Designing world-class venture capital programs to support commercialisation of Australian research during and beyond an economic crisis. Government support of venture capital investment is vital for Australia’s economic prosperity. This project examines how foreign governments have tackled the effect of the financial crisis on such investment and provides policy options for ensuring Australia maintains internationally competitive programs in challenging economic times.
Small mercies, big futures: enhancing law, policy and practice in the selection, protection and settlement of refugee children and youth. This project will assist refugee youth and children who ultimately become Australian citizens or permanent residents. In so doing, it will help to maximise the social benefits that flow from immigration. The project will also help to reduce the risk of social dysfunction that flows from damage sustained in childhood. By raising awareness of issues involving ....Small mercies, big futures: enhancing law, policy and practice in the selection, protection and settlement of refugee children and youth. This project will assist refugee youth and children who ultimately become Australian citizens or permanent residents. In so doing, it will help to maximise the social benefits that flow from immigration. The project will also help to reduce the risk of social dysfunction that flows from damage sustained in childhood. By raising awareness of issues involving refugee children, the project will encourage Australians to become more responsive to children generally. Finally, the international exposure generated by the project will assist in restoring Australia's international reputation, which has been damaged by poor practices in relation to refugee youth and children in the past.Read moreRead less
Drug Companies, their Patenting Strategies and High-Cost Pharmaceuticals: An Empirical Investigation. Pharmaceuticals are a vital part of clinical services that maintain and improve Australia's health; they are also costly, absorbing a substantial proportion of the national health expenditures. By conferring market protections, the patent system helps the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals to recoup the high costs of research associated with developing new products. Abuses of the patent system by ....Drug Companies, their Patenting Strategies and High-Cost Pharmaceuticals: An Empirical Investigation. Pharmaceuticals are a vital part of clinical services that maintain and improve Australia's health; they are also costly, absorbing a substantial proportion of the national health expenditures. By conferring market protections, the patent system helps the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals to recoup the high costs of research associated with developing new products. Abuses of the patent system by pharmaceutical manufacturers have the potential to stifle competition and inappropriately raise the costs of pharmaceuticals to society. This innovative, cross-disciplinary, research will investigate the existence of abusive patents and, if necessary, propose reforms that will prevent further abuse and reduce the size of the health budget. Read moreRead less
Seeking Asylum Alone: The Treatment of Separated and Trafficked Children in Need of Refugee Protection in Australia. Forced migration is a critical human rights issue. Although increasing in number, children traveling on their own to seek protection abroad have received scant scholarly attention. No systematic research exists on the efficacy of asylum as a mechanism for protecting separated children smuggled or trafficked into Australia. Claims and experiences of such children will be catalog ....Seeking Asylum Alone: The Treatment of Separated and Trafficked Children in Need of Refugee Protection in Australia. Forced migration is a critical human rights issue. Although increasing in number, children traveling on their own to seek protection abroad have received scant scholarly attention. No systematic research exists on the efficacy of asylum as a mechanism for protecting separated children smuggled or trafficked into Australia. Claims and experiences of such children will be catalogued and studied to determine the extent and nature of the disadvantage they face within Australia's refugee system. The findings will contribute to an international project aimed articulating best practice guidelines for the legal treatment of separated children in refugee determination systems around the world.Read moreRead less
...and by opposing, end them: A Comparative Examination of Opposition Processes in Patent Law. Patent law is central to the key Australian economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. One aspect of patent law, the opposition process, is directly linked to two important issues currently facing our patent system: improving patent quality, and minimising predatory behaviour by powerful firms. This project will assess the operation of the opposition process here, and the practice of equivalent .......and by opposing, end them: A Comparative Examination of Opposition Processes in Patent Law. Patent law is central to the key Australian economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. One aspect of patent law, the opposition process, is directly linked to two important issues currently facing our patent system: improving patent quality, and minimising predatory behaviour by powerful firms. This project will assess the operation of the opposition process here, and the practice of equivalent international procedures in other jurisdictions, in order to inform Australian policy in current and ongoing negotiations towards global harmonisation. Material from this project will lead directly to proposals for improving the Australian patent system, and ensuring that it promotes, and does not retard, innovation. Read moreRead less
Prospects for quality work and gender equality in frontline care work. Despite policy concerns about unmet demand for paid care, frontline care workers generally have poorer conditions than workers in other feminised sectors. This project will investigate the regulatory options to improve the quality of care work to build Australian expertise and knowledge about the links between job quality and quality of care services.
Coherent, independent and user-friendly? Participant perceptions of social security administrative review processes in Australia and Britain. The capacity to exercise rights associated with citizenship, and to participate meaningfully in community life, is significantly affected by access to financial security and by community confidence in the independence and fairness of systems of entitlement review. This research will examine recent developments in Australian social security review mechanism ....Coherent, independent and user-friendly? Participant perceptions of social security administrative review processes in Australia and Britain. The capacity to exercise rights associated with citizenship, and to participate meaningfully in community life, is significantly affected by access to financial security and by community confidence in the independence and fairness of systems of entitlement review. This research will examine recent developments in Australian social security review mechanisms, in both policy and practice. It is of national significance as it will demonstrate the extent to which statutory objectives of fairness, comprehensibility and accessibility are achieved, particularly from the perspectives of participants in appeals. The research has critical implications for legislation, policy and practice in administrative law and tribunal practice. Read moreRead less
Maritime Legal Practice and Policy in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific: Synergies and Challenges for Australian Trade and Security. Analysis of maritime legal practice in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific will bolster Australia's national maritime policy-making and regional capacity to address key maritime concerns, leading to enhanced sustainable management of the ocean environment and its resources, economic security, maritime enforcement and security for trade and shipping. This will d ....Maritime Legal Practice and Policy in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific: Synergies and Challenges for Australian Trade and Security. Analysis of maritime legal practice in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific will bolster Australia's national maritime policy-making and regional capacity to address key maritime concerns, leading to enhanced sustainable management of the ocean environment and its resources, economic security, maritime enforcement and security for trade and shipping. This will deliver profound political, economic and security benefits to the countries concerned. The research will help to safeguard Australia's vital maritime interests as well as those of our maritime neighbours and therefore impact directly on Australia's economic security and prosperity, the protection and preservation of the marine environment and thus the well being of its society.Read moreRead less
Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Aust ....Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Australia's small corporations. A responsive regulatory framework will enable small corporations to conduct business more efficiently and profitably allowing for and creating structures and processes for encouraging and managing innovation creativity in this vital sector.Read moreRead less
The Neo-Liberal Legal Academy. Profound changes are occurring in the character of Australian public universities, particularly in respect of the commodification of education, of which no study has yet been undertaken. Using the discipline of law as a case study, this project proposes to study the ramifications of change with particular regard to legal academics, legal education and the constitution of legal knowledge. While the main focus will be directed to the Australian legal academy, compari ....The Neo-Liberal Legal Academy. Profound changes are occurring in the character of Australian public universities, particularly in respect of the commodification of education, of which no study has yet been undertaken. Using the discipline of law as a case study, this project proposes to study the ramifications of change with particular regard to legal academics, legal education and the constitution of legal knowledge. While the main focus will be directed to the Australian legal academy, comparisons will be effected with New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom which evince similar trends. The study is expected to remedy a lacuna in knowledge and to inform higher education policy.Read moreRead less