NDARC has acknowledged the outstanding work of six staff members via the 2015 NDARC Awards.
Held annually, the NDARC Awards recognise the achievements of staff members across all levels of the organisation. The winner of this year's new Margaret Hamilton Award for Outstanding Research Achievement was Dr Ryan Courtney, who is conducting research into smoking cessation for smokers with low socioeconomic status.
Dr Nicola Newton, Director of Prevention at the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Mental Health and Substance Use won the Ian Webster Award for Outstanding Research Achievement. Dr Newton’s main research focus is on developing internet-based preventive interventions and improving the sustainability and translation of programs into schools.
The Jennifer McLaren Award for Outstanding Research Achievement was presented to Louise Birrell. Ms Birrell is working on the Climate Schools Combined (CSC) project, an online preventative trial to combine substance use education with depression and anxiety modules for high school students.
The fourth award, the Kevin Rozzoli Community Impact Award, was granted to Professor Shane Darke, Dr Joanne Ross and Dr Mark Deady for the development of the Suicide Assessment Kit, a comprehensive assessment and policy development package, designed to assist alcohol and other drug services in the assessment and management of suicide risk.
The Margaret Hamilton, Ian Webster and Jennifer McLaren award winners were determined by 2015 research support scheme points, a measure of research output such as peer reviewed publications and grant applications. Nominees for the Community Impact Award had to show evidence of public health impact (such as a change in practice or in policy) and transfer of research findings for the wider benefit of the community.
NDARC extends warm congratulations to all award recipients.
