Our research & collaborations

Our research themes

Our research is organised under three intersecting themes:

We explore how incentivisation in investment and financial market infrastructures can enhance positive social impact and economic empowerment. Our research focuses on impact investing, blended financing mechanisms, and institutional arrangements that enable sustainable social progress.

Finding new ways to fund social projects that help those in need.

Making financial systems fairer and more resilient for everyone.

Work with us: impact investing, blended finance, gender-lens investing, social finance innovation, inclusive economic growth, financial system reform, capital mobilisation for social good, democratising access to capital, place-base investing, transition, and financial resilience.
We investigate how organisations and their configurations can be more effective in enhancing societal benefits such as wellbeing, inclusiveness and reduced vulnerabilities. Our research focuses on social innovation, community wealth-building, and fostering equitable access to opportunities.

Improving programs that help people access opportunities and improve lives.

Encouraging new ideas that reduce barriers and support.

Work with us: community wealth building, inclusion and equity, reducing vulnerability, empowerment through innovation, trauma-informed systems, equitable access to opportunity, empowering people with disability, corporate social impact, civic wealth creation, local prosperity strategies, cross-sector partnerships and collaboration, and leadership.
We go beyond measuring social impact — we help organisations design, implement, and refine strategies that translate into meaningful and lasting progress. Our social impact strategy research includes strategic planning, business model analysis, corporate social impact, and outcome evaluation.

Helping organisations design strategies that create long-term social and environmental benefits.

Building capabilities, skills and knowledge to improve social and environmental outcomes.

Work with us: social impact strategy, outcome evaluation, scenario planning, Theory of Change (TOC), sustainability and ESG beyond compliance, corporate social impact, impact measurement frameworks and assessment and learning, data-informed decision-making, long-term social value, strategic planning for social outcomes, social business analysis, community capacity building, and participatory evaluation.

Some of our current research collaborations include:

The Civic Life of Cities Lab (CLCL) is a��research��project originating out of Stanford University that brings together academics from around the world to gain insights into what makes a vibrant civil society.��Research��is centred on a handful of ‘highly liveable’ cities (those ranking highly on quality of life) that include the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Shenzhen, Singapore, Vienna and Sydney, with a focus on not-for-profits and the communities they serve.

The Sydney project provides understandings of the city’s non-profit sector with a particular focus on cross-sector collaboration, impact investing and social enterprise and how government is influencing performance.

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The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI
Professor Danielle Logue, Director of �ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI; Dr DongJu Lee

�ʹڲ�Ʊ School of Management and Governance
Professor Hokyu Hwang (Chief Investigator)

Stanford University
Dr Yi Zhao
Researchers at the �ʹڲ�Ʊ Centre for Social Impact are evaluating and comparing the ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives of ASX 100 companies using the Global Reporting Initiative framework (GRI) with a focus on performance on the ‘S’ or social dimension of the ESG paradigm.

This��collaboration between �ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI, led by Associate Professor Melissa Edwards, and the Digital Sustainability Hub, led by Professor Shan Pan, will use the Sustainability Intelligence Platform to collate��and assess��data.

The��project��aims to identify key challenges and opportunities confronting companies in implementing ESG initiatives, particular the social aspect of ESG.��At a time where reporting requirements and corporate disclosures on��ESG reporting��are becoming��mandatory for all large businesses and financial institutions��in Australia, these insights across leading Australian corporations and across industries provide timely insights on corporate social impact strategies and initiatives.��

The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI: Associate Professor Melissa Edwards��(Chief Investigator), Dr Gillian McAllister,��Michelle Cripps

�ʹڲ�Ʊ School of Information Systems: Professor Shan Pan

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�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI has partnered with the �ʹڲ�Ʊ Tax & Business Advisory Clinic on a��research��project to enhance the tax and transfer system for financially disadvantaged individuals and small businesses. Led by Associate Professor Ann Kayis-Kumar and Professor Michael Walpole, the Tax Clinic provides free tax and accounting advice to those in serious financial hardship, a critical service for this demographic.

By leveraging the Tax Clinic's expertise in tax support with CSI's��research capabilities, this collaborative project seeks to explore and improve the tax experiences of financially disadvantaged groups.��Beyond highlighting the practical impacts of current tax policies, it��actively engages��experts and the community to develop tangible recommendations. These efforts are focused on enhancing service delivery for marginalised and disadvantaged taxpayers,��and ultimately��moving towards a tax system that is more accessible, empathetic, and equitable.

The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI:��Dr��Rhiannon Parker

�ʹڲ�Ʊ School of Tax and Accounting: Associate Professor Ann Kayis Kumar (Chief Investigator) and Professor Michael Walpole

Learn more about the �ʹڲ�Ʊ Tax & Business Advisory Clinic here��
Associate Professor Carmen Leong��researches the significant digital exclusion present in the Sydney Outer West and South-West regions, as highlighted by the Australian Digital Inclusion (ADII) Index (2020). Her current work with Campbelltown City Council focuses on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the extent and nuances of digital exclusion within the local government area (LGA), and subsequently enhance the design of the council's online services to ensure inclusivity for all residents. CSI supports Professor Leong in this work and its potential expansion to other councils and LGAs.��

The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ School of Information Systems and Technology Management: Associate Professor Carmen Leong (Chief Investigator)��

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI: Dr Ariella Meltzer and Dr Rhiannon Parker
OzHarvest is a leading food rescue organisation that has fought against food waste by saving surplus food from ending up in landfill and delivering it to charities to help feed those in need. Along with its primary purpose of offering food relief, OzHarvest is involved in education and advocacy work to increase healthy eating, improve life skills, and raise awareness of food waste.

In line with �ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI’s commitment to engaged scholarship, this collaboration with OzHarvest is designed to provide a detailed case study on the challenges and key issues for OzHarvest that could be addressed in a joint future research program or via participation in CSI’s Work Integrated Learning courses.

The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI: Dr Gillian McAllister (Chief Investigator), Associate Professor Melissa Edwards, Dr Rhiannon Parker.

OzHarvest: Gauri Bhalla
Impact investments are��made to organisations, projects or funds which are generating measurable, positive social and environment outcomes, in addition to financial returns. Impact investing is a growing field of investment that aims to finance solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges. This collaboration surveys and analyses the market for impact investing in Australia, tracks its growth and trajectory. ��

The team includes:

�ʹڲ�Ʊ CSI: Professor Danielle Logue (Chief Investigator), Associate Professor Melissa Edwards, Michelle Cripps��

Impact Investing Australia: David Hetherington, CEO