Flinders University Disaster Research Centre
The Centre’s vision is to enhance multidisciplinary research in the area of disaster health at both national and international levels so as to translate research outcomes into healthcare practice based on evidence. It is envisaged that the Centre will become a centre of excellence for disaster health research.
The FUDRC provides a coordinated research program developing up-to-date and current knowledge for health practice in disaster. The Centre has close affiliations with the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) and the Nursing and Education sections and Oceania Chapter of this association, the National Collaborative for Disaster Health Education and Research and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Disaster Nursing Network. The Centre provides research infrastructure and an environment for researchers that facilitates the translation of research outcomes into nursing practice and provides an evidence-based forum from which to practise.
The Flinders University Disaster Research Centre hosts a web-based IRU Disaster Resilience Forum, to foster communication and collaboration across the IRU universities. IRU is a network of seven universities conducting research of national and international standing. Disaster resilience is an IRU network area of research strength, addressing one of the major challenges of our times.
Aims and objectives
The Centre’s vision is to enhance research in disaster health both nationally and internationally in order to translate research outcomes into practice based on evidence.
In line with this vision, the objectives of FUDRC are:
- to encourage, support and expand research in disaster health
- to attract funding for research and development from a variety of sources
- to develop and maintain an interesting, productive and stimulating research environment and network of collaborators and research partners
- to attract postgraduate and higher degree students nationally and internationally, thus adding to the wealth of research outcomes and outputs
- to attract national and international visitors to the Centre
- to have an evidence-based forum from which to inform nursing practice in disaster nursing.
Current research interests
- nursing workforce issues including willingness to respond
- volunteerism and surge capacity for healthcare response
- multi- and mass casualty triage
- mass gathering medicine
- building community resilience including care of vulnerable groups such as the elderly or isolated, and development of the capacity and capability of individuals, organisations and communities
- emergency services interfaces, emergency management and coordination
- public health and community care strategies
- preparedness, planning, relief, recovery and development phases of disaster health
- responding to pandemic influenza.
