ANNUAL REPORT 2020 CEPAR would like to acknowledge the generous financial and/or in-kind support of the following organisations: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Department of Health Department of Social Services The Treasury Introducing the Centre 1 Director’s Report 2 2020 Highlights 4 Chair’s Message 6 Activity Plan for 2021 8 SECTION 1: GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE 11 Governance 12 Structure 18 Centre Personnel 20 SECTION 2: RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING 30 Research Stream 1: Macro-Demographic Dynamics and Population Ageing Policy 31 Research Stream 2: Decision Making, Expectations and Cognitive Ageing 40 Research Stream 3: Organisations and the Mature Workforce 49 Research Stream 4: Sustainable Wellbeing and Later Life 58 Research Training and Mentoring 77 SECTION 3: EXTERNAL LINKAGES 85 Industry and Government Links 86 National and International Links 89 SECTION 4: PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT 95 Key Performance Indicators 96 Research Outputs 97 Communications, Education and Community Outreach 108 End User Links 121 Centre Finance 124 Estimates of Future Expenditure 126 New Grants 127 Awards, Prizes and Recognition 129 CONTACT DETAILS 132 INTRODUCING THE CENTRE 1 CEPAR THE ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN VISION EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE WITH EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF POPULATION AGEING RESEARCH • 2020 REPORT ANNUAL OUR VISION IS TO BE A GLOBALLY THE CENTRE’S RESEARCH ACTIVITY TO (CEPAR) IS A UNIQUE COLLABORATION LEADING RESEARCH AUTHORITY BETWEEN ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT • develop research goals and to share in ON POPULATION AGEING. project execution AND INDUSTRY, COMMITTED TO • translate research to influence economic and DELIVERING SOLUTIONS TO ONE OF MISSION social policy, business practice, and THE MAJOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL community understanding INTRODUCING THE CENTRE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY. OUR MISSION IS TO PRODUCE AND BUILD NATIONAL RESEARCH CAPABILITY The Centre is based at the University of PROMULGATE RESEARCH OF THE AND COLLABORATION BY New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) with nodes HIGHEST QUALITY TO OPTIMISE • creating new researcher cohorts devoted to at the Australian National University (ANU), SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES ageing research and trained in cross- Curtin University, the University of Melbourne disciplinary skills and the University of Sydney, and has high quality FOR AN AGEING WORLD. partnerships with influential organisations drawn • developing the research leadership and from academe, government and business. end-user engagement skills of early and OBJECTIVES mid-career researchers It aims to establish Australia as a world leader in the field of population ageing research through THE OBJECTIVES OF THE • taking a leadership role by connecting a unique combination of high-level, cross- CENTRE ARE TO: researchers in ageing throughout Australia, disciplinary expertise drawn from Actuarial ensuring that benefits from CEPAR’s inclusive Science, Demography, Economics, Epidemiology, EXECUTE A TRANSFORMATIONAL culture are fully realised AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH Psychology, Industrial Relations, Organisational ELEVATE CEPAR’S, AND BY EXTENSION PROGRAM THAT Behaviour and Sociology. AUSTRALIA’S, REPUTATION AS A GLOBAL Funded primarily by an initial seven-year grant • produces original research that advances LEADER IN POPULATION AGEING from the Australian Research Council, with knowledge globally, published in leading RESEARCH BY generous support from the collaborating international journals • strategically partnering with world-class universities and partner organisations, the • harnesses expanded research capability Centre was established in March 2011 to institutions leading innovative research in to generate evidence and policy analysis the field undertake high-impact, independent, to address the most critical issues identified multidisciplinary research and build research by individuals, industry, government and • connecting with researchers and centres capacity in the field of population ageing. community groups focused on population ageing throughout the world. Renewed funding awarded for an additional • anticipates and responds constructively seven-year term from 2017-2023 is supporting to rapid demographic transition in Australia an exciting new research program which will and internationally deliver comprehensive outcomes with the potential to secure Australia’s future as a well-informed nation with world-best policy and practice for an ageing demographic. DIRECTOR’S REPORT 2 CEPAR To give some idea of the scale of this impact, 2020 was, nevertheless, another successful our last conference before