Effective partnerships between public hospitals, research institutes and universities are vital in tackling the many health challenges facing the community. Barwon Health values partnerships with organisations across Australia and internationally.
Partnerships in Focus
Barwon Health & Deakin University
Deakin University and Barwon Health have partnered for more than two decades, improving health services and powering innovation in the Barwon region and beyond. The partnership helps to build a health workforce of medical, nursing and midwifery, and allied health clinicians.
Our longstanding strategic partnership is built on our shared commitment to education and research that improves health and wellbeing outcomes in the communities we serve. Together, we’re committed to a vibrant culture of education, training and research that leverages Barwon Health’s clinical and healthcare expertise and Deakin’s research excellence and education expertise.
We’ve collaborated on over 100 research projects to support better health outcomes locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Our research partnership enhances social, cultural, economic and community outcomes including mental health, cancer services, maternal and child health, healthy ageing, and population health.
The BH DU Business of Health Initiative
Barwon Health has joined forces with Deakin’s Faculties of Health and Business and Law to fund transdisciplinary research projects that address some of our most pressing health challenges. The Business of Health Initiative provides three $20,000 seeding grants to support projects that are:
- aligned with Barwon and Deakin strategic priorities
- utilise transdisciplinary approaches to address clinical practice, education, policy development, leadership, legal or ethical issues.
Funding is for one year and is designed to build research momentum and external grant opportunities for successful project teams.
This unique opportunity is available to people in clinical, academic and administrative roles at Barwon Health.
Applications for 2026 Business of Health grants open in July 2025. Find out more here.
The BH DU Clinician Scientist Pathway
Barwon Health and Deakin University know a thriving clinician PhD program is vital to our partnership and brings immediate and long-term benefits to patient care.
The Barwon Health and Deakin University Clinician Scientist Pathway (CSP) is a jointly funded four year PhD scholarship program for Barwon Health employees across medicine, nursing, midwifery and allied health.
The Clinician Scientist Pathway differs from existing PhD pathways because it supports a clinician to maintain a clinical role at up to 0.5 FTE with protected PhD research time, blending patient care with research.
Round 1 2025 applications close on Friday 28 February 2025. Find out more here.
Barwon Health & Western Alliance
Barwon Health is proud to be a governing partner of Western Alliance, the first Australian academic health science centre to focus on regional health outcomes.
Academic health science centres are formal partnerships of universities and health care service providers to collaborate in research, clinical services, education and training. They work to ensure that evidence from research is translated into clinical practice, policy, administrative decision making and benefits for patients and communities. In recognition of Western Alliance’s expertise in translating health and medical research into improved health care in regional and rural areas, Western Alliance has been fully accredited as a Research Translation Centre by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Barwon Health staff benefit through this partnership via research grant and scholarship opportunities, research capability building programs such as STaRR and STaRRlite , and through on the ground support by the Western Alliance Research Translation Coordinator.
To find out more, click here.
Partner with Barwon Health
To discuss opportunities for research partnerships and collaborations, contact the Barwon Health Research Directorate by emailing research@barwonhealth.org.au
Page last updated: January 21, 2025