Current Research Projects
Last updated
DVA has a wide range of research projects underway.
In 2026 we will update this page to include DVA’s 5-year Research and Evaluation Strategy, which will guide our research projects out to 2030. This strategy will be accompanied by annual work plans, which we will also publish here, to give veterans, families and researchers visibility of the research and evaluation projects the department is undertaking, or planning to undertake.
Current projects
| Project name | Summary | Lead Research Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Serving and ex-serving ADF members who have served since 1985: Suicide Monitoring Annual Report* | Eighth annual update monitoring suicides among permanent, reserve, and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members. The population of ADF members under consideration are those who served between 1985 and 2023. This year, the information will be presented in a dashboard format rather than a full report. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Peer-Led Seeking Safety: Translating an evidence-based practice model for veterans' support organisations | This project seeks to conduct a formative evaluation of the translation and implementation of the group format, Peer-Led Seeking Safety practice model within Open Arms. | Gallipoli Medical Research |
| Understanding the use of healthcare services by ex- serving ADF members (Phase 2)* | This project will investigate patterns of healthcare system use by ex-serving ADF members, particularly those with known priority health conditions. Phase 2 of the project extends on Phase 1 to explore what primary and secondary care services are provided for ex-serving ADF members. This project will produce four distinct reports with topics such as health service use in the year before and after hospitalization for intentional self-harm, the last year of life before death by suicide, and chronic conditions. The data is only available in the context of veterans through data linkage. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Priority Populations Project: Profile of ex-serving ADF members who are not DVA clients* | To produce an article which presents current research and available data sources for investigating the health and welfare of veterans who are not DVA clients. This will help identify any priority subpopulations of veterans who are currently not interacting with DVA services but who may need DVA support. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Priority Populations Project: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), First Nations and LGBTIQ+ veterans: data and research availability scan* | To produce an article which presents current research and available data sources for investigating the health and welfare of CALD, First Nations, and LGBTIQ+ veterans. Insights will form DVA’s input into the next Five Eyes Demographic Working Group report, which will compare data availability across the five countries and may further investigate additional topics such as the wellbeing status of their respective cohorts and the changing cultural/racial composition of serving populations over time. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Families of veterans – Long-term health conditions* | This project will investigate the changing health and wellbeing of veterans, families, and children using the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA), including an analysis on the long-term health conditions of children and spouses of veterans by various characteristics of the veteran in the family. | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) |
| Analysis of the Australian veteran cohort and DVA clients' data in the 45 and Up study | An exploratory analysis on risk factors and health outcomes of 45 and Up Study participants who are DVA card holders, and/or have been a member of the Australian Defence Force, to understand potential health service needs and inform service planning. | Sax Institute |
| Dissemination of the Translation and Wellbeing Research Programme & Moral Injury Outcome Scale study findings | This project will develop an academic journal manuscript and summary posters of research findings to improve the visibility of these important research studies within the research and veteran communities. | Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health |
| Strength in Transition: Exploring the Health and Wellbeing Experiences and Needs of Women Veterans in Australia | This project seeks to better understand the health and wellbeing needs of women veterans in Australia, both during and after transition from the Australian Defence Force (ADF). A review of the available literature will be undertaken as well as qualitative research with women veterans to better understand their health and wellbeing experiences. | Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health |
| Service access needs, experiences and barriers of culturally and linguistically diverse Australian Defence Force veterans | This project will conduct qualitative research by interviewing culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) veterans and families to better understand their experiences when engaging in the veteran support system. The project aims to identify both the enablers and barriers when accessing support, as well as ways that the veteran support system can better meet the requirements of CALD veterans. A review of literature on the provision of services to CALD veterans will also be undertaken. | University of New South Wales (UNSW) |
| Defence and veteran families’ wellbeing factors data strengthening project | Conduct a structured search, quality assessment, and synthesis of available data sources to develop wellbeing measures across the domains of the DVA wellbeing framework. The project will identify future data-improvement opportunities, as well as baseline reporting on family demographics and wellbeing based on currently available data. | Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) |
| Understanding and improving responses to suicidality to DVA clients: a data linkage study* | This project is seeking to examine the incidence of suicidality, individual characteristics, and health pathways for a cohort of Australian veterans using linked data. | University of Queensland |
| Guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of Chronic Pain in veterans | Development of clinical guidance and client education material that support healthcare providers to align the treatment of veterans who receive medicinal cannabis as part of their management plan for chronic pain, with the right care for their overall health needs. | University of New South Wales (UNSW) |
| Foundations for Family and Domestic Violence reporting among military personnel and veterans | The project aims to lay the groundwork for monitoring trends in domestic family violence use among ADF personnel and veterans through ongoing data analysis. It will also ensure that methods for data use are informed by a deep understanding of military cultural and organisational contexts, as well as veteran-centric systems. | Monash University |
| Neurocognitive Effects of Repetitive Low-Level Blast Overpressure Exposure in Humans – A Rapid Review | A series of rapid reviews focused on the emerging literature on low-level blast overpressure exposure and the established literature on the assessment and treatment of all-cause neurocognitive impairment. | University of New South Wales (UNSW) |
| Australian Defence Force Firefighters’ Cancer and Mortality Data Update Study* | A repeat study that is directly comparable to the 2013 Defence Firefighters’ Health Study, expanding the years of observation to analyse the long-term health outcomes of participants through data linkage to the latest death and cancer datasets held by the AIHW and allow comparisons with the Australian general population. | Monash University |
| Elevate Study | A follow up study of individuals who participated in the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme and registered high levels of mental health symptoms and/or distress. | Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health |
| Improved transparency and access to DVA funded research | This project aims to improve transparency and access to DVA-funded research by creating a central repository of DVA research since 2004. It will create a descriptive metadata set for the publications to improve search functionality on the DVA website. | Consultancy & Implementation Services |
DVA research is guided by the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles and the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.
* These projects have a waiver of consent in accordance with the Guidelines under Section 95 of the Privacy Act 1988, approved by the Departments of Defence and Veterans' Affairs Human Research Ethics Committee (DDVA HREC) and/or the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Ethics Committee. For further information, visit DVA Research and Privacy.