Review of ageing research
Research on ageing is important in providing an evidence base for policies that affect the wellbeing of older people today and future generations.
To improve research in this area, the government has commissioned Professor Chris Cunningham, Professor of Māori Health at Massey University (Wellington), to provide an independent view of the future of the sector.
Chris said it was about more than just research on older people. “The baby boomers drive a lot of New Zealand social policy. But it is important to look at other populations – Māori, Pasifika, Asian, new immigrants. So it is about ageing not just as gerontology, but as a social phenomenon.”
The report will look at how to improve coordination, address capacity issues, identify immediate research needs, and ensure current and future data needs are met. It will be looking at how to improve collaboration and encourage a multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to ageing research and policy development, how to make better use of existing research on ageing, and how to disseminate information about current and future research projects better.
“I’ll be identifying the types of research needed and marrying those with our research capacity, and seeing if we can get some coordination, and ways to see what other people are doing, as the area tends to be fragmented,” Chris said.
“On the positive side, there is quite a lot of data available that is not being used. The public sector has significant sets of data; for example, there is a large database on superannuitants in the welfare system. So data does exist, but it may not be being accessed. There are also other researchers around the country with data that others may not even know about.”
The review will look at how to encourage researchers to enter and remain in ageing-related fields, including ways to support people in mid-career to transfer to the area, and to encourage students into graduate study on ageing. It will also look at ways to ensure New Zealand researchers are actively involved in international research.
For more information, contact cwcunningham@xtra.co.nz
