RHAN was created as a program of the University Of Melbourne’s Department of Rural Health (UDRH) in 2006. RHAN explores and builds on strengths within the local community and organisations through collaboration in research and education. It has the capability to utilise local data to answer local research questions in addition to collaborative network wide questions. Through RHAN, health care practitioners have the support of the University and the University has links to the community.

The goals and objectives are built around the concepts of capacity building, collaboration, knowledge transfer and open communication.  The network aims to:

Transfer knowledge to rural communities to enable rural research

  • Support the development of research skills in rural Victoria
  • Promote the philosophy of rural research excellence
  • Facilitate the establishment of the infrastructure required

Build partnerships in rural research

  • Facilitate the collaboration between rural health services and the University of Melbourne
  • Enable the collaboration between rural communities and the University of Melbourne
  • Enable the collaboration between rural researchers

Support a healthy rural Victoria

  • Translate research finding into health outcomes for rural Victorians

For more information on research opportunities, please contact going-ruralhealth@unimelb.edu.au