AffiliateRobertTanton

Professor Tanton is one of Australia’s leading experts on spatial microsimulation, the modelling of data for small geographies. He is co-editor of the book, ‘Spatial Microsimulation: a reference guide for users”, and wrote the chapter on spatial microsimulation for the International Handbook of Microsimulation. He has published over 100 journal articles or research reports on small area indexes, inequality, and poverty. He is also an expert on measuring wellbeing and social exclusion, and has been involved in a number of indices of wellbeing including advising on the Youth Development Index for Australia; leading the team calculating the child social exclusion index and the index of wellbeing for older Australians; leading the team calculating the Dropping off the Edge index for Jesuit Social Services; and leading the team at the ABS calculating the 2001 Census Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA).

He has been a Chief Investigator on a number of grants, including the Kids in Communities ARC Linkage grant (KiCS); and a number of competitive Australian Research Council and National Health & Medical Research Council grants. While an academic, he also worked closely with the Department of Education on a microsimulation model of the HECS/HELP system, which fed into the University Accord process; the Department of Finance on an index of community resilience; the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development on a road transport model; the ACT Government on a stamp duty model; and the Department of Defence on a staffing model.

Since 2020 he has been the Director of Communities in Numbers, a private consultancy company working with clients to use microsimulation models to inform their research. His clients have included The Australia Institute; the Commonwealth Secretariat; the Productivity Commission; the ACT Government; and NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. His research has helped inform policy on stamp duty; youth development; the tax system; and the cost of living.

From 2015 to 2020, he was Director of the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling at the University of Canberra.

Professor Tanton has authored over 100 peer reviewed journal articles, and a number of book chapters and commissioned reports. He has attracted more than $8 million in research funding including a number of NHMRC and ARC grants with a number of different partners. He is currently President of the International Microsimulation Association; a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; a member of the Economic Society of Australia; a member of the Australian Statistical Society; and a member of the Australian and New Zealand Regional Science Association International (ANZRSAI).