Prizes for academic insight and policy development

The Sir Roland Wilson Foundation has recognised Sir Roland Wilson and Pat Turner scholars for their outstanding contributions to academia and public policy.

The Foundation’s annual prizes celebrate scholar and alumni achievements over the past year. In 2025, four scholars and alumni have been recognised.

Pat Turner scholar Mitchell Bird from the Department of Defence (formerly from Services Australia) won the Pat Turner Prize (Coursework) for the highest weighted average mark of a coursework scholar in Semester 1 of 2025. Mitchell undertook a Master of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at The Australian National University (ANU).

Mitchell Bird also won the Pat Turner Prize (Research) for his series of research projects related to strategy development capability within Services Australia.

Services Australia has adopted his research and embedded it in their newly designed Senior Executive Service leadership capability development program.

Mitchell has been an engaged student at the ANU College of Business and Economics – contributing to the development and delivery of a pilot course on Indigenous perspectives in business and economics. He has also supported the college to shape its learning environment so that it’s culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Sir Roland Wilson scholar Maathu Ranjan from the National Disability Insurance Agency won the Joan Uhr Prize. Maathu’s research provides the first data-driven evidence of how Australia’s disability policy directly affects diagnostic practices and employment prospects for people with disability and carers.

Her findings have reframed the national debate on the NDIS and, more broadly, the delivery of social care programs, shifting it toward fiscal sustainability and outcomes-focused reform.

Maathu is committed to making her research accessible to policymakers, translating her technical analysis into clear, actionable insights. She has built networks spanning ANU and international academics, APS policymakers, disability advocates, medical professionals, service providers, and people with lived experience.

In 2025, the Foundation jointly awarded the Ian Castles Alumni Prize to Dr Steve Munns from the Australian Public Service Commission and Dr Shane Johnson from The Treasury.

Through Steve’s leadership and strong partnership with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), he has made a significant contribution to enhancing recruitment and leadership development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in the Australian Public Service.

The SES 100 initiative has been a standout success, helping to amplify First Nations voices in policy, program design, and decision-making processes. A critical element of this work has been the adoption of a relational approach to recruitment, with Steve playing a critical role in embedding cultural safety throughout.

Shane has had an enduring impact on evidence informed public policy through his pioneering work with, and advocacy for, the appropriate research use of administrative data.

He worked with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to build the ATO Longitudinal Information Files (ALife) – a dataset that has shone new light on tax policy and administration, superannuation and inequality.

Shane remains a champion for data use and evaluation within the wider APS, including serving as the joint and founding head of the evaluation profession for the APS.

The Australian National University Interim Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rebekah Brown FASSA offered her heartfelt congratulations to the prize winners and encouraged all scholars and alumni to continue their important work.

“By bringing together academic insight and policy development, you are tackling the challenges that matter most to the nation’s future. Thank you for your commitment to bridging the gap between academia and public policy,” Professor Brown said.

The Sir Roland Wilson scholarship is a three-year, full-pay scholarship for PhD research at ANU for high-performing EL1 and EL2 APS employees.

The Pat Turner scholarship is a one-to-three year full-pay scholarship for any level of postgraduate (graduate certificate through to PhD) study at ANU or Charles Darwin University for high performing APS 4 through to SES Band 1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Public Service (APS) employees.

Applications for 2026-27 scholarships open on 15 October 2025.

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Image: Adam McGrath/HCreations