Research and Policy
The research and policy work of Lab members forms a network of projects, collaborations and nodes.
We invite you to browse current and past work below, read our publications and get involved.
Research projects
Major research projects are at the core of the Lab’s work. Each project is led by an Academic Chair from the University of Sydney, involves collaborators from across faculties and external partners, and is supported by Lab staff.
Championing Australia’s Relational Economy
The Championing Australia’s Relational Economy program seeks to elevate care in society through exploratory and applied research that embeds person-centred principles, values and practices in Australian public policy.
Building on the success of Australia Cares, the program is an umbrella for the Lab’s multidisciplinary, community-centred research across the lifespan. We work with people across the University of Sydney alongside the expertise and wisdom of CARE partners in the community. The program’s strength is its commitment to partnership with communities, practitioners, researchers and policymakers in Australia and internationally.
Collaborations
Our collaborations connect Lab researchers with other research groups, governments, civil society organisations and philanthropy.
Campus collaboration
We believe invigorating the civic life of the University will help us all to flourish, and all the more in times of heightened disagreement or conflict.
In Semester 2 2024, the Policy Lab began six months of explorations with students and staff to understand the wealth of existing thinking and practices that go to the heart of how to invigorate campus life and foster a culture of thoughtful disagreement. As we consider the shape of future work in this area, it is important to us to take a community-led approach that invites the expertise and creativity of staff and students from across the University of Sydney.
The Campus Collaboration is led by Dr Kate Harrison Brennan (Director, Sydney Policy Lab Director), Associate Professor Sophie Gee (Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow) and Professor Danielle Celermajer. Read an interview with the academic leads on taking a community-led approach to invigorating life on campus.
The Campus Collaboration will continue work with staff and students through 2025. Join the Sydney Policy Lab mailing list to connect with the Collaboration.
Housing Distress
The Sydney Policy Lab is working in partnership with the Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (SOAS, University of London) to explore issues of housing distress, migration and coloniality in Australia and the UK.
This qualitative research will focus on experiences of distress as a result of poor housing and how these issues affect different demographics uniquely, as well as the historical and cultural factors shaping housing outcomes. The collaboration is under development with local community partners. Research will commence in early 2025.
Housing and inequality
Emerging collaboration on housing and inequality led by Professor Garry Barrett, Associate Professor Leigh-Anne Hepburn and Professor Jaime Miranda.
Research for policy impact 2024
In 2024, the Lab has supported projects by members working toward policy impact. Supported projects include:
- Professor Gaby Ramia: “International Education Policy in and for Australia: Stakeholder Perspectives.”
- Professor Debra Jones, Head of Rural Clinical School (Broken Hill), and Ms Mariah Goldsworthy, First Nations lead: “Aboriginal cultural protocols in research.” Developing a suite of place-based cultural protocols and guidelines to clearly define First Nations People’s expectations around culturally appropriate and respectful research.
- Professor Lee Wallace: “Queer Normal School: Building Queer Community and Research.”
- Associate Professor Carmen Huckel Schneider: “Meso- and macro-level policy support for place-based work in Australian health settings.”
Nodes
Breakthroughs on complex policy challenges happen when researchers share building understanding and relationships across disciplinary lines. The Lab is nurturing these connections through nodes.
Each node in our policy network is a group of academics and community members with a shared interest in a specific public policy area or methodology that can transform lives.
With Lab support and seed funding, node members share existing work, create space for collaboration and nurture future full-scale Lab research projects. For academics, nodes are an opportunity for leadership, connection with peers and access to the benefits of Lab membership.
Succesful nodes will be announced soon.
Policy Bites research seminars
Our lunchtime seminars – Policy Bites – are a forum for researchers and practitioners to present their exploratory and applied policy work in its early stages. Each public seminar gathers the Lab community in our collaborative space to hear and discuss new research as we exchange ideas across disciplines.
Semester 2 2024 seminars have concluded. The Semester 1 2025 program will be announced in the coming months.
Semester 2, 2024 Policy Bites
- 10 September – Premature mortality of racial minorities and the poor, politics, and the perpetuation of inequality - Associate Professor Javier Rodriguez, Claremont Graduate University
- 24 September – Story Tech: Power, Storytelling & Social Change Advocacy – Professor Ariadne Vromen, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU
- 15 October – A whole-systems approach to person-centred care – Professor Brendan McCormack, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney
- 29 October – Is global childhood immunisation still a force for equity? – Professor Kim Mulholland, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
- 12 November – Co-governance: Communities and government working together better – Dr Frances Foster-Thorpe, NSW Cabinet Office; Professor Ilan Katz, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW; Dr Shona Bates, Centre for Future Health Systems, UNSW
Policy Bites are organised by Dr Kate Harrison Brennan, Director, Sydney Policy Lab; Dr Assel Mussagulova, Lecturer in Public Policy and Public Administration, School of Social and Political Sciences; and Associate Professor Meru Sheel, Sydney School of Public Health.