The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), provide a shared global framework of development priorities including alleviating poverty, protecting the environment and ensuring a peaceful and prosperous world to live in.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
With the target of 2030 steadily approaching, achieving these goals requires action to be taken on a number of levels. From equipping future leaders and innovators with the knowledge to initiate change, executing research that works with industry and community to provide holistic solutions, to ensuring the campus is environmentally sustainable and inclusive, universities have an enormous potential to help ensure the goals are achieved by the target of 2030.
The University of Wollongong has already been working toward the SDGs through its research priorities and operations, which was recognised through being ranked 13th in the latest University’s Times Higher Education Rankings results. Global Challenges is now leading UOW’s commitment to the SDGs through its research priorities and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), an international collaboration between global sustainable development leaders from all regions and sectors.
Our projects and the SDGs
The UOW Global Challenges Program has almost one hundred interdisciplinary projects working toward the goals.
We believe that finding solutions to complex social, economic and environmental problems takes entire communities with diverse perspectives, which is why external investigators are present on 42 per cent of our projects, 54 per cent of our Project grants are led by women and 50 per cent of Seed projects are led by Early Career Researchers.
Click on the goals below to learn about each of our projects.
Goal 1: No poverty
Exploring government and community perspectives on the effectiveness and value of both aid contributions and seasonal migration programs.
Microfinance and women's empowerment
This project aims to address challenging questions such as what is meant by women’s empowerment, how should it be pursued and on whose terms. It investigates how conventional accounting and accountability systems in microfinance organisations reinforce structural barriers disempowering women.
Goal 2: Zero hunger
Antimicrobials have transformed human health and saved millions of lives. However their widespread use (and misuse) has led to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance that poses a potentially catastrophic threat to public health.
Conservation and equity in Pacific tuna
This Nereus research project is addressing the political stalemate that is undermining the sustainable management of the Pacific tuna fisheries, the world's largest tuna fishery. Unless resolved, overfishing will impact on the long term sustainability of these fisheries, resulting in significant conservation concerns, and limiting the future development opportunities for some Pacific small island developing States.
A key aim of this research is to support the development of a more integrated and holistic approach to address the double burden of under-nutrition in children and over-nutrition (obesity) in adults by positioning food security as the central drive for sustainably managing coastal fisheries in the Pacific islands.
Microfinance and women's empowerment
This project aims to address challenging questions such as what is meant by women’s empowerment, how should it be pursued and on whose terms. It investigates how conventional accounting and accountability systems in microfinance organisations reinforce structural barriers disempowering women.
Goal 3: Good health and wellbeing
Alcohol is said to be one of the major risks for both physical and social health. Studies have shown excessive alcohol consumption is a cause of a wide range of health and other harms including road and other accidents, domestic and public violence, crime, liver disease and brain damage, and contributes to family breakdown and broader social dysfunctional issues.
Tackling the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, by developing and testing interventions to stop, or at the very least slow down, rates of resistance.
Combatting neurodegenerative disease
As the Australian population ages, the number of people developing age related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease will increase. This project focusses on modelling emergent properties in the brain to combat neurodegenerative disease.
Connections for life with dementia
This project brings together expertise from the University of Wollongong with various community and industry partners, including people with dementia and their care partners. The purpose is to understand, support, and enhance social connections and quality of life for people with dementia in various care and community settings.
The demographic ageing of the population has brought an increase in the number of people living with dementia. International estimates are 46 million, with this number expected to rise to 138 million by 2050. Coping with the increased prevalence of dementia demands a shift in both the social and the physical environments in which we live.
The overall aim of this research is to develop an understanding about driving retirement for people over the age of 75. We know who ‘ceases’ driving but evidence is missing about how to best support older people to plan their driving retirement.
Fish, food security (Worldfish)
A key aim of this research is to support the development of a more integrated and holistic approach to address the double burden of under-nutrition in children and over-nutrition (obesity) in adults by positioning food security as the central drive for sustainably managing coastal fisheries in the Pacific islands.
