The Cairns Institute

Susan Gasson

Susan Gasson

Christopher Rouen

Christopher Rouen

Rana Dadpour

Rana Dadpour

Vanessa Sparke

Vanessa Sparke

Brian Fairman

Brian Fairman

Adam Voak

Adam Voak

Ana Carla Leite de Almeida

Ana Carla Leite de Almeida

Melusine Martin

Melusine Martin

Ben Menadue

Ben Menadue

Narayan Gopalkrishnan

Narayan Gopalkrishnan

Community Insights survey content development (Old ID 26884)
Stewart Lockie
01 Jun 2020 - 01 Aug 2020
Development of a conceptual framework and associated scales, informed by contemporary developments in environmental sociology, to guide Community Insights Surveys and contribute to the evidence base for measuring progress against social goals embedded in the DPIE outcomes framework and the NSW Climate Change Policy Framework.
Care Workforce for rural and remote communities of Far North Queensland
Vanessa Sparke
01 Jul 2026 - 31 Dec 2027
Kowanyama community is working to build a strong local workforce so people can access culturally safe, disability, health, rehabilitation and aged care services close to home. Too often, remote communities rely on short-term visiting services. The project will work with community members, employers and training providers to co-create a workforce model that supports local jobs for local people, removes barriers to employment, builds skills, and fosters culturally safe workplaces where workers feel respected, supported and able to thrive in their careers. It will be piloted in Kowanyama and adapted with the Tablelands, generating practical guidance for workforce solutions across FNQ.
Stakeholder perceptions and co-benefits (Old ID 27503)
Stewart Lockie
01 Jul 2021 - 01 Jul 2024
This project will provide the first empirical examination of GBR stakeholder perspectives related to COTS and their management. It will leverage sociocultural research planned as part of RRAP, extending those stakeholder engagements and interviews to measure perceptions of acceptability, risks and benefits related to COTS control. It will also assess the regulatory and policy implications of selected novel control methods.
Mapping Coastal wetland extent, heterogeneity and use by aquatic fauna using UAV technology to inform applied environmental management of tropical wetlands. (Old ID 27174)
Sophie Walker
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in research has surged, however this has not been matched by a parallel increase in their use for conservation works. This projects aims to assess barriers to the use of UAV's in environmental management by surveying conservation professionals. Solutions to these barriers will then be incorporated into UAV surveys assessing complexity and connectivity in tropical estuaries. Overall this project will build connection between the management and research community and showcase ways in which this inexpensive, customisable technology can be used in local level conservation.
HOT NORTH - Indigenous Development and Traning Grant (Old ID 25053)
Ruth Barker
01 Jul 2018 - 30 Jun 2019
Michelle Dougan will undertake the role of Aboriginal Allied Health Assistant/Co-researcher for our HOT North pilot project titled 'Talking after Stroke'. The Indigenous Development and Training grant will support Michelle by enabling her to undertake a Certificate IV Allied Health Assistant (Speech Pathology and Physiotherapy), providing both course fees and backfill for her position at Wuchopperen. The grant will also enable Michelle to attend a forum in Darwin for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander co-researchers, access face-to-face training for her role no the pilot project and to attend key conferences (IAHA and Lowitja) to share findings.
Conflicting temporalities of climate governance: a comparative sociology of policy design and operationalisation in Australia and the UK (Old ID 21170)
Stewart Lockie
05 Jun 2013 - 04 Jun 2017
This research will investigate the ways in which climate governance both reflects and reconstitutes our understanding of the temporal dynamics of anthropogenic climate change. Through a comparative case study of Australia and the UK, the project aims to promote a deeper understanding of potential contradictions between the temporalities of global environmental change and the temporalities of governance strategies developed in response to it: to develop a more sophisticated sociological theorization of the temporalities of socio-ecological change; and to contribute to informed debate in Australia and elsewhere concerning the utility of key conceptual frameworks and policy instruments.
Stakeholder perceptions of COTS management, socio-economic risks, opportunities and co-benefits (Old ID 27502)
Stewart Lockie
01 Jul 2021 - 01 Jul 2024
The overarching aim of this project is to support the development and deployment of COTS management options that are perceived by the public and stakeholders as socially responsible and acceptable. Project objectives address public and stakeholder perceptions of COTS and COTS management, the distribution of social, economic and cultural opportunities and risks associated with COTS control, and the regulatory and policy implications of a limited number of novel control strategies including the use of semiochemical attractants. This research will be the first empirical examination of GBR stakeholder perspectives related to the species crown of thorns starfish.
