Australian Basic Income Lab

Growing global interest in basic income reflects widespread concern over entrenched poverty, insecure work, and rising inequality. The Australian Basic Income Lab (ABI) is Australia’s leading network for research and policy debate on Basic Income.

Launched in 2021 as a research collaboration between the University of Sydney, the Australian National University and Macquarie University, ABI has led efforts to draw lessons from the COVID pandemic, hosting workshops, seminars and generating widespread policy and media interest.

Basic income has attracted the attention of diverse researchers and policymakers from around the world, including;

• World Bank
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
• International Labour Organisation
• Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
• United Nations Development Program
• University-based research centres 
• Think Tanks.

ABI contributes to this fast-developing research ecosystem, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific Region, through our connection to a network of international scholars, policy makers and activists. 

We partner with researchers, civil society actors, government, and philanthropists to advance interdisciplinary research that centres basic income as a key element in a new social, ecological and economic justice agenda. 

Our People

Professor Lisa Adkins, Chair 

Dr Troy Henderson, Co-Director

Associate Professor Elise Klein OAM, Co-Director

Associate Professor Ben Spies-Butcher, Co-Director

Dr Gareth Bryant, Deputy Chair