The Australian Government’s first Engagement and Impact (EI) assessment results confirm Griffith University’s position as a leader in delivering high-quality research with impact.

Vice Chancellor and President Professor Carolyn Evans welcomed the result, saying she was pleased to see further recognition of the value that Griffith research continues to demonstrate across its broad research profile.

“At Griffith we celebrate the efforts and achievements of all our researchers who strive to find solutions and benefit societies across the globe with their work,’’ Professor Evans said.

“The outcomes of the EI evaluation highlight the impact of Griffith’s research in an amazing diversity of fields such as Economics, Law, Engineering, Communication and Culture, Earth Sciences, Public and Allied Health Sciences, Built Environment and Agricultural Sciences.

“The EI evaluation has been a great opportunity for universities to better understand and communicate the impact of their research and to draw attention to those who benefit from or are influenced by it.”

The results were announced following the release of new results that revealed the University has doubled its number of fields of research ranked at ‘well above world standard’ since its previous outcome three years ago.

The EI assessment is undertaken as a companion to the Excellence in Research for Australia report and is an initiative under the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda. It looked at how research from 40 participating Australian Universities has enhanced the economy, society, environment or culture, and ranked them low, medium or high impact.

Research programs from Griffith University assessed as delivering high impact included:

Research demonstrating that ‘hotspots’ of erosion activity affecting the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef can be identified and remediated. The Catchment Sediment Budget Research Team led by Associate Professor Andrew Brooks identified gully erosion as the main human-accelerated source of sediment and nutrient source in the Cape York’s Normanby catchment, the fourth largest catchment draining to the GBR.

Professor Dick Drew and the International Centre for the Management of Pest Fruit Flieslaid the foundations for the understanding and management of a worldwide horticulture challenge which led to the development of affordable, non-toxic solutions for pest control.

The Griffith Centre for Coastal Management through a strategic research partnership with City of Gold coast, has helped cement the city’s reputation and a world-leader in coastal management practices.

Research conducted by Menzies Health Institute Queensland headed by Professor Claire Rickard,investigated the merits of the decades-old medical consensus to replace IV catheters every three days which often caused discomfort to patients.

The Cities Research Institute’s breakthrough program IMATCH (Independent Mobility, Active Travel and Children’s Health) Project led by Associate Professor Matthew Burke examined how children travel to school to reveal the barriers and facilitators to travelling independently.

The Centre for Applied Health Economics is a world-leading research organisation providing health care professionals and decision-makers with advice on the safety, efficacy and efficiency of treatments and services.

The ‘Whistling While They Work’ project, led by Professor AJ Brown of the Centre for Governance and Public Policy investigated employee and managerial experience in Australia and New Zealand to identify the factors influencing good and bad responses to whistle-blowing across a wide range of organisation. The project also helped enhance and strengthen this year’s historic Whistleblowing Protection Bill.

The Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research completed three important studies to highlight the impact of community broadcasters across diverse populations including Indigenous and ethnic communities. Led by Professor Susan Forde, the research led to better funding for the community broadcasting sector while informing government licensing across the sector.