Early Start Director Professor Lisa Kervin receives prestigious research grant

Professor Lisa Kervin, Director of Early Start at the University of Wollongong (UOW), has been awarded a highly coveted Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship. 

 

The ARC Future Fellowships scheme plays a pivotal role in facilitating research excellence by supporting outstanding mid-career researchers in conducting high-quality, innovative research with the potential to lead to significant discoveries and advancements.

 

Professor Kervin and fellow UOW academic Dr Nana Wang were among the 100 new Future Fellows from around the country chosen to drive Australia’s research and innovation capability.

 

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Research and Sustainable Futures) Professor David Currow congratulated Professor Kervin and Dr Wang on their success.

 

“The ARC Future Fellowships are prestigious and highly competitive. Professor Kervin and Dr Wang have two very different areas of research focus, but their remarkable work in their respective fields will reflect UOW’s research strengths and exceptional capabilities on an international level,” he said.

 

Professor Kervin’s work on intergenerational play will benefit from close to $1.2 million in funding over four years to allow her to explore more deeply the way in which younger and older generations come together for play across diverse contexts, with enjoyable, inclusive and engaging activities that fire the mind and build positive relationships.

 

She will engage with a range of contexts to understand the global landscape of intergenerational play and develop and implement principles and programs that will benefit all those who take part.

 

“Intergenerational play has been in existence across cultures for millennia. It is a connecting force for older and younger generations to come together to exchange ideas, values, traditions, knowledge and skills. But what is missing is an understanding of what this looks like across diverse groups and cultures and how it can benefit everyone involved,” she said.

 

“The possibilities of intergenerational play across cultures and different contexts have not yet been realised, so this project offers an exciting opportunity to delve into the principles of intergenerational play and inform policy moving forward. At a time when loneliness is one of the greatest threats to our wellbeing, this research could not be more important for the wellbeing of society.”

 

The Sector extends its congratulations to Professor Kervin, Dr Wang, and all other ARC Future Fellowship recipients.