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, early career researchers (within 5 years of completing a PhD), and other experts working in the field of Health Services Research in Australia and New Zealand. It is the student/graduate chapter 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. Please join us!

There are two representatives for the ERGO group: one from New Zealand, Laura Wilkinson-Meyers (University of Auckland); and one from Australia, Alison Pearce (University of Technology, Sydney). The HSRAANZ appoints two facilitators (who must be HSRAANZ members) who are co-opted to represent the emerging researchers to the Executive Committee. The facilitators are responsible for overseeing the operation of the Group and reporting on its activities to the Executive Committee.

Laura Wilkinson-Meyers has been involved with ERGO for the last four years as the representative from New Zealand. She recently submitted her PhD which estimated the additional costs associated with disability in New Zealand. Laura received her MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2004. Since then she has been based in the Health Systems Section at the University of Auckland where she has been involved in teaching on the Bachelor of Health Science programme and in health services research (particularly economic evaluations and cost studies) in the fields of disability and aged care.

Alison Pearce has recently taken up the role of the Australian-based representative of ERGO. She has an occupational therapy background (B.AppSci, UWS), and a Masters in Public Health from the University of New South Wales. Currently based at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology, Sydney, Alison is undertaking her PhD examining the costs associated with the side effects of chemotherapy treatment for Cancer. Alongside her PhD Alison is involved in the Cancer Research Economics Support Team, providing health economics advice and assistance to cancer clinical trialists. Prior to this Alison was a Program Manager at the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, and an Associate Program Manager at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney.

For more information about our group or to join, please contact Laura (l.wilkinson-meyers@auckland.ac.nz) or Alison (alison.pearce@chere.uts.edu.au).

HSRAANZ ERGO Policy

Networking

Many current students and recent graduates are working independently and often at a great distance from others. Through ERGO, we have the opportunity to support each other in reaching our individual goals by sharing information about resources and 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. Our main opportunity to meet and network face to face with other emerging researchers across New Zealand and Australia is through seminars and workshops, particularly 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.

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 including university research groups, government agencies, and private sector organizations. 

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