ACDHS Update – August 2026

Aug 26, 2026 | 0 comments

Welcome to the August edition of the ACDHS Update.

Thank you for your continued engagement with ACDHS and for the work you do to strengthen allied health education, research and the future health workforce across Australia and New Zealand.

 

IN THIS ISSUE

  • 2026 ACDHS Allied Health Awards
  • Strategic Issues Groups
  • Feature Story: School-based enabling programs open stronger pathways to university
  • Research Roundup: Victoria University of Wellington secures funding for Māori and Pasifika health research
  • Mental Health First Aid Update – Curtin University
  • World PT Day 2026
  • 5th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference – Call for abstracts
  • Audiology Australia 2027 Conference – Call for abstracts
  • Events, Conferences, Opportunities & Resources
  • Jobs Board

2026 ACDHS Allied Health Awards

2026 ACDHS Awards nomination deadline EXTENDED to 4 September. SUBMIT NOW!

There is less than 24 hours remaining to nominate yourself or an outstanding colleague for the 2026 ACDHS Allied Health Awards.

If you or someone in your institution is leading innovative approaches to education, delivering research with meaningful impact or demonstrating outstanding Indigenous leadership and engagement, now is the time to put their work forward.

Award categories include:

  • Allied Health Education – Innovation Award
  • Allied Health First Nations – Leadership/Engagement Award
  • Allied Health Research – Impact Award

Nominations may be submitted by ACDHS member institutions across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Nominations close Friday 4 September 2026.

Don’t leave an outstanding contribution unrecognised.

View the eligibility criteria and submit your nominations

Strategic Issues Groups

Allied Heath Clinical Education Community of Practice

The Allied Health Clinical Education Community of Practice (CoP) is continuing to gain momentum, with more than 150 members now registered across the network. The Leadership Group met earlier this month and will meet again on 27 August to finalise plans for the inaugural CoP meeting.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Lisa Simmons as Chair of the CoP. Lisa is a Senior Lecturer in Health Professional Education at James Cook University’s College of Medicine and Dentistry and an Accredited Clinical Exercise Physiologist. She brings extensive experience in clinical education leadership, educator capability development and applied research, with a focus on strengthening learner outcomes, healthcare delivery and sustainable allied health workforces, particularly in regional and rural communities.

The first Community of Practice meeting is planned for late September, with the date to be confirmed. We look forward to bringing members together to connect, collaborate and advance clinical education across Allied Health.

Better Regulation Working Group

The Better Regulation Working Group, co-chaired by the Department of Education and Universities Australia, has approached ACDHS to contribute advice on allied health education regulation and accreditation. This may include a presentation and accompanying paper for the Group’s meeting on 17 September. Further information about the Better Regulation Working Group is available on its website.

In preparation for a written response ACDHS would like to invite members to contribute to our engagement with the Better Regulation Working Group. Our overall approach will be to highlight the recommendations from the 2025 independent review Transforming Health Professionals Regulation in Australia: Independent Review Final Report by Sue Dawson. If there is a specific recommendation from this report that you would like ACDHS to highlight and an example or experience that your program has had that illustrate the importance of this recommendation, we would like to be able to include this as a part of our response. The Health Minister’s report and which recommendations were accepted or not, can be found here.

Please send your responses to us by COB on 4 September 2026 to strategicsupport@acdhs.edu.au.

Regulation and Accreditation Issues

We are looking for members to join the Regulation Accreditation Issues strategic Issues Group to connect, collaborate, and contribute to improving accreditation and regulatory practices across the sector.

If you are interested, please contact Anne Keohane strategicsupport@acdhs.edu.au.

Feature Story

School-based enabling programs open stronger pathways to university

New national research from the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success has found that in-school enabling programs provide an academically rigorous and effective pathway to university for senior secondary students who do not have access to, or do not thrive within, conventional ATAR pathways.

Funded through ACSES’s Large Grants Research Program and including researchers from Murdoch University, Southern Cross University, and the University of Southern Queensland, the project is the first national study to compare ISEPs across institutions, examining how they work and the outcomes they achieve – particularly for students from underrepresented backgrounds, or in rural/remote communities.

The study examined almost 2,000 students across 94 schools and four universities. Students achieved an overall program success rate of 87% and a completion rate of 79%, while 90% of surveyed participants said the program helped them believe they could succeed at university. Once enrolled in undergraduate study, students from equity groups entering through these programs were retained at rates close to their non-equity peers.

The findings have wider relevance for universities seeking to build more diverse and locally connected health workforces, particularly in regional and underserved communities. The report calls for nationally consistent standards, sustained support for students throughout their degrees and more secure government funding for school–university enabling partnerships.

