Profiles

Steven Curnin

UTAS Home Associate Professor Steven Curnin

Steven Curnin

Associate Professor & ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Social Sciences
Director, Disaster Resilience Research Group

Room 536 , Social Sciences Building

+61 3 6226 7158 (phone)

Steven.Curnin@utas.edu.au

Steve is a resilience specialist. Over the course of his extensive career, he has developed resilience initiatives with organisations from the public sector, including state and federal government agencies; in the private sector, with organisations from across the critical infrastructure sector; and in the not-for-profit sector. He brings this practical experience to academia, conducting research that seeks to enhance the capabilities of people working in high consequence environments such as crisis and emergency management. He continues to combine these academic and practical capabilities on national advisory groups promoting organisational resilience.

Thinking outside the box

Steve is an Associate Professor in Disaster and Emergency Management and an ARC DECRA Fellow in in the School of Social Sciences in the College of Arts, Law and Education. Over the course of his extensive career, he has developed resilience initiatives with organisations from the public sector, including state and federal government agencies; in the private sector, with organisations from across the critical infrastructure sector; and in the not-for-profit sector. He brings this practical experience to academia, conducting research that seeks to enhance the human capabilities of teams working in high consequence environments such as crisis and emergency management. He continues to combine his academic and practical capabilities on national advisory groups promoting organisational resilience.

‘Following both the commission on 9/11 and the Global Financial Crisis, failures of imagination were identified as root causes of deficiencies in planning and response.’

In order for emergency and crisis managers to foster creativity and stretch their imagination in scenario planning, it is necessary for them to have the appropriate tools. Research conducted by Steve and his colleagues led to the development of an alternate method for scenario planning that uses Stretch-Thinking Loops. This technique has recently been used in Australian COVID-19 scenario recovery planning.

Managing our cognitive limitations

In emergency and crisis management, there is a need to make decisions with imperfect information, to process large amounts of intelligence and distil this into a coherent understanding of the situation. However, cognitive biases are acknowledged as mental behaviours that can prejudice decision quality in a significant number of decisions for a substantial number of people and are inherent in human reasoning.

‘Important actions made during and after numerous high profile disasters have indicated that bias influenced the decision-making of those involved.’

Collaborating with Australia’s leading marine spill disaster response experts, Steve and his colleagues identified a series of cognitive biases that were developed into an industry driven aide memoire that can first be used to assess the available information, intelligence and decisions, and then used to determine the meaning of the information, intelligence and decisions.

Building trusting relationships swiftly

Interorganisational collaboration requires trust, and it is important for those involved to be able to gain trust quickly or enhance existing trusting relationships during and after a disaster. Although pre-existing trusting relationships are the gold standard for collaboration in emergency and crisis management, they may not always achievable. In these circumstances, trust must be formed swiftly.

‘Notable disasters such as Exxon Valdez, World Trade Center Attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and Haiti earthquake have highlighted failures in interorganisational collaboration.

Research that Steve conducted with emergency management practitioners from the public and not-for-profit sectors involved in the 2016 Tasmanian Floods, identified that ‘swift trust’ facilitated collaborative relationships. Working with the Tasmanian State Government, this research developed a guidance document explaining how to foster collaborative relationships in emergency management recovery operations

Steve is the Course Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Organisational Resilience and a Director of the Disaster Resilience Research Group. In the latter he leads a team of researchers investigating the complexities of futures thinking, decision making, and collaboration in the context of crisis and emergency management.

Biography

Steven began his academic studies in health completing a BMedSci in nursing studies. He went on to complete three postgraduate degrees in emergency management including his PhD that was awarded in 2015 from UTAS. Steven commenced his current fulltime academic position at UTAS in September 2017.

