Project Overview

Historically, Australia's HIV response has been a public health exemplar, characterised by investment, bipartisan government support, and significant involvement by affected groups —such as people living with HIV, gay and bisexual men, sex workers, and people who inject drugs—working alongside policymakers, practitioners, researchers and clinicians. These collaborative efforts have helped Australia avoid a large and generalised epidemic, with the implementation of a range of national and jurisdictional actions resulting in one of the fastest declines in HIV notifications globally. Australia’s comprehensive approach has involved health promotion, community mobilisation and peer education; legal reforms; and access to testing, treatment, support and care. Most recently efforts have focused on improving HIV testing rates and access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).  

Australia aims to virtually eliminate HIV transmission by 2030, which would mean HIV is no longer a public health threat. Virtual elimination has been achieved in some areas, including inner-city Sydney. However, notifications among other groups, including migrants, people who travel and women have not demonstrated commensurate improvements. Replicating the positive outcomes achieved in some areas and jurisdictions across Australia will require renewed efforts to address the needs of priority populations currently left behind. Australia must also support global action, particularly in our region, to ensure that virtual elimination is not just for some but for all. 

Changing acquisition patterns requires a re-examination of previously used strategies. There is little evidence for the effectiveness of single-strategy interventions. Targeted and comprehensive interventions are required that pay attention to the social and cultural constructions of risk and the structural discrimination that sustains and exacerbates health inequities. Australia has a recipe for a public health approach to HIV prevention: government resourcing and support, sector mobilisation, effective testing and treatment, and ongoing surveillance, evaluation, and research. This is the legacy of Australia's original HIV response. Responses should be developed that seek to reduce antipathy and stigma and do not reify differences. Failing to apply what we have learned from this approach risks us failing to achieve virtual elimination for all.

Aims

This research project aims to identify pathways to achieve virtual elimination of HIV transmission for priority populations left behind in the Australian public health response.

Objectives

The research will: 
• Describe the key barriers and enablers to achieving virtual elimination of HIV transmission for key priority populations.  
• Audit the Australian HIV policy, research and service delivery landscape to identify key actors and activities undertaken to reach priority populations. 
• Examine perceptions towards virtual elimination among Australian service providers and policymakers working with key priority populations 
• Explore understanding of and perceptions towards virtual elimination among key priority populations in Australia  
• Develop an agenda for action to achieve virtual elimination for key priority populations in Australia.

Significance 

To deliver on the intentions of Australia’s HIV strategy for prevention, testing and treatment targets, renewed efforts are needed to understand the needs of all affected communities. This is particularly the case for those who have been historically underserved. This research will highlight opportunities to improve Australian policy and service delivery responses to support virtual elimination for all priority populations.

The scholar will be based in the Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health (CERIPH), facilitating a multidisciplinary training experience. CERIPH will provide infrastructure support, professional development, teaching and learning integration and facilitate knowledge translation. The scholar will work with established teams working across community-facing, participatory research topics in migration health, HIV and other STIs and BBVs, sexuality and gender diversity. The scholar will work alongside and be mentored by PhD scholars and researchers and participate in the activities of CERIPH including lunch and learn sessions and social activities. The scholar will work alongside external organisations to support knowledge translation. The project will contribute to more than a decade of work by CERIPH and build WA research capacity, particularly for EMCRs. It will continue to raise Curtin’s profile as a key contributor to research to address a range of health issues and determinants for underserved populations. This vision is congruent with Curtin’s strategic priority to identify and enable areas of emerging research capability.

An internship may be available for this project. This project may provide an internship opportunity. The scholar will have the opportunity to work closely with local non-government organisations such as Multicultural Futures or WAAC, with which the team has existing relationships.

• Future Students

• Faculty of Health Sciences

• Higher Degree by Research

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

• Merit Based

The annual scholarship package, covering both stipend and tuition fees, amounts to approximately $70,000 per year.

In 2024, the RTP stipend scholarship offers $35,000 per annum for a duration of up to three years. Exceptional progress and adherence to timelines may qualify students for a six-month completion scholarship.

Selection for these scholarships involves a competitive process, with shortlisted applicants notified of outcomes by November 2024.

1

All applicable HDR courses.

This project will suit an applicant with a strong commitment to social justice, health equity, and an interest in underserved populations. Ideally, the applicant will have: 
• a background in public health, health promotion, social or behavioural sciences;  
• an interest in community-facing, policy-relevant research; 
• strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills; 
• excellent written communication skills including the peer-reviewed and grey literature; 
• experience and/or interest in co-design and emancipatory principles; 
• strong project management skills;  
• ability to work independently and as part of a team; and 
• experience or interest in qualitative and mixed methods research.

 

Please send your CV, academic transcripts and brief rationale why you want to join this research project via the HDR Expression of Interest form to the project lead researcher, listed below. 

You must be enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2025.

Project Lead: Associate Professor Gemma Crawford