• Location: Online and/or in-person at The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, co-located with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Parkville, Victoria
• Time Commitment: Total anticipated involvement across the three years of the project will involve around 20-25 meetings.
• Remuneration: Participants will receive $50 per hour to recognise their time and contributions.

About the Role

The Transgender Health Research Group at MCRI is inviting trans and gender diverse young people with lived experience of chest binding to join the Better Binding Youth Advisory Committee.

Youth Advisory Committee members will use their lived experience to guide the design and conduct of the study, ensuring that trans young people have a meaningful voice in how the research is shaped and what it produces. Members will be involved throughout the project and may provide input on activities such as ethics applications, data collection, data analysis, and sharing the study findings.

Members will be part of a team committed to improving the health and wellbeing of trans and gender diverse young people, and that values the voices and expertise of young people with lived experience. This includes trans and cis researchers with experience in youth involvement and lived experience advisory groups.

Better Binding Study Overview

Many trans and gender diverse young people use chest binding, which is the process of flattening your chest with a tight top or material. Binding can help young people feel more comfortable in their bodies and more like themselves in everyday life. While binding is important for many, binders can also be uncomfortable or restrictive. There is currently limited evidence about the long-term effects of chest binding.

The Better Binding study aims to learn more about the positive and negative health outcomes associated with chest binding, so that trans and gender diverse young people can bind more confidently, safely, and comfortably. The project will work with experts in trans healthcare, research, and textile science to develop evidence-based guidelines for young people, families, healthcare providers, and binder manufacturers. We want to ensure that the needs of all trans and gender diverse young people including non-binary and neurodivergent young people are represented.

Who We’re Looking For

• We are looking to appoint 6-8 young people who:
• Are aged 16–21 years
• Are located in Victoria
• Identify as trans or gender diverse (any gender identity, including non-binary, agender and genderfluid young people)
• Have lived experience with chest binding
• Are passionate about improving the wellbeing of trans and gender diverse young people

We strongly encourage young people of diverse identities and backgrounds to express interest, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, culturally and linguistically diverse young people, and young people with disability.

What does this involve?

The Youth Advisory Committee will run for approximately three years, beginning July 2026. Members will receive training on youth involvement in research. Meetings will be held online at times that suit the group, with some in-person meetings in Melbourne. Across the project, involvement is expected to include around 20–25 meetings.

As a Youth Advisory Committee member, you may:

• Attend training sessions
• Provide guidance on study design (e.g., recruitment, consent, surveys)
• Provide feedback on study materials (e.g., information statements, consent forms, flyers, digital tools)
• Advise on how research findings are shared (e.g., articles, resources, guidelines, media)
• Collaborate with researchers, clinicians, community organisations, and other committee members

To recognise your time and contributions, you will receive $50 per hour for meeting attendance and preparation. Each meeting is expected to involve approximately 1 hour of preparation and 2 hours of meeting time.

You can choose how much of your lived experience you share. Any personal information you choose to share will remain confidential and will not be shared without your consent.

What might be some outcomes of my involvement?

Youth Advisory Committee members will:

• Help improve the Better Binding study for participants
• Contribute to the development of safe, evidence-based binding guidelines and improved binder design
• Gain knowledge and skills related to clinical research and trans health
• Contribute to research papers (if you choose)
• Be acknowledged as a member of the Better Binding Youth Advisory Committee (if you choose)

What support will I have access to?

To support your wellbeing throughout your involvement:

• A personalised wellbeing plan will be developed with you
• Project staff, including trans peers, will be available for debriefing before or after meetings
• A feedback process will be available for concerns, complaints, or feedback
• The project team will participate in ongoing training on working with youth advisors

Who will be involved?

The Youth Advisory Committee will include 6–8 members and will be facilitated by Lux Newman (they/them), a trans young person and the Lived Experience Coordinator for the Better Binding study.

The broader study team includes researchers, clinicians, and students from the Royal Children’s Hospital, Orygen/headspace, and other institutions, including:

• Michelle Tollit (she/her) - Researcher
• Isabel Prochner (they/them) - Researcher
• Ken Pang (he/him) - Researcher
• Lux Newman (they/them) - Lived Experience Coordinator

How can I apply:

We would love to know more about you and why you would like to join the Better Binding Youth Advisory Committee. If you’re interested in applying to join the Better Binding Youth Advisory Committee, please apply by sending a one-page cover letter addressing:

• Your age;
• Your pronouns;
• Whether you have experience with chest binding (yes/no):
• What your identity and background means to you (this could be related to your gender identity, your cultural identity, your disability, or anything else important to you);
• Why you want to join the Youth Advisory Committee;
• What experience you bring to the Youth Advisory Committee (this could be with your school, work, or other youth advocacy you’ve done);
• What you are hoping to get out of the Youth Advisory Committee

If you have any questions, or if you would like any support or guidance with writing the cover letter, please contact Lux Newman (they/them) at [email protected] using the subject line: Youth Advisory Committee Member enquiry via EthicalJobs.

We want to ensure that we’re representing diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences on the Better Binding Youth Advisory Committee so we would love to have a better understanding of who you are and the perspectives you'll bring but please only share what you feel comfortable with sharing.

Who we are

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute envisions a transformative future for child health. Our institute is a hub of impactful scientific breakthroughs, particularly in early interventions, enhanced diagnosis, prevention, and potential cures. We thrive on collaborative, multidisciplinary problem-solving to address challenging queries in child health. Committed to inclusivity and respect, we foster a positive working environment that values diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a proud member of the Australian Network on Disability and a dedicated supporter of Science Australia Gender Equity (SAGE), we uphold principles of equal opportunity and diverse representation.

We are committed to the safety of children and young people and takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse, exploitation and harm. Child safety is prioritised in our decision-making at all levels of the Institute.

Prioritising Lived Experience Through Special Measures

As part of our commitment to equity and inclusion, we are applying Special Measures under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) to prioritise participation from individuals who have historically faced systemic barriers and discrimination.

We actively encourage expressions of interest from:

• Young people aged 16-21
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• LGBTQIA+ community members
• People who have experienced adversity or marginalisation
• People located in Victoria
• People with lived experience of chest binding

This approach recognises that creating fair and inclusive systems means not treating everyone the same but instead taking meaningful action to ensure underrepresented voices are genuinely heard and valued.

A position description is attached.