About the Institute

The IRR’s core purpose is to build research and engagement to address social, economic, health, behavioural and cultural challenges facing regions across Australia. The IRR seeks to achieve its purpose by:

training and mentoring future researchers
challenging conventional assumptions that stifle resilience in regional communities
increasing innovation and the adoption of technology that benefits regional communities
pursuing research that address issues of priority and relevance to regional partners
delivering high impact research that broadens and strengthens regional resilience.

Our vision and values

Our vision is to be the leading Australian research institute that addresses the needs of communities through regional research partnerships that develop and sustain diversified and adaptive economies, healthy communities, and strong diverse cultural identities that underpin a thriving regional Australia that is a desirable place to work and live.

Our core values:

Respect and celebrate cultural diversity in regions, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and migrant cultures.
Engage people in research in an inclusive and respectful way.
Community collaboration and partnerships.
Integrity, quality, innovation, and rigour in research.
Impactful research outcomes for regions.
Fair access to research and sharing of knowledge with communities and partners.

Institute research teams and programs

The Australian Collaboratory for Career Employability & Learning for Living (ACCELL) is as a multidisciplinary research team focused on career management, and education and training for employment and employability.

ACCELL research streams

Vital Infrastructure Work/ers in Rural Contexts (VIWRC) is focused on the psychological and social qualities of occupations and workers vital to the socio-economic success of rural and regional communities. Examples of these vital occupations that have been the focus of our research include teachers, health practitioners, veterinary practitioners, farmers, and mechanical trade workers.
Promoting Employability, Adaptability, and Resilience in Life (PEARL) is focused on enhancing individuals’ employability and adaptive choices for their future career and work.

ACCELL has partnered with organizations including Cotton Research Development Corporation, Graduate Careers Australia, Education Services Australia, Queensland Health, and Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprises for a Commonwealth Government’s Building Better Regions program.

ACCELL is focused on research and research training. We are proud of our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master degree research degree students who come from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, education, human resources, IT, engineering) and professional backgrounds (e.g., teacher, psychologist, manager, counsellor, engineer, trainer).

Discover ACCELL's Researchers and Supervisors.

The Technology Enhanced Learning Collaborative (TELC) is a multidisciplinary group of researchers investigating how technology can be made integral to learning and therefore enhancing different forms of formal and informal education in a changing world. The collaborative also explores ways that technology can assist learners to be connected to their families, friends, peers, and educators, both enriching their educational experience and to solve contemporary problems. Finally, it critically researches and evaluates new and emerging technologies (such as A.I. and immersive technologies) and their potential pedagogical affordances.

Current themes include:

Online engagement
STEM
Early Childhood eLearning
Telepresence robots for connection to school
XR and AI enhanced learning and teaching

Learn more about TELC.

The Queensland Government’s Climate Transition Strategy is aimed at supporting Queensland in embracing the major economic opportunities associated with reducing the carbon footprint by adopting low carbon alternatives. The strategy is called ‘Communities in Transition for Queensland Communities’.

A consortium led by UniSQ and made up of specialists from both the private and research sectors formed Clean Growth Choices to drive the strategy forwards. Because of the complexities involved in facilitating social and economic innovation, the consortium has designed specific methodologies to identify and develop new economic prospects in regional Queensland. The project is aimed at supporting country areas by creating awareness about climate change and the link to low carbon economic opportunities. Communities are assisted in developing their own roadmaps outlining positive social and economic changes that broadly align with decarbonisation of the global economy by 2050.

Clean Growth Choices has developed a State Government pilot scheme by working with community leaders in six Queensland communities to initiate and oversee the economic climate transition; guide them to collaborate with their community in identifying common ideas and paths towards low-carbon emission prospects; and support them in their presentations of transition concepts to the Queensland Government and other stakeholders.