Dr Jennie Fluin
Manager, science partnerships, South Australian Department for Environment and Water
See Dr Fluin’s full research profile here.
Research outputs linked to policy change and decision-making
- Evidence-based decision making is critical to the core business of Department for Environment and Water (DEW). It enables the agency to make policy and planning decisions that are based on fit-for-purpose, consistent, defendable and repeatable science. Dr Fluin’s role involves working closely with university researchers to develop partnerships to achieve this aim.
- Dr Fluin acts as a conduit between researchers and government to bring international and national networks, information and knowledge, analytical expertise, cross-disciplinary experts and trusted voices, and capability to test and refine new ideas into government decision making.
- She is responsible for facilitating opportunities for co-designed, co-delivered research programs that are mutually beneficial to both researchers and government, leveraging from multiple funding sources and building capacity in both universities and government.
- Dr Fluin focuses strongly on building strong and trusted networks, connections and relationships to provide an efficient and effective evidence base to decision-makers, while also meeting priorities such as performance measures of research organisations.
- Over the past 10 years, she has helped to facilitate more than $25 million of research funding between DEW and universities, for co-designed on-ground outcomes, with a focus on nature conservation.
Current academic employment and positions
2007–present: South Australian Department for Environment and Water
- 2019–present: manager, science partnerships
- 2011–2019: principal advisor, research partnerships
- 2007–2011: project manager, National Water Initiative Great Artesian Basin.
Awards
- 2017, Winnovation Award (Women in Innovation).
Highest qualification
- 2002, PhD, Monash University
Links with non-government groups or networks
- Goyder Institute for Water Research. Dr Fluin’s role in DEW allows her to foster and strengthen opportunities for researchers to better connect with government to enable evidence-based decision-making. She has extensive experience working in both universities and government, allowing her to bridge the divide between the two sectors. Dr Fluin is focused on connecting natural-resource researchers with natural-resource decision-makers, and facilitating fit-for-purpose partnerships.