Prior to embarking upon a career in academia, Steven had an extensive career working within disaster resilience initiatives that spanned operational and policy roles, both nationally and internationally. He has worked in emergency management and crisis management arrangements in the public service for state and federal government agencies including the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Australian Antarctic Division, in not-for-profit organisations including the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, with multinational corporations including Royal Dutch Shell, locally in the critical infrastructure sector with TasWater and for the military. His extensive experience as a practitioner in emergency management and crisis management arrangements affords him the opportunity to span the boundaries between industry and academia.

Career summary

Qualifications

DegreeTitle of ThesisUniversityCountryAwarded
PhDSpanning boundaries to support effective multi-agency coordination in emergency managementUniversity of TasmaniaAustralia2015
MEmergMgtUsing large civilian jet aircraft as an aeromedical platform in disastersCharles Sturt UniversityAustralia2011
BMedSci (Hons)The role of the nurse in pre-hospital careSheffield UniversityUnited Kingdom2003

Memberships

Professional practice

Based on his industry experience and research conducted in the critical infrastructure sector, Steven was invited to become a member of the Resilient Infrastructure Advisory Group (RIAG) in November 2015. The RIAG forms part of the Australian Government’s Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN). The TISN is the Australian Government’s primary engagement mechanism for business government information sharing and resilience building initiatives on critical infrastructure. The REAG comprises representatives from Australian, state and territory governments, critical infrastructure owners and operators, academia and research organisations. The RIAG’s mission is to promote the concept of sector and organisational resilience within the business community generally, and critical infrastructure owners and operators in particular.

Teaching

Teaching expertise

Steve has designed and coordinated undergraduate units focused on emergency management and designed a postgraduate course on organisational resilience.

Teaching responsibility

Although currently holding an ARC DECRA fellowship, Steve is the unit coordinator for the following units:

View more on AssocProf Steven Curnin in WARP

Expertise

Steve uses human factors techniques that enhance human capabilities to improve the resilience of organisations.

Areas of research expertise are in the context of crisis and emergency management and include:

  • Decision making
  • Futures thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Critical thinking

Current projects

  • DPaC Bushfires Community Recovery Project
  • ARC DECRA Project

Fields of Research

  • Public administration (440708)
  • Disaster and emergency management (350703)
  • Industrial and organisational psychology (incl. human factors) (520104)
  • Policy and administration (440799)
  • Other Indigenous studies (459999)
  • Public policy (440709)
  • Organisational behaviour (350710)
  • Other education (399999)
  • Health services and systems (420399)
  • Police administration, procedures and practice (440211)
  • Professional education and training (390305)
  • Decision making (520402)
  • Social change (441004)
  • Australian government and politics (440801)

Research Objectives

  • Expanding knowledge in human society (280123)
  • Public services policy advice and analysis (230204)
  • Other information and communication services (229999)
  • Other law, politics and community services (239999)
  • Natural hazards (190499)
  • Pacific Peoples community services (210999)
  • Other education and training (169999)
  • Government and politics (230299)
  • Other health (209999)
  • Political systems (230203)
  • Law enforcement (230404)
  • Administration and business support services (110301)
  • National security (140109)
  • Other environmental policy, climate change and natural hazards (199999)
  • Climate change mitigation strategies (190301)

Publications

Steven publishes extensively in academic journals on the topic of emergency management and crisis management. His publications intersect with Policy & Administration, Business & Management and Cognitive Science.

Steven has also contributed to practitioner focussed publications that provide tangible direction for industry. These include The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, AirMed & Rescue magazine, a National Disaster Resilience Roundtable Report and Australian Government and Tasmanian Government guidance documents.

