Aurora Elmes

Aurora Elmes is a Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology, affiliated with the School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship and the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne. She holds a PhD from Swinburne, a Master of Social Work from RMIT University, and a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts from Deakin University. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging business, public health, and social policy to explore how work environments and social enterprises can promote mental health and inclusive participation.

• Doctor of Philosophy, Swinburne University of Technology
• Master of Social Work, RMIT University
• Bachelor of Contemporary Arts, Deakin University

Her research interests focus on mental health and wellbeing in the context of social enterprise, inclusive employment, and organizational culture. She investigates how policies and workplace practices can support social and economic participation, particularly for people with lived experience of mental illness or psychosocial disability. Her work often employs mixed-methods and longitudinal designs to evaluate real-world interventions, such as employment-focused social enterprises and NDIS psychosocial recovery coaching.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward evaluating the impact of social enterprises and public policy on mental health. Her work spans academic journals, comprehensive reports, and book chapters, consistently emphasizing the intersection of social justice, health, and organizational design. She frequently collaborates with not-for-profits, government agencies, and foundations, indicating a strong applied and policy-relevant research orientation.

She has been recognized for her scholarly contributions, including a Literari Awards 2020 - Highly Commended Paper from Emerald Publishing. Her research is supported by a robust portfolio of grants from organizations such as Support Act Limited, ACHIEVE FOUNDATION LIMITED, and the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (Vic). These grants fund projects on mental health in creative industries, disability employment, and financial wellbeing in social enterprises.

Aurora Elmes actively supervises research and is available to supervise PhD candidates. She leads major evaluations and research studies, often in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Her work is embedded in real-world settings, such as Vanguard Laundry and NDIS service providers, demonstrating a commitment to impactful, community-engaged scholarship. She is also affiliated with research groups including the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne and contributes to public discourse through platforms like The Conversation and The Power to Persuade.