Dr Nieke Elbers is Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Senior Researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR). Her interdisciplinary research spans psychology, criminology, law and public policy, with particular expertise in victimology, restorative justice, trauma-informed approaches and mixed-methods evaluation.
Her research examines how justice, health and social systems respond to victimisation and trauma, and how empirical evidence can improve policy, practice and access to justice. She has led multidisciplinary and government-commissioned research and evaluation and attracted approximately €2 million / A$3.4 million in competitive, government, industry and commissioned research funding.
Her work has contributed to policy and practice in victims' rights and support, sexual violence, compensation, restorative and procedural justice, and alternatives to incarceration. At VU Amsterdam, she leads the Empirical Legal Studies Helpdesk and contributes to research and institutional leadership through the Amsterdam Law and Behaviour Institute (A-LAB), the WO&MEN@VU network and interdisciplinary initiatives on restorative justice and university culture.
Elbers has longstanding research connections with Australia, including appointments and collaborations with the University of Sydney, Griffith University and Monash University, alongside applied research with Australian government and statutory agencies.
