Published: 27 Apr 2018
2017 Annual Report Now Available
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute's 2017 Annual Report is now available, featuring research and engagement highlights.
Melbourne Social Equity Institute
Supporting interdisciplinary research for fairer societies
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute brings together researchers to address disadvantage across social life, including health, education, housing, culture, work and transport.
Published: 22 Mar 2018
Policy Briefing Paper – Facilitating Better Employment Opportunities for Refugee-background Migrants and People Seeking Asylum in Australia
In 2017 Dr Nadera Hayat Burhani and Dr Jawid Sayed were employed as Community Researchers at the Social Equity Institute at the University of Melbourne. The resulting Policy Briefing Paper aims to make specific, implementable policy recommendations to reduce barriers and facilitate improved employment opportunities for refugee-background migrants and people seeking asylum living in Australia.
Published: 14 Mar 2018
EOIs Invited – Deputy Director, Melbourne Social Equity Institute
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute invites academic staff at Level D or E at the University of Melbourne to register their interest for the role of Deputy Director.
Published: 20 Nov 2017
Masterclass with Theresia Degener, Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Graduate and Research Higher Degree students are invited to express their interest in participating in a Masterclass with Professor Theresia Degener in January 2018.
Published: 09 Sep 2017
Unfitness to Plead Report Launched
Unfitness to plead laws in Australia have been widely recognised as requiring reform and modernisation. The Unfitness to Plead Project sought to develop practical and legal options to address the problem of people with cognitive disabilities being found unfit to plead and subject to indefinite detention.
Published: 31 Aug 2017
MAEVe Seeding Funding 2017
MAEVe (the Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against women and their children) is seeking applications from the University's research community for innovative interdisciplinary research projects in the area of violence against women and family violence.
Published: 30 Aug 2017
What Makes Us Healthy? A Disability Perspective
The Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health was launched at the University of Melbourne in June.
Published: 10 Aug 2017
Elder Abuse Scoping Study Published
Despite a growing recognition of elder abuse and the impact that it has on the lives of older people, we lack both a good understanding of the issues involved and the evidence base surrounding this.
Published: 25 Jul 2017
PhD Scholarship Opportunity in Disability and Policy
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne invites applications for a PhD scholar to work as part the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (CRE-DH).
Published: 07 Jul 2017
NDIS Research Presented to Victorian MPs
Last month the Choice, Control and the NDIS research team presented their findings to Victorian MPs at Parliament House.
Published: 30 May 2017
Supporting People with Decision-Making Impairments to be Full Economic Actors
Getting a new mobile phone plan, entering a contract for home and contents insurance, or signing up for a credit card are part of everyday life for most Australians. However, people who experience barriers to decision-making may find it difficult to engage in these consumer transactions.
Published: 24 May 2017
Choice, Control and the NDIS Report Launched
A Melbourne Social Equity Insititute research team recently embarked on a project to explore the degree to which the NDIS is achieving its aims and objectives from the perspective of people with disability using these services.
Published: 28 Apr 2017
New PhD Program Launching in Semester 2, 2017
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute is launching a new interdisciplinary PhD program in semester two, 2017. The program will bring together doctoral candidates from across the University of Melbourne to focus on issues related to refugees and forced migration.
Published: 20 Mar 2017
Professor Julie McLeod appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Capability)
It is with a mixture of pride and sadness that we share the news that the Melbourne Social Equity Institute's Deputy Director, Professor Julie McLeod, will be leaving her role with us to take up an appointment as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Capability) for the University of Melbourne.
Published: 27 Feb 2017
Consumer Transactions Pilot Study Published
A report examining consumer transactions equitable support models for individuals with decision-making impairments has been published by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute.
Published: 30 Nov 2016
Persons with disabilities: Cure or accommodate?
From a medical perspective, disability may be viewed as the result of a physical condition intrinsic to the individual which may reduce that person's quality of life and cause disadvantages. A major purpose of medical research can thus be viewed as aiming to discover ways of limiting and, if possible, 'curing' disabilities to alleviate disadvantage.
Published: 24 Nov 2016
I knew it was wrong but I couldn't stop it": Young people identify three opportunities for preventing sexually abusive behaviour
Young people who had sexually abused other children said that helping them to manage pornography and improving their sexuality education could have helped prevent their abusive behaviour.
Published: 26 Aug 2016
2016 Lecture Series for Asylum Seekers announced
The Lecture Series for Asylum Seekers returns for its third year September 2016.
