Publications

Featured Report

  • Australian soldiers from Battlegroup War Horse take part in the final assault on Williamson Airfield in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Rockhampton, Queensland, during Exercise Hamel, June 27, 2018, photo by U.S. Army

    Defence Mobilisation Planning Comparative Study

    The boundaries of rule-based order and global norms are being tested everywhere. What threatens the stability and prosperity of Australia? And how do other countries structure their response to similar contemporary threats?

Defence

RAND Australia defence research covers a wide range of topics for policy makers in Australia and beyond. The RAND Corporation has long been recognized for its contributions to defence policy, and RAND Australia advances this tradition with expertise and coverage of key defence issues such as international alliances, military spending, naval warfare, and submarine engineering and design.

  • Australian sailors raise the colors aboard HMAS Darwin, photo by Royal Australian Navy photo by Cpl. Chris Dickson/Royal Australian Navy

    Report

    Supporting the Royal Australian Navy's Strategy for Robotics and Autonomous Systems

    The Royal Australian Navy has embarked on an ambitious plan to modernise its maritime capabilities to support Australia's defence strategy. What should the Navy consider when developing its robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence strategy?

  • Australian Army M1 Abrams Tanks with 1st Armored Brigade, assault an enemy position during Exercise Koolendong at Bradshaw Training Area, Aug 21, 2014. Four Marines with 1st Bn., 5th Marines, were given an opportunity to support elements of 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Armored Brigade. During Exercise Koolendong 2014, approximately 1500 Marines and Australian Defence Force soldiers will undertake a wide spectrum of infantry training activities to include establishing an expeditionary operating base in austere conditions, company-sized helicopter and ground live-fire ranges, photo by Sgt. James Gulliver

    Report

    Accelerating the Australian Army's Contest of Ideas

    The Australian Army prides itself on its pursuit of an intellectual edge. Is the Australian Army discussing ideas that are original, comparable, complementary, or incompatible to those of its contemporaries?

  • War, military threat, military power concept. China. Tanks toy near chinese flag on black background top view, photo by 9dreamstudio/AdobeStock

    Report

    Deciphering Chinese Deterrence Signalling in the New Era

    China is changing its approach to deterrence signalling in Xi Jinping's 'new era' as it leverages growing military capabilities and the availability of new communication channels. How can Australia, the United States, and other countries better decipher Chinese deterrence signalling in this new era?

  • Australian soldiers from Battlegroup War Horse take part in the final assault on Williamson Airfield in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Rockhampton, Queensland, during Exercise Hamel, June 27, 2018, photo by U.S. Army

    Report

    Defence Mobilisation Planning Comparative Study

    The boundaries of rule-based order and global norms are being tested everywhere. What threatens the stability and prosperity of Australia? And how do other countries structure their response to similar contemporary threats?

  • The Royal Australian Navy vessel Her Majesty's Australian Ship Adelaide (III) is escorted by a small boat upon arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila, Philippines, October 10, 2017, photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

    Testimony

    Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Capability

    During the past decade, Australia has used research to understand the cost, benefits, and challenges of national shipbuilding strategies and decisions. What recent developments should Australia's policymakers consider when planning naval ship programs?

  • Australian Army M777 howitzer crew

    Report

    Comprehensive Analysis of Strategic Force Generation Challenges in the Australian Army

    The Australian Army is changing, modernising, and reorganising its force structure in ways that affect the force generation cycle of its combat. What are the challenges associated with the Army's current FORGEN model? And what can Australia learn from the practices of other nations' armed forces?

  • The Royal Australian Navy guided-missile frigate HMAS Perth arrives in Pearl Harbor during a routine port visit

    Report

    Weighing Options for Australia's Naval Shipbuilding

    Australia is examining an enterprise-level naval shipbuilding plan. All three options—sustaining a domestic naval shipbuilding industry, buying ships from foreign shipbuilders, or building ships partially in-country and partially overseas—have complex consequences and trade-offs.

  • Submarine schematic

    Report

    Australia Has Considerable Expertise in Submarine Design, but Gaps Still Exist

    The Royal Australian Navy intends to acquire 12 new submarines to replace its Collins-class vessels. RAND assessed the domestic engineering and design skills that Australian industry and government will need to design the new submarine, identified the skills they currently possess, and evaluated how to fill any gaps between the two.

  • Midshipman Rachel Bolitho looks out from the bridge wing of HMAS Canberra during Sea Series 2015

    Report

    Contestability Frameworks: An International Horizon Scan

    As part of the restructure of the Australian Department of Defence (ADoD), there are several ways to implement contestability functions that review ADoD's requirements, acquisition, and budget decisions internally before they are passed to other elements in the government.

National Security

RAND Australia's programme of research on national security issues is growing, and is intended to help decisionmakers better understand and develop policies related to border security, domestic intelligence, cybercrime, and other issues of importance.

Health and Social Wellbeing

RAND Australia's health and social wellbeing research has been developed through multidisciplinary teams with backgrounds in evaluation and performance management, research evaluation, science policy, international health care, and public health systems and policy.

  • Australian Aboriginal woman giving her granddaughter a hug in the parkAustralian Aboriginal woman giving her granddaughter a hug in the park, photo by davidf/iStock by Getty Imageshoto by davidf/iStock by Getty Images

    Report

    Australia's Efforts to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children

    Violence against women and children continues to challenge well-being in Australia, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. An evaluation of the Third Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children can serve as a strong foundation for creating long-term change in these communities.

  • A senior man playing with a puzzle, photo by LightFieldStudios/Getty Images

    Report

    Australia Is Not Prepared to Deliver an Alzheimer's Treatment

    As in other countries, the Australian health care system has limited capacity to rapidly move a future treatment for Alzheimer's disease from approval into wide clinical use. That could leave thousands of older people without access to transformative care if such a breakthrough occurs.

  • clockwork evaluation wheel

    Project

    Designing an evaluation framework for the NHMRC

    The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia, have established a new grant program meant to emphasize fairness, reduce burden, and boost innovation and creativity in research funding processes. Researchers developed an evaluation framework and set of metrics to monitor the performance of the program.

  • Doctor with stethoscope using tablet for remote monitoring to check status of patient

    Dissertation

    Role of Data in Improving Care within a Health System

    How can public, private, and non-governmental healthcare organizations work together to leverage current and future data systems to meet their care improvement goals? This case study uses a multilevel framework to categorize stakeholders at various levels within the Australian health system.

  • Researcher at work

    Report

    Health and Medical Research in Australia

    How is Australia’s health research system structured, and what are current and emerging health research issues in the country? Government officials, organizations, and researchers whose work involves health and medical research policy may want to consider this overview of information when making decisions.

Education and Labour

RAND Australia acknowledges the challenges that the country faces in delivering education that impacts employment and economic growth. We provide research and analysis that informs policy and decisionmaking relating to access to and quality in higher education, workforce development, and innovation in education.

  • University of Sydney

    Report

    How Do Universities Identify and Demonstrate Impact?

    The Australian Technology Network of Universities asked RAND Europe to review the Excellence in Innovation for Australia (EIA) Impact Assessment Trial ('the EIA Trial'), in order to assess how well universities identified and demonstrated impact, as well as how the process could be further improved.