Gamifying Activity aims to develop, test and evaluate a prototype smartphone app to enhance parental motivation to spend time with their children to help them develop their motor skills.
Universal access to reproductive and sexual health is one of the great challenges and human rights issues of the 21st century. The lack of condom use, partially due to stigmas around a decrease in sensation, affects the health and well-being of many people in developing countries today. Project GELdom has expanded beyond product development to include engagement with key communities to identify barriers to condom acceptance and to collaboratively design novel solutions.
Gong shuttle and the Oover 55s
This project investigates how the Wollongong Free Shuttle Bus contributes to better quality of life of the over 55s in Wollongong. Active transport is an ideal opportunity to increase both the physical and social wellbeing of people in older populations and enables older people to maintain social networks and thus positively impacts their mental and physical health while reducing social isolation.
Greener cities healthier lives
Studies in high-income countries have indicated that exposure to natural environments, such as green spaces, can have important health benefits. This project focuses on five key themes: pregnancy and perinatal health; child health and educational attainment; adult mental health and chronic disease risk; health service use and healthcare costs; and green space preferences and outdoor recreation among seniors.
This project investigates how public transport services affect older people’s social activities and wellbeing. It aims to improve the travel experience for public transport users, especially for seniors during periods of congestion.
University of Wollongong researchers have teamed up with The Movember Foundation to address mental health issues among adolescent men who play sport.
This project looks at advanced fabrication and commercialisation of new generation cost-effective sunscreens to develop improved, scientific testing methods for evaluation of safe UV radiation exposure.
Food Openability examines the interaction of the person, the environment and food & beverage packaging.
Increasing physical activity in the ageing population is an urgent priority. This study primarily examined the effects of different types of goal on individuals’ quality of experience (e.g., enjoyment, confidence, motivation) during physical activity.
Recovery Camp is a person-centred, recovery-focused initiative which invites individuals with a lived experience of mental illness to participate in a five-day therapeutic recreation camp in the Australian bush.
This project aims to develop a wearable smart limb rehabilitation prototype, to be used for knee rehabilitation by sub-acute and chronic stroke patients. The goal is to provide high resolution proprioceptive feedback and movement assistance for individuals with reduced proprioceptive sensation and motor function due to stroke.
Although walking is an effective mode of physical activity, most elderly people do not walk far, highlighting a potential need to develop individualised walking goals and motivation strategies for an older age bracket. This pilot study looks at continuous monitoring of walking ability, combined with personalised feedback and alerts of possible falls for elderly individuals.
Collecting international surveillance data using the new WHO global 24-hr movement guidelines. This project supports global efforts to prevent young children from developing obesity and ensure that they reach their developmental potential.
Dental healthcare is a major issue globally a vast number of people do not have access to professional dental care and this leads to high rates of dental problems amongst these communities. The occurrence of dental cavities and associated oral conditions is increasing worldwide.
Breastfeeding is associated with reduced morbidity and mortality among infants across the world in both developed and developing countries. Despite efforts to support breastfeeding, rates of prolonged breastfeeding remain suboptimal in many developed countries.
Mental health is a growing area of concern and has been a national government health priority area since 1996. It has local, national and global impacts. Therapeutic recreation (TR) is an intervention designed to restore, remediate and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning and independence in life activities.
Goal 4 - Quality education
The maker movement is a popular cultural phenomenon that is attracting more interest from policy makers and increased public sector funding. The Future Makers team has been investigating how makerspaces can impact and contribute to the local economy as a stimulus for new business generation and STEM education.
Gamifying Activity aims to develop, test and evaluate a prototype smartphone app to enhance parental motivation to spend time with their children to help them develop their motor skills.
Recovery Camp is a person-centred, recovery-focused initiative which invites individuals with a lived experience of mental illness to participate in a five-day therapeutic recreation camp in the Australian bush.
