Research and Innovation Portfolio

AU

Welcome to the Research and Innovation Portfolio

The Research and Innovation Portfolio plays a pivotal role in driving world-class research that delivers global impact, strengthens our academic reputation and contributes to solving society’s most pressing challenges. It enables innovation, supporting researchers, and fostering collaborations that amplify research excellence and deliver positive impact.

The portfolio leads the University’s research strategy, ensuring our academic strengths are leveraged to drive large-scale, high-impact research.

It provides comprehensive support across the research value chain, empowering researchers and graduate researchers with the policies, service, and tools required to achieve excellence.

Working closely with key stakeholders, the portfolio facilitates initiatives that enhance research performance, visibility, and impact. It also champions inclusivity, commercialisation, and partnerships with industry, government, and global institutions.

Through a commitment to innovation, discovery and excellence, the Research and Innovation Portfolio ensures that Adelaide University delivers research that transforms industries, enriches society and communities, and shapes our future.

The Research and Innovation Portfolio has five collaborative functions, ensuring Adelaide University remains at the forefront of engaged research:

  • Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Innovation
  • Graduate Research Training
  • Research Performance and Research Structures
  • Research Services and Infrastructure
  • Research Translation.

Discover the Research and Innovation Portfolio

Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Innovation

The Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Innovation leads the strategic development of research at Adelaide University.  This includes overseeing planning, governance, portfolio budget and strategic investment, executive support, talent attraction and management, project coordination, business partnering and continuous improvement. This function also leads key areas such as Space and Defence and National Security.

Graduate Research Training

The Adelaide University Graduate Research School supports graduate researchers throughout their journey – from application to conferral – by delivering an outstanding and inclusive experience. The function provides personalised, tailored services, high quality professional development, and opportunities that enhance career readiness. It also delivers graduate research supervisor registration and professional development.

Research Services and Infrastructure

Research Services and Infrastructure provides grant and contract services to support researchers, to drive research income and increase success rates for research grant funding; and to provide oversight of research-related compliance, ethics and integrity functions.

In coordination with Colleges and the DVC Corporate, this function is responsible for research infrastructure planning, training, operations, management and compliance to ensure researchers have access to high-quality, fit-for-purpose research infrastructure that supports service excellence and enables bold discovery and translation. 

Research Translation

Research Translation drives the translation, including commercialisation, of research by identifying, driving and supporting research business development opportunities to grow research income, facilitate partnerships, and translate discoveries into real-world applications and utility. Research Translation also oversees the university’s equity portfolio, maximising research impact and economic opportunities.

Research Performance and Research Structures

Research Performance and Research Structures delivers performance in priority research areas, research strategic plan enablement and research leadership. It fosters a culture of excellence by supporting researcher development, tracking performance, and driving continuous improvement. This function also oversees, reviews and supports Research Institutes, Centres, and Concentrations.

Our people

Deputy Vice Chancellor - Research and Innovation: Professor Anton Middelberg

Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Innovation
Executive Director, Defence and National Security, Professor Michael Webb
Interim Executive Director, Research and Innovation: Adrian Mills
Chief Security Officer: Dr Scott Willoughby

Research Performance and Research Structures
Pro Vice Chancellor, Research Performance: Professor Laura Parry

Research Translation
Pro Vice Chancellor, Research Translation: Professor Peter Murphy
Executive Director, Research Business Development and Alliances: Paul Arthur
Director, Large Translation Program Support: Marco Krischer
Director, Research Translation and Commercialisation: Dr Michelle Perugini
Director, Space and Defence Innovation: Ryan McClenaghan
Director, Primary Industries Innovation: Kate McLachlan
Director, Health and Medical Innovation: Kate Illingworth

Research Services and Infrastructure
Pro Vice Chancellor, Research Services and Infrastructure: Professor Michael Goodsite
Executive Director, Research Infrastructure: Dr Lisa Mensforth
Executive Director, Research Services: Dr Michael Millan
Director, Post Award and Contracting Services: Dr Steph De La Rue
Director, Research Compliance, Ethics and Integrity: Camilla Liddy
Director, Pre Award and Development: Dr Dale Godfrey

Graduate Research Training
Pro Vice Chancellor, Graduate Research Training: Professor Carolin Plewa
Dean of Research Programs: Professor Alison Coates
Director, Graduate Research: Dr Doreen Krumbiegel

Contact us

Ready to get in touch? Contact us at enquiries.dvcr@adelaide.edu.au