What is the writer-in-residence program?

The writer-in-residence program is a capacity building and career development initiative of the ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation. This by invitation program sees writers appointed for 16 weeks to work with the ALIVE National Centre to develop their capacity for research translation activities, develop and hone public communication skills and support wider public and community engagement with mental health research, policy, and practice.

The program will contribute to the development of an individual’s publication portfolio and support the development of research impact activities. A writer-in-residence appointment is beneficial for professional development, promotions, research grants and fellowship applications. The goal is for the National Centre to increase the visibility of writers-in-residence and support the development of public engagement with research. Investigators and associate members identify people with talent who write on issues related to mental health care delivery, receipt of services and care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led models, and systems design and transformation for the program.

What do writers-in-residence contribute?

A writer-in-residence contributes regular thought pieces on mental health systems transformation; reflections on recent research publications relevant to mental health; summaries of major reports as they apply to mental health care delivery and systems change; reviews of books, podcasts or recent blogs.

These pieces may be in short or long form, they may be creatively portrayed as drawings, diagrams or use other visual methods, or they may include a short digital story or moving images. These creative elements are optional, some writers will want to simply write. Guides for authors are provided on the noticeboard page here.

Who can be appointed as a writer-in-residence?

This is an invitation only program within the ALIVE National Centre. Individuals at any career stage who work in university research positions, government policy or research project positions, or people working in health care will be supported to develop knowledge translation, communication skills and increase their writing activities. Investigators and associate members identify people with talent and invite them to apply, if you have an interest in being considered let the ALIVE HUB know by emailing Caroline Tjung [email protected]. The aim is to support the development of researchers, health care professionals, and people working for non-government and government organisations and, to increase information sharing and public engagement with mental health research and issues.

The writers-in-residence program is open to all members of the ALIVE National Centre’s networks, staff of our founding partner organisations, and general members of the alive collective. If you have an interest in supporting research translation and would like to develop your public communication skills and community information sharing, ask us about how to apply today.

How does the program work?

Writers-in-residence are appointed for 16-weeks. The role is unpaid, but the National Centre will provide a reimbursement on completion of the term. The expectation is that writers-in-residence will produce at least 8 pieces for the noticeboards of the ALIVE National Digital Translation Platform (one per fortnight). Writers can publish more frequently than this, but eight contributions are the minimum expectation in the role. Writers-in-residence will be identified by Centre investigators and associated members as people with talent and potential to benefit from increased visibility and support to develop communications and public engagement skills.

We are interested in knowledge translation that can inform Centre research efforts and sectoral reforms. Of particular interest are:

• Research, podcasts and recent publications and reports that support greater understanding of cultural security for mainstream services
• Working with priority populations such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• New models of care and innovations to meet the unmet physical health needs of people who live with severe mental ill-health
• Research on intersecting issues in mental health, such as trauma informed models of care, innovations to address social determinants of health, e.g. in housing or employment, or ways to facilitate social connection
• The implementation of life course approaches to prevention in community and primary care settings
• Writers-in-residence who identify as lived-experience researchers or carer, family/kinship group researchers may want to explore lived-experience or family, carer/kinship group research approaches and findings.

Where do the writer-in-residence pieces get shared?

Publications are shared on the ALIVE digital translation platform noticeboards and through all social media channels used by the Centre.  Links to pieces will be provided in our bi-monthly Centre news update (published every second month). There will be further connection of the writer-in-residence pieces to the Centre’s wider public engagement efforts.

There are three noticeboards available. All noticeboards showcase work in progress, links for upcoming events, papers recently published by investigators or network members and collaborators in the Centre and related research projects and other useful information. Two bespoke noticeboards are available for the Next Generation Researcher Network and the Lived-Experience Research Collective only, the writer-in-residence can choose to share their posts for a specific network only or on the main landing page.

You can see some examples at the digital translation platform which can be found at www.alivenetwork.com.au

Guidelines for the noticeboard are available on this post – please note the word limits for the titles. Please feel free to contact the ALIVE HUB team at any time by

emailing [email protected]