Elizabeth Neville to lead Australian Institute of Family Studies 

The Federal Government has appointed Ms Elizabeth Neville as the new Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) for a five year term.

AIFS is the Australian Government’s key research advisory agency in the area of family wellbeing and is an independent statutory authority established in 1980 under the Family Law Act 1975.

Ms Neville’s experience across multiple Government and non-Government agencies, particularly as the former Head of the Children’s Taskforce in the National Disability and Insurance Agency, and in the legal sector will ensure that AIFS continue to conduct high-quality, impartial research to inform Australia’s policies and programs, Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said. 

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Neville into the role of Director of AIFS,” the Minister said.

Ms Neville has been acting in the position since June 2023, with Minister Rishworth confident that she will continue to bring valuable policy and operational experience to the role.

“Our Government recognises the value of the work AIFS does to support the family services sector, and will continue to work closely with Ms Neville to ensure AIFS’ research, evaluation and knowledge translation supports the government to address the major forces, trends and transitions that will impact Australian families over coming decades,” the Minister added. 

AIFS is a key source of advice on relevant policies and programs delivered by the Department of Social Services, delivering critical research and insights into the wellbeing of Australian families, informing government policy and promoting evidence-based practices in the family services sector.

More information on the Australian Institute of Family Studies is available here.