The Australian Journal of Emergency ManagementAirMed & Rescue magazineNational Disaster Resilience Roundtable Report: Co-working in Disaster RecoveryAustralian Government guidance document: Decision-making During a Crisis Working together cover

Total publications

35

Journal Article

(26 outputs)
YearCitationAltmetrics
2024Bowles M, Brooks B, Curnin S, Anderson H, 'Application of microcredentials to validate human capabilities in a large telecommunications organisation: Strategic transformation to a future-ready workforce ', International Journal of Information and Learning Technology ISSN 2056-4880 (In Press) [Refereed Article]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Bowles M; Brooks B

2023Brooks B, Curnin SW, Brooks O, 'USAR decision-making: the role of hazard specific expertise and risk assessment', Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 38, (1) pp. 36-41. ISSN 1324-1540 (2023) [Professional, Refereed Article]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B; Brooks O

2023Curnin S, Brooks B, Owen C, Brooks O, 'Perceptions of strategic decision-making by crisis management teams during exercising: establishing key dimensions', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management pp. 1-15. ISSN 0966-0879 (2023) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12442 [eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C; Brooks O

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2022Curnin S, Brooks B, Brooks B, 'Assessing the influence of individual creativity, perceptions of group decision-making and structured techniques on the quality of scenario planning Author links open overlay panelning', Futures, 144 Article 103057. ISSN 0016-3287 (2022) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2022.103057 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 1

Co-authors: Brooks B; Brooks B

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2021Brooks B, Curnin S, 'Stretch-thinking loops: a new technique for scenario planning', Risks, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 12, (1) pp. 110-124. ISSN 1944-4079 (2021) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1002/rhc3.12205 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 2

Co-authors: Brooks B

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2020Atkinson C, Curnin S, 'Sharing responsibility in disaster management policy', Progress in disaster science, 7 Article 100122. ISSN 2590-0617 (2020) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.pdisas.2020.100122 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 7Web of Science - 4

Co-authors: Atkinson C

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2020Brooks B, Curnin S, Owen C, Bearman C, 'Managing cognitive biases during disaster response: the development of an aide memoire', Cognition, Technology & Work, 22 pp. 249-261. ISSN 1435-5558 (2020) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1007/s10111-019-00564-5 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 10Web of Science - 6

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2020Curnin S, Brooks B, 'Making waves: how do we prepare for the next drinking water disaster?', Water Research, 185 Article 116277. ISSN 0043-1354 (2020) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116277 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 3Web of Science - 3

Co-authors: Brooks B

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2020Curnin S, Brooks B, Owen C, 'A case study of disaster decision‐making in the presence of anomalies and absence of recognition', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 28, (2) pp. 110-121. ISSN 0966-0879 (2020) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12290 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 17Web of Science - 14

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2019Brooks B, Curnin S, Owen C, Boldeman J, 'New human capabilities in emergency and crisis management: from non-technical skills to creativity', The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 34, (4) pp. 23-30. ISSN 1324-1540 (2019) [Refereed Article]

[eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 5Web of Science - 4

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2019Curnin S, O'Hara D, 'Nonprofit and public sector interorganizational collaboration in disaster recovery: lessons from the field', Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 30, (2) pp. 277-297. ISSN 1048-6682 (2019) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1002/nml.21389 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 29Web of Science - 27

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2018Bearman C, Rainbird S, Brooks BP, Owen C, Curnin S, 'A literature review of methods for providing enhanced operational oversight of teams in emergency management', International Journal of Emergency Management, 14, (3) pp. 254-274. ISSN 1741-5071 (2018) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1504/IJEM.2018.10015420 [eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks BP; Owen C

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2018Brooks B, Curnin S, Bearman C, Owen C, 'Human error during the multilevel responses to three Australian bushfire disasters', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 26, (4) pp. 440-452. ISSN 0966-0879 (2018) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12221 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 7Web of Science - 6

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2018Curnin S, 'Collaboration in disasters: A cultural challenge for the utilities sector', Utilities Policy, 54 pp. 78-85. ISSN 0957-1787 (2018) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2018.08.002 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 8Web of Science - 7

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2018Owen C, Brooks B, Curnin S, Bearman C, 'Enhancing learning in emergency services organisational work', Australian Journal of Public Administration, 77, (4) pp. 715-728. ISSN 0313-6647 (2018) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1467-8500.12309 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 5Web of Science - 6

