Laura Davy

Dr Laura Davy is a Senior Lecturer in Policy and Governance at the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy. She holds a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy from the University of Sydney, a Master's in Political Theory from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor's in Communications from the University of Technology Sydney. Her expertise spans social policy, disability studies, feminist ethics, and participatory policy design.

Her research focuses on disability policy implementation (e.g., Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme), human rights-informed approaches to policymaking, and the impacts of market-based social service delivery. She leads projects on youth disability care, pandemic-era caregiving, and policy listening mechanisms. In 2025, she will begin an ARC DECRA-funded study on responsive policymaking for young people with disabilities and carers.

Key contributions include analyses of care work desirability, violence prevention in disability services, and the ethics of autonomy in caregiving relationships. Her work bridges academic theory with practical policy reform, emphasizing participatory methods and service user agency.

• Grants: ANU Futures Scheme (2023–2026), Disability Confidence Project (2022), Young People and Care Pilot Study (2021–2023)
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with ANU's Policy and Governance Program and interdisciplinary disability research networks

Her scholarship addresses systemic inequities in disability care while advocating for human rights-centered policy frameworks.