WORKSHOPS
There are four workshops at the 18NRHC, scroll down and select the workshop tab to display.
Reconciliation in Action Workshop
Workshop 10am–12:30pm
Sunday 13 September
Location: Adelaide University
Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building
CBD, 4 North Terrace, Adelaide
4th floor, Seminar Room 4050a
Australian Journal of Rural Health and National Rural Health Alliance free Pre-conference workshop and networking event
WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED
Workshop 3pm–5pm
Networking event 5pm–7pm
Sunday 13 September
Location: Adelaide University
Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building
CBD, 4 North Terrace, Adelaide
4th floor, Seminar Room 4050a
When you attend the 18NRH Conference (14th September – 16th September 2026), please join us on Sunday 13th September for a pre-conference workshop and networking event hosted by the Australian Journal of Rural Health and the National Rural Health Alliance.
The workshop will be held from 3:00–5:00pm and will focus on:
- Getting published in the AJRH – including the journal’s aims and scope, the benefits of publishing in the AJRH, and practical guidance on what the editorial team looks for in a quality manuscript.
- Reviewing for the AJRH – including pathways to becoming a reviewer, the importance and professional benefits of reviewing, and tools and tips to support the development of your reviewing skills.
The workshop will conclude with a panel Q&A, where attendees can meet and engage with members of the AJRH editorial team.
The networking event will be held from 5:00–7:00pm and will provide an opportunity for the research community who have supported the AJRH to connect and hear from the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor about the vision for the AJRH. Workshop attendees are welcome to join this event. Food and drinks will be provided.
Location: Adelaide University
Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building
CBD, 4 North Terrace, Adelaide
4th floor, Seminar Room 4050a
Workshop and Networking registration information will be announced soon.
WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED
Rural Health Research Capacity Building: Advancing Impact and Transformation
Adelaide Convention Centre
10am–4.30pm
Sunday 13th September
Cost: $80 (Catering included)
Riverbank Room 2
Target Audience
This workshop is for those engaged in, or committed to, building health research capacity building in regional, rural and remote areas. Participants may include educators supporting students, graduates, or clinician researchers. You might be a clinician researcher or an academic committed to working to strengthen research capability within organisations and communities. The workshop provides an opportunity to network, share experience, and engage with emerging approaches in the field.
Overview
This workshop builds on our 2024 workshop “Rural Health Research Capacity Building: Approaches across the nation”, which explored diverse models of capacity building. In 2026 we extend our lively and engaging discussion to focus on evaluation, impact, and transformation.
You will engage with a range of evaluation frameworks currently used across Australia to assess research capacity building initiative. Program leads will present their rationale for framework selection, and discuss the strengths and weakness and how each framework helped them highlight their program outputs and outcomes.
The workshop will move beyond traditional metrics such as publications and policy outputs to critically explore how impact is conceptualised and measured in regional, rural and remote contexts. Participants will examine how research capacity building contributes to meaningful change in clinical practice, workforce capability, and organisational culture
Case examples will illustrate how capacity building initiatives have led to tangible transformation in healthcare settings. The workshop will conclude with a facilitated discussion on opportunities for collaboration and future directions for advancing research capacity building nationally.
Workshop presenters
Associate Professor Emma Webster (University of Sydney, School of Rural Health) [email protected]
Dr David Schmidt (Health Education and Training Institute – NSW Health and University of Sydney School of Rural Health) [email protected]
Dr Olivia King (Western Alliance and Deakin University) [email protected]
Professor Tracy Flenady (CQUniversity) [email protected]
Workshop leads are R3SHARE co-chairs. R3SHARE is a network for Rural, Remote and Regional Australians sharing approaches for research education–growing research in rural communities.
Workshop cost
$80 per person (incl morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea) maximum 50 people
We Deserve Better: Positioning Rural Health Equity and Social Justice in Policy, Education and Practice
WORKSHOP FULLY BOOKED
Adelaide Convention Centre
Half Day - 1pm–5pm
with an afternoon tea break
Sunday 13 September
Workshop is free to attend and open to all delegates. Afternoon tea is provided
Riverbank Room 3
Workshop Facilitators
Prof Brendan McCormack: Dean and Head of School, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney
Professor Kate Harrison-Brennan: Director, Sydney Policy Lab
Workshop presenters
Focus Area 1: Social Justice and Health Equity for rural and remote Australians: Professor Deb Jones
Focus Area 2: Embedding health equity and social justice in health professional education: Professor Brendan McCormack
Focus Area 3: Elevating Community Voice for Policy Impact: Dr Kate Harrison-Brennan – Director Sydney Policy Lab
Workshop Abstract
Rural and remote Australians continue to die younger, sicker and poorer than their city counterparts. We deserve better, we deserve transformational health care that has an unwavering focus on realising health equity attainment for rural and remote Peoples. We deserve investments in the systematic identification and elimination of the structural inequities that are situated in political, policy, health and higher education systems, those that act to maintain and further entrench inequities and injustices. The Australian Government stated that the health and wellbeing of regional, rural, remote and very remote Australians is a national priority. The nation’s health workforce is instrumental in enacting the main principle underlying our health care system, ‘that no individual or community group is to be disadvantaged when accessing health care services.’ However, Australia’s health and health workforce policy landscape is fragmented and rural and remote communities continue to experience critical and protracted health workforce shortages. Health professionals are poorly equipped to respond to the complex inequities and injustices confronted, and the health care afforded to us is inadequate, inaccessible and diminishing. We deserve better, we deserve the highest attainable standard of health care, care that is safe, fair to access, aligned to our needs, and ensures we have the right to live our lives with dignity. If we deserve better, we need to inform and lead what better should look like.
This workshop will actively engage participants in: 1) defining a statement of health care rights to advance health equity attainment for rural and remote populations, 2) re-imaging and re-orientating health professional education and practice towards health equity, social justice and rights-based care, and; 3) informing the development of a national Policy/Position Statement for health equity attainment for rural and remote Peoples.
Workshop Outcomes
At the completion of the workshop all working group contributions will be collated and analysed to inform the:
- Creation of a Draft Statement of Rights for Health Equity attainment for Rural and Remote Peoples.
- Development of a position statement on the inclusion of health equity, social justice and rights-based care in health professional standards of practice, accreditation, curriculum content and practice experiences (to be presented to the National Rural Health Conference Committee.)
- Creation of a Draft Policy statement for the case for health equity, social justice and rights-based care for rural and remote Australians.
- Development of a peer reviewed manuscript.
Workshop cost
Workshop is free to attend and open to all delegates. Afternoon tea is provided.
Maximum 50 people