Co-authors: Owen C; Brooks B

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2017Bearman C, Rainbird S, Brooks B, Owen C, Curnin S, 'Tools for monitoring teams in emergency management: EMBAM and TBM', Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 32, (1) pp. 40-43. ISSN 1324-1540 (2017) [Refereed Article]

[eCite] [Details]

Citations: Web of Science - 2

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2017Bosomworth K, Owen C, Curnin S, 'Addressing challenges for future strategic-level emergency management: reframing, networking, and capacity-building', Disasters, 41, (2) pp. 306-323. ISSN 0361-3666 (2017) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/disa.12196 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 15Web of Science - 13

Co-authors: Owen C

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2016Brooks B, Curnin S, Bearman C, Owen C, Rainbird S, 'An assessment of the opportunities to improve strategic decision-making in emergency and disaster management', Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 31, (4) pp. 38-43. ISSN 1324-1540 (2016) [Refereed Article]

[eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 4

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2016Curnin S, Heumuller E, 'Evaluating emergency management capability of a water utility: A pilot study using exercise metrics', Utilities Policy, 39 pp. 36-40. ISSN 0957-1787 (2016) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2016.01.003 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 4Web of Science - 5

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2016Owen C, Brooks B, Bearman C, Curnin S, 'Values and complexities in assessing strategic-level emergency management effectiveness', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 24, (3) pp. 181-190. ISSN 0966-0879 (2016) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12115 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 13Web of Science - 10

Co-authors: Owen C; Brooks B

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2015Curnin S, Owen C, Paton D, Trist C, Parsons D, 'Role Clarity, Swift Trust and Multi-Agency Coordination', Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 23, (1) pp. 29-35. ISSN 0966-0879 (2015) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1111/1468-5973.12072 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 60Web of Science - 52

Co-authors: Owen C; Paton D

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2015Curnin SW, Owen C, Paton D, Brooks BP, 'A theoretical framework for negotiating the path of emergency management multi-agency coordination', Applied Ergonomics: Human Factors in Technology and Society, 47 pp. 300-307. ISSN 0003-6870 (2015) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2014.10.014 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 35Web of Science - 29

Co-authors: Owen C; Paton D; Brooks BP

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2014Curnin S, Owen C, Trist C, 'Managing the constraints of boundary spanning in emergency management', Cognition, Technology and Work, 16, (4) pp. 549-563. ISSN 1435-5566 (2014) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1007/s10111-014-0285-z [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 12Web of Science - 8

Co-authors: Owen C

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2014Curnin SW, Owen C, 'Spanning organizational boundaries in emergency management', International Journal of Public Administration, 37, (5) pp. 259-270. ISSN 1532-4265 (2014) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2013.830625 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 17

Co-authors: Owen C

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2013Curnin S, Owen C, 'Obtaining information in emergency management: a case study from an Australian emergency operations centre', International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 2, (2-3) pp. 131-158. ISSN 2045-7812 (2013) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFE.2013.057614 [eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Owen C

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2012Curnin S, 'Large civilian air medical jets: Implications for Australian disaster health', Air Medical Journal, 31, (6) pp. 284-288. ISSN 1067-991X (2012) [Refereed Article]

DOI: 10.1016/j.amj.2012.04.001 [eCite] [Details]

Citations: Scopus - 2

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Chapter in Book

(1 outputs)
YearCitationAltmetrics
2014Owen C, Bosomworth K, Curnin S, 'The challenges of change in future emergency management: Conclusions and future developments', Human Factors Challenges in Emergency Management: Enhancing Individual and Team Performance in Fire and Emergency Services, Ashgate, C Owen (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 219-230. ISBN 9781409453055 (2014) [Research Book Chapter]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Owen C

