Dr Adam Masters

BA (Hons), PhD
Senior Lecturer
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

Areas of expertise

  • Organised Crime 440210
  • Causes And Prevention Of Crime 440201
  • Police Administration, Procedures And Practice 440211
  • Public Administration 440708

Biography

Dr Adam Masters comes to the Australian National University following a 24-year career with the Australian government. His public sector career included time at the Department of Defence, the Australian Taxation Office and 18 years with the Australian Federal Police. While at the AFP, Adam spent close to a decade as team leader with Interpol Canberra and two years teaching counter-terrorism investigations at the AFP College. In mid-2009, Adam changed direction to pursue an academic career and, since 2010, he has worked with the ANU Transnational Research Institute on Corruption (TRIC). Dr Masters' current research and teaching focuses on corruption and anti-corruption, particularly in rich countries, transnational organized crime and the influence of culture on international organisations.

Researcher's projects

Adam has various research interests in the field of corruption and anti-corruption. His work on union corruption - explores alternatives to controlling corruption in the union movement using non-traditional (i.e. legal or political) means of addressing the issue. Union corruption in Australia persists despite numerous Royal Commissions, political will and legislative changes in recent decades. Alternatives under consideration include codes of conduct and other internally generated governance mechanisms.

Adam is also a co-investigator on the Local Sport Integrity Framework project. The project, which is a collaboration between researchers in Australia, the United States and Europe is exploring how international and national-level sport governance translates to local clubs and competitions.

Intergenerational organised crime - explores multi-generational criminal activity within families. The question motivating this research is whether family-based organised crime groups are ‘going legit’.

Previously, Dr Masters contributed to research projects commissioned by anti-corruption agencies in Victoria and Western Australia.He was co-investigator Report on best practice strategies for minimising and responding to integrity/corruption related issues in the sporting context commissioned by the Australia Department of Health in the lead up to establishing Sport Integrity Australia. This was followed by his contribution to the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS) report Tackling Bribery in Sport.

Current student projects

Giverney Ainscough (Doctoral Candidate) - Inclusive Education in Australian Universities

Hunter Culbong (Doctoral Candidate) - Police Militarisation in Australia (2023)

Past student projects

Simran Bandesha 2021 - Honours Thesis: News Media, Police Corruption, and the Indian Context: A qualitative investigation of how Indian news media portrays police bribery

Hunter Culbong 2022 - Honours Thesis: From Blue Heelers to Rifle Wielders: Exploring changes within police and the progression and meaning of police militarisation in Australia

 

Publications

Projects and Grants

Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.

Return to top

Updated:  26 September 2023 / Responsible Officer:  Director (Research Services Division) / Page Contact:  Researchers