Better communication to solve the under-saving, under-spending puzzle. This project expects to develop evidence-based communication tools that promote life-time financial security, specifically investigating the puzzling and harmful tendency of people to under-save while working and under-spend while retired. To achieve this goal, it will design and experimentally validate innovative boosts to superannuation communication including income projections and goal-setting targeted at common misconcep ....Better communication to solve the under-saving, under-spending puzzle. This project expects to develop evidence-based communication tools that promote life-time financial security, specifically investigating the puzzling and harmful tendency of people to under-save while working and under-spend while retired. To achieve this goal, it will design and experimentally validate innovative boosts to superannuation communication including income projections and goal-setting targeted at common misconceptions and biases. It will use new structural modelling techniques to measure welfare changes. The expected outcomes are rigorous explanations for the saving-spending puzzle, and robust communication strategies for superannuation funds that will benefit workers and retirees by raising financial capability and confidence.Read moreRead less
Understanding and overcoming confusion in consumer financial decisions. This project aims to develop consumer-centred approaches to reducing the harmful effects of confusion in financial decisions by studying superannuation investment and home loan decisions where confused choices are individually and collectively costly. The project intends to develop comprehensive models to capture the full complexity of financial products and the diverse preferences and capability of consumers, then to use ad ....Understanding and overcoming confusion in consumer financial decisions. This project aims to develop consumer-centred approaches to reducing the harmful effects of confusion in financial decisions by studying superannuation investment and home loan decisions where confused choices are individually and collectively costly. The project intends to develop comprehensive models to capture the full complexity of financial products and the diverse preferences and capability of consumers, then to use advanced statistical methods to estimate the benefits of clearer decision-making. The outcomes of this project includes new models of complex financial decisions, and a better understanding of where confusion arises and the effects it may have. Decreased confusion will raise financial well-being and help communities become more resilient to financial shocks.Read moreRead less
Endgame: managing superannuation in later life. This project aims to come up with strategies for improving superannuation advice for the elderly - including retirees, and also those on the cusp of retirement, who often have little or no scope for working harder or longer to restore their finances. It applies recent developments in financial economics to improve the quality of financial planning advice.
Financial Innovation and Sustainable Solutions for Electricity Markets. This project aims to investigate financial innovation for electricity markets that are transforming from fossil-fuel fired power generation to a higher share of renewable energy. The project will create new knowledge on impacts of the decarbonisation of power markets, utilising cutting-edge econometric models, innovative financial products and new measures for market performance and financial risk. Expected outcomes of the p ....Financial Innovation and Sustainable Solutions for Electricity Markets. This project aims to investigate financial innovation for electricity markets that are transforming from fossil-fuel fired power generation to a higher share of renewable energy. The project will create new knowledge on impacts of the decarbonisation of power markets, utilising cutting-edge econometric models, innovative financial products and new measures for market performance and financial risk. Expected outcomes of the project include recommendations for facilitating investment into renewable energy, pricing intermittent generation, guidelines for stress tests and sustainable energy policy. This will help regulators and market participants to better ensure the long-term economic sustainability and financial resilience of the sector.Read moreRead less
Risk assessment of climate change mitigation measures. This project will consider market based mechanisms for environmental protection policies and will have both a theoretical and a practical dimension. The main benefactors of the project will be environmental regulators and policy makers working in this area.
