UOM Centre for Wellbeing Science

Call Directions Website Contact the business

UOM Centre for Wellbeing Science Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from UOM Centre for Wellbeing Science, Medical and health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne.

The Centre for Wellbeing Science (CWS) employs evidence-based approaches to measure wellbeing and promote positive change across diverse environments, including education, workplaces, performing arts and sports.

What would you change about your job to make it work better for you and your workplace?More opportunities to use your st...
13/10/2026

What would you change about your job to make it work better for you and your workplace?

More opportunities to use your strengths? Stronger connections with colleagues? Clearer boundaries around your work?

These are examples of job crafting: actively shaping aspects of your work to better fit your strengths, interests and needs. That might mean adding more of what you value to your work, or simplifying parts of your role to protect your wellbeing.

But knowing what you’d like to change is only a start. How do you make it happen?

Associate Professor Gavin Slemp from the Centre for Wellbeing Science, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne has recently led a randomised controlled trial exploring whether coaching can help.

The study compared a standard job crafting intervention with an approach incorporating coaching to help participants work through obstacles and implement changes.

The research examines whether using job crafting as a framework for coaching can support employees’ wellbeing and intrinsic motivation: the interest and enjoyment they find in the work itself.

The project was supported by an IOC–ICF research grant through the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, with support from the International Coaching Federation, and co-funded by The Blueberry Institute.

Congratulations to Gavin and everyone who helped bring this project to fruition, including Fleur Heazlewood, Anna Glynn, Likitha Silapurem, Maria Tims, Kelsey Lewis and Lindsay G Oades.

We look forward to sharing the findings when they’re available.

What’s one aspect of your work you’d like to reshape?

13/10/2026

What if supporting early childhood educators’ wellbeing took more than teaching them self-care?

For Jo Maloney, that question became a reason to return to study.

An early childhood education consultant, author and founder of Conscious Positivity, Jo brings three decades of experience as a teacher, centre owner and TAFE educator to her work.

Across early learning settings, she saw increasing demands, emotional exhaustion and declining educator wellbeing.

“Many educators felt they simply had to get on with it.”

Jo offered self-care strategies to her TAFE students, but recognised they needed more. She wanted the knowledge to support change across early childhood workplaces.

She chose the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) at the Centre for Wellbeing Science, within the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education, because it was where she saw research emerging and wanted to be part of it.

The degree connected her professional experience with a deeper understanding of wellbeing science, broadening her focus to the teams, leaders and organisations around individual educators.

Today, Jo puts that learning into practice through professional development on psychological safety, emotional intelligence and relationships, and her book, “Wellbeing Science in Early Childhood Education: How to Create Positive Change”.

One recent conversation stands out. After an early childhood service Jo had been supporting experienced a tragedy, someone from the organisation told her:

“I know this service will be able to handle this because of what they’ve learned with you.”

For Jo, those words were a reminder of the difference her work can make.

Jo also found something she continues to value beyond the degree: fellow students from different sectors, exchanging ideas and, as she says in the video, “really wanting to make a positive difference in the world”.

She now helps keep that exchange going as a committee member of the MAPP student and alumni association (MAPPsaa) and one of the organisers of its Summit, creating opportunities for students and graduates to stay connected and learn from one another.

Asked why she gives her time, Jo points to Chris Peterson’s words: “Other people matter.”

To mark the milestone of 500 graduates of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology, we’re sharing stories of our alumni making a difference. We’re proud to celebrate Jo’s contribution to early childhood education and her commitment to the educators who nurture our youngest learners.

Measuring and valuing what mattersWhat if governments are systematically undervaluing the things that make life worth li...
12/10/2026

Measuring and valuing what matters

What if governments are systematically undervaluing the things that make life worth living?

When governments evaluate investments in transport, urban planning and community infrastructure, they typically focus on measurable outcomes such as travel time savings, reduced crashes and, sometimes, life satisfaction. But are we capturing the full value of places that help people flourish?

"If we don't recognise the value of meaning, purpose and social connection, we're likely underestimating the true return that public investments create for people and communities."

— Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick, Director, Centre for Wellbeing Science, Faculty of Education

In her latest Pursuit article, Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick explores the implications of newly published collaborative, interdisciplinary research with Janet Stanley, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, and Professor John Stanley and Professor David A Hensher from the University of Sydney Business School.

The study is believed to be the first to develop an economic value for eudaimonic wellbeing, encompassing aspects of wellbeing such as meaning, purpose, personal growth and positive relationships.

By providing a practical way to recognise these benefits in economic evaluations, the research has the potential to broaden how governments assess investments in transport, urban planning and community infrastructure, ensuring the outcomes that help people and communities flourish are better reflected in public policy and decision-making.

