What we fund
To give you a better idea of the type of projects The Ian Potter Foundation funds, here is a collection of short summaries of previously funded projects.
It is important to read each section prior to downloading the form.
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« BackProgram Area
Arts
West Australian Ballet
$10,000 for Genesis 2007
The Genesis 2007 program provided an opportunity for dancers within the West Australian ballet to create and perform their own short works, enabling them to develop their choreography shills. The program allowed the dancers to gain a constructive and technical understanding of their artwork, and the chance to present their performances to industry professionals, dance critics and the general public.
This year, with the assistance of The Ian Potter Foundation, the season was presented at PICA in November 2007, rather than at the West Australian Ballet Studio. Twelve works were presented, which received positive reviews.
Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music Inc, NSW
$5,000 in 2007 for the Brass Festival Workshops
Although the Foundation does not normally support festivals under the Arts area, the Brass Festival in Tamworth has a strong focus on educational outcomes and provides an opportunity for regional musicians that would not otherwise be possible.
Run in June 2008 the Festival was an intensive weekend of workshops and music performance activities for brass players of all ages and abilities. About fifty players participated and the activities were directed by visiting brass specialists. the activities provided an intensive learning program and culminated in a concert.
Object - Australian Centre for Craft and Design, VIC
$25,000 in 2007 towards the 'New Design 2007' exhibition of emerging designers' work at the Melbourne Museum and the development of an education pack.
The 'New Design' Program exhibits the most talented young designers from universities around Australia. The nominees are from graduates in design, glass, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and metalsmithing, fashion and industrial design. The Foundation's grant assisted in transporting, developing and presenting costs and with the development of education packs for the exhibition.
Program Area
Community Wellbeing
Jumpstart Care Inc, SA
$29,950 in 2007 to establish a community outdoor playground
Jumpstart Care, a small community service organisation in Port Pirie operated by volunteers, approached The Ian Potter Foundation in August 2007 for help in realising their plan to develop a community playground facility.
The "Grand Opening Day" was held in September 2008, creating great excitement in the community. The children had been waiting with great anticipation for the day they could play on the equipment.
The playground development has also created more interest in Jumpstart. More people are accessing their services and there have also been requests to consider offering another program.
Victoria Relief and Foodbank Ltd
$150,000 in 2008 for purpose-built refrigeration and food-handling facilities
Victoria Relief and Foodbank (VRFB) receives donations of foodstuffs, groceries and beverages from manufacturers, which in turn are distributed to welfare agencies throughout Victoria. They are then made available to individuals and families who are experiencing social hardship, or need emergency or disaster relief.
In March 2008 VRFB was given a grant to enable it to increase its food-handling capacity. This will allow VRFB to take advantage of donations of food that it had previously refused because of insufficient storage capacity. The improvements will include the construction of additional refrigeration capacity and enhance food-handling facilities for dried goods.
Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCRW), NSW
$32,500 in 2007 to produce the Meet Your New Neighbour Refugee Integration Tool Kit
With funding from The Ian Potter Foundation, the ANCRW has produced a community education tool kit to highlight the inspiring contributions and successes of refugees resettling in Australia.
The tool kit officially launched in September 2008 includes a short documentary film and booklet of case studies profiling resettled refugees. Accompanied by a training program, the materials are designed as a community education resource to enhance understanding of refugee experiences and to dispel the often damaging myths that can affect groups settling in Australia.
Program Area
Education
Jesuit Social Services, VIC
$7,500 in 2007 for the Engaging Parents in Australian Education Settings project.
Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation enabled the development and distribution of an audiovisual training resource and interactive CD ROM that encourages meaningful relationships between parents and children.
The resource demonstrates how service professionals can work in partnership with parents to have a positive impact on child learning, behaviour and family cohesion.
The resource is based on a United States tool kit that is already available in Australia and has been shown to be successful in assisting family support staff to develop innovative programs that foster meaningful relationships with parents. The redevelopment of the resource within the Australian context will help make it more user-friendly and relevant.
Asialink Centre - University of Melbourne
$300,000 over three years (2007-2009) for The Asialink Leadership Program
Asialink is Australia’s largest centre for the promotion of public understanding of countries in Asia and Australia’s role in the region. Asialink’s Leadership Program aims to produce a regional network of emerging leaders respectful of their own culture and traditions and those of others, while also encouraging ongoing sustainable development and understanding within the region.
The grant from The Ian Potter Foundation has allowed 15 participants from the not-for-profit sector to take part and engage in the program. Non-profit-leaders chosen to take part represented the Environment, Medical, Development and International Health sectors. The grant also provided an opportunity for two leaders of Muslim communities in Australia to participate.
Collections Council of Australia, SA
$10,000 in 2008 to assist with the finalisation, online publication, and maintenance of the 'National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries'.