Stronger cultures, healthier lifestyle
Stronger Culture, Healthier Lifestyles looks at the development of an after school cultural and activity program for Aboriginal children living in disadvantaged areas of the Shoalhaven.
Sustainability and STEM in schools
Active, Critical and creative kids through STEM’ project will explore the growing tension between sustainability education and school operations. The overarching aim is to identify opportunities to use energy in schools, particularly air-conditioning and energy efficiency activities, as a learning opportunity.
A public creative space open to a diverse range of ‘makers’, of all ages and abilities, from creatives through to engineers.
Goal 5 - Gender equality
Microfinance and women's empowerment
This project aims to address challenging questions such as what is meant by women’s empowerment, how should it be pursued and on whose terms. It investigates how conventional accounting and accountability systems in microfinance organisations reinforce structural barriers disempowering women.
Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation
Protecting coastal zones from heavy metal pollution from the mining industries.
Microplastic pollution in waterways
Assessing the potential for bacteria or fungi to degrade these plastics, to find suitable candidate strains that may be used to reduce microplastic contamination.
Goal 7 - Affordable and clean energy
This project focuses on Narara Ecovillage, and seeks to transform lives and regions through social change towards more sustainable lifestyles.
This project has been developed to examine the social, technical and economic possibilities and benefits of deploying alternative electricity supply technologies in fringe-of grid applications.
Sustainability and STEM in schools
Active, Critical and creative kids through STEM’ project will explore the growing tension between sustainability education and school operations. The overarching aim is to identify opportunities to use energy in schools, particularly air-conditioning and energy efficiency activities, as a learning opportunity.
Goal 8 - Decent work and economic growth
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Maritime past, present and future
Understanding the historical context which underpins contemporary economies, cultures and practices
Addressing the political stalemate that is undermining the sustainable management of the Pacific tuna fisheries.
Goal 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Creating custom-designed flutes that can be played in a variety of microtonal scales.
Developing surfboard fins using a performance feedback loop.
Innovative steel connections that could change the construction industry and be a potential solution to the housing shortage problems in Australian cities.
Connections for life with dementia
This project brings together expertise from the University of Wollongong with various community and industry partners, including people with dementia and their care partners. The purpose is to understand, support, and enhance social connections and quality of life for people with dementia in various care and community settings.
Producing artworks that incorporate energy-efficient elements and slow textile methods to encourage sustainable energy strategies in galleries and museums.
The maker movement is a popular cultural phenomenon that is attracting more interest from policy makers and increased public sector funding. The Future Makers team has been investigating how makerspaces can impact and contribute to the local economy as a stimulus for new business generation and STEM education.
Universal access to reproductive and sexual health is one of the great challenges and human rights issues of the 21st century. The lack of condom use, partially due to stigmas around a decrease in sensation, affects the health and well-being of many people in developing countries today. Project GELdom has expanded beyond product development to include engagement with key communities to identify barriers to condom acceptance and to collaboratively design novel solutions.
Creating a safer, more pleasant working environment for heavy-duty vehicle drivers by developing an ergonomic seat mitigating the risk of injury and pain.
Lymphsleeve
Revolutionising the treatment of Lymphoedema, a build-up of lymph fluid due to damaged or missing lymph nodes. The porotypes sense the changes in the lymphedema and send information to the activators which then triggers massage therapy.
This project looks at advanced fabrication and commercialisation of new generation cost-effective sunscreens to develop improved, scientific testing methods for evaluation of safe UV radiation exposure.
Developing an embedded real-time communication system for personnel working in mines or other hazardous situations.
This project aims to develop a wearable smart limb rehabilitation prototype, to be used for knee rehabilitation by sub-acute and chronic stroke patients. The goal is to provide high resolution proprioceptive feedback and movement assistance for individuals with reduced proprioceptive sensation and motor function due to stroke.
