Governance
NAPRA serves a pivotal purpose of facilitating collaboration and coordination to advance general practice and primary health care research in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and on a national scale.
The governance structure outlined herein establishes the framework for the operation, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms of NAPRA. This structure is designed to facilitate collaboration, coordination, and effective management among NAPRA member organisations.
2.1 Objectives
- To enhance primary health care (PHC) research in NSW, ACT and nationally, and develop the evidence base in Australian primary health care to benefit the health of Australians.
- To promote and undertake meaningful practice-based research by people working in PHC, to benefit the health of the communities in which they work.
- To facilitate linkages and coordination to achieve scalable and translational research at a state and national level with large datasets, sample sizes and populations representative of PHC.
- To promote interdisciplinary PHC research that includes medical, nursing, allied health and others where appropriate.
- To build research capabilities of general practices and PHC practitioners in NSW and ACT
2.2 Foci
- Build on the strengths of NAPRA member organisations to strengthen state and national research collaborations, increase efficiency, reduce overlap and duplication, and facilitate translation more broadly.
- Facilitate collaboration between NAPRA subgroups with special interests (eg. aged care, big data, mental health, oral health, rural health and First Nations health) when funding opportunities arise in specific priority areas.
- Advocate with government and funding bodies to establish state and national standards for PHC research and enable the development of state and national research infrastructure and research capacity building.
3.1 Steering Committee
NAPRA shall be overseen by a Steering Committee composed of representatives from the nine founding universities. The Steering Committee will provide strategic direction, oversight, and decision-making authority for the group. The Steering Committee shall adhere to its Terms of Reference.
3.2 Chair
The Steering Committee shall elect a Chair from among its members to preside over meetings, set the agenda, and serve as the primary point of contact for external stakeholders. The Chair shall serve for a two-year term. The Steering Committee can elect a new Chair at any stage with a majority vote
4.1 Composition
Membership in NAPRA is open to universities, organisations and PBRNs in NSW and ACT.
4.2 Admission Process
Prospective university, organisation and PBRN seeking membership shall submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Steering Committee for review and approval based on established criteria.
4.3 Rights and Responsibilities
NAPRA member organisations are entitled to request for review of decisions made by the Steering Committee, access shared resources and opportunities, and contribute to collaborative research initiatives. Members are expected to adhere to the group’s policies, guidelines, and ethical standards.
5.1 Secretariat
A Secretariat shall be established to provide administrative support, facilitate communication, and coordinate activities within NAPRA. The Secretariat may be hosted by one of the founding universities or operated independently.
5.2 Working Groups
The Steering Committee may establish working groups or committees on specific thematic areas or projects to facilitate in-depth discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaborative research efforts.
6.1 Consensus Decision-Making
The Steering Committee shall strive to make decisions by consensus. In cases where consensus cannot be reached, decisions may be made by a vote, with each university on the Steering Committee having one vote. It will only be approved if a majority is in favour; otherwise, it will be rejected.
6.2 Quorum
A quorum for meetings of the Steering Committee shall consist of 50% + 1 of the universities represented.
7.1 Frequency
The Steering Committee shall convene regular meetings every two months or as needed to address urgent matters.
7.2 Agenda
The agenda for each meeting shall be developed by the Chair in consultation with members and circulated at least a week in advance to allow for preparation and input.
8.1 Reporting Mechanisms
NAPRA member organisations shall provide annual updates on their activities, achievements, and challenges to the Steering Committee.
8.2 Financial Accountability
The Steering Committee shall ensure transparent financial management and accountability, including the establishment of budgetary guidelines, oversight of expenditures, and regular financial reporting.
In the event that NAPRA is dissolved, assets and resources shall be distributed in accordance with agreed-upon procedures, taking into consideration the interests of each NAPRA member organisation.
By participating in NAPRA, each member organisation acknowledge its commitment to collaboration, mutual support, and the principles outlined in this governance structure.
Steering Committee Members
Penny is the Head of General Practice, Western Sydney University. She has specific interests in the Inclusion health, Justice Health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and access and quality in primary health care. She is a practicing GP in the Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network.
Clinical Professor Anderson is currently the Acting Head of General Practice, School of Medicine and Psychology Australian National University Medical School and Director of GP Education for the Office of General Practice and Primary Care, ACT Health Directorate. Katrina’s skills as a researcher and educator are around medical education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Refugee health and the doctor patient relationship. Her research has largely focused on improving health outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged patients and improving patient centred conversations.
Professor Michelle Guppy is a GP academic researcher in the areas of chronic disease management and the use of technology for rural patient management and delivery of medical education into rural areas. Prof Guppy teaches medical students about the issues surrounding health equity for rural Australians, and how General Practice provides health care in the regional and rural context. Prof Guppy has been practicing as a rural GP for 21 years.
Professor Charlotte Hespe is the Head of General Practice and Primary Care Research for the Sydney School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Australia (UNDA). She is responsible for establishing and overseeing a research network specialising in implementing best practices in real world General Practice for topics such as preventive care, CVD (Risk management, hypercholesterolaemia and Hypertension) and Respiratory illnesses. She is an active GP Clinician and Practice Owner of a medium-sized general practice in the Inner West Sydney. In 2024 Charlotte was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division, For significant service to general medicine as a practitioner, academic and mentor.
