Sir Roland Wilson Foundation

02/06/2026

From extra help at home, through to residential nursing home care, more than one million Australians access aged care services each year.

Pat Turner scholar Dolly Nye is exploring ways to improve cultural safety in aged care for Aboriginal Australians.

Dolly is a Walbunja/Yuin woman from the south coast of New South Wales. She is studying a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at The Australian National University ANU College of Business & Economics.

Dolly says her studies have given her the language to describe things she was already seeing through her work at Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – and through her experience caring for her elderly mother.

“Studying innovation in my degree has helped me to understand problems differently. Studying entrepreneurship has helped me to find new solutions,” Dolly says.

Learn more about Dolly, her studies and research: https://srwfoundation.anu.edu.au/news/rethinking-cultural-safety-aged-care

Image: ANU College of Business and Economics

27/05/2026

We all have a role to play in achieving reconciliation in Australia and the Sir Roland Wilson Foundation is this National Reconciliation Week - and every week.

Through the Pat Turner Scholarship Program, the Foundation is taking action to make positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Pat Turner Scholarship enables strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership through high-quality research and skills training, building on the legacy of Dr Pat Turner AM.

Scholars study in a range of fields, including public administration, economics, social policy, data and cybersecurity, law, foreign policy, and climate change.

They return to The Australian Public Service ready for successful leadership, equipped with expert analytical skills and strong connections to academia.

15/05/2026

Congratulations Jami-Lee!

Jami-Lee Saxon was awarded the 'Outstanding Academic Achievement in Master of Public Policy', sponsored by Pathway to Politics NT, at the CDU Faculty of Arts and Society Prize Giving Ceremony.

14/05/2026

Our thanks to Australia & New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) Chief Policy Fellow Dr Andy Mycock, who shared insights on knowledge translation with Sir Roland Wilson and Pat Turner scholars and alumni yesterday.

Andy’s research explores research-government partnerships, with a focus on how academic knowledge is mobilised to support policymaking through systems of engagement, brokerage and partnership.

He is currently visiting Australia from University of Leeds so scholars and alumni were able to share and compare UK and Australian experiences.

12/05/2026

Sir Roland Wilson and Pat Turner alumni work to improve government services in a variety of ways.

As Director at the Australian Bureau of Statistics Data Access and Confidentiality unit, Sir Roland Wilson alumnus Dr Joseph Chien is working on a synthetic data approach to make ABS data more accessible for research while ensuring confidentiality of the providers – an initiative that will help the ABS offer a better service.

Joseph’s PhD research at the ANU Mathematical Sciences Institute explored using administrative data to gain insights into the micro-drivers of productivity. He graduated in 2021.

https://srwfoundation.anu.edu.au/people/joseph-chien

23/04/2026

Listen to Sir Roland Wilson alumna Dr Nu Nu Win, who recently appeared on the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT Work With Purpose podcast to speak about her research.

Together with AusGov Infrastructure Secretary Jim Betts, Nu Nu explores cultural diversity in The Australian Public Service and the work underway to create a more inclusive and representative senior leadership pipeline.

Drawing on new research and practical reform efforts, this episode of Work with Purpose explores persistent barriers to progression for culturally and linguistically diverse staff. Host David Pembroke, CEO of […]

22/04/2026

The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation is pleased to announce two Pat Turner scholarships for commencement at The Australian National University (ANU) in Semester 2, 2026.

Our congratulations to:
- Amanda Lilley from Attorney-General's Department to study a Master of International Relations at Asia & the Pacific at ANU
- Dolly Nye from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to study a Master of Philosophy at Science & Medicine at ANU.

https://srwfoundation.anu.edu.au/news/pat-turner-scholarships-awarded-semester-2-2026

Image: The Australian National University

16/04/2026

Join Sir Roland Wilson scholar Andrew Morgan next week for an Australian Public Service Academy MasterCraft series event on stewardship and the future – leading beyond the short term.

Andrew will be speaking with Sophie Howe (the first Future Generations Commissioner for Wales) and Will Hartigan (strategic foresight expert) about how long-term analysis can strengthen policy.

Gain insights from these leading experts on how to apply long-term, future-informed thinking to your own policy work. and decision making.

https://www.apsacademy.gov.au/events/mastercraft-series-stewardship-and-future-leading-beyond-short-term

14/04/2026

Through her PhD research, Sir Roland Wilson scholar Polly Hannaford is exploring how national animal biosecurity policy can be strengthened for finfish of commercial importance to Australia. This includes barramundi, tuna, Murray Cod, and kingfish.

Strengthening the policy can support Australian aquaculture, an industry that employs around 7,000 people and is valued at $2.16 billion.

“What makes aquaculture an especially important industry is its relatively low carbon footprint compared with pastoral livestock,” explains the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry scholar.

“My research aims to provide the evidence base for the adoption of cost-effective pathogen detection tools, including environmental DNA (eDNA) tests and alternative disease surveillance approaches.”

Polly is doing her research at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, one of the highest biosecurity containment facilities in Australia.

Read more about Polly’s research:

https://srwfoundation.anu.edu.au/news/reducing-disease-risk-australian-aquaculture

Image: CSIRO