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Friday 24th - Saturday 25th July 2026 | Port Lincoln, South Australia
Adelaide University Rural Health (AURH) is pleased to host the 4th annual South Australian Rural Health Research and Education (SARHRE) Conference in 2026. This year’s conference is themed Strengthening Connections: Consumers, Culture and Care, reflecting a shared commitment to meaningful engagement, partnership, and place-based approaches to rural health.
SARHRE 2026 will be held over two days and will bring together rural clinicians, educators, researchers, community leaders and health service partners from across South Australia. The program emphasises dialogue and connection, with extended panel discussions and workshops focused on Aboriginal engagement, community involvement, partnerships with health services, and multidisciplinary education, alongside selected research and education presentations.
This conference also marks the first time SARHRE has been hosted by Adelaide University Rural Health, following the integration of the Adelaide Rural Clinical School (University of Adelaide) and the Department of Rural Health (UniSA). Together, these programs have supported the education and training of rural health professionals for more than two decades, and AURH builds on this legacy with a renewed focus on collaboration, cultural respect, and community-centred practice.
SARHRE 2026 provides a valuable opportunity to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another, strengthening relationships among rural communities, health services, educators, and researchers to support sustainable rural health now and into the future.
Key Dates
Key Dates
Abstract submission: Closed
Presenter/Acceptance notification: 19th June 2026
Registrations open: 1st May 2026
Upload your presentation: By 17th July
Conference dates: Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July 2026
Please upload your presentation here with the file name:
firstname_lastname_first words from title
If you have any difficulties or have any questions, please contact sarhre_conference@adelaide.edu.au
Note: You will need to select your ticket and then click on the “Pay Another Way” option. This allows you to add your details and then enter your dietary requirements. You will then be prompted to pay for your ticket.
If you have any difficulties or have any questions, please contact sarhre_conference@adelaide.edu.au
Registration Costs
Registration Costs
Health Professionals Registration: $400 (plus booking fee)*
Conference Student or Community Members Registration: $265 (plus booking fee)*
* Dinner included as part of the registration
Conference Dinner (tickets for partners or people not attending the conference): $100 (plus booking fee)
Conference Program
Conference Program
SARHRE Preliminary Program 2026.pdfConference Themes
Conference Themes
Cultural Safety and Aboriginal Engagement
Improving equity, access and Closing the Gap in rural health requires culturally safe ways of working that recognise Aboriginal peoples as the First Peoples of this land, respect Country, and address the impacts of past and ongoing exclusion from health, education and research. This theme will create space for Aboriginal people to share what matters to their communities, what good engagement looks like, and how trust is built over time. The focus is on learning from lived experience and local knowledge, and on how health services, educators and researchers can work with communities in respectful, culturally safe ways.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
Lasting improvements in rural health and wellbeing cannot be achieved without strong, inclusive relationships with local communities. This theme recognises that many communities and rural organisations are already addressing local needs, often outside formal health or research systems. Sessions will focus on understanding community priorities, listening to local perspectives, and exploring how health services, educators, and researchers can work alongside communities to improve equity, access, and relevance. The emphasis of this theme is on partnership-building, not performance or outcomes.
Partnering with Rural Health Services for Sustainable Care
Rural health services face significant pressures, and many are only beginning to explore how education and research can systematically support service delivery. This theme will focus on understanding the needs, constraints and priorities of rural health services, including hospitals, general practice, allied health, nursing and aged care. Discussions will centre on how partnerships can be built gradually and realistically, how collaboration can improve access to care, and how trust can be developed between services, educators and researchers over time.
Educating and Supporting an Inclusive Rural Health Workforce
A strong rural health workforce relies on education and training that are relevant, accessible and supported by services and communities. This theme acknowledges that supervision, teaching and learning in rural settings are shaped by workload, workforce availability and local context. Sessions will focus on i) understanding learner and supervisor experiences; ii) identifying practical ways to support multidisciplinary health education and training in busy rural environments; and iii) exploring how inclusive, multidisciplinary approaches can strengthen rural training pathways and workforce sustainability.
Mode of Presentation
Mode of Presentation
Short Oral Presentation
Short oral presentations will be grouped by conference theme to support shared learning and discussion around rural health education, research and practice. This format is suitable for presenting rural health educational activities and innovations, research findings, early-stage research skills, or research frameworks relevant to rural South Australia. Presentations showcasing new or emerging health or education initiatives with activity in rural South Australia are particularly encouraged.
Each presentation will be 10 minutes, followed by 5 mins for Q &A.
Abstract structure: Maximum 300 words, with the following subheadings: Background, Aims, Methods, Results, Implications.
Student Presentation
Student presentations provide a supportive platform for students interested in rural health to develop their communication skills and share work relevant to rural practice, education and communities. This format is suitable for presenting preliminary quantitative or qualitative research, clinical audits, rural education initiatives, or critical appraisals of recent publications relevant to rural health practice or training.
Student presentations will be 7 minutes only.
Abstract structure: Maximum 250 words, with the following subheadings: Background, Aims, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
If the presentation includes any quantitative or qualitative data, students will be asked to confirm that appropriate approval has been obtained (e.g. ethics approval or approval from a supervisor, hospital or general practice) to present these results at the conference.
This Conference is Hosted by Adelaide University Rural Health and Supported by
This Conference is Hosted by Adelaide University Rural Health and Supported by
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