Introduction
The ASFA Research Centre has published and maintained on an irregular basis a listing of current superannuation researchers and their interests. The listing necessarily relies on information supplied by researchers to ASFA, and so does not purport to be comprehensive.
Individuals and organisations wishing to be included in future registers of researchers, or those wishing to amend their listing should contact the ASFA Research Centre.
The listing is currently being revised, with an expanded listing to be published after a survey of superannuation researchers and their current research interests is undertaken at the Colloquium of Superannuation Researchers which is being held at the University of New South Wales on 20-21st July 2006.
The theme of this year's Colloquium is "Choice in Retirement Funding", and the first day of the conference will be devoted to this topic. The event attracts outstanding Australian and international researchers to present their work. The preliminary Day 1 program can be viewed on the Centre for Pensions and Superannuation website, www.cps.unsw.edu.au, along with other details of the event. Superannuation researchers are encouraged to register for and attend the Colloquium.
Government bodies undertaking research
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority is Australia's financial regulator of superannuation funds, insurance companies and deposit-taking institutions. In performing this role, APRA regularly monitors all superannuation funds through an annual statutory return and targeted on-site fund review program. Major superannuation funds, which comprise over 85 per cent of aggregate industry assets, also participate in a quarterly statistical survey.
Results and analysis from the quarterly statistical survey and annual returns are published in the quarterly APRA Trends. The Superannuation Trends include the most comprehensive statistics that are currently available on the superannuation industry. The Superannuation Trends are available directly from the APRA web site www.apra.gov.au
Retirement Income Modelling Unit
Director: Phil Gallagher
telephone: 02-6263 3945
fax: 02-6263 2724
postal address: C/- The Treasury, PARKES, ACT 2600
The Retirement and Income Modelling Unit (RIM) continues the work of the Retirement Income Modelling Task Force that commenced operation in August 1992. In 1997 the RIM Task Force became the Retirement and Income Modelling Unit and joined the Commonwealth Treasury. The RIM Unit has expanded in scope, now undertaking a wider range of costing and modelling work for personal income and tax related issues. The Unit also played a key role in the projections for the Intergenerational Report.
The RIM Unit provides costings for retirement and personal incomes, distributional and hypothetical analysis, projections, briefings/ responses to issues and is involved in revenue estimate and tax expenditure calculations.
These areas of work require the use of a number of superannuation and demographic models (see models page for further details), in conjunction with data acquired from a variety of sources, such as ABS data (SEAS, SIHC, IDS and HES data), ATO sample tax file data, HILDA and STINMOD.
Further details are available from http://rim.treasury.gov.au/content/default.asp
University research groups and researchers
National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM), University of Canberra
Director: Professor Ann Harding
tel: 02 6201 2750
fax: 02 6201 2751
National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling
Division of Management & Technology
University of Canberra ACT 2601
The purpose of NATSEM is to analyse microdata and develop microsimulation models and techniques so as to enhance social and economic policy debate and analysis. The organisation cooperates with a range of government and other bodies working the fields of economics, social policy, and the health and community services.
NATSEM has developed models which age the Australian population forward through time, and is simulating the accumulation of assets and superannuation at the level of the individual within these models. On other fronts, NATSEM is simulating existing asset holdings by the Australian population and exploring other techniques for forecasting future assets, superannuation, income and other characteristics of the population.
University of Melbourne Researchers
Postal Address:
Department of Economics
Faculty of Economics and Commerce
University of Melbourne
PARKVILLE VIC 3052
University of New South Wales Researchers
The Centre for Pensions and Superannuation (CPS) is a new research centre, established within The University of New South Wales. It commenced operations in 2002. The Centre brings together a number of pension specialists whose core interests lie in the fields of public and labour economics, finance, and actuarial studies. Professorial Associates are drawn from universities in Australia, the USA, Europe and Japan, and its Research Associates are also internationally positioned.
The Centre provides a focal point for Australian and international researchers specialising in pension economics, financial strategies for life-cycle investment, pension taxation, social security, and related disciplines. Industry and public sector involvement is seen as a vital part of the Centre's activities which are oriented towards bridging the gap between academe, industry, and policymakers. The Centre for Pensions and Superannuation hosts conferences and workshops, organises lectures by international experts, and sponsors academic and policy based research.
Contact details:
School of Economics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 NSW Australia
Telephone: (612) 9385 3346
Fax: (612) 9313 6337
www.cps.unsw.edu.au
Macquarie University Researchers
School of Economics and Financial Studies
Macquarie University
SYDNEY NSW 2109
Researcher: Shauna Ferris
telephone: 02 9850 7111
Amongst other activities relating to actuarial and like topics, is involved in establishing a research database covering actuarial, investment and superannuation resources.
University of Western Sydney Researchers
Department of Economics and Finance
Faculty of Business and Technology
University of Western Sydney, Macarthur
CAMPBELLTOWN NSW 2173
Researcher: John Ablett
telephone: 02 4620 3252
fax: 02 4626 6683
John Ablett has prepared baseline generational accounts for selected years which compare the projected per capita present value of remaining lifetime net payments to government of newborns in a given base year with future generations born after the base year. The projections make use of assumptions about future fiscal policies, growth and demographic change.
Edith Cowan University
School of Accounting Finance & Economics and School of Psychology
Edith Cowan University
100 Joondalup Drive
Joondalup WA 6027
Researchers:
Dr Marilyn Clark-Murphy
Telephone: 08 6304 5565
Fax: 08 6304 5271
Paul Gerrans
Telephone: 08 6304 5605
Fax: 08 6304 5271
Raymond Boffey
Telephone: 08 6304 5264
Fax: 08 6304 5271
Dr Craig Speelman
Telephone: 08 6304 5724
The primary research interest is in the way individual fund members make decisions about their superannuation and their attitudes to retirement saving. Members of the team have previously conducted a large survey of fund members, this data has already produced interesting results and analysis continues. Current and future projects are a study of how members use fund websites, a study of the role of advice in retirement savings decisions and a longitudinal study of fund member investment choice.
The Institute of Actuaries
Contact details available from www.actuaries.asn.au/AboutTheInstitute/Secretariat
Page last updated: 25 June 2006