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Murdoch's Research Profile

Overview of Research At Murdoch University

Murdoch University was founded as a research-based university in 1973. The original Act of Parliament required Murdoch University to "encourage and undertake research and to meet the needs of the community". In 2006 Murdoch University retained its position as one of the leading research universities in Australia, ranking in the top 8 on a per capita basis.

Murdoch University attracted research income for 2006 of over $36 million from government and industry funding sources.

Areas of Research Excellence

Murdoch University has five Areas of Research Excellence dedicated to making significant advances in knowledge and contributions to the broader community. With internationally recognised centres and Institutes, Murdoch continues to be one of the leading research Universities in Australia.

Agriculture, Veterinary and Biotechnology

Biotechnology research has formed a foundation for significant advances in animal and human health and agricultural practice. Murdoch is at the forefront of world plant, food and animal sciences research. Our biotechnology expertise includes plant biotechnology, plant pathology, animal production, disease control and bioinformatics.

Energy, Environment and Resources

The rapid growth of emerging economies is increasing the pressure on global energy and commodity supplies, the world’s environment and the sustainability of ecosystems. Murdoch is addressing these issues through research undertaken by world class research centres in energy and minerals research, technology policy, ecosystem management and the life sciences.

Society and Politics

Universities play a pivotal role in local, national and international political and social development. Through the ‘Centre for Social and Community’, Murdoch is committed to meeting the needs of its community by undertaking interdisciplinary research on social issues in local and national communities. Murdoch’s social and political research extends internationally into South East Asia. Our research includes the study of emergent social forces (middle classes, labour and business) and their impact on the region, the social and psychological problems that follow major social, economic and technological change.

Health and Life Sciences

Australia’s aging population will place unprecedented demands on the country, and escalation in health costs and demand is driving the need for improved health planning and research. The past 40 years have seen a significant change in our understanding of patterns, causes, and control of disease in groups of people. Murdoch is contributing to continuing to improve health and living standards around the world through its research and development work in a range of health and life sciences, including: clinical immunology and biomedical statistics centre for clinical pharmacology and infectious disease, chiropractic, pharmacy and psychology.

Media and Technology

Distinctions between the broadcast platforms of television, newspaper and radio are rapidly converging. Simultaneously the power of the internet as a broadcast platform is being realised. This change in the media landscape presents significant economic and social opportunities. Experienced groups or researchers are undertaking research in film, broadcasting, internet, advertising and marketing, mobile content and computer games technology.