Professor Gemma Carey

Professor Gemma Carey (In Memoriam 2024) 

Professor Gemma Carey was the Director of CSI UNSW and the National Research Director for the CSI network. 

Professor Carey came from a family that progressed from deprivation and limited education to being fully tertiary educated within two generations. From the age of 30, she lived with varying levels of physical disability after her immune system attacked her nervous system. She believed that creating equitable living conditions and opportunities was a fundamental responsibility of both communities and governments. These beliefs underpinned her work at the Centre for Social Impact UNSW, where she led a multidisciplinary team of researchers and educators dedicated to addressing inequality. She collaborated with governments and non-government organisations to identify and reform structures and processes that perpetuated inequality, with research focused on the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Gemma published four books and over 100 journal articles on various aspects of policy and health. She held a PhD in Social Policy and Population Health, and a Masters of Medical Science (research masters in Public Health and Anthropology), and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (1st Class Hons).

Research papers and industry pieces can be accessed at: gemmacarey.space

Awards:

• Shortlied for the Women's Leadership 2019 Awards (Public Sector category)
• Emerald Publishing Literati Award (Highly Commended Paper) (2018)
• ACT Tall Poppy Scientist Award (2016)
• National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (2015)
• Aileen Plant Medal for Contributions to Population Health (given out once every four years by the Public Health Association of Australia, Health Promotion Association of Australia, Australian Epidemiology Association and Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine) (2015),
• Sidney Myer Trust Scholar (2009),
• NHMRC Dora Lush Priority Scholar (2009).

Service

• Editorial board of Australian Journal of Public Administration, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, and the International Journal for Integrated Care. 
• ANZSOG Ethics Committee Member

Major current grants and contracts

• Barraket, J., Loosemore, M., Carey, G. & Lee, E. (2021-2024). Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement. ARC Discovery Project
• Yates, S. Carey, G. & Malbon, E. (2020) Gender barriers to accessing personalised disability funding schemes. UNSW Disability Innovations Institute.
• Olney, S., Gardner, K, Dickinson, H. & Carey, G. (2019). Data Governance and the NDIS. Disability Innovation Institute Grant. UNSW. 
• Carey, G., Dickinson, H., Alexander, D., Kavanagh, A., Gilchrist D., Chand S. (2018-2025) Stewarding thin markets: improving public service market effectiveness and equity. ARC Linkage Grant
• Carey, G & Weier, M. NDS Annual Market Survey (2018-2020) 
• Dickinson, H., Carey, G. & Carey, N. Smith, C (2018-2019). Robots and the delivery of care services: What is the role for government in stewarding disruptive innovations? ANZSOG 
• Barraket, J., Famer, J. Carey, G., Joyce, A & Mason, C (2017-2020). Improving Health Equity of Young People? The role of social enterprise. ARC Linkage. 
• Kavanagh, A., Llewellyn, G., Emerson, E., Petrie, D, Dickinson, H., Badland, H., Carey, G., Butterworth, P., Einfield, S & Stancliffe, R. Centre for Research Excellence NHMRC in Disability and Health.  (2016-2022) 
• Carey, G., Malbon, E, Dickinson, H., Mallet, S. & Alexander, D, Kavanagh, A. (2016-2018). Collaborative governance under the National Disability Insurance Scheme: A social network approach to mapping and analysing emerging innovation. ANZSOG 
• Strazdins, L., Banwell, C., Carey, G Butterworth, P. (2016-2022).  Working longer, staying healthy. ARC Linkage 

Engagement

• The Power to Persuade: Building Knowledge and Capacity for Social Change
• Women's Policy Action Tank