Our research

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• Stage 1: Digital divide, exclusion and access

  This $90,439 applied research project, funded by the Australian Banking Association, aims to understand the barriers and enablers shaping how Australians access and use digital banking services. As Australia moves further into a cash light economy, ensuring that all community members can confidently participate in the digital financial system is essential for economic inclusion and empowerment.

  While banks have made significant progress in supporting customers through the digital transition, many Australians still face challenges related to digital literacy, confidence, accessibility, and understanding how digital transactions work. Existing research often focuses on digital engagement in general, but there is limited insight into how different communities experience digital banking specifically, and how design, communication, and support systems can better meet their needs. This project addresses this gap by examining the psychological, social, cultural, and structural factors that influence digital banking behaviours and by identifying opportunities to strengthen inclusive digital participation.

  This project focuses on generating evidence to support a more equitable digital banking transition and consists of three iterative stages:

  Stage 1: Digital divide, exclusion and access 

  A national and international literature review, interviews with branch workers, and identification of communities who face barriers to digital banking. This stage explores broader digital engagement patterns, including use of government digital services, and highlights opportunities for targeted support.

  Stage 2: Digital banking mental models 

  Workshops with community members to understand financial practices, digital literacy, non‑banking digital habits, and current digital banking behaviours. This stage examines how people think digital banking works and how these mental models shape confidence, trust, and regular use.

  Stage 3: Co‑design of a digital banking design pattern book 

  An audit of exemplary digital banking services and the development of a design guide structured around inclusive digital design patterns. A testing workshop with community members and banking staff will refine recommendations to support more accessible, intuitive, and confidence‑building digital banking experiences.

  Team 

  Professor Ross Gordon, UTS, Lead Chief Investigator
  Dr Theresa Harada, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Professor Cameron Tonkinwise, UTS, Digital Service Design Research Lead 
  Emily Barnes, UOW, Research Assistant

• Strengthening the Resilience of Dubai Households to Climate Change

  This AED 1,363,575 project is a large‑scale, internationally collaborative and transdisciplinary research initiative led by Canadian University Dubai, with collaborating institutions including the University of Waterloo, the University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Prince Edward Island. The project aims to strengthen household‑level resilience to climate change in Dubai by integrating climate risk assessment, socio‑economic vulnerability analysis, behavioural science, and urban resilience planning into a unified applied research framework.

  The primary goal is to develop and deploy an AI‑driven high‑resolution climate prediction, socio‑economic impact assessment, and behaviour change program tailored to the UAE’s hyper‑arid, rapidly urbanising environment. Using advanced climate models, AI, vulnerability analysis, and behavioural sciences, the project will deliver actionable insights to households, policymakers, and industries. This goal is specific to the region’s climate context, measurable through defined indicators, achievable given the team’s expertise, relevant to national climate resilience priorities, and time‑bound within the grant period.

  Broader aims include promoting education by engaging CUD students in climate analytics and AI, achieving research excellence through publications and contributions to global assessments, enhancing visibility by positioning CUD as a regional leader in climate‑AI, fostering commercialisation through partnerships with technology firms, and engaging industry by co‑developing practical solutions for infrastructure, utilities, agriculture, tourism, and insurance sectors. Research objectives focus on integrating climate model outputs, building socio‑economic impact frameworks, operationalising tools and behaviour change activities, and validating results against real‑world data to ensure accuracy and usability.

  Canadian partners contribute internationally recognised expertise in climate science, predictive modelling, hydrological analysis, and socio‑economic impact assessment. Researchers from Change for Good at UTS lead the behavioural diagnosis and behaviour change program, ensuring that technical climate insights are communicated effectively and embedded into real‑world community action. This collaboration brings together scientific, social, and policy expertise to co‑produce solutions that are evidence‑based, context‑specific, and grounded in lived experience.

  The project demonstrates how NSW universities and Middle Eastern institutions can jointly generate innovation by aligning Dubai’s climate priorities with global research strengths in climate analytics, behavioural science, and decision‑support systems. Through capacity‑building, student engagement, policy translation, and internationally co‑authored research outputs, the initiative positions Dubai as a living laboratory for climate resilience innovation, with methods and tools that can be adapted and applied globally.

  Team 

  Dr Adam Fenech, Canadian University of Dubai, Principal Investigator
  Professor Daniel Scott, University of Waterloo, Co Principal Investigator
  Professor Ross Gordon, University of Technology Sydney, Co Principal Investigator
  Dr Xander Wang, University of Prince Edward Island, Co Principal Investigator 
  Dr William Gough, University of Toronto Scarborough, Collaborator

• Australian Consumers at the Heart of the EV Transition

  This $332,453 project funded as part of the RACE for 2030 Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) and co-funded by industry partners AusGrid, Schneider Electric, WA Government Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, and NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water aims to understand current EV and non-EV mobility behaviours, and likely barriers and enablers to EV adoption among Australian householders.

  Australia is lagging in the transition to a clean transportation system, particularly in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, due to unclear policy direction over the past decade. However, recent targets for emissions reductions by 2030 and 2050 have prompted action. The Australian Government has responded by developing the National Electric Vehicle Strategy and new emissions standards to boost EV uptake, alongside initiatives like the Electric Car Discount and the Driving the Nation Fund, which aims to establish a national EV charging network.