Work life after a diagnosis of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer: Major disruption or work as usual. Each year, over 40,000 working-age individuals (as well as their families and workplaces) are affected by a diagnosis of cancer. This novel and important study will, for the first time in Australia, identify the extent and effects of loss of skilled workers from the workforce because of a diagnosis of breast, prostate or colorectal cancer and will lead to the development of new interventions ....Work life after a diagnosis of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer: Major disruption or work as usual. Each year, over 40,000 working-age individuals (as well as their families and workplaces) are affected by a diagnosis of cancer. This novel and important study will, for the first time in Australia, identify the extent and effects of loss of skilled workers from the workforce because of a diagnosis of breast, prostate or colorectal cancer and will lead to the development of new interventions that help people to recover from cancer. This project is critical to help advance health and labour policies in Australia which currently faces an ageing population, global economic unrest and rising unemployment.Read moreRead less
Assessing willingness to pay for urban water, wastewater, gas and electricity delivery service standards. The utility industry is a substantial component of the Australian economy (2.2 % of GDP), underpinning national production. Recent infrastructure failures, costing up to $200 million per week, have been blamed largely on regulatory approaches that emphasise minimum price and cost solutions to utility service provision without any assessment or consideration of the willingness to pay for serv ....Assessing willingness to pay for urban water, wastewater, gas and electricity delivery service standards. The utility industry is a substantial component of the Australian economy (2.2 % of GDP), underpinning national production. Recent infrastructure failures, costing up to $200 million per week, have been blamed largely on regulatory approaches that emphasise minimum price and cost solutions to utility service provision without any assessment or consideration of the willingness to pay for service quality and the value people place on surety of supply. Research on the role of WTP for service standards in regulating price and service quality is required to prevent future infrastructure failures. This research will provide substantial economic benefits to Australia through improved regulation and better targeting of infrastructure investment.Read moreRead less
Solving the water crisis in Australian cities and towns with options contracts between urban and rural water users. We will equip water resource managers with a powerful and effective tool for the allocation of water resources between rural and urban sectors. The importance of this bridge cannot be understated. To date urban centres have endured stringent water restrictions to manage dwindling urban suppliers, while ignoring the potential benefits of purchasing water from the irrigated agricul ....Solving the water crisis in Australian cities and towns with options contracts between urban and rural water users. We will equip water resource managers with a powerful and effective tool for the allocation of water resources between rural and urban sectors. The importance of this bridge cannot be understated. To date urban centres have endured stringent water restrictions to manage dwindling urban suppliers, while ignoring the potential benefits of purchasing water from the irrigated agriculture sector. Furthermore, rural communities have suffered hardship due to restricted agricultural production during times of drought. This research proposal represents an exciting solution to both problems and offers the tantalising prospect of water shortages in our capital cities and towns becoming distant memories.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354852
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Sustainable Regions for a Competitive Australia. How can metropolitan, rural and remote regions balance economic and job growth, with environmental and social sustainability? This Initiative establishes a Network of researchers to work collaboratively on questions of environmental best practice, community development, regional governance, labour markets, economic development and technology transfer. The Network's vision is to find ways to use existing and future research to help make Australia ....Sustainable Regions for a Competitive Australia. How can metropolitan, rural and remote regions balance economic and job growth, with environmental and social sustainability? This Initiative establishes a Network of researchers to work collaboratively on questions of environmental best practice, community development, regional governance, labour markets, economic development and technology transfer. The Network's vision is to find ways to use existing and future research to help make Australia's regions more competitive on world markets and more environmentally sustainable, and to help build stronger regional communities. The Network cuts across traditional discipline boundaries to find integrated solutions to the real problems confronting Australian regions.Read moreRead less
Water derivatives: conceptualisation, price modelling and economic impacts. Introducing water options is likely to provide farmers with more choices on trading their water allocation and enhance water price certainty. Recent seasons have accentuated the potential benefit of water options: regions with highly secure water in the past have suffered repeated shortfalls in allocations. Water options would alter the behaviour of water managers who would need to ensure sufficient carryover to future s ....Water derivatives: conceptualisation, price modelling and economic impacts. Introducing water options is likely to provide farmers with more choices on trading their water allocation and enhance water price certainty. Recent seasons have accentuated the potential benefit of water options: regions with highly secure water in the past have suffered repeated shortfalls in allocations. Water options would alter the behaviour of water managers who would need to ensure sufficient carryover to future seasons to allow for drought. Options markets may improve the allocation of water between competing users. Such markets, by reducing uncertainty, may reduce excessive adjustment costs arising from drought by improving water access security.Read moreRead less