Read the full Pursuit article, When a bike path is more than a bike path: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/when-a-bike-path-is-more-than-a-bike-path?in_c=topstoryblock_5

Could games people already love playing open up new possibilities for wellbeing? 🎮Video games offer worlds to explore, c...
12/10/2026

Could games people already love playing open up new possibilities for wellbeing? 🎮

Video games offer worlds to explore, challenges to navigate and opportunities to connect. What might become possible if wellbeing researchers and game developers worked together?

Centre for Wellbeing Science researchers Dan Loton and Nikki Rickard, together with Matthew Harrison and Jess Rowlings from the Faculty of Education and Tom Byers from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, explore this question in their study, Playable Wellbeing.

The study explores whether experiences designed to support specific health and wellbeing goals could be incorporated into mainstream entertainment games, while preserving player engagement and developers’ creative freedom.

Developers bring the stories, worlds and gameplay that engage players. Wellbeing researchers bring expertise in what supports wellbeing and how to assess its impact. What could they create together?

We’d love to hear from people working in games and wellbeing: where do you see possibilities for collaboration?

🔗 Curious about how this could work? Read the preprint for a roadmap informed by game studio leaders and wellbeing organisations: https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9923465/v1

👾 Were you just in Melbourne for PAX during Melbourne International Games Week? Let us know in the comments!

🎨 Illustration: Next Mars Media/Shutterstock

Getting into university is one thing. Finding a place to live, and people you feel at home with, is another.For students...
07/10/2026

Getting into university is one thing. Finding a place to live, and people you feel at home with, is another.

For students relocating from regional, rural and remote communities, university can mean navigating a new city, newfound independence and life away from familiar support networks.

Where they live can make a real difference.

In a new Future Campus article, Centre for Wellbeing Science researchers Jacqui Francis and Kelsey Lewis join Bec Sullivan from the University of Melbourne’s Strategic Operational Planning team to explore how student housing could better support belonging and university success.

Drawing on interviews with 19 undergraduate students, Jacqui and Kelsey’s research highlights how living spaces can help students build friendships, find support and feel part of a community. But living alongside other students does not automatically create belonging.

Friendship groups can form quickly, leaving some students struggling to find their place. Others feel out of step with the social culture around them.

Alongside affordability, location and safety, the authors make a case for housing that meets diverse student needs and creates opportunities for meaningful connection.

Housing and belonging are often considered separately. Bringing them together could help more students make the move to university, find their feet and stay the course.

How could we make belonging part of the way we plan student housing?

🖼️ Illustration: Future Campus (AI-generated)

🔗 Read the full article in Future Campus: https://futurecampus.com.au/2026/10/01/social-connection-and-housing-key-factors-influencing-regional-university-student-participation-and-success/

⏰ EARLY BIRD tickets CLOSE THIS FRIDAY, 9 October!MAPP alumni and current students: book your ticket to the "2026 MAPPsa...
05/10/2026

⏰ EARLY BIRD tickets CLOSE THIS FRIDAY, 9 October!

MAPP alumni and current students: book your ticket to the "2026 MAPPsaa Summit: Designing Wellbeing" for a day of connection, collaboration and inspiration as we explore ways to design and redesign wellbeing across contexts.

📅 Saturday 21 November | 8.30am–3pm
📍 University of Melbourne, Kwong Lee Dow Building, 234 Queensberry Street

Two fantastic keynote speakers will bring wellbeing science into practice:

🔹 Reuben Rusk, PhD | The Architecture of Flourishing: Designing the Conditions for Sustainable Well-being

How do we create lasting positive change? Reuben will share a five-layer framework for flourishing, with practical principles and design guidelines to help us support wellbeing as practitioners, leaders, family members and individuals.

🔹 Craig Cassey, MAPP | Love Crafting: Helping Couples Co-Design Thriving Relationships, in the Bedroom and Beyond

Explore how intentionally crafting our relationships could support a healthier, happier home life and help couples strengthen connection, intimacy and desire.

Full program details coming soon.

The Summit is hosted by the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Students & Alumni Association (MAPPsaa). We’re so grateful to MAPPsaa and the Summit committee for bringing our community together for this special day.

🎟️ Get your ticket now to secure the early bird offer before it ends this Friday!! https://events.humanitix.com/mappsaa-summit-2026-designing

🎉 Following the Summit, the Centre for Wellbeing Science will host a free MAPP500 Celebration, marking the milestone of 500 MAPP graduates. If you’d like to join us for this, please register your interest here: https://tinyurl.com/MAPP500

Congratulations to Centre for Wellbeing Science researchers Dr Anneliese Gill and Professor Nikki Rickard on receiving a...
02/10/2026

Congratulations to Centre for Wellbeing Science researchers Dr Anneliese Gill and Professor Nikki Rickard on receiving a University of Melbourne Learning and Teaching Initiative grant for Musical Acknowledgements of Country: Enhancing Engagement, Impact and Wellbeing. Anneliese will lead the project. 🎶

The two-year project brings together Jessa Rogers from the Faculty of Education with Tiriki Onus, Sally Treloyn, James Howard, Leah Evene and Jane Davidson from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music undefined, and the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development.

