Sydney Policy Lab fellows combine theory and practice

The Sydney Policy Lab Fellowships give policy makers and practitioners the opportunity to be seconded to the university and undertake a project of their choice for three months (full time) or six months (part time). Each fellow is partnered with an academic mentor with expertise in a related field. Their work culminates in a report and a public talk.

“We need to bring together the best minds when tackling pressing issues and problems that affect society’s wellbeing,” said Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Duncan Ivison. “These fellowships connect the experience of people who work at the pointy end of the policy process with the research-based expertise of our leading academics. They combine theory and practice to produce useful, practical results.”

This year’s fellows are:

·         Eliza Ginnivan, NSW Department of Justice – Eliza will explore online dispute resolution mechanisms, under the mentorship of Professor Peter Cashman from Sydney Law School.

·         Euan Brown, Commonwealth Infrastructure and Project Financing Agency – Euan will work with Professor Garry Barrett from the School of Economics to investigate applying value capture to infrastructure projects in Australia.

·         Oisin Sweeney, National Parks Association of NSW – Oisin will look at developing nature-based solutions for resilient and healthy communities with the help of Associate Professor Dieter Hochuli from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences,

·         Troy Roderick – Working with Professor Rae Cooper from the Business School, Troy will investigate organisations’ experiences in implementing ‘all roles flex’ flexible working arrangements.

·         Susan Price, Women Lawyers Association of NSW – Susan will be investigating the advancement of gender equality in the legal profession, with guidance from Professor Marian Baird from the Business School.

·         Jenny Norderyd, Barnardos Australia – Jenny will look at ways to keep newborn babies placed with their siblings in out-of-home care, specifically focusing on Barnardos’ Find-a-Family Program. While Barnardos’ policies support the co-placement of siblings, often newborns cannot be placed with siblings due the inability of their sibling’s carers/adoptive parents to take another child into their family. Jenny will work under the mentorship of Associate Professor Amy Conley Wright from the Institute of Open Adoption Studies.

·         Carolyn Barker, First Languages Australia – Carolyn will work on First Languages Australia’s Knowledge Bank and Timeline, with the help of Dr Susan Poetsch from the School of Education and Social Work.

All seven fellows will complete their secondments at the University in 2018. Applications for 2019 fellowships will open in the second half of 2018.