Georgia Van Toorn

Georgia Van Toorn is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), and an Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society. She specializes in political sociology with a focus on international social policy, disability studies, and algorithmic governance in public administration.

• PhD from University of Glasgow and UNSW (2019)
• 2023 Data Justice Lab Fellowship at Cardiff University
• Recipient of multiple research grants including the Australian Human Rights Institute grant for disability-inclusive disaster response

Her research explores marketisation of welfare, commodification of care, and data-driven governance under neoliberalism, particularly in Australia, UK, and US contexts. She has published extensively in journals like Critical Social Policy and Disability and Society, and authored The New Political Economy of Disability.

Current projects include co-designing disability-inclusive disaster response systems in the Philippines and analyzing algorithmic governance in disability services. She supervises research on digital government and disability policy.

Scientific Awards

• Dean's Prize for Research Impact Award (2014)
• Australian Post-graduate Award (2013-2017)
• Research Excellence Award (2013-2015)
• U21 Joint PhD Research Scholarship (2013)
• University Medal (Social Research and Policy Hons 2012)

Advising & Grants

• Supervising Molly Saunders at SPRC
• Current grants:
  • Co-Designing Disability-Inclusive Disaster Response in the Philippines ($20,000)
  • NDIS Workforce Research ($33,000)
  • Data Justice Lab Fellowship (£3,000)