Research for industry and government

Monash Transport conducts pure/basic and applied research, as well as consulting, to address the needs of a range of industry sectors.

By drawing on the diverse expertise of research teams that cross traditional discipline boundaries, Monash Transport develops rigorous and relevant solutions for research problems such as:

• providing evidence-based insight to resolve strategic problems
• maximising returns through investment in public transport
• designing motor vehicles to improve safety
• determining how the wheels on railway carriages should be designed to reduce maintenance costs

Research projects are funded by a number of sources including:

• Monash internal grants
• Australian Research Council (ARC)
• Commonwealth, State and Local Government agencies
• Community and private sector

Public and private sector partners can engage Monash to conduct research. There are also opportunities available through the ARC Linkage Scheme for projects to access Commonwealth funding. The ARC Linkage Scheme represents an excellent opportunity to leverage research investments through collaborative projects with Monash staff.

Please contact us to discuss these opportunities further.

Areas of research expertise

Aviation

Monash research is helping:

• to improve aircraft design
• inform the development of policy in the aviation sector
• improve the efficiency and safety of operations for airlines and airport operators

Air research is being undertaken across a wide spectrum of areas.

• Aircraft design: Fluids Laboratory for Aeronautical and Industrial Research (FLAIR)
• Operations: Lab for Optimisation in Transport, Travel and Logistics
• Policy/regulation: Economics
• Safety: Monash University Accident Research Centre

Logistics and supply chain management

Businesses know only too well that costs are incurred whenever materials or products move or are stored on their way to their final customers. Monash researchers enhance business competitiveness through innovative solutions to of logistics and supply chain management challenges.

• Operations management: Marketing
• Optimising operations: Lab for Optimisation in Transport Travel and Logistics

Public transport

Public transport plays a critical role in urban and regional communities. With Australia's only Professor of Public Transport, Monash research is helping to plan public transport systems to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Monash designers have won awards for their innovative designs for public transport vehicles which will broaden their appeal to the travelling public.

• Planning and operations: Institute of Transport Studies
• Safety: Monash University Accident Research Centre
• Tourism: Tourism Research Unit
• Vehicle design: Art and Design

Rail

Australia has an extensive network of railways which serve not only passengers but also the needs to freight movement for import and export. Monash has unique expertise in delivering innovative railway engineering solutions and in improving the safety of rail operations.

• Infrastructure and vehicles: Institute of Railway Technology
• Safety: Monash University Accident Research Centre

Road

Roads play a key role in the movement of people and freight, be it by motor car, commercial vehicle or public transport. Monash research helps deliver more cost effective road infrastructure, places Australia at the leading edge of vehicle design and contributes to the safe and efficient movement of vehicles on the road network.

• Infrastructure:
  • Bridges
  • Pavements

• Intelligent transport systems:
  • Institute of Transport Studies
  • Monash University Accident Research Centre
  • Traffic engineering and management: Institute of Transport Studies

• Vehicles:
  • Design: Art and Design -- Industrial Design
  • Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education

• Safety: Monash University Accident Research Centre

Travel behaviour

Understanding traveller behaviour is an important component of addressing many transport research problems. Monash transport researchers have helped to understand the determinants of travel behaviour and how to influence that behaviour as well as how to forecast travel behaviour in the long term, to aid in infrastructure and service provision decisions.

• Travel demand management: Institute of Transport Studies
• Understanding and influencing travel behaviour:
  • Institute of Transport Studies
  • Tourism Research Unit
• Understanding shopper behaviour

Transport policy and regulation

Monash research delivers evidence based foundations for framing transport policies and regulations. It also helps people to understand the impacts of policy innovations through rigorous, independent evaluations.

• Travel demand management: Institute of Transport Studies
• Regulation: Centre for Regulatory Studies
• Sustainable transport:
  • Institute of Transport Studies
  • School of Geography and Environmental Science
• Urban population dynamics: Centre for Population and Urban Research
• Safety: Monash University Accident Research Centre
• Tourism: Tourism Research Unit

Please contact us to discuss research opportunities further.