History
Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) was established as the Centre for the Study of Sexually Transmissible Diseases in October 1992 as an independent research unit within the Faculty of Health Sciences. ARCSHS has a multi-disciplinary team of staff with qualifications and expertise in psychology, anthropology, sociology, public health, health promotion, methodology, epidemiology, education, women's health, consumer advocacy and health policy.
The Centre is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and applied skills in sexual health research and education locally, nationally and internationally. Through our research, teaching and community activities we strive to develop and sustain a direct and organic link with the wider community. Our core competencies are in:
- Research and research methodologies
- Education and training
- Community liaison
- Policy advocacy
- Consultancy services
As well as carrying out high quality research and the teaching of postgraduate students, ARCSHS provides a variety of services to government and non-governmental organisations locally and internationally. In the past, staff have consulted for the World Health Organization; UNICEF; UNAIDS; Family Health International; the Ford Foundation; AusAID, and numerous government and non-government agencies. Consultancy services have been provided in the areas of program design, implementation and evaluation; formative evaluation; and curriculum design. ARCSHS is responsive to the community's need for assistance and expertise in research, evaluation and policy advocacy. Staff at the Centre have been awarded research grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council, National Institute of Mental Health (USA), and the Bertarelli Foundation. The success in attracting grants is attributable to the combination of academic rigour in the research with the assurance of delivery on time and a commitment to disseminate our results widely.
The Centre has won the Victorian Public Health Awards for Research Excellence in 1997, 1999 and 2001 and in 2000 and 2002 has been "highly commended" in these awards.
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