Our impact

Through a broad range of policy-related activities, we engage with and influence a wide variety of organisations, policymakers, researchers and members of the public. 

Our events have secured research funding for participants, our published resources have received commendation from government, business and university collaborators, our training is consistently found to be useful, and our policy commentary is regularly featured in media outlets.

Browse below for highlights of our footprint across 2021 and 2022.

Training researchers to develop policy and government-engagement skills

Holding training sessions on how to work with government

Most valuable things participants said they learned from one of our researcher training sessions:

• Specific avenues to reach out and start relationships/collaborations in gov bodies/boards
• Strategies for building a public profile and engage with stakeholders in government
• Viewing research impact from the perspective of relation building
• Having different perspectives on the relationship between academic research, public policies and the government
• Importance of building long term relationships / communicating appropriately
• Structures of government

Producing valuable policy resources

Public Policy Engagement Guide: A toolbox for UWA researchers (PDF 1.62MB)

"This is really good. Sometimes an institute will produce something like this - I read a lot of these kinds of things, and some of them are better than others. This is good. I read this and thought wow, I wish more people who came to see me had read something like this first... The 'Dos and don'ts' on page 13 are spot on. The section outlining the range of ways that feed into policymaking is also really important."
–Josh Wilson MP, Federal Member for Fremantle (pictured right)

“A really nice resource, it explains a complex set of institutions and relationships in a very accessible way.”
–Professor David Gilchrist, UWA Business School and Fellow of WA Parliament

“I found it useful.  It accurately described the bits of the policy process that I am familiar with, and so that gave me confidence the unfamiliar bits were on-point too.”
–Professor Raymond da Silva Rosa, Chair of UWA Academic Board and Council

“This is a great initiative, and a really useful document.”
–Professor Ben Reilly

Fostering connections and networks in WA and the region

“At Diversity Focus, we have been fortunate to collaborate with the UWA Public Policy Institute. We participated in a webinar along fellow service providers, academics and industry leaders in the area of domestic and family violence to explore contemporary issues and challenges facing diverse communities, particularly communities with refugee and humanitarian backgrounds. 

Our engagement in the family and domestic violence webinar allowed us to gain valuable perspectives and insights from various viewpoints while facilitating networking opportunities vital to our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion research, consulting, and training. The UWA Public Policy Institute is critical in facilitating such opportunities for engagement and collaboration, bridging the gap between academia, public policy and service provision.” 

--Elizabeth Lang, CEO and Lead Consultant of Diversity Focus

"The UWA Public Policy Institute has been an enthusiastic supporter of AASYP since Day 1 and has been committed to promoting and cultivating people-to-people relationships between young people in the ASEAN-Australia region. With their extensive expertise and knowledge in public policy, diplomacy, and international affairs, the UWA PPI bridges the gap between academia, public policy and practical skills and continues to do important work at the forefront of critical regional issues.

UWA PPI provided invaluable expertise in AASYP's annual ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum. Through their high-quality speakers such as Professor Shamit Saggar, Dr Chris Lin, and former Foreign Minister of Australia Stephen Smith, UWA PPI brought a broad range of knowledge and insight; from skills in foreign diplomacy, the barriers between regional cooperation, and even intercultural storytelling."

--Michelle Lam, Co-CEO of ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership

Securing funding for policy researchers

Researcher: Dr Julie Ji, Forrest Postdoctoral Fellow, UWA School of Psychological Science
Project title: Investigating the role of visual mental imagery in maternal vaccination delay and refusal
Funder: WA Child Research Fund, Department of Health (WA)
Total funding received: $150,000
Awarded: October 2021

"My grant, funded by the WA Child Research Fund, is a direct result of the UWA Public Policy’s fantastic public outreach and research engagement activities.

The Institute has the capacity to facilitate and galvanise these critical interdisciplinary and cross-industry connections that are crucial to securing support from external funders in an increasingly competitive and impact-focused funding landscape."

Researcher: Dr Caleb Goods, UWA Business School
Project title: Climate, Work, Community and Just Transition 
Funders: University of Sydney Business School Industry Partnership Grant in partnership with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union Western Australia 
Total funding received: $22,636
Awarded: November 2021

"When initially scoping the feasibility of this research project, the UWA Public Policy Institute proved vital to gaining access to key stakeholders within the Western Australian Government.

It is clear that the Institute's positive relationship with policymakers allowed trust to be quickly built between the research team and key actors with the state government. In concert, this allowed the research team to swiftly understand the policy issues at hand, the feasibility of the study we were hoping to undertake and gave us confidence that we could undertake the research project with support of key stakeholders.

The overall outcome is the securing of important seed funding to undertake the research project with the longer term aim of apply for a larger ARC funded project."

Commenting on trending policy topics through public media channels 

Media mentions in 2022

 Online articles are available at the links; figures in brackets indicate audience reach where available.

• 9 July, AFR Weekend – Boris exit must be rest for the right (43,480)
• 8 July, ABC Radio Perth with Damian Smith – Interview with Director Professor Shamit Saggar (22,000)
• 27 May, 6PR with Liam Bartlett – Interview with Carmen Lawrence following the 'Dissecting Australian life after the election' event on 25 May (26,000)
• 27 May, Australian Financial Review – ALP could face its own teal rout next time (153,000)
• 26 May, Australian Financial Review – Labor must embrace 'bottom-up' politics or risk teal rout: Lawrence (12,357)
• 24 May, indiaeducationdiary.in – University of Western Australia: Diversifying WA's economy through sustainable markets (116)
• 5 May, madeleineking.com.au – North by Northwest: Labor's plan for trade diversification
• 27 April, The West Australian – Challenges lie ahead to make WA a connected, vibrant place (135,996)
• 31 Mar, nationaltribune.com.au – Gig economy, non-standard work and flexibility
• 29 Mar, nationaltribune.com.au – Opening up WA's options for mine closure 
• 24 Mar, ABC Great Southern – The story of WA for 2050 and beyond (52,790)
• 23 Mar, miragenews.com – Taming suburbanisation from our WA 2050 Report
• 23 Mar, ABC Pilbara – Interview with Director Professor Shamit Saggar 
• 22 Mar, Channel 9 with Monika Kos – Interview with Director Professor Shamit Saggar (36,371)
• 21 Mar, The West Australian – Golden age of WA in 2050 (135,996)
• 14 Feb, ABC with Pamela Medlen – Interview with Director Professor Shamit Saggar (20,000)
• 14 Jan, The Australian – Five traps for those arguing in favour of Big Australia (94,448)