our borders closed year for CEPAR. Its membership was fortunate in ANNUAL REPORT 2020 • 2020 REPORT ANNUAL was a Forum on Healthy Ageing, held at UNSW in being protected from the most serious impacts of late January; our last Roundtable focused on COVID and the policy response from the university Housing and Ageing, in mid-March. After that, sector. Its senior researchers were therefore able we waited until December to mount a face-to- to adjust their research programs to face conference, the 28th Colloquium on accommodate COVID better than they otherwise Pensions and Retirement Research, which took would. While some research activities were place in ‘hybrid’ form, with the last two days delayed, especially those involving survey and DIRECTOR’S REPORT DIRECTOR’S conducted virtually, in December. Over this interview-based studies, we expect that period and into 2021, our conferences, catch-up will take place through the current workshops, dialogues and roundtables have term of funding. been cancelled, postponed, or delivered virtually. The Chief Investigator (CI) team itself changed Many of the activities core to CEPAR’s mission had through 2020. Phil Clarke resigned from his CI role to be transformed. to focus on his role as Chair in Health Economics CEPAR responded by mobilising its personnel to at the University of Oxford, and Director of the PROFESSOR JOHN PIGGOTT come up with creative responses to these Health Economics Research Centre there; and numerous challenges. For example, work from Bob Cumming, who has been a stalwart CEPAR CI home protocols left researchers and research since 2011, retired. Both retain links with CEPAR. THE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES students with little opportunity for the Peter McDonald has assumed control of Phil’s THAT UNFOLDED THROUGH 2020 spontaneous interaction which is so important in research agenda; and we are pleased to welcome developing original research ideas. To address Professor Fiona Blyth, from the University of CHALLENGED MANY COUNTRIES, this the Mentoring subcommittee spearheaded a Sydney, who has taken on the leadership of MANY SECTORS, MANY number of initiatives designed to bring emerging Bob’s research program. and mid-career researchers together on a regular ORGANISATIONS, AND MANY The quality of our senior research team was basis virtually. Convened by senior researchers, well-documented in a recent study which INDIVIDUALS. CEPAR IS NO EXCEPTION. these initiatives included a monthly cross-nodal comprehensively ranked academic researchers seminar series, a series of interactive career in a consistent manner across all disciplines. IN AUSTRALIA, MOBILITY AND development workshops and regular ‘catch ups’ Six of our current Chief and Partner Investigators, organised for the Future Leaders in Ageing group. GATHERING RESTRICTIONS WERE as well as Clarke and Cumming, were listed in the IMPOSED TO (SUCCESSFULLY) BRING The annual workshop, a centrepiece of top 2% of their disciplinary field. knowledge-sharing and networking for CEPAR, THE PANDEMIC UNDER CONTROL Throughout the year, CEPAR continued to engage was broken into two parts, with research stream with stakeholders and translate its research with HERE. THESE RESTRICTIONS CUT TO reports being made in virtual mode. These not a view to influencing policy, business practice THE CORE OF CEPAR’S ACTIVITIES, only reported on progress to date but also and community understanding. Early in the year, focused on looking forward to 2021. Each team WHICH ARE HEAVILY RELIANT ON we made a comprehensive submission to the outlined its planned program, with a view to Retirement Income Review, with several of our INTERACTIONS BETWEEN identifying further opportunities for cross-stream researchers contributing, along with Advisory and cross-disciplinary interaction. RESEARCHERS, AND BETWEEN Board Chair Marc de Cure. Several meetings, RESEARCH AND END USERS. with both Commissioners and the Secretariat, also took place. The Review’s Final Report drew extensively on CEPAR work, especially the Research Briefs on Retirement and on Housing. 3 In other engagement activity, we made a information about COVID-19 which will be able CEPAR governance has had to adapt as we deal CEPAR submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs to inform recovery policy settings. And we have with COVID restrictions. For example, our Advisory and Trade (DFAT) on Australia’s new international prepared two COVID-19 related industry reports, Board has now met twice online. But CEPAR’s • 2020 REPORT ANNUAL development policy. And several CEPAR personnel one on the link between COVID-19 and mature unparalleled professional team, expertly led by were involved with the Royal Commission into labour force experience, by Marian Baird and her Anne Gordon, and its truly engaged Advisory Aged Care Quality and Safety, both in giving colleagues, and the other, led by Hazel Bateman, Board, chaired by