Who we are
BETA partners with Australian Government departments and agencies to understand how people interact with policies and programs, and how they can be improved to better fit the needs of the Australian people.
Mission
BETA’s mission is to improve the lives of Australians by generating and applying evidence from the behavioural and social sciences to find solutions to complex policy problems.
Objectives
- Conduct research to better understand how people interact with policies and programs.
- Design and test evidence-based solutions.
- Evaluate and measure the impact of programs and changes (including randomised controlled trials).
- Uplift APS capability to apply evidence from the behavioural and social sciences to policy.
BETA’s approach
We bring together economists, psychologists, social scientists, data scientists, analysts, and policy experts to conduct research, offer evidence-based solutions, and run rigorous evaluations to see what works.
Our research is conducted in the best interest of the Australian public and all primary research is subject to a review by an independent ethics committee. We are committed to being open and transparent about our work by disclosing trials ahead of time and making our findings publicly available.
If you are an Australian Public Servant looking for behavioural insights support on your project, contact the BETA team to find out more about our service offer.
Academic Advisory Panel
BETA’s work is supported by our Academic Advisory Panel (AAP). The panel is made up of expert academics from a range of backgrounds including research design, psychology, economics, and Indigenous studies. They provide us with advice on research methods, evaluation techniques, and relevant literature.
The current AAP panel members are:
- Professor Ben Newell, University of New South Wales
- Professor Jolanda Jetten, The University of Queensland
- Professor Kate Reynolds, University of Melbourne and Australian National University
- Professor Michael J. Hiscox, Harvard University
- Professor Nicholas Biddle, Australian National University
- Professor Uwe Dulleck, Queensland University of Technology
- Distinguished Professor Bronwyn Carlson, Macquarie University
- Professor Swee-Hoon Chuah, University of Tasmania