Although walking is an effective mode of physical activity, most elderly people do not walk far, highlighting a potential need to develop individualised walking goals and motivation strategies for an older age bracket. This pilot study looks at continuous monitoring of walking ability, combined with personalised feedback and alerts of possible falls for elderly individuals.
Developing a new sodium-ion battery architecture.
Dental healthcare is a major issue globally a vast number of people do not have access to professional dental care and this leads to high rates of dental problems amongst these communities. The occurrence of dental cavities and associated oral conditions is increasing worldwide.
A public creative space open to a diverse range of ‘makers’, of all ages and abilities, from creatives through to engineers.
Goal 10 - Reduced inequalities
Connections for life with dementia
This project brings together expertise from the University of Wollongong with various community and industry partners, including people with dementia and their care partners. The purpose is to understand, support, and enhance social connections and quality of life for people with dementia in various care and community settings.
Dental healthcare is a major issue globally a vast number of people do not have access to professional dental care and this leads to high rates of dental problems amongst these communities. The occurrence of dental cavities and associated oral conditions is increasing worldwide.
Microfinance and women's empowerment
This project aims to address challenging questions such as what is meant by women’s empowerment, how should it be pursued and on whose terms. It investigates how conventional accounting and accountability systems in microfinance organisations reinforce structural barriers disempowering women.
The Caring for Communities project has built research networks to engage key stakeholders in the Aboriginal Community.
Stronger cultures, healthier lifestyle
Stronger Culture, Healthier Lifestyles looks at the development of an after school cultural and activity program for Aboriginal children living in disadvantaged areas of the Shoalhaven.
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Addressing the political stalemate that is undermining the sustainable management of the Pacific tuna fisheries.
This project supports activities to build an Illawarra network of interdisciplinary researchers in disability.
This project fosters the involvement of people with disabilities, their carers, families and disability services to assist in the development of a multi-sensory environment.
Utilising art as a medium by which children can express their knowledge and perception of dementia.
Developing a wearable assistive device to help older people maintain autonomy in their life.
Analysing people’s attitudes to and expectations of government policies and actions in the immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks.
Deconstructing and understanding governmental systems that maintain First Nations Peoples oppression.
Goal 11 - Sustainable cities and communities
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Investigation and development of new knowledge for landfill volume reduction, diversion and recycling.
Innovative steel connections that could change the construction industry and be a potential solution to the housing shortage problems in Australian cities.
This project focuses on Narara Ecovillage, and seeks to transform lives and regions through social change towards more sustainable lifestyles.
This project has been developed to examine the social, technical and economic possibilities and benefits of deploying alternative electricity supply technologies in fringe-of grid applications.
This project investigates how the Wollongong Free Shuttle Bus contributes to better quality of life of the over 55s in Wollongong. Active transport is an ideal opportunity to increase both the physical and social wellbeing of people in older populations and enables older people to maintain social networks and thus positively impacts their mental and physical health while reducing social isolation.
Greener cities healthier lives
Studies in high-income countries have indicated that exposure to natural environments, such as green spaces, can have important health benefits. This project focuses on five key themes: pregnancy and perinatal health; child health and educational attainment; adult mental health and chronic disease risk; health service use and healthcare costs; and green space preferences and outdoor recreation among seniors.
Protecting coastal zones from heavy metal pollution from the mining industries.
Mapping Indigenous Communities
This project aims to map what activities three indigenous communities, based in Australia', New Caledonia and New Zealand, are engaging in to sustain their cultural heritage.
This project investigates how public transport services affect older people’s social activities and wellbeing. It aims to improve the travel experience for public transport users, especially for seniors during periods of congestion.
Harnessing social media as a real time tool for reporting and communicating vital information about flood conditions.
Smart Cities for Understanding Living
This project aims to help understand what aspects of public space in Liverpool today are working well for residents and visitors.
This project aims to chart citizen’s lived experience of dense urban worlds drawing on residents’ experience of intensification of housing and infrastructure.
