Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$396,000.00
Summary
The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug mar ....The economic and social consequences of illicit drug markets. This project aims to understand the economic and social effects of illicit drugs. An estimated one-quarter of a billion people use illicit drugs each year. This causes major health and personal problems, while the violence and organised crime associated with illicit drug markets affect society. This project will apply econometric techniques to administrative and survey data to establish the long-term causal effects of illicit drug markets on crime, health, education and employment. The results are expected to show how illicit drug policies can improve health and well-being in communities.Read moreRead less
A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of dat ....A benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program. This project undertakes a benefit-cost analysis of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP). EYEP is an innovative early years education and childcare program for children at risk of abuse and neglect that is being trialled by the Children’s Protection Society in Melbourne. The use of the randomised evaluation method in the trial, the innovative and extensive nature of EYEP, the inter-disciplinary research team, and the breadth of data collection, provide the opportunity to complete a high quality benefit-cost analysis that will be internationally unique. Results from the study have the potential to influence the design of childcare and education for 30,000 at-risk children in Australia, as well as informing approaches in regular childcare.Read moreRead less
Policy-Related Lessons from the Econometric Analysis of Life Satisfaction Data in Australia. Our analyses will provide important information to policy-makers aiming to design policies that improve Australia's economic and social fabric. In particular, we will inform on the response of Australians to major life-events such as unemployment, ill-health or marital dissolution, but also exogenous shocks including drought and terrorism. Major focus will be on differentiating the determinants of life s ....Policy-Related Lessons from the Econometric Analysis of Life Satisfaction Data in Australia. Our analyses will provide important information to policy-makers aiming to design policies that improve Australia's economic and social fabric. In particular, we will inform on the response of Australians to major life-events such as unemployment, ill-health or marital dissolution, but also exogenous shocks including drought and terrorism. Major focus will be on differentiating the determinants of life satisfaction between rural and urban communities in Australia, and investigating the response of these communities to drought conditions. Moreover, we believe that a detailed international comparison using German and UK data will provide unique evidence on the relative quality of life in Australia and the role of culture and institutions. Read moreRead less
Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners an ....Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners and is expected to generate new and important evidence using unique longitudinal data.Read moreRead less
Status seeking and economic behaviour. The project will look at the importance of status seeking behaviour for the health system, behavioural experiments, international growth, and labelling. The insights will be useful for optimal redistribution policies, international cooperation, and behavioural research.
Tackling Nurse Shortages in Australia. There is currently a shortage of registered nurses in Australia. To date, however, there has been only limited detailed micro-level analysis of the nursing workforce. In this project, we will use microeconomic and advanced econometric tools to investigate a number of important issues related to nursing and help inform the policy debate. In particular, we will examine trends in workforce participation of nurses, the determinants of nurse labour supply and jo ....Tackling Nurse Shortages in Australia. There is currently a shortage of registered nurses in Australia. To date, however, there has been only limited detailed micro-level analysis of the nursing workforce. In this project, we will use microeconomic and advanced econometric tools to investigate a number of important issues related to nursing and help inform the policy debate. In particular, we will examine trends in workforce participation of nurses, the determinants of nurse labour supply and job turnover and provide a comparative analysis of wages of nurses with other similar occupational groups. Throughout the project, we will provide special attention to designing policies aimed at promoting nurse labour supply in rural areas. Promoting an adequate supply of registered nurses is central to meeting the National Research Priority of 'Promoting and Maintaining Good Health'.Read moreRead less
Income and well-being: Evidence from international commodity price shocks. This project aims to examine the effects of income from international commodity price windfalls on peoples’ well-being. Exports of natural resources (iron, coal and copper) are an important source of income for the Australian economy. International prices for these commodities have declined in recent years, lowering national income. The project will analyse both objective and subjective measures of well-being at both the ....Income and well-being: Evidence from international commodity price shocks. This project aims to examine the effects of income from international commodity price windfalls on peoples’ well-being. Exports of natural resources (iron, coal and copper) are an important source of income for the Australian economy. International prices for these commodities have declined in recent years, lowering national income. The project will analyse both objective and subjective measures of well-being at both the cross-country time-series and the sub-national levels, tailored to the Australian economy. It is expected that the project’s findings will benefit academia, public policy makers and everyday people. The project will inform academics and policy makers about how income from international commodity price windfalls affects peoples' well-being.Read moreRead less
The impact of crime on the mental wellbeing of communities. Considering not only the direct impact of crime on the victims but also the indirect consequences of living in a community with a higher crime rate may in fact lead to a more accurate analysis of the size of the consequences of criminal activities on the society. Further, it may also be the case that the negative externality of crime on non-victims is much larger for some crimes than for others. If this were the case, it could have impl ....The impact of crime on the mental wellbeing of communities. Considering not only the direct impact of crime on the victims but also the indirect consequences of living in a community with a higher crime rate may in fact lead to a more accurate analysis of the size of the consequences of criminal activities on the society. Further, it may also be the case that the negative externality of crime on non-victims is much larger for some crimes than for others. If this were the case, it could have implications for the way in which police resources are presently distributed across different crimes. Better understanding the total societal cost of crime - to both victims and non-victims - could therefore help improve public policy. Read moreRead less
An Economic Analysis of the Effect of Networks on Jobs and Mental Health in China: Patterns, Consequences and Policy Implications. China is a priority neighbour whose growth and stability will have a large impact on Australia. Urbanisation and economic reforms change the incentives to maintain and form social relations. Researching these changes to help policy makers keep the effects within acceptable borders is a top priority of the Chinese government and entirely in Australia's own interest. T ....An Economic Analysis of the Effect of Networks on Jobs and Mental Health in China: Patterns, Consequences and Policy Implications. China is a priority neighbour whose growth and stability will have a large impact on Australia. Urbanisation and economic reforms change the incentives to maintain and form social relations. Researching these changes to help policy makers keep the effects within acceptable borders is a top priority of the Chinese government and entirely in Australia's own interest. The project thus serves as a bridge between policymakers and researchers: it is done in consultation with AusAID, the Chinese ministry for labour, and international scientific organisations such as the Ford Foundation and the German Institute of Labour (IZA)Read moreRead less
How to make other people happy. The contribution individuals can make to the happiness of others. The field of wellbeing has burgeoned in the last two decades. Economists have joined psychologists, health professionals and other social scientists to address the question of how society can be made happier. The literature to date has largely focused on how individuals can attain happiness by addressing personal psychological and health issues. This project offers a different perspective by asking ....How to make other people happy. The contribution individuals can make to the happiness of others. The field of wellbeing has burgeoned in the last two decades. Economists have joined psychologists, health professionals and other social scientists to address the question of how society can be made happier. The literature to date has largely focused on how individuals can attain happiness by addressing personal psychological and health issues. This project offers a different perspective by asking the question: What can be done to make others happy? In particular, this project focuses on: the effect we have on the happiness of our partners and children; how we optimally handle information as individuals and as a society, to make other people happy; how we can make our neighbourhoods happy; and how we can make other countries happy.Read moreRead less