About the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
The Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research is a multidisciplinary research centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The Centre undertakes strategic and applied research with core strengths in food systems research, sustainable community livelihoods, human health and nutrition, and climate change adaptation.
The Centre undertakes partnership-based research with Pacific, other Australian, and international agencies that seek to create sustainable development outcomes in the Pacific. The Centre has an ongoing commitment to strategic Pacific institutional capacity building, regional engagement and enhancing Pacific research impact.
The Centre was initially established in 2019, building on a prior Pacific Research Group established in 2015. Since 2019, the Centre has secured over $17 million in competitive external grants in a range of research areas.
Our research centres around four key themes:
- Nutrition-Smart Food Systems
- Health and Communities
- Climate Change and Adaptation
- Aquaculture-based Livelihoods and Marine Resources
2024: Growth and impact
2024 was a year of strong growth and regional impact for the Centre, with a key focus on expanding academic capacity and deepening engagement across the Pacific. This was reflected in new international partnerships, as well as continued collaborations with high-profile adjunct members from across the region. We were also pleased to celebrate our largest ever number of higher degree by research (HDR) completions.
Importantly, our research performance has continued to exceed expectations. In 2024, the Centre had $8.4 million in awarded grants, including multimillion-dollar projects in regenerative verification and climate resilience. A further portfolio of new Pacific research grants is anticipated to commence in 2025.
Strategic partnerships played a major role, including hosting international visitors, co-organising global events, and contributing to forums that strengthen ties with Pacific universities.
Highlights
- In March, the Centre hosted a visit by Fiji National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba to discuss new and ongoing partnerships and opportunities.
- In June, we sponsored and co-coordinated the Global Regenerative Agritourism Symposium in Vanuatu.
- Also in June, the Centre was invited to attend the National Pacific Vice-Chancellors forum in Vanuatu, in recognition of our strategic support for Pacific universities.
- In September, four HDR students attended the World Food Forum at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, successfully co-hosting a Global Youth Action side event with two Pacific Island HDR students.
- A team led by Dr Cherise Addinsall was awarded a new $2.6 million ACIAR-funded Regenerative Agriculture grant to explore climate-smart regenerative ridge to reef landscapes for sustaining community livelihoods of and food security.
- December saw the completion of our highly successful $3.7 million ACIAR-funded Pacific Agriculture Scholarships, Support and Climate Resilience (PASS-CR) program co-led by Dr Linda Wess, which significantly elevated UniSC and the Centre’s profile across the wider Pacific region.
- Across the year, Dr Lee McGowan, in the new role of HDR coordinator, developed and supported targeted initiatives for our HDR students, including professional development and networking activities.
Making a difference: Our research in action
Sustainable, innovative solutions for food security: A collaborative Australia-Pacific approach
Food security is a growing concern across Australia and the Pacific, driven by climate change, economic inequality, and the erosion of traditional food systems. Communities face rising sea levels, extreme weather events and limited access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food.
Associate Professor Saskia de Klerk, through a project collaboration, is pioneering culturally inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches to strengthen food systems and livelihoods. This work explores the development of culturally sensitive solutions that enhance food security and improve livelihoods among marginalised communities in Australia and the Pacific, considering climate change, economic disparities, and disconnection from traditional food practices.
This multidisciplinary research program spans local, regional, and international initiatives and is centered around three key themes: sustainability through food loss and the wellbeing of communities; inclusivity and capacity building; and policy and enhanced future decision-making.
By working directly with communities, especially women and marginalised groups, the team co-designs community-led solutions with partners in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands. The project involves communities in co-designed surveys and workshops to reduce waste, improve nutrition, and support women’s agricultural livelihoods, especially those facing land and market access challenges.
In addition, Associate Professor de Klerk collaborates with researchers from UniSC’s Seaweed Research Group to support nature-based climate solutions in aquaculture across women-led seaweed enterprises in Fiji, Samoa, and Kiribati. The team works with women to develop sustainable, gender-inclusive seaweed supply chains, enhance climate adaptation and biodiversity, and strengthen coastal livelihoods and food security. Through evidence-based training, masterclasses and international development collaborations, this work has raised awareness of gender-sensitive and culturally inclusive methods among governments and research institutions and is helping to inform future policy efforts.
Improving maternal and infant health in Vanuatu: The MaMi Project
The Maternal Micronutrients (MaMi) Project is a collaborative research initiative designed to address high rates of neonatal and infant mortality in Vanuatu. Despite improvements in neighbouring Pacific nations, Vanuatu continues to face significant challenges in maternal and infant health, largely due to poor nutrition, food insecurity, and limited access to antenatal care. Led by Dr Georgia Kafer, the MaMi Project was launched to fill critical gaps in data and understanding around these issues.
In partnership with Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health, local NGO Wan Smolbag and US-based Augusta University, the project has worked closely with over 1,000 ni-Vanuatu women and 15 health workers across Efate Island, conducting the country’s first comprehensive study into maternal nutrition and pregnancy experiences. Findings revealed widespread difficulties in accessing diverse, nutritious foods and antenatal supplements, alongside low levels of health literacy.
These insights have been shared at national and international forums, including the Vanuatu Health Research Symposium and the 2024 World Public Health Nutrition Congress, and are now informing several policy briefs, which aim to provide recommendations for improving foetal, child and maternal health services, as well as broader nutrition-related policy in Vanuatu.
Beyond research, the MaMi team has responded to community needs during emergencies, co-developing culturally relevant nutrition infographics following the twin cyclones of 2023 that are now used by the National Disaster Management Office to support healthier food choices during relief efforts. In late 2024, the MaMi team was also invited to support the presentation of evidence-based recommendations on proposed food tariffs and taxes to the Vanuatu National Security Council.
A significant outcome of the project has been the upskilling and empowerment of ni-Vanuatu women through their roles in the research team. The field team now includes four local researchers (three women from rural communities and one nurse) who received training in dietary assessment tools and field research methods. The project’s visibility and collaborative efforts have also led to two researchers securing roles on a UNICEF-funded child malnutrition project.
Looking ahead: 2025 and beyond
In 2025, the Centre will launch our 2025–2028 Strategic Plan, with continued focus on innovative and evidence-based research and solutions. Our ongoing goal is to ensure the Centre’s research portfolio tackles the pressing challenges and opportunities impacting communities and the environment across the Pacific.
Key priorities include:
- Build on our existing project-based partnerships and create new strategic institutional and regional partnerships aligned to our core research themes.
- Deepen our alignment and capacity to contribute to key regional research priorities in the Pacific Islands.
- Continue to build a positive, supportive and collegial research environment, and enhance engagement with Pasifika students, academics, and researchers.
- Provide ongoing research training and development opportunities for our HDR students and early-career researchers to generate long-term sustainability in research capacity.
Alongside our Strategic Plan, work will commence or continue on a range of strategic projects, including those that focus on water security for locally relocated coastal communities in the western Pacific region, supporting resilient and equitable food systems: oyster mariculture enterprises and an exploration of co-culture of seaweeds in coastal communities in Fiji and northern Australia, and climate-smart regenerative ridge to reef landscapes for sustaining livelihoods of communities on custom land and food security in Vanuatu.