Research programs and centres
The Faculty of Engineering at UTS has a lively and cutting-edge research culture driving advances in engineering technology, practice and education. Our research is needs-driven and collaborative and we work with many enterprises in business partnerships. Our researchers are world-class and recognised leaders in their fields, responsible for delivering new, better and more cost-effective solutions to complex engineering challenges.
Faculty research is varied and utilises modern laboratories and research facilities on the City campus, Broadway. These are supported by extensive computing facilities and library services. The laboratories have excellent back-up workshops and expert support staff. Many opportunities exist for professional development through challenging, well-resourced research programs.
Research profile
Collaborative research
Research opportunities
Major research areas
Research management
Institutes, key research strengths and research centres
The Faculty is host, in whole or in part, to a number of key research areas and strengths, each designated and supported by the University. These include:
- Institute for Information and Communication Technology
- Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management
- Institute for Nanoscale Technology
- Key University Research Centre for Built Infrastructure Research
- Key University Research Centre in Health Technologies
- University Research Group for Intelligent Mechatronic and Energy Systems
- Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy
- Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems
- Centre for Electrical Machines and Power Electronics
- National Centre for Groundwater Management
- Centre for Local Government.
The Faculty's researchers work with private and public companies to achieve their strategic objectives in engineering research and development. These collaborative programs tend to be long-term and offer mutually beneficial outcomes, with the economic, business, social and environmental dimensions of engineering being addressed explicitly. Most collaborative research is supported by sponsorships or grants.
Research opportunities encompass the following areas of specialisation.
Information and Communication Technologies: Networks management, Adaptive intelligent systems, Visualisation tools, Advanced Web technologies, Satellite systems, Wireless technology, Radio frequency hardware
Infrastructure and the Environment: Built infrastructure, Water and environmental, Resource management, Public health engineering, Groundwater management, Local government
Management, Policy and Planning: Engineering, project, operations and risk management, Systems theory and Socio-technical systems, Engineering practice, Environmental risk
Mechatronics and Intelligent Systems: Health technologies, Mechatronics, Energy, Embedded systems
For up-to-date information on all Faculty designated research groups and current research capabilities, see the Faculty website at:
www.eng.uts.edu.au
Information and Communication
- Network Management
- Adaptive intelligent systems
- Visualisation tools
- Advanced Web technologies
- Satellite systems
- Wireless technology
- Radio frequency hardware
Infrastructure and the Environment
- Built infrastructure
- Water and environment resource management
- Public health engineering
- Groundwater management
- Local government
Management, Policy and Planning
- Energy policy and planning
- Engineering, project, operations and risk management
- Systems theory and Socio-technical systems
- Engineering practice
- Environmental risk
Mechatronics and Intelligent Systems
- Health technologies
- Mechatronics
- Energy
- Embedded systems
Research management within the Faculty is coordinated through two committees.
The Faculty Research Degrees Committee is responsible, under delegations from the Faculty Board in Engineering, for recommendations relating to the admission, progression and examination of research degree candidates, together with the development of policies and practices across the Faculty to assist candidates and enhance outcomes.
The Research Management Committee is responsible for enhancing research outcomes in the Faculty. It has responsibility (inter alia) for developing, implementing and maintaining the Faculty's Research Management Plan, including program allocations and infrastructure development funded by the Faculty; the collection and dissemination of research information; and the promotion of research partnerships with industry and other bodies.
The Faculty of Engineering supports several institutes and centres, each capturing established research strengths in engineering and related fields. These include the following.
Institute for Information and Communications Technology
The Institute for Information and Communications Technology is one of four UTS advanced technology research concentrations involving research staff, industry partners and research students from several faculties, including the Faculties of Engineering and Information Technology. Its research spans interdisciplinary challenges in broadband network management, interactive and intelligent user interfaces, and network enabling technologies, with an emphasis on emerging application domains.
