15 March 2017
Anyone interested in supporting UniSA research will be able to dedicate their investment in specific projects and follow through to see the results as the research develops.
The first three campaigns open for public support include a project to educate workers in non-government organisations about the particular mental health concerns of asylum seekers on temporary visas, where suicide rates are significantly higher than general rates in the Australian community; an innovative new drug delivery system to mitigate the impact of feral cats on vulnerable native species; and another looking at the power of dance technologies to support stroke survivors’ return to mobility.
UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Professor Tanya Monro says the crowdfunding projects add a new and empowering dimension to the way people view research.
“This move puts the community at the heart of our research in a new way and opens up the communication channels between researchers and the community more than ever before,” Prof Monro says.
“Each of the projects has a clear target for funding and has some seed-funding already established.
“They are all projects with a clear focus and practical objectives that will make a difference to people’s lives and the environment.
“The crowdfunding opportunity offers participants an insight into the researchers’ world - the planning, the checks and balances involved in developing new ideas and programs for action, the research process and the presentation and implementation of research outcomes.
“I’m confident we will have strong interest in the crowdfunding opportunities we’re offering and that opening up the chance for people to invest directly in research that matters to them, is now a viable form of additional funding for research.”
More information about the projects and how you can invest in UniSA research is available here.
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli mobile 0418 823 673 email michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
