2019-05-07 P&E Agenda - Item 3 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Sustainability Institute - Concepts and Options Report

3. Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute
http://sustainable.unimelb.edu.au/




Institute model – Physical institute within the University of Melbourne
Active organisation – Established in 2009
Background – MSSI aims to undertake research that makes a difference and has a strategic impact
beyond the University. Started generating Impact Case Studies for some of their research projects,
to show how they go about translating research into action.
Mission – To facilitate and enable research linkages, projects and conversations that lead to
increased understanding of sustainability and resilience trends, challenges and solutions. MSSI has
a particular emphasis on the contribution of the social sciences and humanities to understanding
and addressing sustainability and resilience challenges.
Governance structure – The institute is managed by an executive committee of prominent
University of Melbourne staff and guided by an advisory board of external experts.
Funding – The Institute acts on Government funding through the Faculty of Architecture, Building &
Planning, at the University of Melbourne.
Selection criteria – The MSSI is a good example of a university-based institute that aims to have a
positive impact on the local, and global, community. It supports a diverse range of interdisciplinary
research projects and regularly hosts free events such as public lectures, seminars, workshops with
guest speakers on topics that align with their research. The particular emphasis on the contribution
of the social sciences and humanities to the understanding and addressing sustainability and
resilience challenges is of particular note.




12 | Noosa Sustainability Institute