Research clusters | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Research clusters

A cohesive group within the School of Science, Technology and Engineering in an area of existing or emerging research strength.

Explore our research clusters

Advanced Characterisation

Characterisation and analysis of chemicals and materials are the building blocks of innovation in manufacturing, and encompasses environmental science, geochemistry and processes including neutron techniques. The aim of this cluster is to accelerate the expansion and impact of advanced characterisation capabilities to meet the future needs of industry.

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing

Materials, and the processes to transform them into products, are critical for technologies across aerospace, transport, construction, electronics, medical, agriculture and mining. This cluster brings together expertise on materials, their processing, and the manufacturing systems and technologies which we use to transform raw materials into products.

Coastal Ecosystem Management

We are working across geography, ecology, earth sciences and environmental management to further our understanding and develop tools guided by scientific evidence necessary for the protection, restoration and responsible development of coastal communities and ecosystems.

Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics

Our molecular initiatives centre on the genetics of complex traits, conservation and evolutionary genomics, organelle genome, anti-cancer compounds, biotechnology and molecular engineering.

Geospatial Analytics for Conservation

All terrestrial and coastal environments face unprecedented and escalating stressors. This cluster brings together a cross-disciplinary group of researchers seeking to advance the conservation and sustainable use of earth resources, using novel approaches and cutting edge analytics.

Iconic Landscapes and Ecosystems

We leverage a truly unique synergy of complementary research to produce novel insights about the environmental condition of iconic landscapes globally. Our researchers have an extraordinarily broad coverage of landscapes, ranging from tropical shores to high mountains.

Intelligent Sensors, Circuits and Systems

The Intelligent Sensors, Circuits & Systems (ISCAS) Cluster brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers from engineering, science and technology to concentrate research on this important field, with a focus on emerging technologies such as AI/ML, IoT, BCI, autonomous vehicles, image processing, wireless communications, signal processing and blockchain.

Marine and Terrestrial Megafauna

The UniSC Marine and Terrestrial Megafauna cluster aims to deliver innovative, globally impactful research in marine and terrestrial megafauna biology, ecology, physiology, behaviour, and conservation. The aim is to produce high-quality, innovative  research that addresses key global conservation issues impacting marine and terrestrial megafauna.

Ocean Futures

Ocean Futures brings together researchers working at the interface between physical, mathematical and ecological sciences to address climate risks, impacts and adaptation in marine systems. This cluster is focused on climate​-induced​impacts to marine ecosystems, and on ​adaptation​ to future climate-associated risks.

Smart Computing

Bringing together multidisciplinary UniSC expertise in AI, IoT, Big Data, Security and Digital Citizen Science around a research development framework, to address the growing demand for computational research. The aim is to facilitate collaboration between private, academic and public sector organisations within our region, nationally and internationally on smart computing applications.

Associated UniSC Research Centres and Institutes

Several members of our Research Clusters are also members of UniSC Research Centres and Institutes, specifically: