Research Impact & Utilisation - NHRA Forum 2024

This is my third Natural Hazards Research Australia forum and was delighted to be asked to offer some personal reflections to Early Career Researchers and PhD Students across Australian universities. 

Reflecting on my 20-year journey—from working in a university, being an academic and now in public service—I was asked to reflect on my key learnings on bridging the gap between research being utilised and having impact within emergency management. 

Lessons from an old timer? 

• Start Early: Impactful research begins before data collection or publication. Get off campus! Engage with the network and stakeholders early on - it will make a huge impact on your research design, support utilisation and improve your impact later on...and EM needs to be better at engaging with researchers! 

• Embrace Humility: True expertise comes from acknowledging what we don't know. Foster collaboration across disciplines and sectors - this is imperative for complex systems like emergency management.

• Understand Sector Dynamics: Recognise the differing priorities and pressures of academia and the public sector/EM. Balancing these challenges is key for effective collaboration and support. Both Universities and EM need to think about making that easier to navigate and support.

• Stay Politically Aware: Political dynamics greatly impact emergency management and funding. Stay informed! 

There were a few more we discussed but the ultimate goal was to keep our communities safe. Thanks to everyone who attend...and remember the coffee and cake principle! :)

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