Liam Smith

Professor

Accepting PhD Students

20042024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

Liam is Director and co-founder of BehaviourWorks Australia (BWA) and one of Australia’s leading authorities on behaviour change.

Liam is committed to using behavioural science to tackle public policy issues for the benefit of individuals and  society at large and, since establishing BWA in 2011, he has overseen significant growth in the enterprise, which now employes nearly 20 researchers, and been directly involved in conducting and/or overseeing more than 100 behaviour change research projects. 

By design, the BWA team consists of researchers from different backgrounds and disciplines who use their collective expertise to undertake applied behaviour change research in collaboration with government and industry professionals. BWA therefore acts as a bridge between academic research and practical real-world solutions.

Liam has also led the developement of a research methodology that is used to inform, develop and design behaviour change interventions – and improve their efficacy.

He has published numerous research reports, research papers and public discussion pieces (e.g. white papers and opinion pieces in The Conversation) and is an active contributor on Zoos Victoria’s Science Committee, South East Water’s Customer Engagement Council and VicHealth’s Leading Thinker Taskforce.

An exceptional public speaker, Liam believes that education and training is vital to wider uptake and application of behavioural insights. As such, he has delivered accredited education, executive education and public presentations to audiences around Australia and the world.

He regularly delivers training to government professionals through the Australian and New Zealand School of Government and the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic)’s Behavioural Insights Unit.

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Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research area keywords

  • Behaviour Change
  • Social Inclusion
  • pro-environmental behaviour
  • Zoos
  • Public Policy
  • Innovation
  • Behavioural Economics

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or