The Longitudinal Study of Australian Volunteers (2019-2026) aimed to identify whether, how and why participating in the Australian Volunteers Program leads to personal and professional changes in volunteers in ways that can influence their career, lives and attitudes.
About the study
The study tracked a cohort of fifty-five Australian volunteers who undertook international assignments in 2019-20. It collected data on their work and lives, examining whether (and in what ways) their volunteering experiences influenced their careers, educational decisions, civic participation, interests, attitudes, and relationships in the years following their assignments.
Five waves of data were collected across a six-year period: prior to participants commencing their volunteer assignments (2019), at the end of their volunteer assignments in 2020, and at intervals of one year (2021), three years (2023) and five years (2025) after their assignments.
The study was undertaken by a global research team led by University of Technology Sydney. Each phase was approved by the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee - approval numbers ETH 19-3663 (Phase One), ETH 19-4445 (Phase Two) and ETH 23-7954 (Phase Three). All aspects complied with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research and the UTS Research Ethics and Integrity Policy.
About the participants
The study's participants were everyday Australians who made the decision to commit a period of their working life to volunteer abroad.
The participants were diverse. They came from both rural and urban areas in every State and Territory of Australia. Their cultural backgrounds included Scottish, Chinese, French, Australian Aboriginal, Māori, Indian, Irish, Malaysian, German, Italian, Welsh and English. More than half were women.
Ranging in age from 25 to 77 years when their assignments started, the participants brought over 700 years of combined professional experience to their assignments, in fields such as science, health, education, agriculture, management, law, architecture, tourism, information technology, engineering, and finance.
The participants' volunteer assignments were in 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste.
Research reports (2019-2026)
The study's final report was published in April 2026 and can be downloaded as a pdf file from the link at the bottom of this page.
The final report’s contents built on the findings of earlier phases of the study, as reported in:
Longitudinal Study of Australian Volunteers 2019-2026: Phase Three Interim Report (July 2024), a copy of which can be downloaded below.
Longitudinal Study of Australian Volunteers 2019-2021: Phase Two Final Report (April 2022), a copy of which can be downloaded below.
Longitudinal Study of Australian Volunteers: Phase One Final Report (October 2019), a copy of which is available from the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
For more details about the study or any aspect of the study's findings, please contact the Chief Investigator.
About the Australian Volunteers Program
The Australian Volunteers Program aims to achieve the following outcomes:
- Partner organisations are supported by Australia to achieve their own development objectives;
- The public in Australia better appreciates the value of international volunteering; and
- Australian volunteers gain professionally and personally.
By successfully achieving these outcomes, the Australian Volunteers Program will have contributed to Australia’s broader development and diplomacy goals:
- The Australian Government is achieving its development objectives;
- Australian aid is perceived positively in Australia and internationally; and
- Australians are becoming more globally literate and connected.
More details
Chief Investigator: Dr Anthony Fee
University of Technology Sydney
e: anthony.fee@uts.edu.au
p: +61 2 9514 3395