Griffith University researchers Dr Naomi Sunderland, Professor Lesley Chenoweth, and Professor Pam McGrath have been awarded $65,000 through the University's Research Infrastructure Program to redevelop the current pilot 1000 Voices life stories website (www.1000voices.edu.au) for use in the 1000 Voices Project and other consumer stories projects across the University. The grant will also fund a suite of equipment to create DVDs and other materials for people who do not have easy access to the Internet.

The site will be redeveloped to incorporate new ways of creating and sharing stories using multimedia. Storytellers will also be able to link their 1000 Voices stories more easily with other social networking platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. The site will be updated to respond to participant suggestions such as mapping all stories on a geographical map of the world so that participants and visitors to the site can browse through stories from other countries.

The resulting platform will be available (reusable) for several projects that focus on storytelling and lived experience at Griffith University such as Professor Pam McGrath's Consumer Stories project with Cancer survivors. 

Senior Research Fellow on the project Dr Naomi Sunderland said,

"We have been waiting a long time for this opportunity to redevelop the 1000 Voices site based on everything we've learned since the site was launched in December 2009.

"We will be developing detailed functional requirements and technical specifications for the new site in collaboration with our existing storytellers and research colleagues and partners at Griffith University and other universities in Australia and internationally during early 2012".

The Griffith University Research Infrastructure Grant was supported by cash contributions from the Griffith Health Institute and the Population Health Research Program at Griffith University. The 1000 Voices research team will contact 1000 Voices storytellers during early 2012 to invite input on the desired functions and layout of the new site.