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About DSI

The Defence Science Institute (DSI) is a collaborative research initiative of the University of Melbourne and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in the Department of Defence.

DSI aims to:
  1. Build defence research networks between academia, research agencies, industry, and key defence and national security stakeholders;
  2. Undertake world class research in critical scientific and engineering areas relevant to defence.
It will achieve these aims by building research teams between end-users, the defence research agency DSTO, academia and industry.
 
The Victorian Department of Business and Innovation is providing investment of $1M per annum to assist in DSI’s activities in Victoria. DSI will combine world class research capability in the university sector with the applied research capability, military context and operational knowledge of the Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO), and link this research to defence industries.
 
DSI is creating an environment that promotes the application of cross-disciplinary research to solve complex long-term challenges in the defence sciences and national security sector with spin-off outcomes for other areas including emergency management and biomedical engineering.
 
Research capability within DSI is loosely grouped under six research themes. Theme Leaders from the University of Melbourne are matched with DSTO Theme Leaders to create a unique team of academic researchers and active end-user stakeholders. DSI has a strategic research program with the following research themes:
  1. Intelligent Information Systems
  2. Active Materials
  3. Human Protection and Performance
  4. Propulsion and Energy Systems
  5. Chemical and Biological Defence
  6. Sensors.
Projects from the themes will form a research portfolio which will be the DSI “research program”. This program is approved by the DSI Board ensuring the program fits with the stakeholders needs and the research remains world class.
 
Themes have a number of existing and potential intra and inter theme research projects. They seek to leverage DSI funding, competitive grant funding (e.g. ARC and NHMRC grants), DSTO and industry collaboration to build integrated cross-disciplinary research projects. The problems being tackled are inspired by end-user engagement (DSTO) and industry partners developing and supporting complex defence systems.
 
Professor Bill Moran from the University of Melbourne has been appointed the Research Director, while Professor Len Sciacca, who is a Chief of Division in DSTO is the Director.
 
The goals of the Institute will be to leverage research between industry, other institutes, universities, DSTO, CSIRO and other organisations.