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Conference Publication

(7 outputs)
YearCitationAltmetrics
2019Curnin S, Brooks B, Owen C, 'Augmented expertise in strategic decision making: lessons from Fukushima', The Fourth Northern European Conference on Emergency and Disaster Studies, 10 - 12 June, Uppsala, Sweden (2019) [Conference Extract]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2018McNeil R, Curnin S, Brooks B, Owen C, 'Is an incident controller just an incident controller?', Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC & AFAC Conference Proceedings, 5 - 8 September, Perth, pp. 1-6. (2018) [Non Refereed Conference Paper]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2018Spence A, Brooks B, Curnin S, Owen C, 'EM exercising as a public private partnership: a good idea or impossible dream?', Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC & AFAC Conference Proceedings, 5 - 8 September, Perth, pp. 1-6. (2018) [Non Refereed Conference Paper]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B; Owen C

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2017Curnin S, McNeil R, Brooks B, 'Is a SAR Commander JUST a SAR Commander?', Australian & New Zealand Search and Rescue Conference, 24 May, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (2017) [Keynote Presentation]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B

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2016Curnin S, Brouggy P, Roylett B, Muller C, Riley M, 'Organisational resilience: building and enhancing capability', Australian & New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference, 30 - 31 May, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia ISBN 9781922232403 (2016) [Plenary Presentation]

[eCite] [Details]

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2016Curnin SW, Brooks B, 'Decision making as an enabler of organisational resilience', Programme for the 2016 Annual DMDU Workshop, 15-17 November 2016, Washington DC, USA, pp. 1. (2016) [Conference Extract]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Brooks B

2013Curnin SW, Owen C, 'A typology to facilitate multi-agency coordination', Proceedings of the 10th International ISCRAM Conference, 12-15 May 2013, Baden-Baden, Germany, pp. 115-119. ISBN 978-3-923704-80-4 (2013) [Refereed Conference Paper]

[eCite] [Details]

Co-authors: Owen C

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Entry

(1 outputs)
YearCitationAltmetrics
2016Curnin SW, 'Organizational Boundary Spanning', Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance, Farazmand, A (ed), Switzerland (2016) [Entry]

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_2476-1 [eCite] [Details]