  Despite these efforts, it's unclear how residential consumers will engage with EVs regarding purchase, charging, maintenance, and energy management during the transition to net zero. Most existing research focuses on the US and Europe and tends to overlook social justice issues. There is a significant gap in understanding the lived experiences of Australian consumers and the psychological, socio-economic, cultural, and structural factors influencing their perceptions and behaviours toward EVs. As the Australian Government commits to EVs and net-zero energy futures, it's essential to gain insights into creating an equitable transition that considers diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, there is a need for knowledge on effective policies, technologies, and behaviour change strategies to ensure a successful and inclusive shift to EVs in Australia.

  This 18-month project focusing on undertaking research to help put Australian consumers at the heart of the EV transition, and consists of three iterative stages:

  Stage 1: Narrative Interviews and visual ethnography with householders
  Stage 2: Quantitative research: National consumer questionnaire survey
  Stage 3: Co-design of recommendations to support Australian householders in a successful, equitable and inclusive transition to EVs.

  Team

  Professor Ross Gordon, UTS, Lead Chief Investigator
  Professor Rebekah Russell-Bennett, University of Canberra, Chief Investigator
  Dr Theresa Harada, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Associate Professor Adrian Camilleri, UTS, Chief Investigator 
  Nathan Moore, UTS, Research Assistant
  Nodoka Nakamichi, Climate-KIC Australia @ UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

• Literature review of evidence on best practice social marketing for the prevention of violence against women

  This $80,000 project is funded by Our Watch with the aim of identifying and summarising the existing evidence of using social marketing for the prevention of violence against women and making recommendations for future research and practice. To foster and support delivery of campaigns to prevent violence against women across jurisdictions, Our Watch and its national expert group have identified the need for best practice guidance on social marketing. This literature review has been commissioned as a first step in developing that guidance. Our Watch’s framework, Change the Story, emphasises a comprehensive approach to addressing the drivers of violence. Relying solely on mass media campaigns alone is unlikely to be effective; instead, using mixed methods and collaborating across sectors and settings can better shift attitudes and behaviours. Evaluations show that multiple reinforcing campaigns launched simultaneously improve audience recognition. Research indicates that the public has significant gaps in understanding gender inequality and its connection to violence against women. Our Watch’s collaborations with State and Territory Governments reveal a strong interest in investing in preventive campaigns. To effectively address the drivers of violence, we must engage more people, more frequently and encourage action through evidence-based social marketing campaigns. Accordingly, Our Watch has commissioned the research team at UTS to undertake this evidence review.

  The project will involve three stages consisting of:

  Stage 1: Consultation on the Parameters of the review
  Stage 2: Identification of evidence using systematic literature review methods
  Stage 3: Consultation and development of recommendations and final report

  Team 

  Professor Ross Gordon, UTS, Lead Chief Investigator
  Dr Theresa Harada, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Dr Celina McEwen, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Dr Foluké Badejo, UQ, Chief Investigator     

• Learning the Hard Way: Energy practices of CALD International students living in private rental accommodation in Australia

  This project funded by an Energy Consumers Australia Influencer Grant ($187,456) focuses on understanding the energy practices and the issues and challenges experience in navigating energy choices that are faced by CALD international students living in private rental accommodation in Australia. CALD international students living in private rental properties are exposed to risks of energy hardship because rental properties are less energy-efficient than owner-occupied dwellings CALD international students have additional vulnerabilities, as newly arrived residents from diverse ethnic backgrounds, increasing the risk of energy poverty and disconnection. Yet, CALD international students make a significant economic contribution to Australian society – $37.6 billion in 2019. While student energy poverty has been highlighted as an issue in other jurisdictions there is limited research in Australia. This collaborative project working with the community organisation Better Renting aims to increases the capacity to support policy development of minimum energy efficiency standards, provide consumer information to assist CALD International students, and point to opportunities for ensuring a more inclusive energy transition through informing the National Energy Market. The project involves two stages:

  Stage 1: Online survey of CALD international students’ energy use and housing related knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and experiences with the energy market in Australia.
  
  Stage 2a: Residential energy efficiency assessment - Working with a sample of 40 CALD international students residing across two different climate zones (Coastal Sydney and Illawarra: Climate Zone 5) and (Western Sydney: Climate Zone 6) household energy assessments will be conducted to record internal conditions during summer and winter periods by use of a temperature logger. 
  
  Stage 2b: Household ethnographies: The same 40 CALD international student participants will be invited to participate in two narrative interviews about their energy practices, one during winter and one during summer to reflect on their experiences, issues and challenges with energy use. Visual ethnographies will also be conducted during allows participants to illustrate their everyday energy practices via photograph or video.

  Team

  Senior Professor Gordon Waitt, Wollongong, Lead Chief Investigator
  Professor Ross Gordon, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Dr Theresa Harada, UTS, Chief Investigator
  Joel Dignam, Better Renting, Partner Investigator
  Michael Tibbs, Wollongong, Research Fellow