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Institute for Rural Futures - Research Themes

The Institute for Rural Futures (IRF) undertakes applied inter-disciplinary research across social, economic, environmental and resource issues affecting the future of rural Australia. With collaborators it aims to build an integrated knowledge base and understanding of complex and interrelated social, economic and environmental issues, and seeks to build knowledge based policy and solutions for rural areas. It therefore fills an important gap in an area not traditionally or adequately dealt with through standard disciplinary research structures – a point noted and appreciated by many of our clients.

Whilst contributing knowledge based policy analysis and adaptive capacity to meet these pressures in rural Australia is a long-term objective for the Institute, key research program thematic areas for the five years 2001-2005 were strategically identified to target prevailing rural issues and research funding opportunities.

A fourth area of developing strength is targeting an emerging “over the horizon” area to build on existing strengths in positioning the IRF and UNE for future leading edge research and funding. It will build techniques and applied models for more seamless integration and synthesis of knowledge and innovative solutions that can be tested with communities and partners.