About our research

Biomedical
Biomedical and health

We bring about a healthier world through groundbreaking work in bionics, nanomedicine and other vital areas of healthcare.

Civil-Environment
Civil environment

We develop new ways to increase the efficiencies of living cities, with ties to infrastructure, transport, water and mapping services.

Enabling-Technology
Enabling technology

We push digital out of its comfort zone. Our engineers are leaping ahead with technology innovations never imagined before.

Energy-Engineering
Energy

UNSW engineers are discovering better and more sustainable ways to power our world.

water-engineering
Water

We are passionate about tackling climate change by understanding the way water is moving and changing our world.

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Research Centres, Institutes and Initiatives
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Key Research Areas by School
Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering

Bionics, biomonitoring and modelling

  • Biostable implantable bionics
  • Ambulatory monitoring
  • Telehealth management of chronic disease
  • Image processing
  • Computational modelling

Biomaterials, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

  • Biosynthetic polymers
  • Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
  • Cell and tissue responses to medical devices
  • Nanomolecular medicine

Find out more by visiting The Graduate school of Biomedical Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Chemical Sciences and Engineering

Polymers & colloids/ health

  • Advanced light controlled polymerisation
  • Biofilm control and pathogen detection
  • Immunotherapy and analysis for food allergens

Environmental technology

  • Carbon dioxide capture
  • Water treatment, resource recovery and reuse

Energy

  • Conversion of carbon dioxide/photocatalysis
  • Energy storage
  • Materials modeling and design

Find out more by visiting School of Chemical Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Infrastructure and construction

  • Concrete and steel standards
  • Soil condition management
  • Sustainable construction modelling

Water and sustainability

  • Clean water in developing nations
  • Managing water as a resource
  • Coastal erosion and climate change

Transport 

  • Network congestion minimisation
  • Ubiquitous positioning

Find out more by visiting Civil and Environmental Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Computer Science and Engineering

Data analytics and digital services

  • Analytics of services and internet of things
  • Declarative orchestration of cloud services
  • Scalable processing for big data

Intelligent and autonomous systems

  • Machine learning and reasoning in robotics
  • Intelligent agents in robotics
  • Medical image understanding

Software and systems

  • Formally verified L4 microkernel
  • Program analysis tools and compilers
  • High-level language for GPU programming

Security and trustworthy system

  • Energy-efficient sensing and communication
  • Nano-scale wireless networking
  • Network security hardware design
  • Security mechanisms for Internet of things

Find out more by visiting Computer Science and Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications

Energy systems

  • Power electronics & drive systems
  • Australian Energy Research Institute (AERI)
  • Energy & environmental markets

Telecommunications

  • 5G mobile and wireless networks
  • Optoelectronic transducers and fibre devices
  • Satellite systems

Nano/micro systems

  • Quantum computing
  • Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
  • Nano and micro-fabrication and integrated circuits

Signal processing, systems and control

  • Highly scalable media compression, neuroimaging
  • Paralinguistic and behaviour
  • Automatic control systems

Find out more by visiting Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Combustion and solar thermal energy

  • Engine combustion modelling
  • Laser diagnostics in engines
  • Concentrated solar thermal power

Advanced manufacturing

  • Precision and nano technologies
  • Multi-scale fabrication
  • Sustainable manufacturing

Vibration and aero-acoustics

  • Acoustic-structure interaction
  • Noise control solutions

Find out more by visiting Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering’s Research or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Minerals and Energy Resourcing Engineering

Mine geomechanics

  • Ground support technologies
  • Ground control – rockburst and coalburst
  • Mine subsidence behaviour and prediction

Sustainable mining practices

  • Mine site water, groundwater, seepage barriers
  • Remote sensing
  • Climate change - adaptation and mining, carbon management

Mining systems and mineral processing

  • Froth flotation
  • Longwall top coal caving
  • Off earth mining

Find out more by visiting Minerals and Energy Resourcing Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

Advanced photovoltaic concepts

  • High-efficiency tandem-on-silicon PV devices
  • New PV materials (kesterites and perovskites)
  • Third-generation PV concepts

Commercial photovoltaics

  • High-efficiency silicon devices
  • Defect imaging and passivation
  • Commercial PV manufacturing

Distributed energy systems and policy

  • Energy efficiency
  • Energy resource modelling
  • Energy policy

Find out more by visiting Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering or for more information on Higher Degree by Research programs contact the HDR Support Officer.

UNSW Engineering priority research areas

UNSW Engineering is recognised as Australia's top engineering faculty and is a renowned leader throughout the world.  

Research priority 2018

This network diagram shows the inter-connected nature of our research focus. Note the lines showing the direction of inter-connection.