The Council aims to present the Standards without charge as an accessible, useful and current tool for all Australian museums and galleries, and for the agencies and other bodies that provide services and support to the museum and gallery field. This is a national project specifically looking to engage individuals and small organisations processing collections that are at risk of loss due to poor care, storage and interpretation. The publication will attempt to provide high quality educational information on the minimum standard required nationally for collections.
Program Area
Environment & Conservation
Merri Creek Management Committee, VIC
$16,100 in 2007 for the program Out on a Limb - Reaching out to schools in distant waterways.
Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) has a long history of working with schools and local communities to help people gain a better understanding of their indigenous environments.
The program is designed to extend the reach of MCMC’s environmental programs with schools. Out on a Limb will offer established MCMC activities in the form of school incursions and excursions to extend, stimulate and develop catchment and geographic awareness for schools not close to waterways. This program offers students a great opportunity to learn about diverse landscapes and put their understanding to work within their own school environment.
Environment Defenders Office Ltd, VIC
$17,517 in 2008 for EnviroLaw.org.au (national component)
Funding from The Ian Potter Foundation and the Victorian Law Foundation is helping the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) to create an environmental law wiki that will allow solicitors and barristers with particular expertise to feed directly into a national online version of the EDO’s popular environmental laws publications.
Once ‘live’ the website will be an invaluable source of information and legal knowledge on important environmental issues affecting communities. The wiki will empower individuals and communities to make decisions and take action. The site will also have a national focus, allowing users and volunteers a clearer view on legal issues within each State.
Gympie and District Landcare Group, QLD
$5,000 in 2007 for the "Kidzone" Environmental Expo for Young Children - Extension Project
The Foundation's grant will assist in the production of a detailed procedures manual for the organisation of the "KidZone" Environmental Education event. It will be based on coordinating experiences for this event from 2001-2007. The manual will incorporate a printed workbook, CD and DVD demonstrating key features of the event. Footage captured at the 2008 event is to be incorporated with footage taken at the 2006 and 2007 events. It is intended that the manual be used by other organisations wishing to coordinate similar events based on the successful model developed by Gympie Landcare.
Find out more about the Environment & Conservation program area »
Program Area
Healthy Communities
SIDS and Kids Victoria
$10,000 in March 2007 for the Safe Sleeping Community Education Program
Reducing the Risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) through the Safe Sleeping program is a statewide strategy that aims to create community awareness of safe sleeping practices for infants.
The Foundation's grant enabled workshops and in-service training to be provided in hospitals, community centres and childcare centres in both rural and suburban areas throughout Victoria with the intention of educating midwives, health professionals and others, who in turn will educate or directly provide information to parents and carers of babies with regard to safe sleeping practices.
Public awareness and educational resource materials for parents, health professionals and the wider community were distributed and included the SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping Check List given to practitioners to use as an educational resource and as an aid when checking the sleeping environment of the infant in their care.
Haemophilia Foundation Australia Inc.
$30,000 in March 2007 for the Hepatitis C Project
In 2007 The Ian Potter Foundation provided a grant to partially fund the Policy Officer's salary to conduct a needs assessment on hepatitis C.
A priority for the Haemophilia Foundation Australia (HFA) is to understand the needs of the bleeding disorders community affected by hepatitis C and to develop and carry out a strategy to address those needs.
HFA’s discussions with the community, health professionals and community workers have highlighted some issues that are very important to people with bleeding disorders affected by hepatitis C. And those people who are affected by bleeding orders and hepatitis C and live in rural, regional and remote areas may be further disadvantaged by their limited access to information, education and support for the psychosocial and financial needs associated with their health condition.
The HFA Hepatitis Needs Assessment has provided HFA with comprehensive evidence relating to the needs of its community and information for a pragmatic strategy to address those needs.
Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, QLD
$50,000 in 2007
Mobile Tele-ENT Unit for the Pilot Project: "Establishment and evaluation of an online health screening service for indigenous children in a remote Queensland community."
Indigenous Health Workers in selected Central Queensland Communities will be responsible for a routine health screening service, now being promoted under the name Health-e-Screen4Kids, which will be provided at an established clinic located at Woorabinda Hospital and via a specially equipped screening vehicle (based in Cherbourg).
Funding from the Foundation assisted with the purchase of the vehicle for the mobile screening service which will be used to access over 4,000 indigenous children within the region providing them with health screening and access to medical care when required.
Program Area
Medical Research
The Cancer Council Victoria
$100,000 over two years (2005-2006) to the
Health 2020 Cohort Study (Phase 2)
Health 2020 is a major Australian study, which is seeking to increase world understanding about links between diet, lifestyle and genetic factors and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This longitudinal study began in the early 1990s with information collected from 41,500 people in face-to-face interviews, in addition to physical measurements including lean and fat mass, and blood pressure. Blood samples were drawn and stored for analysis of DNA and other molecules of interest.
