International Women's Day shines a light on VU RISE

Four hubs, sixteen projects, 43 female researchers and $22 million dollars make up VU RISE, a ground-breaking Victoria University (VU) initiative that is working to create solutions and deliver impacts that will support the region’s response to today’s challenges.

Each hub – Stronger Communities, Education, Jobs and Skills and Sustainable Futures – was awarded the $22 million of research funding from the state government to work with industry, community and government in the west.

Stronger Communities Hub lead researcher and Institute for Health and Sport executive director Professor Alex Parker said the plans to deliver outcomes to help the community recover from the pandemic

“VU RISE aims to use innovative research projects to help drive the post-pandemic economic recovery, build resilience and boost skills and jobs in Melbourne’s west,” Professor Parker said.

“Victoria University is delivering research with impact through our VU RISE innovation, ensuring that outcomes benefit the communities that we serve. We’re working with industry, education and healthcare partners to support the west of Melbourne to recover, grow and thrive post-COVID."

This year’s International Women’s Day is an opportunity for the program to raise awareness of the issues surrounding gender equality.

“Women researchers have faced particular workload challenges, including additional parental and extended family caring responsibilities during lockdown periods, managing the very tricky balance of remote schooling and working, and putting on hold most of our research that works directly with people,” Professor Parker said.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, our women researchers are leading several of the VU RISE projects, helping to #BreakTheBias with our inclusive and equitable approaches to working with communities and partners in the west of Melbourne.”

Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities research co-ordinator Brett Woods spoke about one of the project’s aims.

“Our gender equality project is an applied and transformational research project, working alongside industry and community in the west of Melbourne to promote safe, respectful, diverse and inclusive working environments and learning settings.

“This project supports two of the broader aims of VU RISE – to create educational and employment opportunities in the west.

“Our project is action research; we’re coming alongside communities – not as experts in an ivory tower – but as partners, facilitating spaces for communities themselves to identify and implement solutions to create meaningful, sustainable cultural change to make the west a better place to work, study and live for all people.”

“VU RISE has created new opportunities for young women, like me, to be employed to work on projects that are transformational and connected to industry and community.

“Through VU RISE, I’ve been mentored by wonderful senior colleagues who have generously shared their knowledge and created opportunities for me to develop as an early career researcher.”

*Pictured above from left to right: Dr Jo Pyke, Director, School for the Visitor Economy and Project Lead VU RISE; Brett Woods, Research Associate, VU RISE Gender Equality through Employability Skills Project; Donna Hannan, Executive Director, VU RISE; Amy Howard, Project Officer, VU RISE Summer Gap Project; Hannah Gee, Innovation Lead, VU RISE; Associate Professor Camilla Brockett, Deputy Leader, Sport Performance and Business Research, IHES; Dr Carla Nascimento Luguetti, Lecturer Physical Education & Researcher VU RISE Summer Gap Project; Karen Jackson, Executive Director Moondani Balluk; Dr Julianna Ryan, Research Officer, Summer Gap Project; Professor Alex Parker, Hub Lead, VU RISE Stronger Communities Innovation Hub and Executive Director, IHES; Dr Claire Brown, Director AVID.