Published: 25 Aug 2016
Professor Bernadette McSherry wins top Australasian award
Professor Bernadette McSherry won an Exceptional Contribution TheMHS Award in the 2016 TheMHS Awards program for service in mental health.
Published: 15 Aug 2016
Lecture Series for Asylum Seekers evaluation report released
Asylum seekers invited to a lecture series at the University of Melbourne found it to be an “overwhelmingly positive” experience, according to a new evaluation.
Published: 11 Jul 2016
Safety and Autonomy in the Mental Health Services Sector report now available
It is anticipated that this report will support mental health service reform that aspires to achieve a culture of safety, autonomy and recovery.
Published: 11 Jul 2016
UN poverty expert: inequality must become a political issue
Poverty is largely ignored as a human rights violation, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Professor Philip Alston.
Published: 29 Jun 2016
Job: lecture series co-ordinator
The Lecture Series for Asylum Seekers is an initiative of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Researchers for Asylum Seekers. The aim of the lecture series is to welcome and introduce refugees and asylum seekers to the campus, staff and students of the University of Melbourne.
Published: 22 Jun 2016
2016 MAEVe seed-funded projects announced
The Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence Against Women and their Children (MAEVe) today announce the first round of projects to receive seed-funding.
Published: 18 May 2016
2014-15 Disability Research Initiative Annual Report now available
The Disability Research Initiative's 2014-15 annual report is now available, featuring highlights from the first 15 months of the DRI's operation.
Published: 30 Apr 2016
2015 Annual Report now available
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute's 2015 Annual Report is now available, featuring research and engagement highlights.
Published: 09 Mar 2016
Religious Prejudice, Not Racism, Main Driver Of Intolerance Towards Asylum Seekers
Negative attitudes among Australian voters towards asylum seekers are driven by religious bigotry more than by racism or economic anxieties, according to a new University of Melbourne report released today.
Upcoming Events
Past Events
Research Programs
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute supports interdisciplinary research on social equity issues across the full spectrum of social life including health, law, education, housing, culture, work and transport.
We bring together researchers from across the University of Melbourne to identify unjust or unfair practices that lead to social inequity and work towards finding ways to ameliorate disadvantage.
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Community Engaged Research
Community decision-making about the purpose, design, conduct and use of research.
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Refugees and Forced Migration
Resettlement of refugees and people seeking asylum is essential to ensuring a humane and equitable future.
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Strengthening Institutions
Ensuring institutions are effective, accountable, and responsive to the diverse populations they serve.
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Universal Access and Design
Access for all, regardless of age, ability or status.
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Violence Against Women and their Children
Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence Against Women and their Children (MAEVe) brings together researchers from across the University.
To request any of these reports in an accessible format please email us.
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute offers a number of opportunities for students, including scholarship opportunities, networking events and a doctoral academy to support research.
PhD Students
Each year the Melbourne Social Equity Institute gives Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarships and other scholarships to students whose interest in social equity issues aligns closely to our research agenda. Recipients of an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship are given automatic entry into our doctoral academy once they have completed confirmation.
Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute launched a new interdisciplinary PhD program in the second half of 2017. The program brings together doctoral candidates from across the University of Melbourne to focus on issues related to refugees and forced migration.
Doctoral Academy
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute selects a cohort of research higher degree students from across the university to share their research, knowledge and ideas on social equity issues. The academy aims to support students through peer-learning opportunities and mentoring from experienced academics.
Membership of the academy will expose doctoral students to different disciplinary perspectives and research methodologies that will enhance their own research. The next intake of Doctoral Academy students will take place in 2018.
At the Melbourne Social Equity Institute, we acknowledge an imperfect world. We realise that societies are sometimes beset by divisions of culture, economic status or creed. Chances of birth such as class, race, ability or gender often lead to marginalisation and disempowerment.
We strive to identify the origins of disadvantage and develop effective solutions through high-end research and active community engagement.
Our vision is to influence government policy, public opinion and social practices through the highest quality scholarship in order to create fairer societies.
The Melbourne Social Equity Institute was established in mid-2012 as part of the University's family of interdisciplinary research institutes. It operates on a 'virtual institute' model, meaning that it has a small directorate who are responsible for allocating funding, coordinating communities of like-minded researchers and engaging with external partners, policy-makers and the public.
Contact
- social-equity@unimelb.edu.au
- @MSEI_Unimelb
- Address
- Melbourne Social Equity Institute
201 Grattan Street
Carlton VIC 3053