Jenny Kennedy awarded ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award

November 19, 2019

We are delighted by the news that DERC’s Jenny Kennedy has been awarded a highly competitive three year $427k Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), from the Australian Research Council.

Jenny’s DECRA will research the lived experience of digital exclusion. Low-income single-parent Australians need to participate in the digital economy in order to access essential services, including health, education and work. However, recent research has highlighted a new dilemma: while this group cannot afford not to be connected, at the same time they are struggling to afford quality internet access.

This will be the first detailed qualitative study of this under-served social group, revealing the negotiations, savings, and workarounds required for low-income single-parent households perform to participate in the digital economy. The research will inform current policy on digital inclusion, and revise conceptual frameworks for understanding digital inclusion around the economic costs of participation.

For more information about the DERCA scheme visit the ARC website.