Optional in-person workshop: November 19, 2026
Cost
2026
$1200 (inc GST)
$400 (inc GST) – optional in-person workshop
Group discounts of 20% are available for registrations of 10 or more people (no split invoices). Please get in touch with Lyn (lynb@unimelb.edu.au) for more information
Scholarships
We understand cost is a barrier to participating in study. We have two types of scholarships being offered. There are 2 x full scholarships, which cover course registration, including the in-person workshop and support for travel and accommodation to attend the workshop (within Australia only). A partial scholarship will cover course registration, and a 75% discount on optional registration for the in-person workshop if you wish to attend, however will not cover travel or accommodation to attend the in-person workshop. Applicants can select below whether they are seeking a full or partial scholarship. Applicants must ensure that all parts of this form are completed before submitting.
The scholarship application for the July 2026 course is CLOSED. Outcomes will be announced by June 1.
The scholarship application for the October 2026 course is available here and will close at 11:59pm on August 10. Outcomes will be announced by August 24.