Cooperative Research Centres

The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program is an initiative of the Australian Government. The program supports research collaborations between researchers and end-users with the aim of delivering significant economic, environmental and social benefits to Australia.

CRCs address major challenges driven by end users and comprise at least one Australian end-user either from the private, public or community sector, and one Australian higher education institution or research institute affiliated with a university.

Western Sydney University is currently a member of the following CRCs:

  • Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC (opens in a new window)
    The Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC is conducting research to build a disaster-resilient Australia. The centre draws together all of Australia and New Zealand’s fire and emergency service authorities with the leading experts across a range of scientific fields to explore the causes, consequences and mitigation of natural disasters. The CRC coordinates a national research effort in hazards, including bushfire, flood, storm, cyclone, earthquake, heatwave and tsunami. From 2013, $47 million over eight years in Australian Government funds under the Cooperative Research Centres Program have been matched by support from state and territory government organisations, research institutions and NGOs.
  • CRC CARE (opens in a new window)
    The Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) performs research, develops technologies and provides policy guidance for assessing, cleaning up and preventing contamination of soil, water and air.
    CRC CARE was launched in 2005 as part of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program and in 2011 successfully bid for a further nine years of funding.
  • Digital Health CRC (opens in a new window)
    The Digital Health CRC will enable a national and international R&D program that is of the scale to achieve meaningful impacts from both a population health and industry development perspective. Led by the team who managed the Capital Markets CRC, our consortium intend to work across four research streams to address the challenges of optimising health through digital technologies. The streams comprise; Personalised Care, Fully Informed Healthcare, Behaviour Change & Consumer Empowerment and Better Value, Access, Quality & Safety.
  • Future Food Systems CRC (opens in a new window)
    The Future Food Systems CRC was funded in 2019 under the Commonwealth Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Program. The CRC was initiated by the NSW Farmers Association, UNSW Sydney and Food Innovation Australia Ltd. It was then progressed by a consortium of more than 60 founding industry, government and research participants through round 20 of the annual Commonwealth CRC selection process. CRC research and capability programs will support participants in optimising the productivity of regional and peri-urban food systems, taking new products from prototype to market and implementing rapid, provenance-protected supply chains from farm to consumer.
  • HEARing CRC (opens in a new window)
    The HEARing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is a collaboration of 21 internationally-recognised organisations. The HEARing CRC conducts world leading research across four distinct areas (programs): The Listening Brain; The Intelligent Interface; Individualised Solutions; and Enhanced Service Capacity. Together, through our research efforts, we will lay the foundation for a new era of hearing healthcare for Australia.
  • RoZetta Institute (previously the Capital Markets CRC) (opens in a new window)
    RoZetta was formed from the 2018 merger between Capital Markets Cooperative Research Centre (established 2001) and the Securities Industry Research Centre of Asia-Pacific (established 1997).
  • SmartCrete CRC (opens in a new window)
    SmartCrete CRC is proposing a systematic approach to breakthrough concrete construction research from a whole of life cycle perspective. It will provide a cross-program state-of-the-art living and virtual laboratory for partners to test, shape and develop innovations with a clear pathway to commercialisation.
  • SmartSat CRC (opens in a new window)
    SmartSat CRC will focus activity in three key areas; advanced communications, intelligent satellite systems, and Earth Observation (EO). The bid was also endorsed by Industry Growth Centres including; Cyber Security Growth Centre, Mining Equipment, Technology and Services, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, National Energy Resources Australia and Food Innovation Australia Ltd.