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Grants & Funding

Funding Summary

Number of grants

15

Total funding

$1,882,958

Projects

Natural Hazards and Disaster Resilience Research Centre HDR top up scholarship (2024 - 2026)$41,250
Description
A stipend scholarship for a Scholar to undertake higher degree studies at UTAS, known as the Natural Hazards Research Scholarship.
Funding
Natural Hazards Research Australia ($41,250)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Akhtar SA
Period
2024 - 2026
THE NATURAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM (NDRRGP): Strategic Horizon Scanning Project (2023 - 2024)$48,000
Description
Identify a horizon scanning framework that will align with the following priorities from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework: Integrate plausible future scenarios into Tasmanias Emergency Risk Management prevention and preparedness planning; Identify highest priority disaster risks and mitigation opportunities; Build the capability and capacity of decision-makers to actively address disaster risk in policy, program and investment decisions; and Maintain planning and development practices that adapt to rapid social, economic, environmental and cultural change.
Funding
Department of Premier and Cabinet ($48,000)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Brooks BP; Curnin SW
Period
2023 - 2024
Creating resilient and sustainable critical infrastructure using evidence informed policy (2022 - 2024)$27,404
Description
(PhD top up stipend)
Funding
Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC ($27,404)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Murphy HL
Period
2022 - 2024
Organisational Resilience Website Research, information and Health Check Tool Update (2022)$70,606
Description
The Department of Home Affairs (the Department) holds the responsibility for the maintenance and currency of the Government website, and resources, at www.organisationalresilience.gov.au. The website was last updated in April 2020 and many of the resources located on the website have been superseded, lacking currency and relevance, particularly following the recent amendments to the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act 2018. This project will provide a series of interrelated literature reviews to update and enhance the current the Organisational Resilience HealthCheck Tool and Organisational Resilience Good Business Guide.
Funding
Department of Home Affairs ($70,606)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Brooks BP; Vogel KR; Atkinson CF; Brooks OP
Year
2022
Using technology for intelligent decision making in uncertainty: The Thought Leadership Series (2022)$29,975
Description
This project will provide a literature review and academic and private industry insights into the use of technology and its integration into decision-making in disaster risk reduction. The project will look at disaster risk reduction across the Prevention, Preparation, Response and Recovery (PPRR) cycle. The process will include a collaboration with KPMG linking the key issues, barriers and challenges in the literature with case studies provided by KPMG. The outputs from the project will be presented at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in September 2022.
Funding
Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC ($29,975)
Scheme
Project
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Brooks BP; Curnin SW; Vogel KR
Year
2022
2018-19 Bushfires Community Recovery Fund Evaluation Research Project (2021 - 2022)$89,882
Description
The research project will explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the recovery outcomes of the 2018-19 Bushfires Community Recovery Fund. The research will focus on affected communities in the Huon Valley region, which experienced significant social and economic impacts. The research project will provide valuable learnings regarding the impacts of cascading events on community recovery processes and how this can be considered in the design of future recovery programs.
Funding
Department of Premier and Cabinet ($89,882)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Brooks BP
Period
2021 - 2022
The nexus between organisational trust and collaboration in disasters (2021 - 2023)$400,728
Description
This project will use empirical investigation to develop a multidimensional model depicting the organisational practices that are vital for quickly establishing and maintaining trusting relationships in emergency management collaboration. Trust is the crucial but often neglected element that determines the success of collaboration. Expected outcomes include the creation of the first rigorously established knowledge base for understanding what mechanisms are effective to overcome conflicting cultures in Australian emergency management arrangements and successfully build trusting relationships. This should provide significant benefits for all organisations when collaborating in the response to, and recovery from, disasters.
Funding
Australian Research Council ($400,728)
Scheme
Fellowship-Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW
Period
2021 - 2023
Grant Reference
DE210100784
Tasmanian State Disaster Risk Assessment 2021 (2021)$267,697
Description
The next state disaster risk assessment will update and build upon the 2016 assessment to:*Review and update the previous assessment, to factor in recent emergency events, changing external circumstances and data and knowledge developed since then;*Further consider emergent issues, such as climate change, technological impacts and local/ national/ international socio-economic issues, especially in the wake of the current pandemic;*Leverage off insights from other assessments, such as recent/ current events reviews and lessons management, hazard-specific assessments and, where relevant, national and international assessments;*Include further non-natural hazards, such as cyber-threats, intentional mass-casualty events, and structure collapse, as resources allow, with specific hazards to be determined. Natural hazards may also be extended, for example, to include extended periods of bushfire smoke;*More explicitly focus on all dimensions of risk - hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capabilities;*Extend