Our researchers have access to a wide range of specialist laboratories and research facilities that are ranked among the best in Australia and the world.
We are one of just seven Australian universities to receive a five-star rating from the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations for our facilities and infrastructure supporting postgraduate research students.
VU research students also have access to dedicated study and computing facilities in the form of a Research Student Lounge and Research Room located in two of our campus Libraries (Footscray Park and Werribee).
Sport, exercise science & active living research
Exercise labs at VU
The Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living offers state-of-the-art research facilities including:
- exercise physiology laboratories
- altitude hotel
- biomechanics laboratories
- motor learning and skilled performance laboratories
- sport and exercise biochemistry laboratories
- motor control and biofeedback laboratories
- exercise rehabilitation laboratories.
Victoria University Community Sports Stadium
The $8 million VU education research centre for sport and exercise sciences is located at Victoria University Community Sports Stadium (previously Whitten Oval). The stadium is home to our partners, the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
The facility offers unique opportunities for research in elite sports, including coaching, player development and strength and conditioning.
Water research
Water research facilities
The Institute for Sustainability and Innovation (ISI) offers a range of water research laboratories at our Werribee campus. This includes:
- fully equipped fluid mechanics and hydraulics laboratory incorporating pluviometers, flowmeters and water quality monitoring equipment
- laboratory and pilot plant membrane facilities for flat sheet, hollow fibre and ceramic membranes
- membrane autopsy facilities.
Researchers also have access to a range of hydrological and water resources computer software packages, including GIS and REALM.
Sleep laboratory
Dr Dorothy Bruck conducting sleep research
Based at our St Albans campus, the 2-bedroom sleep laboratory is equipped with three portable Compumedics "Somte" systems for sleep recordings, and software for staging and scoring sleep studies. Researchers have access to a range of devices for measuring sleep and performance, including:
- Respironics Actiware watches and software
- SleepImage cardiopulmonary coupling devices for assessing sleep stability
- Palm Psychomotor Vigilance Tests
- BMedical Pro-diaries for recording daytime assessments of sleepiness and mood.
Health research
Victoria University has partnered with Western Health and the University of Melbourne to develop the new Western Centre for Health Research and Education. The $51.6 million five-level building at Sunshine Hospital provides current and future health care professionals with cutting-edge education, research and training facilities.
Special collections & archives
Special collections at the library
The VU Library holds several special collections and archives that are available to assist graduate students and staff in their research. These collections have been developed through donations and bequests, or where special research interest areas exist at VU.
Special collections include:
- Papua New Guinea collection
- Radical Literature collection
- Regional Archives (Western Melbourne Region)
- Ruth & Maurie Crow collection
- Elda Vaccari collection
- Timor-Leste collection
- Rationalist collection
- John and Shirley Mclaren collection
Fire testing facilities
Hydrocarbon test furnace
The Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE) offers research and testing opportunities for applications in fire safety engineering at our Werribee campus.
Fire test facilities include:
- fire test furnaces
- cone calorimeter
- 3MW calorimeter and ISO room
- large fire test facilities
- four storey building scale model.
Victorian Platform Technologies Network (VPTN)
The Victorian Platform Technologies Network is a centralised network of core facilities which house high quality instrumentation providing services and expertise in areas including biotechnology, informatics, mathematics, materials science, computation and manufacturing. The facilities are open for access by industry and researchers – no matter where you are based.
A key VPTN initiative is the Australian Research Infrastructure Network (ARIN) which enables online booking of participating VPTN facilities and real-time reporting of usage for users, chief investigators, institutional administrators and facility managers.
Other research facilities
VU offers many more research facilities and resources through our Institutes and Centres and academic colleges.
