Metadata
Title
Adam Hannah
Category
general
UUID
fb0d46ed6d2e44188f56d14f614ec7de
Source URL
https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/33712
Parent URL
https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/22350
Crawl Time
2026-03-11T07:18:32+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown 
# Adam Hannah

**Source**: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/33712
**Parent**: https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/22350

Dr

# Adam Hannah

Email:
:   [a.hannah@uq.edu.au](mailto:a.hannah@uq.edu.au)

Phone:
:   [+61 7 336 53290](tel:+61 7 336 53290)

## Positions

Senior Research Fellow, ARC
:   School of Political Science and International Studies
:   Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

## Overview

### Background

Adam is a public policy scholar and teacher, an expert in health policy and recent recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA). He is also the [Program Director of the Master of Governance and Public Policy](https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/programs/master-governance-and-public-policy-5607), one of Australia's leading postgraduate qualifications for public servants and policy practitioners.

His research primarily concerns how governments draw on ideas and knowledge and negotiate capacity constraints in the policy process. His recent research has addressed policy responses to health crisis, such vaccine hesitancy and anti-microbial resistance, and the role of ignorance and non-knowledge in generating policy failure, such as regarding the Robodebt scandal. He has published in a range of high-ranking international journals, such as *Nature*, *Public Administration*, *Policy Sciences* and *Policy and Society*.

Adam's DECRA project is entitled ***Health workforce crisis: understanding political capacity for policy change***, and addresses the political factors that constrain and enable health workforce policymaking in Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand.

Adam is available for PhD supervision and is keen to work with students who are interested in the following topics:

- Major issues in health policy, such as workforce shortages, access issues, vaccine hesitancy.
- The politics of health policymaking.
- The role of ideas and knowledge in health and social/welfare policy.
- Policy capacity challenges.
- Non-knowledge, ignorance and misinformation in public policy.

Read more
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### Availability

Dr Adam Hannah is:
:   Available for supervision

## Works

[Search Professor Adam Hannah’s works on UQ eSpace](http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/list/author_id/7625640)

[All
(19)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/33712/all)
[Journal Article
(16)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/33712/4748)
[Book Chapter
(3)](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts-publication/33712/4752)

2025

Book Chapter

##### ‘Non-knowledge’ in contemporary public policy: amnesia, ignorance, and misinformation

Hannah, Adam, Tchilingirian, Jordan and Botterill, Linda Courtenay (2025). ‘Non-knowledge’ in contemporary public policy: amnesia, ignorance, and misinformation. Handbook of Policy Advice. (pp. 35-46) Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781035318087.00010

[‘Non-knowledge’ in contemporary public policy: amnesia, ignorance, and misinformation](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:8b609f3)

2025

Journal Article

##### Ignoring harm, saving face: non-knowledge, senior public servants and the Robodebt scheme

Hannah, Adam and Botterill, Linda Courtenay (2025). Ignoring harm, saving face: non-knowledge, senior public servants and the Robodebt scheme. Australian Journal of Political Science, 60 (2), 149-162. doi: 10.1080/10361146.2025.2486108

[Ignoring harm, saving face: non-knowledge, senior public servants and the Robodebt scheme](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:23d3af8)

2025

Journal Article

##### Avoiding the brakes: malign policy and legal advice in the Robodebt scandal

Hannah, Adam and Botterill, Linda Courtenay (2025). Avoiding the brakes: malign policy and legal advice in the Robodebt scandal. Policy and Society, 44 (2) puaf018, 229-241. doi: 10.1093/polsoc/puaf018

[Avoiding the brakes: malign policy and legal advice in the Robodebt scandal](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:2bf9ad0)

2025

Journal Article

##### Robodebt: administrative harm and Australian social policy

Ball, Sarah and Hannah, Adam (2025). Robodebt: administrative harm and Australian social policy. Australian Journal of Political Science, 60 (2), 141-148. doi: 10.1080/10361146.2025.2542739

[Robodebt: administrative harm and Australian social policy](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:ae44462)

2024

Journal Article

##### What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders’ perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western Australia

Carlson, Samantha J., Tomkinson, Sian, Hannah, Adam and Attwell, Katie (2024). What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders’ perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western Australia. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1) 968, 968. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11371-8

