Our research groups, Centres and Institute undertake research in engineering, science and information technology with a focus on producing world-class research and development outcomes.
Conducted in collaboration with industry and community, we apply our research to improve the built environment and the sustainability of the world’s resources, without compromising the natural environment.
Innovative and future-focused, our research covers alternative energy, applied informatics and mathematics, biotechnology, chemical and analytical science, fire safety and risk engineering, sustainable building, water resources and more.
We provide support services, programs and infrastructure that allow our researchers to maximise outcomes.
Excellence in research
Our College has a dynamic research culture that is internationally recognised. In the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings, we achieved outcomes of:
- well above world standard (rating 5) in electrical and electronic engineering (including research into control systems and signal and image processing)
- above world standard (rating 4) in applied mathematics and mechanical engineering.
- at world standard (rating 3) in artificial intelligence & image processing, distributed computing and information systems.
Institute, Centres & Research groups
Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE)
The staff in our Institute, Centres & Research groups undertake engineering and science research, with a focus on producing world-class research and development outcomes.
The Institute and Centres associated with our college are:
- Institute for Sustainability and Innovation (ISI)
- Centre for Applied Informatics (CAI)
- Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE).
The research groups within our college focus on engineering, science and information technology. Our research groups are:
Engineered Packaging and Distribution research group
- Advanced food systems (including biotechnology; chemical, analytical and polymer science)
- Applied ecology
- Applied mathematics
- Alternative energy
- Engineered packaging and distribution (including thermodynamics; fluid mechanics; vibrations and dynamics; chemical, analytical and polymer science)
- Structural mechanics and materials (including sustainable buildings)
- Smart energy
- Telecommunications, electronics, photonics and sensors
- Water resources
Featured research projects
Professor Yanchun Zhang, Centre for Applied Informatics Director
- Professor Yanchun Zhang and his team at the Centre for Applied Informatics have developed algorithms to predict patients' vital signs and provide early warning of complications during surgery, making surgery safer than ever before.
- Institute for Sustainability and Innovation scientists have shown the viability of a new desalination technology that uses almost no electricity and has the potential to save huge amounts of water. Project leader Professor Mikel Duke said a three-month power station trial in Newport proved desalination of wastewater – which usually relies on electricity – could instead be powered by an industry's own waste heat.
- Dr Maurice Guerrieri and a team of researchers from the Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering are testing the engineering limits for oil rigs to withstand tsunamis and blazing infernos.
Contact us
For information on how to apply for a research degree program, and postgraduate supervision email Elizabeth Smith on elizabeth.smith@vu.edu.au.
For information about research collaborations, partnerships and projects email research.coes@vu.edu.au.