analysis to concurrent, cascading and systemic risks, for example, Natech disasters, where a natural disaster causes an industrial accident, with flow-on consequences, such as the Fukashima Nuclear plant accident after a tsunami and earthquake. Often hazard events need to be considered together, for example, dry lightning/ drought/ extended heatwaves/ bushfires/ smoke air pollution; or severe weather/ flooding/ storm surges/debris flow/ power and transport disruption;*More explicitly exploring risk through reasonable worst case scenarios in line with more recent state risk assessments (eg. UK 2019, Norway 2019, WA 2017) to more easily undercover and communicate risks;*Focus on practical outcomes and accessibility for significant stakeholder groups. Information accessibility and practical utility must be key considerations. Key end users of the assessments should be actively involved to ensure their needs are met.Importantly, the Assessment will provide robust and practically useful insights plus recommendations on potential treatments to reduce risk and prepare.
Funding
Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management [TAS] ($267,697)
Scheme
Grant-NDRRGP
Administered By
Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management [TAS]
Research Team
Owen C; Hocking L; Campbell S; Brooks BP; Remenyi TA; Curnin SW; Johnson F
Year
2021
WA COVID-19 State Recovery (2020)$23,556
Description
The Government of Western Australia (WA) State Recovery Coordination Unit COVID-19 seeks to plan for the recovery of WA post COVID-19. This requires stretch-thinking techniques to explore potential scenarios and associated consequences for the social, natural, built and economic environments in WA. The option analysis will be supported with evidence using data from other pandemics or similar global crises such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and the Global Financial Crisis.
Funding
Department of Fire & Emergency Services (WA) ($23,556)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Brooks BP
Year
2020
WA COVID-19 State Recovery Project - Phase 2 (2020)$45,455
Description
The Government of Western Australia (WA) State Recovery Coordination Unit COVID-19 continues to plan for the recovery of WA post COVID-19 and understand how other Australian states and territories are planning for recovery. This requires stretch-thinking techniques to explore potential scenarios and associated consequences for the social and economic environments from a national perspective.
Funding
Department of Fire & Emergency Services (WA) ($45,455)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Brooks BP
Year
2020
Embedding Non-Technical Skills as Part of Core Business in Emergency Management (2020 - 2021)$68,813
Funding
Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC ($68,813)
Scheme
Natural Hazards CRC
Administered By
NC Ports and Shipping
Research Team
Curnin SW
Period
2020 - 2021
Bangladesh Urban Resilience Project (URP) Phase 1 (2019)$23,157
Description
The overarching goal of the Bangladesh Urban Resilience Project is to create a professional emergency management training track across various levels of government in Bangladesh. Phase 1 of this research contributes to the establishment of a National Disaster Management Research and Training Institute. This project involves an evaluation of leading research related to the proposed training tracks to identify best evidence-based practice that will be incorporated into the curriculum. The project will also develop a monitoring framework, including performance indicators to monitor and evaluate the progress, and effects of the program.
Funding
C3ntre PTY Ltd ($23,157)
Scheme
Contract Research
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW; Brooks BP
Year
2019
CALE Hothouse Internal Grant Scheme, round 1 2019 Measuring collaboration: a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2019)$8,710
Description
This project will conduct a systematic literature search and co-citation analysis to identify the principal components for measuring collaboration to understand contemporary thinking on this topic and determine avenues for future research.
Funding
University of Tasmania ($8,710)
Scheme
null
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW
Year
2019
Collaborating in emergency management: a guide for Tasmanian not-for-profit participation (2018 - 2019)$47,725
Description
This project will develop a research driven practical guide on collaboration in emergency management for Tasmanian not-for-profit organisations and partner agencies.
Funding
Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management [TAS] ($47,725)
Scheme
Grant-SEMP
Administered By
University of Tasmania
Research Team
Curnin SW
Period
2018 - 2019
Decision making, team monitoring and organisational learning (2017 - 2020)$690,000
Description
The goal of this project is to provide outputs that facilitate enhanced decision making and team monitoring at strategic levels of emergency management. As part of this project we will examine how organisations currently learn from evidence and implement changes in practice to inform the testing and evaluation phases. Part of this work will be identifying opportunities and barriers to adoption of these tools and providing strategies that agencies can use to overcome these barriers. In this way we will contribute to enhancing the capability of agencies to effectively respond to emergencies now and into the future.
Funding
Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC ($690,000)
Scheme
Grant
Administered By
Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC
Research Team
Bearman C; Brooks BP; Owen C; Curnin SW; Rainbird S
Period
2017 - 2020

Research Supervision

Steven is interested in supervising topics on emergency management, crisis management, disaster resilience and organisational resilience. He is also happy to co-supervise projects that span other disciplines and particularly those that intersect with the health sciences and management.

Current

3

Current

DegreeTitleCommenced
PhDResilient Infrastructure: Enhancing Tasmania's Disaster Resilience2020
PhDExploring the Significance of Trust Building in Humanitarian Collaborations2023
PhDEquity and dissensus in a changing climate2023