Research Reference Groups

The key objective of ACFS Research Reference Groups is to build stronger links between academics and practitioners with the aim of increasing both the quantity and relevance of rigorous and industry-relevant research outcomes, to the benefit of all stakeholders.

Each Research Reference Group meets three times each year to develop an interactive research agenda between academics and practitioners which identify opportunities for research ideas for staff and students, events and other outcomes.

Each Reference Group is comprised of a group of academics, regulators and industry experts.

Consideration is given to a number of dimensions of each issue raised in the research reference groups, which are then translated into possible research projects.

Each issue can be categorised very broadly as:

• Hot topics: such ideas will warrant discussion and be suitable for a short opinion piece for the purposes of public interest and public information by Centre Associates;
• Roundtable discussion: an emerging issue which warrants further exploration and input from a range of perspectives.  ACFS can facilitate a roundtable to examine the issue and identify possible areas for further research etc;
• Independent report topics: such matters may warrant an ACFS monograph that provides analysis and synthesis of the subject and brings available information to light; and
• Research topics: these topics will lend themselves to more in depth analysis by research staff or students.  To be a viable topic for research there should be availability of either primary or secondary data, and some theoretical underpinning that can be applied.

Some issues may have aspects that satisfy each of these approaches.

Issues that lend themselves to research projects are extracted and sent to research student co-ordinators in each of our consortium universities.  The research agenda developed through the RRGs is currently disseminated to over 100 finance academics and more than 200 postgraduate research students in the consortium universities to inform their understanding of industry directions and interests.

The three groups are:

• Banking and Financial Institutions;
• Funds Management and Superannuation; and
• Insurance.

Australian Centre for Financial Studies (ACFS) brings together researchers from a range of finance-related disciplines at the consortium member (and other) Universities and from the finance industry.  Academic staff conducting research under the Centre’s work programs, are appointed as Associates of the Centre. A number of external researchers will be affiliated with ACFS.

Research assistants and Fellows will be appointed to work on research projects undertaken by the Centre, and research capacity will be augmented by the short and long-term visitors programs.

To learn more about the RRGs, please contact the Centre on (+61 3) 9666 1050 or info@australiancentre.com.au

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