ACDHS Update – May 2026

May 27, 2026 | 0 comments

Welcome to the May edition of the ACDHS Update. This month we share important developments across the allied health education sector, including progress within our Strategic Issues Groups, advocacy relating to Commonwealth Prac Payments and updates on the emerging Allied Health Clinical Education Community of Practice. We are also pleased to announce ACDHS’s inclusion in the Australian Government’s highly competitive Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program (HPAB) for 2026–2030 – a significant milestone that will strengthen our role in consultation, advisory and sector leadership activities nationally.

This edition also introduces newly elected Board Director Roma Forbes, highlights Mental Health First Aid program activity at CQUniversity and includes upcoming events, opportunities, fellowships, Exercise Right Week and National Reconciliation Week resources.

As always, we encourage members to share these updates across their networks and to continue engaging with the important work shaping the future of allied health education and workforce development.

 

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program (HPAB)
  • Strategic Issues and Policy Focus
  • Update on Establishing an ACDHS Expert Advisory Panel
  • Sector/Policy Update: Commonwealth Prac Payments – Sector Advocacy
  • Feature Story: Introducing Roma Forbes – Newly Elected ACDHS Board Director
  • Research Roundup: Universities, Innovation and Australia’s Research Future
  • Mental Health First Aid Update – CQUniversity Oral Health Students Complete MHFA Training
  • 2026 Think Tank: Identifying Evidence and Research Gaps
  • Fellowships Fund – 2027 Applications Now Open
  • Exercise Right Week
  • National Reconciliation Week
  • Events, Conferences, Opportunities & Resources
  • Jobs Board

Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program (HPAB)

This grant program opportunity was highly competitive and oversubscribed by more than $313.5 million, with 138 applications received and only 12 applications were successfully awarded grants.

We are pleased to advise that ACDHS has been successful in being included in the Health Peak Advisory Body program for 2026-2030. This is a major step up for our organisation. Four years of funding to undertake consultation, dissemination and advisory work in collaboration with AHPA as the existing grant holder with whom we made our grant application.

Milestones and work plans are to be prepared and a workshop with AHPA is anticipated later this year. This success will elevate the status of ACDHS to a new level as an advisory body to the government. It is anticipated that during the four-year grant, further funding applications may be made built on milestone achievements and performance over the coming years. Being successful as a peak advisory body over the coming years will be vital for ACDHS to potentially gain HPAB status in our own right in future years.

More information to be advised after July 2026.

Strategic Issues and Policy Focus

Strategic Issues Groups & Community of Practice Update

At the Members Workshop held on 1 May, Chairs of the Strategic Issues Groups shared updates on progress to date, highlighting key achievements, lessons learned and priorities moving forward. The session also included an interactive discussion, providing members with the opportunity to give input into the development of the Allied Health Clinical Education Community of Practice (CoP).

Following the workshop, there has been strong engagement across the groups, with five new members joining the Strategic Issues Groups.

Clinical Education Community of Practice

Planning for the CoP is now underway. The Allied Health Teaching SIG will meet on 28 May to:

  • review outcomes from the Members Workshop
  • discuss establishment of a steering committee
  • finalise an engagement plan

Member universities will receive an email in the coming weeks with information on how to be involved in the CoP.

Across the Strategic Issues Groups key initiatives are progressing:

Regulation and Accreditation Issues: developing three collaborative research proposals to be progressed with representatives from accrediting bodies and self-accrediting professions. The goal is to identify a shared project that delivers mutual benefit and supports future collaboration across the sector.

Rural, Remote and First Nations AH Workforce: exploring case studies of First Nations cultural safety, alongside engagement with IAHA to identify and promote best practice approaches.

At its most recent meeting, the Board agreed to disestablish the Early Career AH Academic Workforce Support Group. Consideration will instead be given to alternative support mechanisms or initiatives in this field, with recommendations to be brought forward to the Board by executive management as appropriate.

If you would like to be part of one of these groups, please contact Anne Keohane strategicsupport@acdhs.edu.au.

Update on Establishing an ACDHS Expert Advisory Panel

The Expression of Interest period has now closed. We sincerely thank everyone who supported this new initiative and expressed interest in contributing. We are currently reviewing all submissions and will progress the next steps over the coming weeks as we appoint members to the Panel.

Sector/Policy Update

Commonwealth Prac Payments – Sector Advocacy

Advocacy continues across the health and education sectors regarding financial support for students undertaking mandatory placements. A national petition is currently calling for expanded Commonwealth Prac Payments to help address the financial pressures experienced by many students during extended periods of unpaid clinical placement.

Since our last update, the petition has reached over 37,000 signatures. However, further support is needed to reach the goal of 50,000 signatures.

Members are encouraged to continue sharing the petition across their networks to amplify its impact, build momentum, and support efforts to reduce placement poverty and strengthen Australia’s future allied health workforce.

Sign the petition today

Feature Story

Introducing Recently Elected ACDHS Board Director, Roma Forbes

Roma Forbes is the Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland and an Associate Professor in Physiotherapy. A New Zealand-trained APA titled musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Roma has over 19 years of clinical experience across the private sector alongside an extensive career in health professional education leadership.

Roma serves as a Director of the Australian Physiotherapy Council and National Chair of the Accreditation Committee, contributing to national standards and accreditation in physiotherapy education and workforce preparation. She was awarded the Australian University Teacher of the Year in 2025 for her contributions to health professional education.

Her work focuses on student experience and success, work-integrated learning, graduate workforce readiness and building supportive and high-quality learning environments across the health professions. Roma has published over 120 peer-reviewed publications and numerous international teaching guidelines in health professional education, particularly in the area of new graduate readiness for practice, work-integrated learning and patient education training.

