Funding for Australian researchers to develop communication strategies during pandemics

The Coronavirus Research Response - 2020 Communication Strategies and Approaches during Outbreaks grant opportunity was announced as part of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and is part of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) National Health Plan to support our health system to manage the outbreak of novel coronavirus in Australia. This package provides support across primary care, aged care, hospitals and research, and includes funding from the MRFF for a Coronavirus Research Response comprising vaccine, anti-viral and respiratory medicine research.

For this grant opportunity funding for research into how diverse communities respond during outbreaks, how they react, access information and interpret it.

The objectives of this grant opportunity are to:

• research the information needs of individuals and the community during outbreaks (including population sub-groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people, and those with disabilities)
• investigate how individuals (including population sub-groups) access information about outbreaks (e.g. through peers, online, on radio or television)
• consider the impact of the attitudinal and behavioural patterns on how information is sourced, interpreted and actioned
• identify key information and messages about the outbreak and also the response that individuals and the community would benefit from understanding
• propose options for communication strategies and approaches that address these needs and also support response strategies such as social isolation.

The intended outcome of this grant opportunity is to improve the community's engagement with and responsiveness to Government communication efforts during outbreaks such as COVID-19, by:

• improving understanding of the information needs of the community during outbreaks
• improving understanding of attitudinal and behavioural drivers during outbreaks
• proposing options for communication strategies and approaches that address the community's needs and support adherence to response strategies such as social distancing and isolation.

Project methodologies must ensure rapid access to the research outcomes, clear and actionable results that are adaptable to the rapidly changing environment during a pandemic, and that findings are relevant to a range of population groups (particularly those most vulnerable).

Reporting templates are available from the MRFF grants management webpage. The page also provides other resources for MRFF grant administration, including current policies and relevant forms and templates.