• A Charles Sturt University academic leads a team that has secured $553,139 in funding to research the ethics of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia
• The research project aims to analyse core concepts that play key roles in emerging debates about the ethics of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in Australia
• Expected outcomes include a new model for managing VAD in this country which is ethically appropriate and consistent with community values

A Charles Sturt University academic is leading a team that has secured a $553,139 grant to help shape the debate about the ethics and management of Voluntary Assisted Dying in Australia.

The funding will be put towards research on the project titled: ‘The Ethics of Voluntary Assisted Dying: Promoting Constructive Debate’.

The project is in collaboration with researchers from Macquarie University, National University of Singapore, and the Australian Catholic University and aims to analyse core concepts that play key roles in emerging debates about the ethics of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in Australia.

Project Lead Investigator Professor Steve Clarke from the Charles Sturt School of Social Work and Arts, and Senior Research Associate of the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities at the University of Oxford, said he expected the project to make constructive contributions to these debates, promoting respectful dialogue and reducing polarisation.

“Expected outcomes of the project include a new model for managing VAD in Australia which is ethically appropriate and consistent with community values,” Professor Clarke said.

“This model will also benefit other countries where the ethics of VAD is under consideration.”

Professor Clarke expects the project will produce new knowledge on the ethics of VAD while fostering increased conversations within the community about VAD’s place in modern society.

The research is also anticipated to influence future policy making on the development and regulation of VAD in Australia.

Professor Clarke said the project will promote the dignity and autonomy of all and ensure that issues such as the conscientious refusal of healthcare professionals to participate in the provision of VAD are handled in an ethically appropriate and effective manner.

“VAD has been legalised in all six Australian states since 2017, for the terminally ill who are expected to die within six to twelve months, depending on the state,” Professor Clarke said.

“But it is a highly polarising concept, and we are hoping our research will promote respectful dialogue about VAD.” 

The research will propose a new model of care for managing VAD, which includes reducing disparities for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups by promoting respect for autonomy and dignity for all.

The project will commence in mid-2024 and will run for three years.

ENDS