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The Independent Research Fund (IRF) was established in 2018 largely on the initiative of the South Australian Business Community who approached the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies with a desire to support independent, broad-based, public policy research of benefit to the South Australian economy and the wider community.

The IRF is to support the research capacity of the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies in making a contribution to public policy debate.

Commentary on the research and analysis conducted on behalf of the Independent Research Fund will be posted on the Economic Policy Forum.

Purpose of the fund

The purpose of the fund is to expand the University’s South Australian Centre for Economic Studies’ (SACES) current economic research, including:

• deepening, widening and stimulating publication and economic debate,
• commissioning and subsidising research into economic, industry and social policy issues of importance to the economic, industrial and social development of South Australia, and
• providing evidence based research and public discussion on issues that underpin or impede economic, industrial, and social policy development in South Australia.

Advisory board

An advisory board has been established consisting of individual donors (and/or their proxy), a representative of the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance and an employee of the University of Adelaide. An independent Chair of the Board as agreed by the donors has been appointed. The Advisory Board considers and prioritises the agenda/topics for research. Topics for research will be broad-based and of no material benefit to any individual donor. Expenditure on research topics will be limited by the money available in the fund and the budget allocated to each research undertaking.

Publications

• A Review of South Australia's Labour Force Participation
• Demography: Driving Employment in South Australia. Are we prepared?
• 65 Years and Over Industry Sector Workforce Participation
• Possible Impacts of Reducing the Disincentive for Age Pensioners to Increase Paid Employment
• COVID-19 and Potential Impact on South Australia's Population: An insight into South Australia's employment for the youth cohort. Paper No. 4.
• COVID-19 and Potential Impact on South Australia's Population: Workforce shortages loom as the population ages. Paper No. 3.
• COVID-19 and Potential Impact on South Australia's Population: Policy implications emerge in wake of migration changes. Paper No. 2.
• COVID-19 and Potential Impact on South Australia's Population: Closed borders have economic and social implications. Paper No. 1.
• Survey of Economic Impact of Late Payment: Findings from the pilot survey
• Newstart Allowance: is it time to raise it? See corresponding article, Newstart debate must focus on people not politics.
• Contribution of Small Venues to Economic Opportunity. See also corresponding Economic Policy Forum article.