Research Themes and Clusters
Thematic priorities
UNE is dedicated to identifying and delivering innovations of value to society and industry, in Australia and internationally, with a particular emphasis on inter-disciplinary research. We seek solutions to complex problems in rural and regional Australia. Our research involves interdisciplinary and cross-institutional collaborations and is underpinned by five thematic research priorities:
- Australia's future food and water security: smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies
- Health and wellbeing in rural communities: social exclusion, health inequity, mental health, social policy
- Our communities, our neighbours: regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace
- Our past, present and future: documentation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage, history, memory and identity in Australia and internationally.
Research clusters
Agricultural Sciences
As a multi-disciplinary field, Agricultural Science research at UNE encompasses areas including Agronomy, Biological Science, Agricultural productivity, Law, Economics, and Social Sciences.
UNE's SMART Farm serves as a test-site for researching new technologies, including broadband connectivity in an effort to improve productivity, environmental sustainability, safety, workflow and social/business support networks on Australian farms.
Thematic priorities
- Australia's future food and water security; smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies
- Our communities, our neighbours: regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace.
Current activities
Biological Sciences
UNE's research into Biological Science integrates interdisciplinary projects within the fields of biology, bio-ethics, zoology, micro organisms, plant and human fields of science.
Thematic priorities
- Australia's future food and water security: smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies.
Current activities
- Avian Behavioural Ecology Lab
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology
- Evolutionary Ecology of Parasitism Lab
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Lab
- Insect Ecology Lab
- Life, Earth and Environment
- Pharmaceutical and Nutraceuticals
- Plant Evolution and Pollination Group
- Research Group for Molecular Biology
- WRaIN — Water Research and Innovation Network.
Earth Sciences
UNE researchers are conducting multi-disciplinary research into the sciences that include investigations in soil study, geochemistry and climate change.
Thematic priorities
- Australia's future food and water security; smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability; protecting biodiversity, effective policies.
Current activities
Education and Human Society
Regional and Rural Innovations
UNE's interdisciplinary research into Education explores innovative ways of teaching with a focus on online communication technologies. Our objective is to enable the up-skilling of people from a broad range of backgrounds. Our researchers collaborate with national and international colleagues.
Thematic priorities
- Australia's future food and water security: smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies
- Health and wellbeing in rural communities: social exclusion, health inequity, mental health, social policy
- Our past, present and future; Australia's regional history, regional memory, regional identity; protection and promotion of cultural heritage
- Our communities, our neighbours; regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace.
Current activities
- EduOne
- SiMERR — National Research Centre
- SMART Farm — education in innovative technologies in agriculture
- WRaIN — Water Education.
Environmental Sciences
Our Environmental Science research focuses on diversity and fosters partnerships with agencies, businesses and community groups.
Thematic priorities
- Australia's future food and water security: smart science, smart technology
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies
- Health and wellbeing in rural communities: social exclusion, health inequity, mental health, social policy.
Current activities
- Avian Behavioural Ecology Lab
- Aquatic Ecology and Restoration Research Group
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology
- Biodiversity, Landscapes and Ecosystem Stewardship
- Evolutionary Ecology of Parasitism Lab
- Insect Ecology Lab
- Life, Earth and Environment
- Mammal Ecology Group
- Plant Evolution and Pollination Group
- Plant, Soils and Environment Systems
- WRaIN — Water Research and Innovation Network.
Humanities and Creative Arts
UNE researchers are exploring our cultural heritage with focus on the following:
- Australia's regional history; memory and identity; promotion and protection of cultural heritage
- Contemporary Australian literature, theatre and performance; twentieth century Australian literature, theatre and performance; writing for television; British modernism.
Thematic priorities
Our communities, our neighbours: international, national, regional and rural development, cultural capital, sustainability, prosperity and peace.
Mathematical and Computational Sciences
UNE researchers are developing theoretical techniques through analytical, topological and algebraic tools and applying the results to seek solutions to problems arising from a wide range of areas including — geometry and natural sciences (biology, chemistry, ecology, physics and rural sciences).
Thematic priority
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: protecting biodiversity, effective policies
- Our communities, our neighbours: regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace.
Current activities
Medical and Health Sciences
Our interdisciplinary health and medical research represents a range of disciplines: biomedical sciences; stress and depression; social work; mental health; clinical and health psychology.
Thematic priorities
- Health and wellbeing in rural communities: social exclusion, health inequity, mental health, social policy
- Our communities, our neighbours: regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity and peace.
Current research priorities
