ERGO – Emerging Researcher’s Group
"Health Services Research (HSR) is a multi-disciplinary research activity with an implicit objective of improving the health services patients receive. Thus it is an area of applied rather than 'basic' research - it uses theories of human behaviour from contributing disciplines, along with evidence from the medical sciences, to generate and test hypotheses about the financing, planning and delivery of health care of health care."
Thus far, most contributors to the field of health services research have been trained in one specific discipline such as economics, epidemiology, political science, psychology, management and sociology and collaborate with others and contribute their unique skills and expertise to understand and address questions about health services and their health systems. More recently students are completing postgraduate programmes that provide training and build expertise across disciplines. Rather than emerging as a PhD trained in one specific field, the new and emerging Health Services Researcher has training and knowledge of perspectives and methodologies across disciplines to contribute to our understanding and approach to key health services issues of access, quality, financing, and organisation.
Who we are
The Emerging Researchers Group (ERGO) is a network of masters and doctoral students, recent graduates from doctoral programmes, and other experts working in the field of Health Services Research in Australia and New Zealand. It is the student arm of the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand. A priority of ERGO is to engage others working or studying in this field to better define and understand the identity of the Health Services Researcher - to explore who are we, what we do, where we work, and overall how we fit with other types of health research.
Our main opportunity to do this is through seminars and workshops, particulary those held as part of the HSRAANZ biennial conference and through our web based social network at http://groups.google.co.nz/group/ergo-hsr?hl=en.
There are two representatives for the ERGO group: one from New Zealand, Laura Wilkinson-Meyers (University of Auckland); and one from Australia, Adam Elshaug (University of Adelaide). For more information about our group or to join, please contact Laura at l.wilkinson-meyers@auckland.ac.nz.
The conference activities are our one opportunity to meet and network face to face with other emerging researchers across New Zealand and Australia. Many current students and recent graduates are working independently and often at a great distance from the others. Through these events, we have the opportunity to support each other in reaching our individual goals by sharing information about opportunities to attend special lectures, workshops or conferences, find study or work placements within our countries and abroad, and identify job opportunities in and outside of academic settings.
ERGO at the Health Services and Policy Research Conference
At the Association's Biennial Conference, ERGO generally hosts a workshop for Early Career Health Services Researchers, in which experts share their experiences. At previous events guests have provided tips on putting together fellowship and grant applications from the reviewer's perspective, while others have provides insights into identifying and navigating the Health Services Research career path.
Best oral and Poster Presentation Prize at the Biennial Conference
To acknowledge the efforts and achievements of junior members of health services research community, the Association awards two prizes, one for best student poster and one for the best presentation by a student at the conference. These awards not only raise the profile of the valuable research being done by emerging Health Services Researchers to the wider HSR community but also promote their achievements to a wide audience of potential employers.
Prizes for the best poster and oral presentation for 2009, 2011 and 2013 are sponsored by
The Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is focused on providing students with real world skills and experience. The Faculty works collaboratively with external partners to develop programs and research that make a direct and significant impact on the community and to our daily lives.
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More information on the 6th Biennial Conference