| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2021 |
Rasmussen, B., Maharaj, N., Karan, A., Symons, J., Selvaraj, S., Kumar, R., Kumnick, M., & Sheehan, P. (210101). Evaluating interventions to reduce child marriage in India. Journal of Global Health Reports, 5 doi: 10.29392/001c.23619 |
| 2019 | Symons, J., Howard, E., Sweeny, K., Kumnick, M., & Sheehan, P. (190701). Reduced Road Traffic Injuries for Young People: A Preliminary Investment Analysis. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(1), (S34-S43). |
| 2017 | Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Rasmussen, B., Wils, A., Friedman, H. S., Mahon, J., Patton, G. C., Sawyer, S. M., Howard, E., & Symons, J. (171014). Building the foundations for sustainable development: a case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents. The Lancet, 390(10104), (1792-1806). |
Key details
Areas of expertise
- Economic modelling
- Education
- Environmental economics
- sustainable development
Available to supervise research students
Not available for media queries
About John Symons
John is an economist whose research includes environmental economics and economic analysis of investments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the health, education and road safety fields. Research partners include the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, FIA Foundation and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Current projects are modelling investment in adolescent wellbeing for the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), including the developing toolkits at both the global and national level to allow the models to be used by planners and analysts to produce their own benefit-cost estimates. The results of the investigation will be presented at the WHO/PMNCH Global Forum for Adolescents (1.8 billion Young People for Change) in October 2023.
Recent projects include modelling the benefits of investing in the WHO (WHO), an investment case for interventions into preventing child marriage in low and middle-income countries (UNFPA), rebuilding the education system in Syria (UNICEF), modelling the economic benefits of treating vision loss in collaboration with the Fred Hollows Foundation, and a comprehensive analysis for multiple SDGs, including 75 low and middle-income countries, as well as country specific studies in India and Burundi (UNFPA).
John also worked with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and FIA Foundation to establish an investment case for road safety interventions to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries for young people in Australia, as well as low and middle-income countries. This work focused on active transport and mobility issues specific to young people.
Recent environmental economics projects include research into potential markets for ecosystem goods and services and an IOT approach to increase plastic recycling within the circular economy. Other work has included Green Infrastructure Valuation and Decision making for several councils in the Melbourne area, economic analysis of green roofs and walls, and an economic geography of fire and flood risks for the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre.
Qualifications
- BSc (Uni Melb)
- G Dip Ed (UNE)
- M Env Plan (Macquarie)
- PhD (VU)
Key publications
John has over 41 publications, with a selection listed here.
A more comprehensive list of John's publications is available in the VU Research Repository.
Commissioned research report (showing 7)
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Rasmussen, B., Sheehan, P., Symons, J., Maharaj, N., Welsh, A., & Kumnick, M. (220630). Syria Education and Development Investment Case: Economic, Social and Psychological Costs and Risks Resulting from Not Investing in Education Systems in Syria. Melbourne, Australia: Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University. |
| 2022 | Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K., Maharaj, N., & Symons, J. (220301). WHO Investment Case 2.0: Technical Report. Melbourne, Victoria: Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University. |
| 2021 | Symons, J., & Sweeny, K. (211001). Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents : Final Report. Melbourne, Victoria: Victoria University ; Murdoch Children's Research Institute. |
| 2019 | Jones, R., Bathgate, R., Symons, J., & Williams, N. (190729). Quantifying the Benefits of Green Infrastructure: Literature Review and Gap Analysis. Melbourne: City of Melbourne. |
| 2019 | Rasmussen, B., Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Symons, J., & Maharaj, N. (190101). Adolescent Investment Case Burundi: Estimating the Impacts of Social Sector Investments for Adolescents. Bujumbura: UNICEF Burundi. |
| 2018 | Jones, R., Farrar, A., Symons, J., & Kendal, D. (181115). Developing robust indicators for valuing laneway greening. Melbourne: Victoria University. |
| 2018 | Jones, R. N., & Symons, J. (181031). Sectoral and Regional Vulnerability Assessment for Victoria. Melbourne: Victoria University. Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies. |
Journal article (showing 3 of 4)
Research funding for the past 5 years
Please note:
- Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
- Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
- The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.
2023
|
Developing Polio Transition Investment Case for Eastern Mediterranean Region
From: World Health Organization
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Prof Peter Sheehan, Ms Margarita Kumnick
For period: 2023-2023
|
Not disclosed |
2022
|
Development of an Investment Case for Adolescent Well-being
From: World Health Organization
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Prof Peter Sheehan, Dr Kim Sweeny, Mrs Neelam Maharaj
For period: 2022-2024
|
Not disclosed |
|
Update of CMOI to include benefit-cost ratio estimation AND Research Report
on: Investing in ending unmet need for family planning and preventable maternal
deaths, ending female genital mutilation, and ending child marriage in the Arab
region
From: Avenir Health
Other investigators: Ms Margarita Kumnick, Prof Bruce Rasmussen
For period: 2022-2022
|
Not disclosed |
|
Developing an Investment Case for MGX Measured Circular Economy
From: MGX Enterprise Pty Ltd (MGX)
For period: 2022-2022
|
Not disclosed |
2021
|
COVID-19 Impact on Child Marriage: Updates to CMOI User Guide and Investment Case
From: Avenir Health
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen
For period: 2021-2021
|
Not disclosed |
|
Economic Analysis for WHO Investment Case 2.0
From: World Health Organization
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Mrs Neelam Maharaj, Ms Margarita Kumnick, Dr Kim Sweeny, Prof Peter Sheehan
For period: 2021-2021
|
Not disclosed |
|
Sustainable Packaging Solutions
From: Victorian Higher Education Strategic Investment Fund
Other investigators: Prof Vincent Rouillard, Dr Marlene Cran, Dr Matthew Lamb
For period: 2021-2022
|
$1,340,039 |
2020
|
Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries Among Adolescents
From: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Other investigators: Dr Kim Sweeny
For period: 2020-2021
|
Not disclosed |
|
An Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Vietnam
From: United Nations Population Fund
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Dr Kim Sweeny, Mrs Neelam Maharaj, Ms Alison Welsh
For period: 2020-2022
|
Not disclosed |
2019
|
Investing in Women's Sight - Benefits Across Generations
From: Fred Hollows Foundation
Other investigators: Dr Kim Sweeny, Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Ms Celeste Young
For period: 2019-2021
|
Not disclosed |
2018
|
Cost Benefit Analysis of Health Interventions to Improve Labour Productivity
From: US Chamber of Commerce Grant
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Prof Peter Sheehan, Dr Kim Sweeny, Ms Alison Welsh, Ms Margarita Kumnick, Mrs Neelam Maharaj
For period: 2018-2020
|
Not disclosed |
|
Investment Framework Case Study: Estimating the Impacts & Opportunity Costs of Social Sector Investments for Adolescents (10-19 years) in Burundi.
From: UNICEF-Bujumbura/Burundi
Other investigators: Prof Bruce Rasmussen, Dr Kim Sweeny, Prof Peter Sheehan, Mrs Neelam Maharaj, Ms Alison Welsh, Ms Margarita Kumnick
For period: 2018-2019
|
Not disclosed |
Supervision of research students at VU
Available to supervise research students
Not available for media queries
Completed supervision of research students at VU
| No. of students | Study level | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doctor of Business Administration | Associate supervisor |
Completed supervision of research students at VU
| Students & level | Role |
|---|---|
| Doctor of Business Administration (1) | Associate supervisor |
Careers
Details of this Researcher's career are currently unavailable.