She was recognised on the 2024 COVID-19 Honour Roll for her work leading the COVID-19 response in NSW/ACT.
Associate Professor Graeme Horton is a practising general practitioner who has worked in rural, regional and remote Australian communities. His research interests and publication topics include environmental sustainability as it relates to healthcare and health professional education, student selection for the health professions, and student and doctor wellbeing.
University of Wollongong
Rowena Ivers is an academic general practitioner also trained in public health. Her research is in the area of health systems and prevention, including nutrition, tobacco, alcohol and physical activity. She has been an investigator on over $17m of competitively funded research, and has experience in running clinical trials. She is an experienced medical educator for both medical students and general practice registrars.
Melissa Kang is an academic general practitioner with a special interest in adolescent and youth health as well as adolescent sexuality and sexual health. Her research has focused on access to health care and health system navigation for marginalised young people and translation into policy; as well as adolescent sexuality and sexual health education.
Phyllis is Associate Professor at the Department of General Practice, Western Sydney University. She has extensive experience in health service, Indigenous health, communication, interprofessional collaboration and chronic disease management research for the purpose of informing primary health care policy reform, particularly related to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and disadvantaged population groups.
Associate Professor Joel Rhee is the Head of Discipline of General Practice at the School of Clinical Medicine at UNSW Sydney. He has clinical and research interests in primary aged care, primary palliative care and the care of people with cancer living in the community.
Marguerite Tracy is an academic general practitioner with specific interests in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples health, research and addiction medicine. Her MRFF funded research focuses on access to holistic general practice care for people on opioid dependence treatment and supporting person centred care.
Sanjyot is the Discipline lead for Primary Care in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences at Macquarie University. Her research interests are in prevention and management of chronic disease, models of clinical care in general practice, and patient experiences of healthcare. Sanjyot is a practicing GP at MQ Health General Practice.
University of Wollongong
Fiona Williams is a Senior Lecturer in the General Practice Academic Unit at the University of Wollongong. Her research interests include; General Practitioner wellbeing, quality use of medicines and antimicrobial stewardship. She has a Masters in Infectious Disease Intelligence and is currently completing a PhD. She has many years of experience in medical education and case based learning at UOW.
Steering Committee: Terms of Reference
The objectives of the Steering Committee are as follows:
- Identify common goals and objectives among NAPRA member organisations.
- Facilitate communication and information sharing among NAPRA member organisations.
- Coordinate joint initiatives and projects to achieve shared objectives.
- Monitor progress and evaluate outcomes of collaborative efforts.
- Provide a platform for discussing challenges, sharing best practices, and fostering innovation.
- Enhance synergy and efficiency in resource utilisation among NAPRA member organisations.
2.1 Composition
The Steering Committee shall consist of representatives from the nine founding universities. Each university shall select at its discretion and appoint at least one (maximum two) representative, including at least one designated primary contact. Representatives shall send a delegate to attend meetings when unavailable.
2.2 Term
Representative(s) will serve as a member of the Steering Committee for the duration of two (maximum three) years.
2.3 Responsibilities
Steering Committee members are expected to actively participate in committee meetings, contribute expertise and resources, and represent the interests of their respective universities.
3.1 Chair
The Steering Committee shall elect a Chair from among its members to preside over meetings, facilitate discussions, and serve as the primary liaison with external stakeholders. The Chair shall serve for a two-year term. The Steering Committee can elect a new Chair at any stage with a majority vote. The Chair shall nominate a member of the Steering Committee to deputise for the Chair or preside over a meeting when unavailable.
3.2 Secretariat
A Secretariat shall be established to provide administrative support, facilitate communication, and coordinate activities within the Steering Committee and NAPRA. The Secretariat may be hosted by one of the founding universities or operated independently.
3.3 Working Groups
The Steering Committee may establish working groups or committees on specific thematic areas or projects to facilitate in-depth discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaborative research efforts.
4.1 Frequency
The Steering Committee shall convene regular meetings every two months or as deemed necessary by the Chair or if requested by more than one-third of the Steering Committee members.
4.2 Agenda
The agenda for each meeting shall be circulated to members at least one week in advance, allowing sufficient time for input and preparation.
4.3 Quorum
A quorum shall consist of 50% + 1 of the universities represented at a meeting for decisions to be valid.
Decisions of the Steering Committee shall be made by consensus whenever possible. In the event of disagreement, the matter may be put to a vote, with each university having one vote. It will only be approved if a majority is in favour; otherwise, it will be rejected.
The Steering Committee shall provide annual reports to the NAPRA member organisations, outlining achievements, challenges, and upcoming activities.
The Terms of Reference shall be subject to a biennial review. During interim periods, any proposed amendments to these terms of reference shall be formally submitted in writing to the Chair and require the approval of the Committee.
Members shall respect the confidentiality of discussions and information shared within the Steering Committee, refraining from disclosing sensitive information without appropriate authorisation.