[What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders’ perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western Australia](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:73396c5)

2024

Journal Article

##### Policy feedback and the politics of childhood vaccine mandates: conflict and change in California, 2012–2019

Attwell, Katie, Hannah, Adam, Drislane, Shevaun and Navin, Mark Christopher (2024). Policy feedback and the politics of childhood vaccine mandates: conflict and change in California, 2012–2019. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 49 (6), 1075-1110. doi: 10.1215/03616878-11377933

[Policy feedback and the politics of childhood vaccine mandates: conflict and change in California, 2012–2019](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:e88c681)

2024

Book Chapter

##### Trust, capacity and management of vaccine rollouts

Hannah, Adam, Attwell, Katie and Tchilingirian, Jordan (2024). Trust, capacity and management of vaccine rollouts. Research handbook on public management and COVID-19. (pp. 206-217) edited by Helen Dickinson, Sophie Yates, Janine O’Flynn and Catherine Smith. Cheltenham, Glos, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781802205954.00025

[Trust, capacity and management of vaccine rollouts](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:ac0dd62)

2024

Journal Article

##### Media actors as policy entrepreneurs: a case study of “No Jab, No Play” and “No Jab, No Pay” mandatory vaccination policies in Australia

Attwell, Katie, Hannah, Adam, Drislane, Shevaun, Harper, Tauel, Savage, Glenn C. and Tchilingirian, Jordan (2024). Media actors as policy entrepreneurs: a case study of “No Jab, No Play” and “No Jab, No Pay” mandatory vaccination policies in Australia. Policy Sciences, 57 (1), 29-51. doi: 10.1007/s11077-024-09522-z

[Media actors as policy entrepreneurs: a case study of “No Jab, No Play” and “No Jab, No Pay” mandatory vaccination policies in Australia](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:86548a2)

2023

Journal Article

##### The role of ‘non-knowledge’ in crisis policymaking: a proposal and agenda for future research

Hannah, Adam, Tchilingirian, Jordan, Botterill, Linda and Attwell, Katie (2023). The role of ‘non-knowledge’ in crisis policymaking: a proposal and agenda for future research. Evidence and Policy, 19 (1), 116-130. doi: 10.1332/174426421x16552882375377

[The role of ‘non-knowledge’ in crisis policymaking: a proposal and agenda for future research](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:06e0a73)

2023

Journal Article

##### Policy capacity: evolving theory and missing links

Brenton, Scott, Baekkeskov, Erik and Hannah, Adam (2023). Policy capacity: evolving theory and missing links. Policy Studies, 44 (3), 297-315. doi: 10.1080/01442872.2022.2043266

[Policy capacity: evolving theory and missing links](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:061e4d3)

2022

Journal Article

##### Ideas and crisis in policy and administration: existing links and research frontiers

Hannah, Adam, Baekkeskov, Erik and Tubakovic, Tamara (2022). Ideas and crisis in policy and administration: existing links and research frontiers. Public Administration, 100 (3), 571-584. doi: 10.1111/padm.12862

[Ideas and crisis in policy and administration: existing links and research frontiers](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:570f553)

2022

Journal Article

##### Convergence on coercion: functional and political pressures as drivers of global childhood vaccine mandates

Attwell, Katie and Hannah, Adam (2022). Convergence on coercion: functional and political pressures as drivers of global childhood vaccine mandates. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 11 (11), 2660-2671. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2022.6518

[Convergence on coercion: functional and political pressures as drivers of global childhood vaccine mandates](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:a39e6b8)

2022

Journal Article

##### COVID-19: talk of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ lets governments off the hook

Attwell, Katie, Hannah, Adam and Leask, Julie (2022). COVID-19: talk of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ lets governments off the hook. Nature, 602 (7898), 574-577. doi: 10.1038/d41586-022-00495-8

[COVID-19: talk of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ lets governments off the hook](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:72abc8b)

2021

Journal Article

##### Procedural tools and pension reform in the long run: the case of Sweden

Hannah, Adam (2021). Procedural tools and pension reform in the long run: the case of Sweden. Policy and Society, 40 (3), 362-378. doi: 10.1080/14494035.2021.1955487

[Procedural tools and pension reform in the long run: the case of Sweden](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:54640df)

