2027 Academic Fellow, February – November
Tim Reddel is Professor of Social Solutions at the Institute for Social Science Research, University of Queensland. Across more than thirty years, Professor Reddel’s work has sought to strengthen the relationship between research, policy development and implementation practice to improve public policy outcomes for disadvantaged communities and population groups. This has included creating practical pathways for research impact through commissioned policy research, policy evaluation, implementation support, strategic advisory activities and capability-building initiatives. To deliver these outcomes, Professor Reddel combines his extensive experience working in government and the community sector with his internationally recognised expertise in the fields of place-based policymaking and collaborative governance, Indigenous governance and shared decision-making, public sector innovation and housing, homelessness and community wellbeing. His research on place-based approaches informed the design and evaluation of major government initiatives, including the Stronger Places, Stronger People initiative and the Victorian and Queensland government's place-based policy development.
At the University of Queensland, Professor Reddel leads the Social Solutions Research Group which improves the public value and policy impact of social science research through collaborative partnerships involving governments, Indigenous organisations, non-government organisations, industry partners and communities. Its program of work focuses on addressing complex social policy challenges through evidence-informed policy development, collaborative governance arrangements and place-based approaches. For example, the Group’s research on place-based governance has examined how governments can align policies, funding systems, local leadership and governance arrangements to improve outcomes in disadvantaged communities, its research in the field of Indigenous governance has examined community-led decision-making and how governments and First Nations communities can establish more effective partnership arrangements and shared accountability mechanisms whilst other projects has examined housing system reform, homelessness strategies, tenancy protection, First nations housing and wellbeing frameworks. This work has informed planning, implementation and performance improvement activities across Queensland.
Prior to joining the University of Queensland, Professor Reddel held a range of senior executive roles in the Australian Public Service, the Queensland Public Sector and the community services sector. In the Australian Public Service, Professor Reddel was a Group Manager in the Department of Social Services and a Deputy Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services. In these roles, Professor Reddel was responsible for supporting and enabling the development of high-quality strategic policy advice. He also held senior appointments and roles in the Queensland Government as Executive Director, Indigenous Policy Reform and Strategy and in the Queensland Premier and Cabinet portfolio. In his current role, Professor Reddel is frequently invited to presenter to government, professional and practitioner audiences and has regularly contributed to national discussions in his fields of expertise.
Recognised for his academic contributions to scholarship in the fields of public governance and public policy, Professor Reddel has published over 25 research articles, over 60 conference papers and numerous research reports reflecting the bridge between academic scholarship and practical policy application, ensuring that research findings are accessible, relevant and actionable for policymakers and practitioners. In 2026, he published his most recent book, Place, Community and Governance in Australia: Past, Present and Futures, which spans his interests in place-based governance and its intersection with community and collaborative approaches to public policymaking. The broader scope of his research interests can be found in his other work, including research publications in international peer reviewed journals such as the Australian Journal of Public Administration, the Australian Journal of Social Issues and the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. In the past five years, Professor Reddel has also published more than a dozen research reports including work on truth-telling, empowered communities, joint decision-making and housing strategy.
Reflecting his extensive expertise in the field of research impact and co-produced research, Professor Reddel was appointed to the Australian Research Council’s 2018 Engagement and Impact Assessment Panel for Social Sciences. The panel was created to examine how well universities were engaging with research end-users to deliver policy impact helping to inform approaches to knowledge exchange and research mobilisation across sectors including the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts from research. In addition to his appointment at the University of Queensland, Professor Reddel is an Adjunct Professor with the Cities Research Institute at Griffith University.
Fellowship focus
Advancing positive collaborative outcomes through place-based solutions.
Publications & Awards
Selected Publications – Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Reddel, T., Lata, L. N., Young, C., Yates, M., & McDaid, L. (2025). Addressing (in)equity through public policy and local governance systems: A case study of Queensland, Australia. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 84, 687–705. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12675.
Lutfun Nahar Lata, Tim Reddel, Brian W Head, Luke Craven. (2026) Advancing collaborative social outcomes through place-based solutions—aligning policy and funding systems, Policy and Society, 45 (3), 266–280, https://doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puae018.
Bragge, P. , Angus, S.D. , Fischer, A. , Lennox, A. , Piquero, A.R. , Reddel, T. et al. (2024). Public narratives of disadvantage across multiple groups in Australia: A research map and practice reflections. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59, 979–994. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.322.
Alidoust, S., Wyeth, S., Reddel, T., Cornish, G., Lata, L. N., Johnson, L., & Shaweesh, M. (2024). Sustaining a resilient housing system in southeast Queensland. Australian Planner, 60(2), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/07293682.2024.2309352.
Reddel, T., & Ball, S. (2022). Knowledge coproduction: panacea or placebo? Lessons from an emerging policy partnership. Policy Design and Practice, 5(2), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2021.1992106.
Selected Publications - Books
Reddel, T and Lata, Lutfun Nahar (eds) (2026). Place, Community, and Governance in Australia: Past, Present, and Futures (Bloomsbury), https://doi.org/10.5040/9798881888961.
Selected Publications - Reports
Empowered Communities Partnership Joint Decision-Making: Lessons Learned Review. Australia: University of Queensland.
Contemporary policy and its impact to the wellbeing of Queensland children: Insights from decision-makers – Phase 2. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry research project - The administration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs from the 1970s to the present. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland.
Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry research project - Community governance arrangements in discrete Indigenous communities. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland.
Stronger places, stronger people - alignment of frameworks and funding. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Place-based approaches - a guide for the Victorian Public Service. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Synthesis Evaluation of the Queensland Housing Strategy’s First Action Plan 2017-2020. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Queensland’s Homelessness Response to COVID-19 – Post Implementation Review. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
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