Projects

The Treasury is advising the government on its responses to the ACCC’s Retail Deposits Inquiry and Home Loan Price Inquiry.

Asbestos in Australian homes is getting older and degrading, increasing the risk that harmful fibres are released.

To help Australians find and book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, the Department of Health and Aged Care (Health) partnered with Healthdirect Australia to deliver the Easy Vaccine Access (EVA) call service from 28 March 2022 to 4 December 2023.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) currently has a Best Practice Guide for International Money Transfer (IMT) calculators. However, evidence suggests that online calculators may still be confusing for users.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) workforce has an average annual turnover rate of 17-25%, which is notably high compared to other similar sectors and across the workforce as a whole.

Every year, more than half a million Australians sustain a work-related injury or illness.

In February 2021, the National Mental Health Commission (the Commission) approached the BETA to help deliver a national survey of mental health-related stigma and discrimination.

BETA worked with the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review to explore what incentives young high-achievers and mid-career professionals find most attractive when considering a career in teaching.

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is a government-funded program for all permanent visa holders and some temporary visa holders who have less than a vocational level of English.

‘Smart devices’ are products with extra functionality to connect to the internet (like smart lights, TVs, and watches). Internationally, cyber security labels have been introduced to help consumers choose smart devices that are more cyber secure.

Building on BETA’s work with the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) on  applying behavioural science to the Personal Property Securities Register, BETA and AFSA are evaluating the impact of selected recommendations.

BETA partnered with AFSA on two projects to determine how to best communicate about the consequences of bankruptcy.

BETA and ASIC partnered to design and test information statements to help support consumer decision-making about add-on insurance.

BETA partnered with the Department of Social Services to determine the effect of behaviourally-informed activity statements on gambling behaviour in a simulated game.

Dropping out of university is associated with a heightened risk of unemployment or long-term welfare dependence. BETA designed a new behaviourally-informed app called ‘Grok’.

Despite email alert systems having a large reach, email can be a difficult platform to spread awareness. BETA partnered with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to find ways of boosting the impact of an email alert system.

To help improve the impact of cyber security advice for individuals and small businesses, BETA partnered with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to design and test different formats of advice.

Since the launch of ReportCyber, there has been approximately one report made every ten minutes. Many more incidents are likely to go unreported.

BETA collaborated with the Australian Financial Security Authority to understand why some businesses create inaccurate registrations on the Personal Property Securities Register, and to suggest ways to improve the register.

The Census is the most comprehensive data collection in Australia. To encourage participation, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) moved away from a single 'Census Night'. Instead, in 2021, people had a number of days – or a 'response window' - to complete the Census.

BETA collaborated with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to find ways of bolstering the impact of an existing cash transfer program in Indonesia.

Economists play a central role in the analysis and decisions affecting the wellbeing of the community. Yet in Australia, and overseas, women are under‑represented in these influential roles.

BETA and the Fair Work Ombudsman partnered to improve hospitality apprentices’ experiences in the workplace.

Australia is currently in the midst of an increasingly severe drought. Parts of Eastern Australia have been particularly hard hit, with hot summer temperatures and record low rainfall.

All employees working in Australia are entitled to a minimum wage and minimum standards of employment. The underpayment of wages and entitlements is a serious social and economic issue which affects workers, businesses and the community.

Increasing the number of injured and/or ill employees who are able to make a sustainable return-to-work (RTW) is an important goal for all organisations; and a workplace policy priority within the public sector.

BETA and the Department of the Environment and Energy ran a trial to test the impact of bill design on people’s confidence in their ability to look for a better offer and intention to do so.

BETA partnered with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to develop a guide to help NBN providers present information to consumers more clearly.

BETA and the Department of Health ran a trial to test the impact of personalised letters from Australia's Chief Medical Officer to high-prescribing GPs prompting them to consider reducing antibiotic prescribing where appropriate and safe.

BETA partnered with the Australian Tax Office to design and test whether behaviourally informed letters sent to tax agents could reduce erroneous claims for work-related expense deductions.

BETA partnered with the Australian Tax Office to design and test behaviourally informed methods of communications aimed at improving compliance among businesses in the Deferred GST Scheme.

Surveys give people an opportunity to be heard and provide government with vital information about the impact of its services.

Can simple SMS reminders help credit card holders reduce debt and save money?

This report was first published in May 2017. We republished the report in October 2017 after making minor revisions.

This study assessed whether women and minorities are discriminated against in the early stages of the recruitment process for senior positions in the Australian Public Service (APS).

BETA partnered with the Australian Government Department of Human Services to simplify the process parents undertake when updating their details with the Child Support Scheme.

Many income support recipients report their income late, which results in delayed, and sometimes even cancelled, payments. This can lead to financial gaps for these Australians and their families.

BETA partnered with the Department of Social Services to evaluate the effectiveness of various behaviourally informed approaches on increasing workplace giving.

When shopping for appliances, people can find it difficult to weigh up the advertised cost of an appliance against its long-term running costs. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘energy‑efficiency gap’.

BETA joined forces with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to test whether energy fact sheets can improve people’s ability to understand and compare energy plans—and ultimately choose the best one for them.