Inquiries may be made to:
Deputy Director, Institute for ICT
Professor Robin Braun
CB01.24.24
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2460
fax (+61 2) 9514 2435
email Robin.Braun@uts.edu.au
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management
The Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management undertakes research shaped by the need for sustainable management of water resources, nationally and internationally. As one of four UTS-designated advanced technology research concentrations, it links research staff and students from the Faculties of Engineering and Science with government, industry and community partners through its collaborative programs. Major research themes include groundwater, hydrology and hydrogeology; vegetation and land use salinity; urban water cycles, waste water management and recycling economics; rural water resources including irrigation, recycling and agricultural run-off; and ecotoxicology and environmental engineering.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Michael Knight
CB01.17.15
telephone (+61 2) 9514 1984
fax (+61 2) 9514 1985
email iwerm@uts.edu.au
www.iwerm.uts.edu.au
Institute for Nanoscale Technology
The Institute for Nanoscale Technology is a UTS advanced technology research concentration aligned to national science and technology priorities. Its research relates primarily to nanomaterials and devices for biocompatible or energy efficient applications, with major programs on artificial cell membranes and nanosensors, nanograined metals and ceramics, nanocoatings and surface texturing. Opportunities exist for research linking the enabling science and its engineering application.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Michael Cortie, Director
CB01.16.17J
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2208
fax (+61 2) 9514 7553
email Michael.Cortie@uts.edu.au
Key University Research Centre for Built Infrastructure Research
The Centre for Built Infrastructure Research (CBIR) encompasses multidisciplinary researchers from the Faculties of Engineering; Science; and Design, Architecture and Building. It aims to develop new technologies to enhance the quality and performance of new infrastructure and to underpin cost-effective strategies for the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure. The Centre currently focuses on collaborative research with industry in areas which include the application of new advanced materials in construction; assessment, maintenance and remediation of structural performance; minimisation of hazard resulting from earthquake, wind or wave action; the assessment and health monitoring of timber bridges; and use of renewable materials and recycled construction and demolition materials. It is located at the Australian Technology Park, Eveleigh.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Bijan Samali
CB02.5.11B
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2023
fax (+61 2) 9514 2633
email Bijan.Samali@uts.edu.au
www.cbir.uts.edu.au
Key University Research Centre in Health Technologies
Continued advances in health care and quality of life in the future will come from new knowledge and innovative scientific/technological breakthroughs. Our research team, which forms a joint faculty designated research strength from the Faculties of Engineering and Science, has an extensive national and international reputation in the field of health technology with more than $6 million in competitive research funding over the last five years and several spin-off companies commercialising research discoveries. The group brings together complementary interdisciplinary research skills unique in Australia in the development of revolutionary devices and novel systems for health technology applications.
Based on several significant devices which have already been developed by the Core Group (the Mind Switch, the Non-Invasive Hypoglycaemia Monitor), and numerous novel systems (membrane electrophysiology, dry electrodes, fatigue monitoring, diabetic complication predictive techniques, and fusion of tomology images), a new and ambitious program has been developed to enhance our capacity to deal with major illnesses in terms of effective prediction, diagnosis and rehabilitation. The focus of the group is on the study of health and disease processes, and the development of new devices and advanced techniques for the prediction, diagnosis and rehabilitation of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, neurological disorder and cancer.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Hung Nguyen
Faculty of Engineering
CB02.6.12
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2451
fax (+61 2) 9514 2655
email hung.nguyen@uts.edu.au
www.eng.uts.edu.au/~htn
Professor Ashley Craig
Faculty of Science
CB08.2.05
telephone (+61 2) 9514 1358
fax (+61 2) 9514 1359
email A.Craig@uts.edu.au
www.eng.uts.edu.au/~htn/health.html
University Research Group for Intelligent Mechatronic and Energy Systems
The aim of the UTS University Research Group for Intelligent Mechatronic and Energy Systems (IMES) is to focus the research effort in intelligent systems at UTS into four strategic interdisciplinary areas encompassing Mechatronics and Energy systems, namely Autonomous Robots, Automobile Systems, Electrical Vehicles and Artificial Hearts.
Recent progress in intelligent systems research at UTS has made it opportune to build up a multidisciplinary team to undertake innovative fundamental research and develop practical implementations in these four application domains. The research program of the group exploits the existing expertise of the core and associate members in system modelling and synthesis, sensing, estimation, control, and embedded computer systems.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Gamini Dissanayake
Faculty of Engineering
CB02.612C
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2683
fax (+61 2) 9514 2655
email gamini.dissanayake@uts.edu.au
Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy
The Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE) seeks to create an internationally competitive renewable energy industry. ACRE brings together excellent research capabilities and market knowledge into a world-class centre for innovation and for the commercialisation of renewable energy systems.
