Disability Research Hubs
MDI is delighted to be part of a thriving and dynamic research community focused on research that will make a difference to the lives of people with disability, their families and communities.
A vital part of our work is partnering and collaborating with disciplines, schools, departments and faculties across the university to set up disability focused hubs or collaboratives. These initiatives bring together a diverse and inclusive group of researchers with community partners all focused on designing and delivering research that has impact and reach.
Three disability hubs were established in 2021-2022:
- The Social Work Disability Research Hub is focused on work that will help build inclusive and equitable communities. This hub is based in the Department of Social Work in the Melbourne School of Health Sciences.
- The Healthy Trajectories Child and Youth Disability Research Hub brings together researchers focused on consumer partnered, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral research to address the needs of those with child-onset disability and their families. This hub is based on the Children’s Campus and brings together researchers from the Department of Paediatrics, the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
- The Melbourne Graduate School of Education Disability Research Collaboration works to transform the lifelong educational experiences of people with disability through collaborative co-designed research which will foster inclusive education practices. This hub is based in MGSE.
Three additional collaborations or hubs are in the planning or scoping stage and will get up and running within the next year:
- Architecture Building and Planning
- Melbourne School of Law
- School of Social and Political Sciences
MDI is also part of a more informal hub bringing together people who are researching aspects of the design and operation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
You can find more information and updates from each of the hubs below: