Elisa Birch

Elisa has published her research in a number of Australian refereed academic journals such as the Economic Records, Australian Economic Papers, and the Australian Economic Review. Her research has also been published in international journals including the Journal of Economic Studies and the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. Elisa has also published in several books and work on numerous commissioned consultancies for Government. Elisa’s research has gained wide-spread media attention including publications in the Age, the Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald newspapers Associate Professor Birch has received over AUD$670,000 in research funding from competitive research grants.. In 2011, Elisa was awarded an Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA). This fellowship is highly competitive with a success rate of less than 13 percent and is to study the labour market outcomes of Indigenous Australians. Elisa has taught a number of large classes (such as first-year microeconomics which has 1200 students) as well as small advanced Masters and MBA classes. She has won a number of teaching and research awards at the University of Western Australia and other insitutions and has been nominated for external teaching awards.

Awarded External Competitive Grants
Airini, A., Birch, E., Bell, A., Kelly-Laubscher, R., Santamaria, L., Stanley, C., Wendt, T. and Wolfgramm-Foliaki, E. (2013), ‘Widening Participation: ‘First in the Family’ Students Succeeding In Universities’, Worldwide Universities Networks Research Development Funds, Worth £20,182 (for one year).
Birch, E. (2012), ‘New Household Economics and the Earnings and Labour Supply of Indigenous Australians’, Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (Project Id DE120102593). This grant is worth $375,000 (ARC funds $125,000 per annum for three years).
Birch, E., Le, A.T. and Miller, P. (2006), ‘Wage Determination and the New Household Economics’, Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (Project Id DP0770213). The grant was worth $240,000 (ARC funded $80,000 per annum for three years).

Awarded University of Western Australia Competitive Grants
Birch, E., Williams, A. and Hancock, P. (2010), ‘Understanding the Factors that Influence Students’ First-Year Experience at University’, UWA Business School Research Grant. The award was worth $12,200 for one year.
Birch, E. (2008), ‘The Importance of Job Attributes in Understanding the Public-Private Sector Earnings Gap in Australia’, University of Western Australia, Research Development Award. The award was worth $16,243 for one year.
Birch, E. (2008), ‘The Impact of Peer Assisted Study Sessions on Academic Performance’, University of Western Australia, Teaching and Learning Grant. This grant is worth $6,133 for one year.
Birch, E. and Miller, P. (2006), ‘Understanding the Relationship Between TER and Academic Outcomes’, University of Western Australia, Research Grant Provided by the Vice Chancellor. This grant was worth $10,000.

2009-2012: Two substantial career breaks (two years in total, i.e 2009-2010 and 2011-2012) for maternity leave.
2007-present:Associate Professor, Economics Program, UWA Business School, University of Western Australia, Perth Australia (0.5FTE for 2007-2009).
2007-2009: Research Fellow, Economics Program, UWA Business School, University of Western Australia, Perth Australia (0.5 FTE).
2005-2011: Senior Teaching Fellow, Graduate School of Business, Curtin University, Perth Australia.
2004-2006: Research Fellow, UWA Business School, University of Western Australia, Perth Australia.
2001-2006: Tutor, UWA Business School, University of Western Australia, Perth Australia.
2002: Tutor, Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame, Perth Australia.
2000-2004: Research Associate, The Institute for Research Into International Competitiveness (IRIC), Curtin University, Perth Australia.
2000: Research Associate, The Women’s Economic Policy Analysis Unit (WEPAU), Curtin University, Curtin University, Perth Australia.
1999-2001: Tutor, School of Economics and Finance, Curtin University, Perth Australia.

• ‘The Labour Market Outcomes of Indigenous Australian Reformed Prisoners’.
• ‘Gender Equality In The Time Allocated to Housework: A Study of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians’.
• ‘The Prevalence of Smoking, Drinking Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use Whilst Pregnant and Its Impact on the Birth Weight of Indigenous Australian Babies’.
• ‘The Prevalence of Discrimination Among Indigenous Australian Youth and its Impact on Their Wellbeing’.
• ‘How much do Socioeconomic Factors contribute to Indigenous Australians Risky Health Behaviour? Comparisons of Remote and non-Remote Living’.

Lecturing Responsibilities and Course Design
Business Economics (second-year unit), with approximately 150 students.
First-year Macroeconomics, with approximately 250 students.
First-year Microeconomics, with approximately 500 to 1,200 students.
Economic Management and Strategy (MBA and Masters level units), with approximately 40 students (taught face-to-face and online).
Second-year Microeconomics, with approximately 400 students.
Economic Analysis and Asian Economies (Masters level unit), with approximately 200 students (taught face-to-face, offshore and on-line.).
Economics for Managers (MBA unit) with 100 students.
Asia and the World Economy (second-year unit), with approximately 150 students.

Labour supply,
Wage determination,
Economics of education, and
Indigenous labour market and health outcomes.