The NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention (CRESP) commenced in 2018, on the back of its predecessor, CRESP 1. Its primary aim was to reduce the suicide rate in Australia, through high-quality research.
Since then, CRESP serves as an umbrella program to bring together collaborative partners and scientists across a section of the suicide prevention sector.
Since 2018, the Centre has generated major research reports and supported major trials, either directly, or by linking with others, such as Lifespan, or Sources of Strength. It continues to support financially the careers of post-doctoral researchers and PhD students in this field across partner organisations, including The University of Newcastle, Orygen, Black Dog Institute, and The Australian National University. The Centre has contributed significantly to the workforce of suicide prevention researchers in Australia over the decade, building a critical mass of younger researchers, where previously there were few.
The original CRESP research proposal aimed to tackle suicide prevention across a number of platforms. These platforms were: schools, workplaces, online delivery, health care settings, public safety environments, and in crisis and aftercare settings.
Although we recognised the importance of lived experience in designing and leading research at the start of the Centre, its significance in creating Lived Experience Frameworks became paramount in undertaking and disseminating our work. Lived experience thus became a major plank in the program.
The Centre also focuses on implementation and translation. The science of translation is poorly understood, but critical for impact. Translation and Implementation is an important stream in the program.