2021

Book Chapter

##### Policy styles in healthcare understanding variations in health systems

Bali, Azad Singh and Hannah, Adam (2021). Policy styles in healthcare understanding variations in health systems. The Routledge handbook of policy styles. (pp. 105-122) Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429286322-12

[Policy styles in healthcare understanding variations in health systems](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:eb181e2)

2020

Journal Article

##### The promises and pitfalls of polysemic ideas: ‘One Health’ and antimicrobial resistance policy in Australia and the UK

Hannah, Adam and Baekkeskov, Erik (2020). The promises and pitfalls of polysemic ideas: ‘One Health’ and antimicrobial resistance policy in Australia and the UK. Policy Sciences, 53 (3), 437-452. doi: 10.1007/s11077-020-09390-3

[The promises and pitfalls of polysemic ideas: ‘One Health’ and antimicrobial resistance policy in Australia and the UK](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:d7ec63e)

2020

Journal Article

##### Welfare capabilities: evaluating distributional inequalities and welfare policy in advanced democracies

Hannah, Adam, Brown, Jeremiah Thomas and Gibbons, Andrew (2020). Welfare capabilities: evaluating distributional inequalities and welfare policy in advanced democracies. Journal of European Social Policy, 30 (3), 293-305. doi: 10.1177/0958928719868447

[Welfare capabilities: evaluating distributional inequalities and welfare policy in advanced democracies](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:9523f25)

2020

Journal Article

##### Evaluating the role of bricolage in US health care policy reform

Hannah, Adam (2020). Evaluating the role of bricolage in US health care policy reform. Policy and Politics, 48 (3), 485-502. doi: 10.1332/030557319X15734252004022

[Evaluating the role of bricolage in US health care policy reform](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:19cc479)

2018

Journal Article

##### Rethinking the ‘open functional’ approach: ideas, problem pressure and reform in the contemporary welfare state

Hannah, Adam (2018). Rethinking the ‘open functional’ approach: ideas, problem pressure and reform in the contemporary welfare state. Public Administration, 96 (3), 528-543. doi: 10.1111/padm.12414

[Rethinking the ‘open functional’ approach: ideas, problem pressure and reform in the contemporary welfare state](https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:311c830)

## Funding

### Current funding

- 2025 - 2028

  Health workforce crisis: understanding political capacity for policy change

  ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award

  [Open grant](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/project/66128)

### Past funding

- 2023 - 2024

  What happens at two? Diagnosing the sub-optimal vaccine coverage of country West Australian toddlers (Western Australian Department of Health administered by The University of Western Australia)

  University of Western Australia

  [Open grant](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/project/58386)

## Supervision

### Availability

Dr Adam Hannah is:
:   Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on [how to choose a supervisor](https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/how-to-choose-a-supervisor).

### Available projects

- #### [Health workforce crisis: understanding political capacity for policy change](https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/phd-mphil-professional-doctorate/projects/health-workforce-crisis-understanding-political-capacity-policy-change)

  Project summary: Develop new knowledge of the political factors that constrain and enable policymaking to address the health workforce crisis through comparative analysis of health worker interest groups.

  Read more
  Read less

### Supervision history

#### Current supervision

- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### Strategies of influence used by the meat industry to impact policy making decisions in Australia and the European Union

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Associate Professor Katherine Cullerton](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/22350)
- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### The Political Economy of Market-oriented Healthcare Reform in State-Socialist Asia: State, Interests, and Ideology

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Professor Shahar Hameiri](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/13942)
- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### Navigating Global Health Diplomacy: Analyzing Indonesian Government- Health NGOs Collaboration in Pandemic Response

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Associate Professor Melissa Curley](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/1555)
- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### The Paradox of University Autonomy: Power and Politics in University Governance

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Dr Ravinder Sidhu](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/820)
- Doctor Philosophy

  ##### Institutional amnesia in New Zealand's climate change policy network

  Associate Advisor

  Other advisors:
  [Dr Alastair Stark](https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/2670)

View all 5 current supervisions
View less

## Media

### Enquiries

For media enquiries about Dr Adam Hannah's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

[communications@uq.edu.au](mailto:communications@uq.edu.au)

## External profiles

- [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5063-5755)

## Social media

- [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-hannah-236aa15b/)

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