About our research

Research within the School of Rural Medicine is driven by the Research and Evaluation team.

Research strategy

In line with the goals of both the Faculty of Science and Health Research Strategy and the University Research Strategy, we are committed to supporting and delivering excellence in research.

In 2024, the SRM released its Inaugural Research Strategy. The pillars of our research strategy are to:

1. develop and support rural health research capability within our local communities
2. develop and graduate our students as medical practitioners capable of interpreting and conducting research to the benefit of their rural communities
3. develop strong, collaborative and financially viable partnerships
4. produce research of excellence that addresses local community needs
5. engage in scholarship that informs teaching, learning and assessment.

Our research vision

We will become an internationally recognised medical school leading rural health research, and our students' and schools' research will have significant and demonstrable impacts on rural health outcomes.

We will support and facilitate medical research in rural and remote communities, via the training and support of rurally-based clinicians and researchers.

We will support Indigenous research and actively recruit and train First Nation’s peoples to guide and lead our research in Indigenous health, where we will strive to improve health outcomes for First Nations people.

Our research values

We value the training and education of our medical students in rigorous scientific research practice and are dedicated to graduating medical practitioners capable of critically appraising and applying evidence from medical and scientific literature to the benefit of their rural communities.

We value collaboration with our local rural communities, and the contributions of our partners in each of our Rural Clinical Schools – our students, our academic supervising clinicians, rurally-based patients, Local Health Districts, Primary Health Networks, Aboriginal Medical Services and all community medicine partners.

We value research undertaken with the highest integrity and ethical values.

Our contribution to rural health research

Being based in rural locations with an extensive footprint, we are well-positioned to contribute significantly to the depth and scope of rural health research across NSW and Victoria.

By 2029 we hope to be having a national impact. We are committed to driving research projects that result in impactful, translational outcomes.