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Research_

Research and Policy

Community-centred, multidisciplinary policy solutions
Our work focuses on the issues of greatest consequence for our communities

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.

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.

We warmly encourage colleagues to find out more and express interest in forming a node (pdf, 62KB) before 9 October 2024.

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.

In semester 2 2024, seminars are Tuesday at 1 pm in the Lab’s space.

Semester 2, 2024 Policy Bites

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.