Optimal Policy Design with Entry: A Model of Aggregative Oligopoly Games. This project aims to develop a theory of endogenous market structures using aggregative oligopoly games to engage issues in competition, trade and innovation policy. Effective and innovative policy design is crucial for economic growth and productivity. Policy analysis with endogenous market structures is in need of better tools. The toolkit of aggregative games, in which each player’s profit can be written as a function o ....Optimal Policy Design with Entry: A Model of Aggregative Oligopoly Games. This project aims to develop a theory of endogenous market structures using aggregative oligopoly games to engage issues in competition, trade and innovation policy. Effective and innovative policy design is crucial for economic growth and productivity. Policy analysis with endogenous market structures is in need of better tools. The toolkit of aggregative games, in which each player’s profit can be written as a function of own action and an aggregate variable, would greatly simplify the analysis of oligopoly interaction. This would lead to a tractable but general welfare analysis yielding new results. The framework is designed to allow us to examine complex policy questions in a simplified way, accommodating models with heterogeneous players and entry, and generalising models with different types of competition and demand specification.Read moreRead less
Mechanism design under bounded rationality: The optimal contracts in the complex world. The research will help to clarify the nature of optimal contracts in real life environments. An important feature of such environments is that they are complex so that actors cannot be assumed to behave fully rationally. We propose to address the question of optimal contract design under bounded rationality. Determining the incidence of costs of boundedly rational behaviour may provide foundations for some p ....Mechanism design under bounded rationality: The optimal contracts in the complex world. The research will help to clarify the nature of optimal contracts in real life environments. An important feature of such environments is that they are complex so that actors cannot be assumed to behave fully rationally. We propose to address the question of optimal contract design under bounded rationality. Determining the incidence of costs of boundedly rational behaviour may provide foundations for some policy proposals in areas as diverse as industrial relations and income taxation in Australian settings.
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The Market for Technology in Australia. Over the last 5 years, formalised markets for technology have accelerated in the US. However, there is no recognised formal market in Australia. Results from our primary data collection and analysis will highlight whether deficiencies in the market for technology are creating obstacles for the commercialisation of Australian technology. This is a particularly important issue for Australia given our relative isolation arising from geographical distance and ....The Market for Technology in Australia. Over the last 5 years, formalised markets for technology have accelerated in the US. However, there is no recognised formal market in Australia. Results from our primary data collection and analysis will highlight whether deficiencies in the market for technology are creating obstacles for the commercialisation of Australian technology. This is a particularly important issue for Australia given our relative isolation arising from geographical distance and lack of attachment to a major trading bloc such as the EU or NAFTA.Read moreRead less
The efficiency of the global patent system. This project will be the first study in the world to combine a new international patent database with more in-depth local information from Australia, Japan, US, Europe and Chinese Asia (China, Taiwan). The patent system should be globally consistent; simple and cost effective to use; parsimonious in the grant of monopoly rights; and provide a level playing field for all inventors. Existing empirical evidence indicates that the patent system is current ....The efficiency of the global patent system. This project will be the first study in the world to combine a new international patent database with more in-depth local information from Australia, Japan, US, Europe and Chinese Asia (China, Taiwan). The patent system should be globally consistent; simple and cost effective to use; parsimonious in the grant of monopoly rights; and provide a level playing field for all inventors. Existing empirical evidence indicates that the patent system is currently inefficient and this has negative effects on our Research and Development sector.Read moreRead less
Robust Optimal Asset Liability Management via Stochastic Control Theory. The Australian federal and state governments are strongly exposed to the Australian and international investment markets, either directly or through entities such as the Future Fund, state-owned insurers and superannuation schemes. Additionally, the investment pool represented by individual Australian's superannuation savings managed by non-government organisations is significant. Robust and effective management of these ....Robust Optimal Asset Liability Management via Stochastic Control Theory. The Australian federal and state governments are strongly exposed to the Australian and international investment markets, either directly or through entities such as the Future Fund, state-owned insurers and superannuation schemes. Additionally, the investment pool represented by individual Australian's superannuation savings managed by non-government organisations is significant. Robust and effective management of these assets in order to meet future liabilities of these funds are essential to a stable Australian economy. This research has the potential to be a key component of reliable investment management, helping make Australia an important investment hub.Read moreRead less
Privatisation, Regulation and Institutional Structures of Airports: An International Study. Airports are typically locational monopolies possessing strong market power - abuse of this is controlled by public ownership, regulation or not-for-profit operation. All these pose problems for achieving economic efficiency while meeting environmental standards. Design of efficient regulation, and the Australian experiment with price monitored private airports, will be analysed. Using data from Austr ....Privatisation, Regulation and Institutional Structures of Airports: An International Study. Airports are typically locational monopolies possessing strong market power - abuse of this is controlled by public ownership, regulation or not-for-profit operation. All these pose problems for achieving economic efficiency while meeting environmental standards. Design of efficient regulation, and the Australian experiment with price monitored private airports, will be analysed. Using data from Australian and overseas airports, the performance of airports operating under the alternative systems will be evaluated, enabling an assessment of performance and privatisation; a comparison of private, public and not-for-profit systems; and pointing out how better governance options can be designed.Read moreRead less
The Determinants of Australia's Productivity Performance. Productivity growth is the key to increasing prosperity for all Australians. The scholar will survey the theoretical and empirical literature pertinent to explaining trends and cycles in the productivity of the Australian economy over the past thirty years. The scholar will then select specific areas for focused research which will lead to academic papers and the submission of a PhD thesis.
Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and ser ....Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and services. Improved productivity measurement and an improved understanding of its sources can inform aggregate and regional policy. The project includes collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission, with the participation of the Reserve Bank of Australia.Read moreRead less
Preventing Early Academic Problems By Improving Working Memory: Translational Randomised Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$831,085.00
Summary
Learning difficulties are common and can cause school failure and poor self-esteem. They are associated with specific problems with temporarily remembering and using information (‘working memory’). Research suggests that improving working memory might improve academic achievement. We will study this intervention in a large group of primary school children who have poor working memory. If successful, the intervention will provide a way to improve the learning skills of these high-risk children.