[2] Her research focuses on the gender aspect of population ageing, retirement incomes and labor force participation.

More specifically, Austen's work highlights how "the circumstances of women are distinctive; how their contributions to economic performance are often overlooked; and how there is a need for sound understandings of women's circumstances before efficient and equitable policy on population ageing and other issues can be designed".

[2] Austen is co-creator and current director of the Women in Social Economic Research (WiSER) center at Curtin University.

[3] The WiSER group aims to foster quantitative and qualitative research on issues affecting women as well as to engage in current policy debates and industry linkages.

She plays an active role in policy debates about population ageing, retirement, and gender inequality and has contributed to Australian government inquiries on various economic issues.