Research

To help you see how you can contribute research through GovNet, here is a summary of our streams and themes areas. 

Stream 1 - Global, International and Trans-national Governance

Stream 2 - Asia-Pacific Institutional Reform and Regional Cooperation

Stream 3 - Public Sector Governance

Stream 4 - Corporate Governance and Regulation

Stream 5 - Civil Society Governance

Stream 6 –Health Governance Research Network 

Stream 7 – Religion and Governance

Stream 1 - Global, International and Trans-national Governance

Stream Leader: Professor Charles Sampford, Griffith University


We bring together and build on:

  • research on international law, international relations, peace and security, the ethics of international action
  • the Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance's core program on 're-conceiving liberal-democratic values for a globalising world'
  • the Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance's new program of cross-cultural dialogues on governance values and governance issues


We go beyond 'international' law and relations to encompass issues of 'global' governance and 'trans-national' governance including issues concerned with cyberspace and  'trans-national civil society').


Stream 2 - Asia-Pacific Institutional Reform and Regional Cooperation


Stream Leader: Professor Andrew MacIntyre, Australian National University


We bring together economists, political scientists, and academic lawyers interested in research on policy and governance reforms in the Asia-Pacific region.

The reform agenda covers

  • national economic policy and political institutions
  • corporate governance
  • frameworks for international cooperation around Asia and the Pacific

Stream 3 - Public Sector Governance


Stream Leader: Professor John Wanna, Australian National University


We seek to understand, anticipate and improve the transformations in contemporary governance in the Australian context though research on:

  • democratic governance and civic engagement
  • collaboration and networks
  • leadership
  • institutional capacities
  • constitutional development
  • federalism and regionalism
  • public financial structures
  • intergovernmental relations
  • global impacts on policy thinking and decision-making

We aim to improve governance institutions and public policy to further community wellbeing.


Stream 4 - Corporate Governance and Regulation


Stream Leader: Professor Peter Grabosky, Australian National University


We concentrate on developing Australian and international research on how corporations govern and are governed by state regulatory agencies, international organisations, non-government organisations, business associations, their own boards, and internal management systems. We seek to make a contribution from regulatory theory and research to more general theories of governance. 

Workshops will be organised around:

  • theoretical themes of the regulatory state
  • meta regulation
  • nodal and networked governance
  • deliberative democracy
  • restorative, procedural and distributive justice
  • norms and identity
  • governance and regulatory compliance
  • governance and organisational performance
  • responsive regulation


Stream 5 - Civil Society Governance: professions, religious institutions and non-government organisations


Stream Leader: Dr Jeanette Kennett, Australian National University


'Civil society' involves an astounding array of institutions of vastly differing size, scope, longevity and purpose. It includes professional groups, religious institutions and non-government organisations of all kinds - from the bowling clubs and choirs made famous by Robert Putnam to massive international organisations like the Red Cross.

Key themes include:

  • governance for efficiency and effectiveness
  • governance in the service of professional and institutional purposes and values
  • democratisation
  • professional autonomy
  • workplace rights
  • corruption
  • relation between ethical attitudes and regulation
  • interface between government and the professions

Stream 6 –Health Governance Research Network


Stream Leader: Professor Stephanie Short, Queensland University of Technology

We are a communication network of researchers, policy makers and implementers concerned with governance issues in the health field.

Sources of Funding

  • Australian Research Council: $1.5 million for 2004-2009
  • Griffith University: cash and in-kind 2005-09
  • Charles Sturt University, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics: cash and in-kind 2005-09
  • Australian National University (including Australian Public Service Commission funding for Australia and New Zealand School of Government research): cash and in-kind 2005-09

Membership benefits:

  • free registration at our conferences
  • email notification of all our events
  • assistance with the cost of attendance for some of our selected events
  • opportunity to network with other governance researchers and practitioners
  • opportunity to participate and benefit from our website
  • we aim to put together researchers' capacity building proposals involving Governance Research Network members from 2 or more universities

To join, please complete the membership application21.

You can participate and collaborate with other researchers, view events and keep up with publications using our forums and members' area.

Objectives

We set ourselves the following objectives - each of which represents a networking activity that adds value to existing research and helps meet the objectives of the Australian Research Council's networking program to achieve scale, focus, interdisciplinarity and innovation:

  • Encouraging the foment (and ferment) of ideas across the disciplines and subjects of governance involving end-users in planning research directions.
  • Establishing research streams for developing and funding innovative, higher quality (and generally interdisciplinary) projects and programs, researching the governance of particular institutions and sets of institutions. The five streams cover: global governance, Asia-Pacific regional governance mechanisms, public sector governance, corporate governance and regulation, and the many and varied institutions of 'civil society'.
  • Exploring cross-cutting research themes, based on national priorities and emerging governance issues that cross the traditional institutional boundaries of governance research. For example, issues concerning corruption in Australia and elsewhere cross over corporate and public sector institutions and the solutions generally involve civil society and the professions.
  • Asia-Pacific governance capacity building. (This diversifies funding sources, reduces reliance on the Australian Research Council and exposes researchers to significant governance problems in a range of different contexts).
  • Improving the techniques of research design and management.Once won, grants need to be used as efficiently as possible.
  • Improving communication of results to various audiences and end-users.
  • Strengthening the Network and enhancing future viability.
  • Improving the experiences and employability of research higher degree students.

Through the pursuit of these objectives, we will extend earlier networking activities and provide critical links:

  • within relevant disciplines
  • across disciplines
  • between humanities, social sciences (and some physical sciences)
  • between engaged academics and reflective practitioners
  • between national and international networks
 

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