Researcher

Professor Gemma Carey

My Expertise

Public administration and management

Public health (health equity and the social determinants of health)

Joined-up government and cross-sectoral collaboration

National Disability Insurance Scheme

Fields of Research (FoR)

Public Administration, Public Policy, Public Health and Health Services, Public Health and Health Services, Special Education and Disability

Biography

 

Professor Gemma Carey is the Director at CSI UNSW, and National Research Director for the CSI network. 

Professor Gemma Carey comes from a family that has shifted from deprivation and limited education, to fully tertiary educated in two generations. Since turning 30, she has lived with varying levels of physical disability, when her immune system attacked her nervous system. She believes that working to create equitable living conditions and...view more

 

Professor Gemma Carey is the Director at CSI UNSW, and National Research Director for the CSI network. 

Professor Gemma Carey comes from a family that has shifted from deprivation and limited education, to fully tertiary educated in two generations. Since turning 30, she has lived with varying levels of physical disability, when her immune system attacked her nervous system. She believes that working to create equitable living conditions and opportunities is a fundamental responsibility of communities and governments. These beliefs underpin her work as the Director of the Centre for Social Impact UNSW, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and educators committed to addressing inequality. She works with governments and non-government organisations to identify and change structures and processes that impact inequality. At the moment, her research is primarily focused on the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Gemma has published 4 books and over 90 journal articles on different aspects of policy and health. She has a PhD in social policy and population health, and a Masters of Medical Science (research masters in Public Health and Anthropology), and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (1st Class Hons).

 

Research papers and industry pieces can be accessed at: gemmacarey.space

Awards:

  • Shortlied for the Women's Leadership 2019 Awards (Public Sector category)
  • Emerald Publishing Literati Award (Highly Commended Paper) (2018)
  • ACT Tall Poppy Scientist Award (2016)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (2015)
  • Aileen Plant Medal for Contributions to Population Health (given out once every four years by the Public Health Association of Australia, Health Promotion Association of Australia, Australian Epidemiology Association and Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine) (2015),
  • Sidney Myer Trust Scholar (2009),
  • NHMRC Dora Lush Priority Scholar (2009).

Service

  • Editorial board of Australian Journal of Public Administration, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, and the International Journal for Integrated Care. 
  • ANZSOG Ethics Committee Member

Major current grants and contracts

  • Carey, G & Weier, M. NDS Annual Market Survey (2018-2020) 
  • Barraket, J., Loosemore, M., Carey, G. & Lee, E. (2021-2024). Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement. ARC Discovery Project
  • Yates, S. Carey, G. & Malbon, E. (2020) Gender barriers to accessing personalised disability funding schemes. UNSW Disability Innovations Institute. $26 000
  • Olney, S., Gardner, K, Dickinson, H. & Carey, G. (2019). Data Governance and the NDIS. Disability Innovation Institute Grant. UNSW. $30 000
  • Carey, G., Dickinson, H., Alexander, D., Kavanagh, A., Gilchrist D., Chand S. (2018-2022) Stewarding thin markets: improving public service market effectiveness and equity. ARC Linkage Grant
  • Dickinson, H., Carey, G. & Carey, N. Smith, C (2018-2019). Robots and the delivery of care services: What is the role for government in stewarding disruptive innovations? ANZSOG 
  • Barraket, J., Famer, J. Carey, G., Joyce, A & Mason, C (2017-2020). Improving Health Equity of Young People? The role of social enterprise. ARC Linkage. 
  • Kavanagh, A., Llewellyn, G., Emerson, E., Petrie, D, Dickinson, H., Badland, H., Carey, G., Butterworth, P., Einfield, S & Stancliffe, R. Centre for Research Excellence NHMRC in Disability and Health.  (2016-2022) $2 500 000 
  • Carey, G., Malbon, E, Dickinson, H., Mallet, S. & Alexander, D, Kavanagh, A. (2016-2018). Collaborative governance under the National Disability Insurance Scheme: A social network approach to mapping and analysing emerging innovation. ANZSOG 
  • Nevil, A., Carey, G., Kay, A. & Braithwaite, V .(2016-2019). Building capacity and performance through risk responsive regulation. ACT Government  
  • Strazdins, L., Banwell, C., Carey, G Butterworth, P. (2016-2020).  Working longer, staying healthy. ARC Linkage 
  • Carey, G. (2016-2020). Implementing the National Disability Insurance Scheme. National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship 
 
Engagement

 

 

 


My Research Supervision


Currently supervising

  • Molly Saunders, PhD Candidate - Gender Equity in the NDIS. UNSW
  • Jenna Turner, PhD Candidate - Hearing loss and the NDIS (LaTrobe)
  • Celia Green, PhD Candidate – Policy solutions to support sustainable diets. ANU
  • Anne Faulkner PhD Candidate. – Performance management and its impact on policy capacity. UNSW
  • Jenn Green. PhD Candidate. Whole-of-government responses to addiction. McMaster University, Canada.
  • Kasy Chambers, PhD Candidate – Service sector decision making and the NDIS. Swinburne University
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Research Activities

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides cover for Australians with a severe disability, and represents a transition to a new model and market for service delivery that will substantially change the nature, focus, and funding of disability support service delivery. The NDIS has been described as a once in a generation reform, highlighting the scale and complexity of the reform. As a result, it offers significant opportunities for learning with regard to policy implementation and public sector management.

In the decades since Australia last implemented a reform of…