The study is following up the cohort of Victorians over a 15-20 year period. Phase 2 commenced in 2003 and by the end of 2007 28,233 participants had been followed up with both interviews and clinical assessments.
It is anticipated that the outcomes of Health 2020 will contribute to establishing lifestyle guidelines aimed at sustained significant reduction in the incidence of cancer. Health 2020 is the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in Australia, and is an internationally significant project.
Menzies School of Health Research, NT
$500,000 over four years (2004-2007) for the Healthy Skin Program in the East Arnhem region.
The Program provided screening for children aged <15 years in Australian Aboriginal communities to reduce scabies, skin sores and associated chronic diseases. It was accompanied by treatment and follow-up services.
Resources were developed to assist community workers and clinic staff in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions.The local Aboriginal community workers were employed through the project to screen children for skin disease, collect research data for the program, provide feedback and education to the community and to act as the liaison person between visiting team members and the local school, council and clinic.
In the 18 months to the end of 2007 there were substantial gains in terms of reductions in skin sore prevalence (from 46% to 28%) and positive indicators of improvement through the reductions in the prevalence of infected scabies.
Program Area
Science
University of Tasmania
$30,000 (over three years)in 2001 for disease investigation in Shy Albatross chicks at Albatross Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania.
The Foundation’s grant was provided as part of an initial investigation into the cause of death among Shy Albatross chicks. It was used to help scientists identify strategies to control the spread of diseases on the Island that may be hampering the long-term survival of the species.
Based on the preliminary results of this work it would appear that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a structured disease investigation into the cause of death of Shy Albatross chicks. The data also suggests that an understanding of the cause and determinants of disease and chick mortality could be used to increase the Shy Albatross population on Albatross Island.
A key area of future work will be in attempting to develop and test a vaccine for the disease.
James Cook University, QLD
$8,100 in 2007 for The Yongala's Halo of Holes: Who's digging it?
The Yongala is a magnificent artificial reef and wreck site off the Coast of Townsville which attracts thousands of recreational divers each year.
A 'halo of holes' around the wreck was discovered by acoustic mapping of the reef and anecdotal evidence suggested that resident 'bullrays' or Black-blotched Fantail Rays are responsible. An acoustic tracking experiment was set up to document the rays' home range at the Yongala and their usage of the 'ecosystem wreck'.
Several important preliminary findings on the usage of the wreck have been made and new aspects of the life of the rays have been learned from the tracking study. The results will help further our understanding of artificial habitats and Marine Protected Zones in the Great Barrier Reef, and ultimately contribute to their efficient management.
Program Area
Travel and Conference
James Cook University, QLD
$2,560 in 2007 to Dr Raphael Wust to attend the International Symposium and Workshop on Tropical Peatland, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Over the past four years Dr Wust has collected new data on peatland distribution and their potential as carbon storage over the last 28,000 years, including evidence for significant environmental changes during the last Glacial Maximum (20,000–15,000 years ago). These findings were presented at the conference in the paper titled ‘Peatland evolution of SE-Asia through the last 35,000 cal years: Implications for evaluating their carbon storage potential’. Dr Wust was able to collect two peat cores: one from a ‘fire’-prone area and one from a native peat swamp forest environment. He has already applied for funding to determine the amount of carbon lost to the atmosphere during the 1997–1998 and 2002 peatland fires in Indonesia.
Curtin University of Technology, WA
$2,000 in 2007 to Dr Elizabeth Watkin to attend the 17th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Frankfurt, Germany.
The symposium, which is the only international symposium in the field of biohydrometallurgy, attracted 210 delegates from twenty-eight countries. The scope of the symposium was broad, with session topics ranging from Bioleaching Biotechnology to Molecular and Microbiology. The sessions of particular interest to Dr Watkin were Molecular and Microbiology and Interfacial Processes.
‘A major benefit of attending the symposium was exposure to the latest developments in methods used to answer questions in the areas of diversity and the functional genomics of biomining microorganisms... I was able to commence preliminary discussions to undertake a sabbatical in the laboratory of Dr Paul Norris in 2009.' Dr Elizabeth Watkins
The University of Melbourne
$2,538 in 2008 to bring keynote speaker Dr Hamilakis to the 12th International Aegean Conference, DAIS: The Aegean Feast, Melbourne, Australia, March 2008
Dr Yannis Hamilakis, from the University of Southampton, touched upon the importance of studying the relationship between drinking and commensality.
There was a great opportunity for scholarly interaction at the conference. In all, forty-seven papers were presented and fourteen countries represented. The results will be published in 2009 in the Aegean series, published by the University of Liege and edited by Professor Robert Laffineur.