Interdisciplinary Research Institutes
Working with global industry, government and not-for profits, the institutes challenge current thinking and offer new solutions to change our world.
Multidisciplinary research
Challenging current thinking and translating knowledge through unexpected connections.
Diverse disciplines connecting around society’s toughest problems is the hallmark of multidisciplinary research.
To solve humanity’s biggest challenges, research must embrace multidisciplinary collaboration.
It is here that researchers, industry, community and government translate knowledge and discovery into advances in sustainability, global resilience, health, and economic and social empowerment.
Explore the Hallmark Research Initiatives and Melbourne Interdisciplinary Research Institutes – just some of the places where vital research is happening every day.
Explore the research
Melbourne Interdisciplinary Research Institutes in action
Transforming the social and economic wellbeing and health of people with disability. Shifting from a fossil fuel-based economy to a clean energy economy. Building resilience in our food systems to fire, drought and flood. Centring Indigenous knowledges, perspectives and experiences. Addressing social disadvantage in health, education, housing and work.
The Melbourne Interdisciplinary Research Institutes address these issues.
Working with industry, government and not-for profit organisations in Australia and internationally, they challenge current thinking and offer new solutions to change our world.
Indigenous Knowledge Institute
The Indigenous Knowledge Institute aims to advance research and education in Indigenous knowledge systems.
What responsibility do we all carry in preserving our shared heritage?
Rock shelters dating back 46,000 years at Jukkan Gorge in the Pilbarra, Western Australia, were recently destroyed as part of a Rio Tinto mine expansion. The site was of great cultural and architectural significance where artefacts dating back thousands of years have been discovered; evidence of the area being one of the earliest occupied locations in the Pilbarra and nationally.
Professor Marcia Langton AO, Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, and Aurora Milroy, Institute Manager, Indigenous Knowledge Institute speak with the ABC’s The Drum on corporate responsibility, repatriation of Indigenous artefacts and safeguarding Indigenous cultural heritage.
Hallmark Research Initiatives in action
The Hallmark Research Initiatives address significant local and global challenge that cannot be solved by one discipline alone. Research includes:
- ensuring adequate supply of affordable housing for Australian communities
- meeting the future nutritional needs of a growing local and global population
- increasing environmental sustainability in the building industry
- supporting the UNHCR by addressing gaps in research relating to stateless populations
These initiatives encourage the maturing of interdisciplinary research communities through research projects, workshops, fellowships and events.
Researchers work with industry, government and not-for profit organisations in Australia and internationally to offer new solutions to change our world.
Affordable Housing
The Affordable Housing initiative is working across disciplines to create new insights into the supply of affordable housing.
BioInspiration
The Bioinspiration HRI works with institutes and industry partners to find bioinspired solutions to technological and design challenges.
Statelessness
The Statelessness Hallmark Research initiative worked across disciplines to understand gaps in understanding of stateless populations.
Hallmark Research Initiatives
The Initiatives address significant local and global challenge that cannot be solved by one discipline alone.
Making sustainable building material – with mushrooms
Cladding is used to protect and insulate buildings. Usually, cladding ‘sandwich’ panels are made with aluminium and synthetic materials. This makes them cheap, light and easy to install. But they leave a large carbon footprint.
Mycelium, a network of fibres from which mushrooms flower, has the required properties for sandwich panels while being biodegradable. It's porous, hard and lightweight and can be produced in a way that's environmentally sustainable. And it is easy to grow in any size and shape.
Mycelium is used in packaging and interior building linings and fittings. But its not yet been developed as a viable composite system for use in exterior environments.