Valerie Braithwaite is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a disciplinary background in psychology. She has taught in social and clinical psychology programs at undergraduate and graduate level, and has held research appointments in gerontology in the NH&MRC Social Psychiatry Research Unit and in the Administration, Compliance and Governability Project in the Research School of Social Sciences at ANU. In 1988-89, she was Associate Director in the Research School of Social Sciences, from 1989-2005 Director of the Centre for Tax System Integrity, and from 2006-2008 Head of the Regulatory Institutions Network in the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies.

Currently, Valerie Braithwaite holds a professorial appointment in the Regulatory Institutions Network where she studies psychological processes in regulation and governance. The main themes are:
(a) identifying institutional practices that generate defiance, undermining the individual's capacity and willingness to cooperate in core facets of social life from family and school to work and governance. Of primary interest are practices that fail to respect social values, challenge the stress and coping capabilities of individuals, induce poor shame management skills, and frustrate basic needs;
(b) demonstrating how social relationships facilitate the engagement of individuals in institutional life. This work focuses on building trust, recognizing shared social values, generating hope and institutionalizing dialogue and generosity.

She regularly runs workshops and provides briefings on the adoption of responsive regulatory models by government agencies. Valerie Braithwaite is currently a member of the National Skills Standards Council.

Recently, Valerie Braithwaite has been focussing her efforts on open source publications of immediate practical use to policy makers and community workers. Her most recent publications in this area include: a synthesis of responsive regulation approaches used by regulatory bodies across the globe, co-authored with Mary Ivec; and, with Sharynne Hamilton, a charter of rights for families in out of home care, and a sorely-needed exposition of the perspectives of community workers in child protection. These are available from the Regnet website & her personal website (listed below).