Goal 12 - Responsible consumption and production
Developing surfboard fins using a performance feedback loop.
Tackling the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, by developing and testing interventions to stop, or at the very least slow down, rates of resistance.
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Investigation and development of new knowledge for landfill volume reduction, diversion and recycling.
Establishing a network and a series of public events to help protect Antarctica.
Fish, food security (Worldfish)
A key aim of this research is to support the development of a more integrated and holistic approach to address the double burden of under-nutrition in children and over-nutrition (obesity) in adults by positioning food security as the central drive for sustainably managing coastal fisheries in the Pacific islands.
The maker movement is a popular cultural phenomenon that is attracting more interest from policy makers and increased public sector funding. The Future Makers team has been investigating how makerspaces can impact and contribute to the local economy as a stimulus for new business generation and STEM education.
Microplastic pollution in waterways
Assessing the potential for bacteria or fungi to degrade these plastics, to find suitable candidate strains that may be used to reduce microplastic contamination.
Developing a new sodium-ion battery architecture.
Sustainability and STEM in Schools
Active, Critical and creative kids through STEM’ project will explore the growing tension between sustainability education and school operations. The overarching aim is to identify opportunities to use energy in schools, particularly air-conditioning and energy efficiency activities, as a learning opportunity.
A public creative space open to a diverse range of ‘makers’, of all ages and abilities, from creatives through to engineers.
Goal 13 - Climate action
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Establishing a network and a series of public events to help protect Antarctica.
Producing artworks that incorporate energy-efficient elements and slow textile methods to encourage sustainable energy strategies in galleries and museums.
This project has been developed to examine the social, technical and economic possibilities and benefits of deploying alternative electricity supply technologies in fringe-of grid applications.
This project is measuring greenhouse gas emissions from carbon sinks.
Exploring the efficacy of maps, drawings, and story-telling for communicating how recent environmental changes are impacting the Great Barrier Reef.
Harnessing social media as a real time tool for reporting and communicating vital information about flood conditions.
Goal 14 - Life below water
Blue Futures positions the NSW South Coast as a national leader in the development of blue economies, drawing on ocean and coastal resources for economic development, in an ecologically and economically sustainable way.
Discovering how anchor chains up to a 100 metres in length, impact upon the ocean floor at popular ports.
Establishing a network and a series of public events to help protect Antarctica.
Fish, food security (Worldfish)
A key aim of this research is to support the development of a more integrated and holistic approach to address the double burden of under-nutrition in children and over-nutrition (obesity) in adults by positioning food security as the central drive for sustainably managing coastal fisheries in the Pacific islands.
Protecting coastal zones from heavy metal pollution from the mining industries.
Microplastic pollution in waterways
Assessing the potential for bacteria or fungi to degrade these plastics, to find suitable candidate strains that may be used to reduce microplastic contamination.
This project looks at advanced fabrication and commercialisation of new generation cost-effective sunscreens to develop improved, scientific testing methods for evaluation of safe UV radiation exposure.
Keeping people safe from sharks while minimising environmental harm.
Addressing the political stalemate that is undermining the sustainable management of the Pacific tuna fisheries.
Goal 15 - Life on land
Goal 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions
The Caring for Communities project has built research networks to engage key stakeholders in the Aboriginal Community.
This project supports activities to build an Illawarra network of interdisciplinary researchers in disability.
Analysing people’s attitudes to and expectations of government policies and actions in the immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks.
Deconstructing and understanding governmental systems that maintain First Nations Peoples oppression.
Goal 17 - Partnerships for the goals
The aim of this project is to explore cross-sector partner engagement for regional action toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
All Global Challenges Projects are working toward Goal 17, specifically targets 17.9, 17.16 and 17.17. The Global Challenges Program as a UOW strategic research initiative is dedicated to Goal 17 and all SDGs through our research, teams, partnerships and practice.