Reflections on professional interests and contribution to the ACDHS Board

“I’m really looking forward to contributing to national conversations about the future of health professional education, how we can ensure workforce readiness and the sustainability of the health workforce pipeline.

One of the things I value most in this work is the opportunity to bring together perspectives from universities, accreditation, clinical practice, students and health services. I’m particularly interested in how we create learning environments and systems that genuinely prepare graduates for the realities and complexities of contemporary healthcare.

I’m also passionate about ensuring excellence in teaching and learning is recognised as central to the future of our health professions. If we want a capable, sustainable and compassionate health workforce, we must deliberately design the learning environments and support structures that enable people to succeed.”

Areas of particular passion

“I’m especially passionate about understanding the gap between university training and the realities of contemporary healthcare practice for our new health professional graduates.

I lead a national program of research exploring the transition from university into the workforce, particularly the uncertainty, ethical tensions, professional identity challenges and support needs that graduates encounter during their first two years of practice. A major focus of this work is understanding how graduates experience the transition from being students to autonomous clinicians.

What I find especially important is that many graduates technically meet competency standards at graduation yet still experience significant uncertainty when navigating the complexity of real-world practice. Understanding those experiences in a nuanced way is critical if we want universities, employers, professional bodies and health services to better support early career clinicians and strengthen workforce sustainability.”

Research Roundup

Universities, Innovation and Australia’s Research Future

Australia’s future research and innovation capability was the focus of a recent Solutions Series: In Conversation webinar featuring Dr Kate Cornick, CEO of the Tech Council of Australia and member of the Federal Government’s Strategic Examination of Research and Development (SERD) panel.

Hosted as part of the Solutions Series conversations led by Universities Australia, the discussion explored the changing relationship between universities, industry, startups, artificial intelligence, and Australia’s future economic resilience

Dr Cornick reflected on the extensive work undertaken through the SERD review process, highlighting the importance of better coordination across Australia’s fragmented research and development system. The conversation reinforced the critical role universities play not only in commercialisation and industry partnerships, but also in foundational research and long-term knowledge creation.

A major theme of the discussion was the increasing importance of entrepreneurship, innovation capability and industry engagement within universities. Dr Cornick noted that while only a small proportion of startups emerge directly from universities, much of the innovation economy is built upon decades of university-led research and discovery.

The webinar also explored the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and its implications for workforce development, productivity, research translation and startup growth. While acknowledging concerns about disruption and changing employment patterns, Dr Cornick expressed optimism about Australia’s ability to leverage AI and emerging technologies to drive innovation and economic opportunity.

Other topics explored included:

  • the role of universities in supporting entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems;
  • research commercialisation and venture capital;
  • global research collaboration and international partnerships;
  • the importance of foundational discovery research; and
  • the need for long-term investment in Australia’s research and development capability.

The discussion highlighted the importance of universities as conveners, educators and research partners within Australia’s broader innovation ecosystem.

With thanks to the Solutions Series team, Dr Kate Cornick, and Universities Australia for the webinar discussion and insights.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Update

CQUniversity Oral Health Students Complete MHFA Training

Twenty-seven first-year Bachelor of Oral Health students at CQUniversity Australia have now completed the Mental Health First Aid for Health Professional Students program.

Stacey Billinghurst, Lecturer in Oral Health at CQUniversity, highlighted the importance of introducing MHFA training early in students’ professional development:

“The value of equipping emerging oral health professionals with mental health first aid skills early in their training cannot be overstated, both for the patients they will go on to serve and for their own personal and professional resilience.”

Ms Billinghurst also extended her thanks to ACDHS for supporting delivery of the program and expressed hope for the continuation of the partnership.

2026 Think Tank: Identifying Evidence and Research Gaps

Members may be interested in the upcoming 2026 Think Tank: Identifying Evidence and Research Gaps, to be held on Wednesday 22 July 2026.

The event will bring together stakeholders to explore current evidence gaps and future research priorities across the sector.

Further information and registration are available via Eventbrite: 2026 Think Tank: Identifying Evidence and Research Gaps.

Find out more

Fellowships Fund – 2027 Applications Now Open

Applications are now open for the 2027 round of Fellowships offered by Fellowships Fund Incorporated, supporting Australian women undertaking full-time postgraduate study.

The Fellowships are available to women who are Australian citizens and either:

  • graduates of a Queensland university pursuing further postgraduate study in Australia or overseas; or
  • graduates of interstate or overseas institutions undertaking postgraduate study at a Queensland university.

The stipend is set at 10% above the Australian Government RTP rate.

Applications close at the end of June 2026, with Fellowships awarded in September 2026.

Further information, eligibility criteria and application details are available via the Fellowships Fund website.

Find out more

Exercise Right Week

Every May, Exercise Right Week highlights the importance of safe, evidence-based exercise and physical activity for Australians of all ages and abilities. Coordinated by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), this year’s campaign runs from 23-30 May 2026 and encourages people to “move more, feel better and live healthier” with support from accredited exercise professionals.

Throughout the week, communities across Australia will host free and low-cost events including health checks, movement sessions, walking groups and exercise classes. Exercise Right Week also aims to raise awareness of the important role exercise plays in improving physical health, mental wellbeing, healthy ageing and chronic disease management.

More information and local events can be found via the official Exercise Right Week website.

Find out more

National Reconciliation Week 2026

27 May – 3 June 2026

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Show your support this National Reconciliation Week (NRW) – 27 May to 3 June – by downloading and displaying the National Reconciliation Week 2026 resources.

Download the resources

Upcoming Events, Conference and Opportunities

Events

Opportunities

Resources

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.

Visit the Allied Health Digital Hub

Jobs Board

VIC
QLD
WA
ACT
SA
NSW
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.