Inquiries may be made to:
Associate Professor Joe Zhu
Director, Academic Programs, CEMPE
Faculty of Engineering
CB01.24.28
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2318
fax (+61 2) 9514 2435
email Joe.Zhu@uts.edu.au
www.phys.murdoch.edu.au/acre/
Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems
The Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems (CRCSS) was established in 1997 to design and build robust and innovative satellite systems and has a budget of $56 million over seven years, including contributions from research and industry participants. Participants in the CRCSS include UTS, the CSIRO, University of South Australia, La Trobe University, Queensland University of Technology, University of Newcastle, Auspace Limited, VIPAC Scientists and Engineers Pty Ltd, Curtin University of Technology, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, the ARIES Consortium, D-Space Ltd, Optus Communications, and Kodak Ltd.
As a core member of the CRCSS, UTS is represented on the management board for the program. UTS is part of the telecommunications group of the CRCSS with the specific role to design and develop Ka band microwave earth stations to be used with the Federation Satellite One (Fedsat-1). Fedsat-1 will be a low-cost micro-satellite, conducting telecommunication, space physics, remote sensing and engineering experiments. The Ka band is a new commercial band in the higher end of microwave spectrum being utilised by a number of low earth orbit satellite business ventures for global direct satellite access to the Internet and Internet-based services. The Ka band is 30 Gigahertz on the uplink from earth to the satellite and 20 Gigahertz from the satellite to the earth station. The two frequencies are used to separate received signals from transmitted signals. Using the Ka band requires the development of new communication techniques and subsystems.
Inquiries may be made to:
Associate Professor Sam Reisenfeld
Director, UTS CRCSS Program
Faculty of Engineering
CB01.25.12
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2448
fax (+61 2) 9514 2435
email Sam.Reisenfeld@uts.edu.au
www.eng.uts.edu.au/crcss
or
www.cress.csiro.au
Centre for Electrical Machines and Power Electronics
This Centre is principally concerned with electrical variable speed drives and generation of electricity using rotating electrical machines and renewable sources (wind, hydro). The technical research disciplines necessary for these two areas are very similar, covering electrical machines design, power electronics, and mechanical design. The interest in renewable energy generation is primarily for remote areas and developing countries, so the incorporation of expertise in design for such areas is valuable, with the inclusion of energy requirements analysis, energy economics, technology transfer and human management issues. Research topics cover:
- new models for analysis and design (electrical, thermal, mechanical)
- new control techniques (new theories and computer processors)
- new practical designs for commercialisation (new materials and components), and
- new processes relevant to remote areas and developing nations (local organisations, high reliability).
Major interdisciplinary projects include:
- 2.520kW electric generators and controllers for wind turbines for remote area power supplies
- 40kW hydroelectric scheme for Solomon Islands
- very low-cost, efficient variable-speed drive for small fan motors
- implantable rotary blood pump with integrated motor, impeller and bearings
- brushless, doubly-fed, twin-stator drive for large fans and pumps, and
- 40kW brushless motor controllers and battery chargers for 105-seat hybrid electric ferry.
Inquiries may be made to:
Associate Professor Joe Zhu
Director, Academic Programs, CEMPE
Faculty of Engineering
CB01.24.28
telephone (+61 2) 9514 2318
fax (+61 2) 9514 2435
email Joe.Zhu@uts.edu.au
www.eng.uts.edu.au/~joe/
National Centre for Groundwater Management
The National Centre for Groundwater Management is operated jointly with the Faculty of Science. Research areas include: contaminated land evaluation and rehabilitation; groundwater quality management strategies for industrial, agricultural and urban use; contaminant transport and water resource modelling; optimisation; groundwater geophysics and remote sensing; and hydraulic modelling, with applications such as irrigation management.
Inquiries may be made to:
Professor Michael Knight
Centre Director
CB01.17.15
telephone (+61 2) 9514 1984
fax (+61 2) 9514 1985
email groundwater.management@uts.edu.au
http://groundwater.ncgm.uts.edu.au/ncgm/
Centre for Local Government
This Centre has links with several faculties, especially Business and Engineering. Research areas relating to local government include: local and regional development, international local government, local government leadership, strategic planning and management, values and ethics, participative democracy and community governance.
Inquiries may be made to:
Associate Professor Graham Sansom
Centre Director
CB01.17.14
telephone (+61 2) 9514 1689
fax (+61 2) 9514 2274
email Graham.Sansom@uts.edu.au
www.clg.uts.edu.au/
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