Read the final report

Research Roundup

Victoria University of Wellington secures funding for Māori and Pasifika health research

Researchers at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington have been awarded more than NZ$2.4 million through the Health Research Council of New Zealand to lead two projects focused on improving Māori and Pasifika health outcomes. The community-led research will explore ways to increase HPV vaccination uptake among Māori youth and improve palliative care for Pacific peoples, reflecting a strong commitment to health equity and culturally responsive care across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Read more

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Update

Strong student engagement at Curtin University

Curtin University continues to see strong engagement with the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program across its allied health disciplines.

Of the 628 eLearning places allocated for 2026, 342 students (54%) have already completed their MHFA eLearning, with a further 181 students (29%) enrolled or currently working through the course. Overall, 83% of Curtin’s allocated places are now either completed or actively engaged.

523 students are already engaged with or have completed MHFA eLearning, demonstrating Curtin’s strong commitment to equipping future allied health professionals with valuable mental health knowledge and skills.

World PT Day 2026

World PT Day, held annually on 8 September, celebrates the vital contribution physiotherapists make to improving health, mobility and independence worldwide. This year’s theme focuses on the role of physiotherapy and physical activity in the prevention, management and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, with stroke a major contributor to disability. World Physiotherapy’s 2026 campaign highlights the important role physiotherapists play in helping people reduce risk through exercise, supporting recovery after heart attack or stroke and improving long-term health and quality of life.

To support the campaign, World Physiotherapy has released a free toolkit including posters, information sheets, social media resources and advocacy materials, enabling organisations and clinicians to raise awareness and promote the profession in their communities.

Access the toolkit

5th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference

Call for abstracts

Are you an Indigenous researcher or working on an Indigenous health and wellbeing research project? Abstract submissions are welcomed from individuals, communities, and organisations working locally and globally with, by and for Indigenous peoples in the health and wellbeing sector, to present at the conference in June 2027.

The conference theme is Time, Place, Spirit: Living our Legacy; and is embedded throughout the program and critical discussions are invited about issues that impact Indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing.

Presentations led by Indigenous peoples that demonstrate Indigenous leadership, have a strengths-based approach and contribute to the improvement of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples are encouraged.

Abstract submissions close 23 October 2026.

Submit an abstract

Audiology Australia 2027 Conference

Call for abstracts

Submissions are now open for research abstracts and clinical presentations at the Audiology Australia 2027 Conference, ‘Thriving Through Change’, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 11–14 May 2027!

We welcome submissions from anyone with research, experience or practical insights that can inform or advance audiology. Your contribution can inspire new ideas, strengthen practice and help create a conference program that reflects the breadth and diversity of Australia’s audiology community.

Showcase your work at the Audiology Australia 2027 Conference by submitting either a research abstract or a clinical presentation:

 

  • Research abstract – share original research or clinical studies and show how your findings can contribute to audiology and clinical practice.
  • Clinical presentation – share a case, program, service delivery model, practical innovation or experience that offers useful learnings for other professionals.

Before submitting, review the guidelines for eligibility, presentation formats, key dates and presenter obligations.

Presenters at all career stages are encouraged to apply, including first-time presenters and professionals from metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities.

Submissions close Thursday 1 October 2026.

Learn more

Upcoming Events, Conference and Opportunities

Events

Opportunities

Resources
  • Te Awa Tārai – A Career Development Guide for Allied Health – Hauora Haumi
    This provides a thoughtful framework for recognising diverse pathways, building skills, reflecting on professional growth and planning future development. It highlights stages of career progression and encourages reflective practice and ongoing skill enhancement that many in our sector will find useful in shaping their own career journeys.
  • AHANZ Members’ Advocacy Kit 2026
    As Aotearoa heads toward the 2026 General Election (07 November 2026), AHANZ is strengthening its advocacy to ensure allied health is fully integrated into health system planning and investment. We need members alongside us. Your voice, experience and community trust make the strongest case for change.
  • Allied Health Digital Hub
    Designed to help allied health professionals understand, access and adopt digital health products, the Hub brings together the resources you need to navigate Australia’s evolving digital health landscape.

Jobs Board

VIC
QLD
WA
SA
NSW
TAS
New Zealand
Overseas

Know someone (or something) we should celebrate?

 

Member Acknowledgements recognise significant achievements, honours, and contributions across our ACDHS community. If you, or a colleague, have recently received an award, fellowship, major appointment, or other noteworthy recognition, we would love to hear from you.

Please email brief details (and a photo if available) so we can feature them in an upcoming Update. (leonie@acdhs.edu.au)

Feedback & Engagement

Have a story or research achievement to share? We’d love to hear about it!

leonie@acdhs.edu.au.

Thank you for reading the ACDHS Update. We look forward to bringing you more inspiring stories and valuable updates next month.

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We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Australia’s lands and waters and their enduring connection to Country. As an education and health sciences association, we recognise the vital role of Indigenous knowledge in shaping holistic approaches to learning, wellness, and healthcare. We honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, past and present, and their custodianship of knowledge embedded in the land. In paying our respects to Elders, we commit to fostering cultural understanding and partnerships for equitable and inclusive education and healthcare.