23 November, 2020
Congratulations to the Academy’s Paul Bourke Award Recipients, 2020
Four of Australia’s best young researchers have been named recipients of the 2020 Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
Academy President Professor Jane Hall said that the recipients had been selected from an extremely talented field of applicants.
“These young researchers are producing high quality research which addresses some of the critical challenges facing our society today,” said Professor Hall.
“They are deserving winners of this award and join a very select list of previous recipients; many of whom have gone on to make substantial contributions to society.”
The Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Research recognises social science researchers in the early part of their careers. It is named in honour of the late Professor Paul Bourke, an influential political historian who served as Academy President from 1993 to 1997.
The 2020 recipients are:
- Dr Kari Lancaster from The University of New South Wales who has made significant contributions to the critical social study of evidence-based policy and practice in relation to drugs and infectious disease.
- Dr Sarah Walker from The University of NSW; a development economist working on labour-force participation, the effects of refugee camps, and the relationship between conflict, development and the natural environment.
- Dr Dylan Lino from the University of Queensland whose work has been influential in informing debate on Indigenous constitutional recognition in Australia.
- Dr Michelle Tye from The Black Dog Institute whose work has substantially advanced national suicide prevention efforts.
The four award recipients will give public talks on their research during Social Sciences Week in September 2021.
For more information on the Paul Bourke Awards and past recipients see: www.socialsciences.org.au/awards.
About the recipients
Dr Kari Lancaster, The University of New South Wales
Working at the intersection of public health sociology, science and technology studies, and policy studies, Dr Kari Lancaster has made significant contributions to the critical social study of ‘evidence-based’ policy and practice in relation to drugs and infectious disease.
She has published over 65 articles in leading international journals and received more than $4 million in funding. The quality and impact of Dr Lancaster’s research has been recognised internationally, including as recipient of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy’s (ISSDP) Early Career Researcher Award.
Her innovative program of work is developing critical approaches to the social study of ‘evidence-making’ and intervention translations in health, and has gained international recognition with invited presentations at Oxford University, Munich Public Health Forum, Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science Conference and ISSDP Conference. Dr Lancaster has an outstanding capacity to combine high quality research with direct translational activities that result in policy change.
A 2-minute Paul Bourke Award interview with Dr Lancaster available here.
Dr Sarah Walker, The University of New South Wales
Sarah Walker is a development economist working on a remarkably wide range of topics including labour-force participation, the effects of refugee camps, and the relationship between conflict, development and the natural environment. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015, and has been on the faculty at UNSW, Sydney since. Her work has already been published in leading journals in the field such as Journal of Development Economics and Journal of Economic History.
Dr Walker’s research is typical of the best work in this field: utilising a range of empirical methods including randomised controlled trials, regression discontinuity analysis, and other techniques to identify the causal effects of policy interventions. Her creativity and breadth have already established Sarah as an internationally recognised scholar in development economics and applied microeconomics more generally.
A 2-minute Paul Bourke Award interview with Dr Walker available here.
Dr Dylan Lino, The University of Queensland
Dylan Lino is an exceptional early career researcher (FTE 2.7 years post-PhD) in the history and politics of law. His many awards include a Visiting Researcher position at Harvard and a prestigious Qantas Fellowship. He received the 2018 Wedderburn Prize for best article published in the Modern Law Review. His monograph Constitutional Recognition of Australia’s Indigenous People: Law, History and Politics, was awarded the 2017 Holt Prize. His book, 12 journal articles and 2 book chapters have already been cited over 60 times in publications across the world. He has presented his research at 9 international and 17 national conferences and secured more than $80,000 in funding.
Dr Lino’s active involvement in research and community committees and his submissions to parliamentary and other government inquiries have been influential in informing debate on Indigenous constitutional recognition in Australia. He is already demonstrating his abilities as a leader in his field.
A 2-minute Paul Bourke Award interview with Dr Lino available here.
Dr Michelle Tye, The Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales
Dr Michelle Tye is an outstanding early career researcher whose work has substantially advanced national suicide prevention efforts. She has published over 60 papers in leading international journals and one book chapter. She has led and contributed to research that has attracted more than $20 million in funding in the past four years, including a National Health & Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (2018).
Her growing international profile is reflected in membership of special interest groups, invited editorial positions, invited speaking invitations, and international collaborations. Her scientific excellence has been recognised in several prestigious awards, including a NSW Tall Poppy (2018) and an Early Career Excellence Award from The Mental Health Society (2019). Michelle’s exemplary track record is combined with strong translational impact that is rare at her career stage, strongly positioning her as an emerging research leader.
A 2-minute Paul Bourke Award interview with Dr Tye available here.