Research

The research of the Life Course Centre is focussed on describing and understanding the key causes of disadvantage and developing innovative solutions to address it. The Centre demands excellence in research, not as an end, but as a means for addressing intergenerational disadvantage. The maturity of the Centre’s research programs, partners and collaborations are key to this pathway and the maintaining and enhancing of research momentum and productivity.

The Life Course Centre is committed to leveraging evidence-based research to develop innovative new practices to benefit people living in disadvantage. Our mission is to identify the mechanisms underlying the transmission of disadvantage across generations and within families over the life course, and to translate our findings to enable public and private industry organisations to deliver policies and programs that will reduce deep and persistent disadvantage.

The adoption and advancement of the Centre’s 10 Big Research Questions is an important platform for ensuring effective and impactful research translation. The ongoing development of Flagship Research is also critical to positioning the Centre at the forefront of international research and research translation on social and economic disadvantage.

Our research is organised into three interrelated research programs: Disadvantage Systems (how disadvantage occurs); Human Capabilities (who experiences disadvantage and why); and Social Transformation (what to do about it).

The connections between the programs provide an important feedback loop. Testing new solutions to target disadvantage teaches us more about how it happens and who is affected.