Developing a physical activity program for Aboriginal families with Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) living in the Top End of Australia (Old ID 24672)
Ruth Barker
01 Mar 2018 - 30 Apr 2023
Worldwide, no research has been conducted to investigate the impact of physical activity on individuals with MJD. MJD is 100 times more prevalent in Aboriginal communities in the Top End than anywhere else in the world. This project will develop a physical activity program derived from the voices of the Warnindilyakwa people with MJD, scientific literature and strengthened using a modified Delphi consensus approach. The program is expected to: • Reduce the impact of MJD and keep families ‘stronger for longer’. • Be transferrable to other communities • Build capacity of community research partners • Develop resources for health services to improve care for MJD families in Australia.
A student-led service model to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults in East Arnhem (Old ID 26276)
Ruth Barker
02 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2019
Older persons from remote Aboriginal communities experience disabling consequences of chronic diseases at a disproportionally higher rate than mainstream Australians (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2017). Paradoxically, there is limited and fluctuating availability of allied health professional (Battye & McTaggart, 2003) services to support them. The primary aim of this study is to pilot a student-led service model to improve the health and wellbeing of older persons from East Arnhem who live with the disabling consequences of chronic diseases. The Triple Aim framework will be used to determine health benefits in terms of a) older persons, family and community satisfaction b) health outcomes and c) cost. The secondary aim is to collect preliminary data on the feasibility of the service model and trial protocol within the remote community context. This project will lead to development of a specific protocol for a proposed full-scale multi-site project across northern Australia.
REACHING FOR YOUR WORDS: A Phase IIa umbrella trial of integrated Upper limb & Language Impairment and Functional Training (UPLIFT) after stroke (Old ID 27743)
Ruth Barker
04 Apr 2022 - 30 Nov 2026
Losing the ability to use your arm and communicate is extremely debilitating. It affects 1 in 6 survivors at 3-months post-stroke and remains unmet long-term. We propose a new model of rehabilitation: integrated UPper limb & Language Impairment & Functional Training (UPLIFT) during community living. Using a novel trial design we will efficiently identify the most promising UPLIFT intervention(s), which will directly impact how we organise and deliver rehabilitation in Australia.
Title: Associate Professor - Rehabilitation, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University
Reseracher: Ruth Barker (Professor, FNQ Connect)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2015
Title: Lead Inventor - SMART Arm, SMART Arm Pty Ltd
Reseracher: Ruth Barker (Professor, FNQ Connect)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2003
Title: Clinical Leader - Community Rehab nQ, Northern Australia Primary Health Ltd
Reseracher: Ruth Barker (Professor, FNQ Connect)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2012
End Date: 01 Jan 2015
Title: Senior Lecturer - Neurological Physiotherapy, James Cook University
Reseracher: Ruth Barker (Professor, FNQ Connect)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2007
End Date: 01 Jan 2011
Title: Clinic Manager - Neurological Ageing and Balance Clinic, University of Queensland
Reseracher: Ruth Barker (Professor, FNQ Connect)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2001
End Date: 01 Jan 2002
Title: Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
Reseracher: Claire Holland (Adjunct Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2020
Title: TropEco Staff Excellence Award for contributions to sustainability, James Cook University
Reseracher: Bob Stevenson (Adjunct Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Recipient of the North American Association for Environmental Education 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions in Research in Environmental Education.
Reseracher: Bob Stevenson (Adjunct Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2010
Title: Mentoring Research Development Committee 2023
Reseracher: Susan Gasson (Adjunct Senior Lecturer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023
End Date: 01 Jan 2023
Title: Vitae International Conference 2023 Organising Committee
Reseracher: Susan Gasson (Adjunct Senior Lecturer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023
End Date: 01 Jan 2023