Sax Institute celebrates public health research with significant impact

Two researchers whose work has had a direct effect on public health policy and practice in the areas of vaping behaviours in young people and alcohol harm minimisation have been honoured in the Sax Institute’s annual Research Action Awards tonight.

This year’s winners are:

• Associate Professor Becky Freeman, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, for her work on vape use behaviours in young people
• Professor James Smith, Rural and Remote Health Northern Territory, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, for his work on alcohol harm minimisation.

This is the tenth time the Sax Institute has presented the Research Action Awards since their inauguration in 2015 to recognise early- to mid-career researchers whose work has had a significant impact on health policy, programs or service delivery.

Congratulating the winners, Sax Institute CEO Dr Martin McNamara said their respective projects were outstanding examples of how public health research can provide insights that feed directly into changes in policy and practice.

“These two projects shine a light on the role of research evidence in the formulation of policy. What strikes me in particular is how proactive both winners have been in engaging not just key stakeholders but also the general public through the media to ensure the full impact of their work,” Dr McNamara said.

“I’m very pleased we’ve been able to honour researchers who are so strongly focused on the practical application of their research with the aim of improving the wellbeing of everyone.”

The winners were presented with their Awards, which each bring a $5,000 prize, by the Sax Institute’s Board Chair Professor Ian Olver AM at a ceremony at the Parliament of NSW tonight. The Master of Ceremonies this year was Professor Stan Grant, the renowned journalist, author, theologian, and Vice Chancellor’s Chair of Australian-Indigenous Belonging at Charles Sturt University.

The Hon David Harris MP, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Gaming and Racing, Veterans, Medical Research and the Central Coast, delivered the opening address at the event, which was attended by around 100 senior policy makers, research leaders, academics and others.

Professor Annette Boaz – Director of the NIHR Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit and Professor of Health and Social Care, King’s College London – chaired the independent assessment committee that chose the winners, and commented that the committee was very impressed by the quality of this year’s applications.

“The Research Action Awards are a fantastic demonstration of the vitality of public health research in Australia. It is heartening to see the determination of so many early and mid-career researchers to make a real difference to policy and practice with their work,” she said.

There is a broad consensus among experts that while research can make a critical contribution to health policy development, opportunities to use research evidence in policy are often missed. The Sax Institute set up the Research Action Awards as a further means of delivering on its mission, which is to ‘improve health and wellbeing by driving the use of research in policies, programs and services’.

The 2024 Research Action Award Winners

Associate Professor Becky Freeman, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney – the behaviours of vape use among young people

Over the past few decades, Australia has seen huge progress in tobacco control, but the rise of vaping risks undermining this success. Associate Professor Freeman led the first and largest national project – the Generation Vape study – to track young people’s vape use, attitudes and behaviours over time – creating a unique opportunity to measure the impact of policy, programs and education initiatives around vaping and tobacco control. 

The study’s first publication provided the first evidence in Australia on how easily, where and what type of vapes young people access. It received very widespread media attention and was cited by state and federal governments as evidence for the need for reforms to end the retail sale of all vaping products outside pharmacies. The study’s insights underpinned the new national vaping laws that were adopted in June 2024. 

Data and insights from the suite of papers published from the study have featured in numerous submissions to both NSW and Federal inquiries into vaping and were presented most recently by Associate Professor Freeman in April 2024 at the hearings of the NSW Inquiry in E-Cigarette Regulation and Compliance.

Associate Professor is a highly sought-after media expert on vaping and has been interviewed on high-impact free-to-air news programs such as Four Corners, 7:30 Report, SBS’s Insight and ABC’s Health Report, to name but a few.

“For me, the main impetus to doing research is that it be useful and valuable in the real world, rather than just appearing in academic journals. My goal is to provide evidence that informs policy responses, especially in areas where current policies may not be effective,” she says.

Read more about Associate Professor Freeman’s work here.

Professor James Smith, Rural and Remote Health Northern Territory, Flinders University – leadership in alcohol harm minimisation

The Northern Territory has the highest level of alcohol consumption per capita in Australia. Its harmful use has major health and social impacts, and is often associated with domestic violence, mental health problems, crime, drug use and incarceration. 

Professor Smith’s leadership in alcohol harm minimisation research has made a huge contribution to alcohol-related advocacy and policy reforms in the Northern Territory, which has the highest level of alcohol consumption per capita in Australia. 

His research has built up the evidence base across multiple areas over the past five to six years and has included significant research capacity building, including in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. His work has involved the engagement of a diverse array of stakeholders and has contributed to meaningful alcohol policy and program change in the Northern Territory. 

His work has significantly contributed to the development of an NT Alcohol Harm Minimisation Action Plan along with a series of alcohol policy investments, including the Banned Drinker Register, Minimum Unit Price and review of the NT Liquor Act. His research provided critical evidence to inform the decision to refuse a liquor licence for Dan Murphy in Darwin.

Professor Smith has worked collaboratively with policy advisors at all levels of government to ensure that the evidence is well understood and framed in ways that are politically acceptable. He has been extensively interviewed in the media to explain key research findings in plain English and has spent considerable time building the capacity of junior researchers – in particular female and Indigenous researchers.

His research has consistently focused on improving the health and social outcomes for the most vulnerable people in the Northern Territory, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

“Harmful consumption of alcohol has really significant health and social impacts. It’s often associated with domestic violence, mental health concerns, illicit drug use and incarceration, among many other issues. Policies and programs can drive positive change, but it’s crucial that they are informed with the right evidence and evaluation. And we need to be able to explain that evidence  in clear language not just to policy makers but to consumers as well, so that we can all come together to drive change,” Professor Smith says.

Read more about Professor Smith’s work here.