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Professor Jane Farmer

Professor of Health & Social Innovation

Biography

Jane Farmer is Professor of Health & Social Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. She specialises in place-based social connection and how to activate it through activities, infrastructure and digital technologies. Jane also has considerable experience of supporting cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary STEM + HASS working for social innovation and technology. For much of her career, she researched in rural communities internationally, particularly around rural health services, technology and community engagement. Throughout her career, Jane has worked in collaborations and partnerships with citizens, communities, councils, businesses and community service organisations, as well as with academic researchers from a wide range of disciplines. Jane has a longstanding interest in innovative research methodologies.

Jane’s current projects are mainly around community mental health, social connection, community collaborations for capacity-building and social innovation in ageing. She has undertaken research, evaluation and consultancy for councils, community organisations and governments internationally.

Most recently, Jane was Director of the Social Innovation Research Institute at Swinburne University. Previously, she was Associate PVC Research in Science, Health and Engineering at La Trobe University, and Head of La Trobe Rural Health School. In Scotland, she was Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Health Research at University of the Highlands and Islands from 2006-10.

Research interests

Public and Environmental Health; Aged care; Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Social enterprise; Social impact; Service Design

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.

Honours

Available to supervise honours students.

Fields of Research

Policy And Administration - 440700
Health Services And Systems - 420300
Public Health - 420600

Publications
Recent research grants awarded
Recent media

Publications

Also published as: Farmer, Jane; Farmer, J.
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.

Recent research grants awarded

2023: Design and Implementation of the Social Connection Assessment & Enablement Toolkit *; ARIIA Grant Program
2022: Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia *; ARC Linkage Projects Scheme
2021: Collaborative data analytics exploring family safety outcomes *; Department of Health and Human Services (Vic)
2021: Members and Connection *; Australian Red Cross
2021: Mental Health Deep Dive *; Zurich Australia Fund Scheme
2020: Data Co-operative Platform for Social Impact and Wellbeing *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
2020: Optimising the roles of online communities in rural resilience *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
2020: Regional Alliance for Social Inclusion *; Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (Vic)
2020: Regional Data Co-op Project *; Bendigo Community Health
2020: Rural Outreach Program Evaluation *; Edenhope and Memorial Hospital
2019: Advancing Social Connections *; Australian Red Cross
2019: Efficiently Doing Good *; Australian Red Cross
2019: Proposal to support the Foundation’s review into investing in rural Australian mental health improvement *; The Paul Ramsay Foundation
2019: Strengthening the Not for Profit Sector: Data for Good Sandpit *; Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund (LMCF)
2018: Community collective impact for local best-practice community co-produced rural mental health services *; Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Grants
2018: Landscape review of maternity services education in Victoria *; VMIA State-Wide Maternity Services Program
2018: Linked semantic platforms for social & physical infrastructure & wellbeing *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
2018: Measuring social impact and attitudes towards gender and family violence project *; Department of Premier & Cabinet (Vic)
2018: WOmen’s action for Mums and Bubs (WOMB): A pragmatic trial of participatory women’s groups to improve Indigenous maternal and child health *; NHMRC Project Grants
2017: Community Participation Method for Rural Medicare Local population health planning *; NHMRC Partnership Project
2017: HelpDem: Skilled Volunteers for Dementia - Evaluation of Volunteer Training Program *; Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal
2017: Improving Health Equity of Young People? The role of social enterprise *; ARC Linkage Projects Scheme
2017: Increasing inclusion in rural, generalist health services *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
2017: Mapping the effect of social enterprise on regional city disadvantage *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
2017: The Virtual Dementia Friendly Rural Community (VERILY) Project *; Department of Health (Cwlth)

* Chief Investigator

Recent media

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