Kelly is an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on the political economy of development policymaking in Southeast Asia. Kelly is currently working on a project examining the determinants of aid programming for women’s empowerment.

Kelly is an Endeavour Cheung Kong Award recipient, and a research associate of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney, and the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University. Her PhD was awarded in 2013 and she completed postdoctoral training at the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, and the Southeast Asia Research Centre, City University of Hong Kong.

Her work has been published in Review of International Political Economy, The Pacific Review, and Globalizations, among others. Kelly has written for New Mandala, Disruptive Asia, and the East Asia Forum, and in 2017 she delivered the conference keynote for the ASEAN Forum, held at the University of Sydney. Kelly welcomes doctoral research proposals from students on topics in her field of expertise.

Co-editor (with Toby Carroll, Darryl Jarvis and Paul Cammack) of 'Studies in the Political Economy of Public Policy', Palgrave Macmillan: https://www.palgrave.com/in/series/14465

(2017) 'Advancing Gender Equality Through Aid: Realising Women's Empowerment', ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, $365,103
(2015) Research Collaboration Award (with David Mickler, Kathryn Sturman, Matthew Wood, Matthew Flinders), Stakeholder Engagement and Legitimacy in Regional Organisations, $10,850
(2013) Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowship, Understanding the Reformed ASEAN, $23,500

POLS2220 Foundations of Global Political Economy (unit coordinator)
POLS3335 Social Movements and the Politics of Change (unit coordinator)
POLS5651 Global Political Economy (unit coordinator)
SOCS5010 NGOs, Governance, and Development (unit coordinator)
POLS1102 The Contemporary International System (team lecturer)
ASIA3005 Democratisation in Asia (team lecturer)
SOCS5105 International Collaborative Study Experience (team lecturer)
SOCS5200 Digital Advocacy (team lecturer)

Current PhD/MPhil students:
Peter Thomsett, 'Financial Reform Tension and the Growth Reform Impasse'
Joshua McDonnell, 'Political Alienation and Municipality Size: The Effect of Municipality Size on Levels of Political Efficacy and Electoral Participation'
Noresma Jahya, 'The Meaning of Poverty Among the Urban Poor in Malaysia'

International Political Economy
Development
Social Movements
Southeast Asian politics

English
Mandarin (intermediate)