Personal profile
Biography
Rohan is an ARC DECRA Fellow and leading researcher in the economics of health and wellbeing of disadvantaged populations of Asia-Pacific. Rohan’s main research focuses are: (i)health-aid effectiveness and (ii)wellbeing of disadvantaged communities in the Asia Pacific Region in the time of climate change.
Rohan's research is having impact, including (i) aiding improved health service delivery and access for rural and poor in Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands, and (ii) influencing health-related aid & development effectiveness policy discussions globally.
Rohan is currently co-leading international collaborations on a number of research projects seeking to improve the effectiveness of climate related community upgrading and development projects in at risk communities in Indonesia and Fiji. Collaborating with researchers at Universitas Hasanuddin and Fiji National University and with grant funding support from the ARC and Pacific Actions Climate Transitions (PACT) collaborative partnership between Monash Business School, Fiji National University and Fiji Government.
Rohan is also an effective interdisciplinary researcher. In addition to the (mostly) interdisciplinary projects mentioned above, he has made significant contributions to Monash University's Interdisciplinary Flagship research project Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE), also in Fiji and Indonesia, and as co-Investigator on NHMRC projects focusing on disadvantaged populations in Australia.
He has experience collaborating and leading research projects in Indonesia, Timor Leste, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Australia and has won approx $1.9m in NHMRC and ARC research funding.
Rohan co-leads the Centre for Health Economics Global and Environmental Health Economics Theme and the Global Health Economics Melbourne (GHEM) special interest group.
Research area keywords
- Health and Wellbeing
- Global Health
- Aid & development effectiveness
- Climate Change and Health
- Water & sanitation
- Economic Evaluation
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):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Maximising impacts of aid for health by incorporating local priorities
Sweeney, R. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
1/09/21 → 31/05/26
Project: Research
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Understanding Climate Adaptation & Resilience Priorities of At-risk Communities
Turagabeci, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Sweeney, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Chen, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Mortimer, D. (Chief Investigator (CI))
3/10/22 → 2/10/23
Project: Research
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Measuring Mental Wellbeing Costs of Extreme Climatic Events
Chang , O. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Erasito, V. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Johnston, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Knott, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Sweeney, R. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/10/22 → 30/06/23
Project: Research
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Quitlink: Accessible smoking cessation support for people living with severe and enduring mental illness
Baker, A. L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Borland, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bonevski, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Castle, D. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Williams, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Segan, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Kelly, P. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Turner, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Brophy, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Sweeney, R. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/01/18 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
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Donor preferences for recipient control of international development aid
Hennessy, J., Mortimer, D., Sweeney, R. & Woode, M. E., Nov 2025, In: Social Science & Medicine. 384, 11 p., 118535.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
The gender gap in children’s educational time investments in informal settlements
Escobar Carías, M., Black, N., Johnston, D., Sweeney, R., Barker, S. F., Rosnaena, Syamsul, S. & Waka, T., 2025, In: Review of Economics of the Household. 23, p. 1133-1153 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Temperature's toll on decision-making
Escobar Carias, M., Johnston, D. W., Knott, R. & Sweeney, R., Oct 2024, In: The Economic Journal. 134, 663, p. 2746-2771 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
‘Quitlink’: outcomes of a randomised controlled trial of peer researcher facilitated referral to a tailored quitline tobacco treatment for people receiving mental health services
Baker, A. L., McCarter, K., Turner, A., Segan, C., Castle, D., Brophy, L., Borland, R., Kelly, P. J., Bonevski, B., Baird, D., Filia, S., Attia, J., Szwec, S., Palazzi, K., White, S. L., Williams, J. M., Wrobel, A. L., Ireland, A., Saxby, K. & Ghijben, P. & 2 others, , Mar 2024, In: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 58, 3, p. 260-276 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
“Holding on to hope”: follow up qualitative findings of a tobacco treatment intervention for people experiencing mental health conditions
Zirnsak, T.-M., McCarter, K., McKinlay, M. L., Guillaumier, A., Cocks, N., Brasier, C., Hayes, L., Baker, A. L., Baird, D. E., Bonevski, B., Borland, R., Castle, D., Forbes, E., Kelly, P. J., Segan, C., Sweeney, R., Turner, A., Williams, J. M. & Brophy, L., 2024, In: Frontiers in Psychiatry. 15, 12 p., 1257112.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Monash Business School Dean's Award For Excellence In Research By An Early Career Researcher
Sweeney, R. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press/Media
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Locally-led or donor controlled?
Hennessy, J. N., Mortimer, D., Sweeney, R. & Woode, M. E.
14/11/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Locally led or donor controlled? Australian preferences for aid
Hennessy, J. N., Mortimer, D., Sweeney, R. & Woode, M. E.
29/10/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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How Australians want their aid spent.
Hennessy, J., Mortimer, D., Sweeney, R. & Woode, M. E.
3/02/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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The Health Impacts of Development Effectiveness
Sweeney, R., Woode, M. E. & Mortimer, D.
14/06/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Blogs
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Health SWAps work
Sweeney, R., Woode, M. E. & Mortimer, D.
28/07/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Blogs