ProfessorJen Smith-Merry

Jen leads the Disability Inclusive Policy Development stream within the Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP). The CDRP is a multi-disciplinary centre whose mission is to make life better for people with disability in Australia and our region by developing research and translating this to policy and practice through involvement in partnerships and policy development.

Jen has a PhD in policy from the University of Queensland (2005) and her academic research has focused on policy and service development, primarily in mental health and disability.

Jen is lead Chief Investigator on multiple grants which aim to evaluate or develop policy and services in disability and mental health. She has received over 50 grants and tenders, including from the ARC and the NHMRC, and has led the majority of these grants. She works closely with people with a lived experience of disability and has a strong interest in the value of lived experience in informing policy and service design.

Jen has strong connections to academic, policy and service audiences in Australia and internationally. Jen led the development of the Mind the Gap report into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and psychosocial disability. This report drew attention to the significant problems faced in delivering NDIS in the context of mental health. The reform of the NDIS and other systems for people with severe mental illness remain the topic of her current ARC Industry Laureate Fellowship.