Thaarramali Pearson is a Sir Roland Wilson Pat Turner Scholar at the Crawford School of Public Policy, where his doctoral research explores how formal and informal budgetary processes shape public policy formation. His research examines the influence of financial offset mechanisms and policy costing rules on the behaviour of public servants within line agencies of the Australian Public Service. Thaarramali brings nearly a decade of experience across both central and line agencies in the Australian Public Service. Most recently, as Director of Apprenticeships Costing and Modelling at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Thaarramali led policy development and financial analysis for major skills programs. Thaarramali holds a Master of Public Administration from ANU, for which he received both the 2024 Sir Roland Wilson Pat Turner Prize and the 2025 MPA Prize for academic excellence. He also holds graduate certificates in Leadership and Behavioural Economics and is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.