Contact Details
| Organization: | Melbourne Graduate School of Education |
| Position: | FUTURE GENERATION FELLOW |
| Email: | |
| Work: | 8344 9639 |
| Fax: | 8344 9632 |
| Level: | 02 |
| Building: | 234 Queensberry St. |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
Role
Dr Ani Wierenga is a Future Generation Research Fellow, based at the Australian Youth Research Centre, the University of Melbourne. As a youthworker and then sociologist, Ani has been active in the youth sector for 20 years. For the past 12 years Ani’s focus has been on research and teaching which supports effective policy and practice with young people, in their wellbeing, learning and active social participation. She continues to explore these areas through research projects with young people, communities, governments, departments, and non-government organizations, and also through post-graduate teaching.
Research
Ani is particularly interested in social change and what it takes for young people to establish meaning, livelihood and social connectedness. She explores the implications of research findings for policy and practice. She uses a variety of approaches, and specializes in qualitative, narrative, action research and participatory research methods.
Ani has been awarded one of the University of Melbourne’s inaugural ‘Future Generation’ Fellowships (2008-11), which is a role designed specifically to address contemporary social issues, by working collaboratively across disciplines and sectors. Her research program focuses on the social and structural conditions that support young people’s wellbeing, in a fast-changing world. Current projects have a mix of local Australian and regional (Asia-Pacific) focus. The fellowship is based at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, through the Australian Youth Research Centre, in association with the McCaughey Centre (Public Health), and the Nossal Institute (Global Health), in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.
Ani is currently Chief Investigator on Australian Research Council funded Linkage Project called Youth led learning: local connections and global citizenship, with Johanna Wyn (University of Melbourne), Jose Roberto Guevara, Annette Gough (RMIT University) Heather Brown and Lisa Schultz, Plan International (Australia) (2008-11). Working with Plan’s Global Connections program, this research is exploring the processes which enhance civic engagement and awareness of global and local issues by Australian school-aged youth and their neigbours in Indonesia.
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (honours) | University of Tasmania | 31-Dec-1995 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | University of Tasmania | 31-Dec-2001 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | International Sociological Association (ISA), Research Committee 34: Sociology of Youth | Vice President, Australia New Zealand and Oceania (elected for term 2006-2010) | 02-Mar-2009 | 01-Mar-2013 |
| Member | The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) | Member | 01-Apr-2008 | 31-Dec-2008 |
| Member | Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) | Elected Member of National Representative Committee | 01-Dec-2008 | 01-Dec-2009 |
| Member | SPIRAL: Systemic - Participatory - Inquiry - Research - Action ? Learning. Victorian Action Research Network | member | 07-Jul-2005 | 17-Jun-2011 |
| Member | Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) | New Investigators Network, Extended Member | 01-Jan-2008 | 03-Jun-2010 |
| Member | SPIRAL: Systemic - Participatory - Inquiry - Research - Action - Learning. Victorian Action Research Network | participant | 07-Jul-2005 | 03-Jun-2010 |
| Member | Consulting Editorial Group, Youth Studies Australia | reviewer | 16-Jun-2004 | 31-Dec-2008 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other (Award) | Melbourne Graduate School of Education | Staff Research Award 2008 | 04-Mar-2008 |
| Other (Award) | Australasian Evaluation Society | Policy and Research Award 2007 | 01-Sep-2007 |
| Scholarship | Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth | Early Career Scholarship, 2007 | 24-Sep-2009 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Health and Community Services (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321214)
- Health Promotion (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321216)
- Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified (PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH SERVICES) (321299)
- Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified (OTHER MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES) (329999)
- Sociology of Education (EDUCATION STUDIES) (330103)
- Educational Policy, Administration and Management (EDUCATION STUDIES) (330104)
- Assessment and Evaluation (EDUCATION STUDIES) (330109)
- Curriculum Theory and Development (CURRICULUM STUDIES) (330206)
- Other Education (OTHER EDUCATION) (339999)
- Australian Government and Politics (POLITICAL SCIENCE) (360101)
- Public Policy (POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION) (360201)
- Other Policy and Political Science (OTHER POLICY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE) (369999)
- Social Policy and Planning (SOCIOLOGY) (370102)
- Applied Sociology, Prog Eval & Social Impact Assessment (SOCIOLOGY) (370105)
- Social Change (SOCIOLOGY) (370107)
- Sociology not elsewhere classified (SOCIOLOGY) (370199)
- Other Philosophy and Religion (OTHER PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION) (449999)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
- Child health (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730204)
- Health status (e.g. indicators of well-being) (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730217)
- Public health not elsewhere classified (PUBLIC HEALTH) (730299)
- Health education and promotion (HEALTH AND SUPPORT SERVICES) (730301)
- Higher education (HIGHER EDUCATION) (740301)
- Vocational education and training (VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING) (740401)
- Occupational training (OTHER EDUCATION) (749901)
- Education across cultures (OTHER EDUCATION) (749904)
- Education policy (OTHER EDUCATION) (749906)
- Education and training not elsewhere classified (OTHER EDUCATION) (749999)
- Youth/child development and welfare (COMMUNITY SERVICE EXCL. WORK) (750312)
- Understanding political systems (GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS) (750601)
- Civics and citizenship (GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS) (750604)
- Government and politics not elsewhere classified (GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS) (750699)
- Other social development and community services (OTHER SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES) (759999)
- Studies in human society (NON-ORIENTED RESEARCH) (780107)
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Grants
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Scheme | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth-led learning: local connections and global citizenship | Chief Investigator | AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL, PLAN INTERNATIONAL AUST |
Linkage Projects (AUST RESEARCH COUNCIL) | 01/01/2008 |
Contracts
| Title | Role | Funding Source | Award Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUTURE BUILDERS PROJECT - COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WITH SOCIAL VENTURES AUSTRALIA | Chief Investigator | SOCIAL VENTURES AUST LTD | 01/10/2007 |
Additional Grant and Contract Information
1. Competitive grants:A Wierenga Young people in context: enhancing youth and community wellbeing,
University of Melbourne Inaugural Future Generation Fellowship,
awarded October 2007 for 2008-11
A Wierenga, J Wyn, J.R Guevara, A Gough, and S Dyer,
Youth led learning: local connections and global citizenship,
Australian Research Council Linkage Project LP0882159
University of Melbourne, RMIT University, Plan International (Australia),
awarded September 2007 for 2008-10
A Wierenga, Schools and sustainable futures for young people in disadvantaged areas,
Melbourne Graduate School of Education Staff Competitive Research Grants Scheme,
awarded in December 2008 for 2009
A Wierenga, Making a rural village: fifteen years on,
University of Melbourne Early Career Researcher Grant Scheme,
awarded September 2007 for 2008
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.