Together, the team will explore how music can deepen engagement with Acknowledgement of Country and help students learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander understandings of social and emotional wellbeing.

The project will develop a framework for creating musical Acknowledgements of Country, a series of original works and accompanying teaching resources. The resources are planned for introduction in first-semester subjects in 2028, with the musical Acknowledgements designed for use in a range of University settings.

We look forward to seeing this thoughtful collaboration take shape.

📷 Photo courtesy of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne.

01/10/2026

Rachel Evans | My PhD in Under 90 Seconds

What happens to friendship in adulthood, when life gets busier but our need for connection doesn’t disappear?

Rachel Evans is researching adult friendship through her PhD at the Centre for Wellbeing Science, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, supervised by Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick and Dr Cagla Sanri.

Her work focuses on friendship during established adulthood, particularly among people in their 30s and 40s, a life stage that is surprisingly under-researched despite major shifts in careers, relationships, caregiving and other responsibilities.

Rachel is exploring how adults stay connected with friends, whether different forms of contact are linked with greater friendship satisfaction, and whether factors such as parenthood, partnership status and work commitments also shape those experiences.

But can she explain her PhD in just 90 seconds? 🎓

Over the coming months, we’ll be introducing more of our graduate researchers and the wide-ranging questions they’re exploring about wellbeing: across people, contexts and stages of life, and within the systems that shape how we live, learn, work and flourish.

Explore the breadth of wellbeing research underway at CWS: https://education.unimelb.edu.au/cws/research

And if you have a wellbeing question you’d love to explore, find out more about graduate research at CWS here: https://education.unimelb.edu.au/cws/study

Brisbane was our privilege to help host. Istanbul is where we’ll meet again. 🌏More than 1,000 people came together for t...
30/09/2026

Brisbane was our privilege to help host. Istanbul is where we’ll meet again. 🌏

More than 1,000 people came together for the 2025 IPPA World Congress in Brisbane. Our Centre for Wellbeing Science team was proud to play a part in bringing it to life. We’ll always remember how generously delegates shared their research and ideas, welcomed one another and made new friends along the way.

Now we’re excited to pass the baton to Istanbul for the 10th IPPA World Congress, 7–10 July 2027. This is being Chaired by our esteemed colleague Dr Tayyab Rashid. Celebrating IPPA’s 20th anniversary, it will be the first World Congress held outside North America and Australia. Its theme, Where Cultures Meet, Humanity Flourishes, feels especially fitting for this milestone.

Our Centre Director, Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick, chaired the Brisbane Congress, is currently IPPA President and is Chair of Connection, Culture and Flourishing at this upcoming IPPA World Congress. As she looks ahead to Istanbul:

“Brisbane reminded me of how much we gain when people come together across cultures, disciplines and areas of practice. I’m excited to see that spirit continue to deepen in Istanbul. We aspire to deliver a Congress that is full of science-backed research and practice, amidst a sociocultural backdrop of experiences unique to this magical location, where East meets West.”

The Call for Abstracts is now open. Whether your work explores wellbeing science, human connection, thriving workplaces, education or any of the ten Congress tracks, we invite you to share it with a truly global community.

Submit your abstract by 30 November 2026: https://www.ippaworldcongress.org/abstract

Congratulations to Centre for Wellbeing Science team member Yue Pan, who has received an Award for Outstanding Team Cont...
30/09/2026

Congratulations to Centre for Wellbeing Science team member Yue Pan, who has received an Award for Outstanding Team Contribution in the 2026 Faculty of Education Staff Excellence Awards with an incredible group of colleagues: Marian Mahat, Bree Hurn, Amanda Samson and Chris Bradbeer! 👏

Alongside her PhD, Yue works as a Graduate Research Academic Associate in the Faculty of Education on Co-Designing Innovative Learning Environments (Co-ILE), an Erasmus+ project involving the University of Melbourne and five European universities.

Led at the University of Melbourne by Marian, the team is developing a professional learning program to strengthen teachers’ spatial competency: their ability to recognise what different school and classroom spaces make possible, and use those spaces to support how students learn, participate and connect.

Congratulations to Yue and the Co-ILE project team on this well-deserved recognition!

Address

The University Of Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
3053

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61383440082

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UOM Centre for Wellbeing Science posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to UOM Centre for Wellbeing Science:

Shortcuts

Share

Category