Faculty of Society & Design research profile

The Faculty of Society and Design offers a platform for internationally recognised research into an eclectic portfolio of disciplines that relate directly to who we are and how we live as a society.

We welcome both traditional and non-traditional research proposals that are aligned with our core specialist fields – humanities, social sciences and the built environment. The diversity of our interests also means that our projects often encompass a multi-disciplinary approach, co-designed and executed with teams from other disciplines, other faculties, other universities and with various industry partners to generate outcomes that make a tangible impact on life and workplace issues.

Current research strengths include:

  • Understanding the impact of music on the mind and social cognitions
  • The application of cognitive neuropsychology in understanding how we interact with our environment
  • Health and safety issues in the construction industry, 
  • Digital approaches to fabrication
  • The management of complex projects

A message from the Executive Dean

  • "Bond University’s Faculty of Society and Design has emerged as a leader in exploring the human condition: How we think, behave, communicate and tell our stories. Hand-in-hand with understanding who we are as people is to examine how we design and construct our built environment and how that environment can affect us.

    We are home to an active and engaged community of research-active academics and HDR students representing a diversity of intellectual perspectives and drawn from a wide range of national and international backgrounds. The new knowledge and creative works they are producing provides the motivational force for innovation in society and help us all to better understand our world."

    Professor Derek Carson - Executive Dean, Faculty of Society & Design
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Faculty research centre

Centre for Comparative Construction Research

Founded on the idea that research into the building and property industries must be broad and inclusive, recognising the complexity and diversity of industries, economic challenges, and social imperatives that underlie this most fundamental of human activities. 

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Facilities

Architecture Futures Laboratory (AF_LAB)

The interior of an equipment testing office.

At the AF-LAB, researchers from around the world are reimagining the way we design, construct and interact with the built environment. Housed within the Abedian School of Architecture, it provides access to advanced technology, materials fabrication and testing equipment, including robotics, 3D printers and cutting edge thermoplastic extrusions; offering everything you need to explore innovative design systems, with a focus on environmental, economic and societal sustainability.

Current research strands include:

  • Exploration of novel techniques to achieve creative and sustainable innovation, efficiencies and reduced waste in construction industries
  • Ecological and biological material research and application
  • Lean and enduring construction through design, fabrication and assembly

MIND/SPACE Laboratory

Female behind a glass screen watching a female psychologist interact with her client.

The MIND/SPACE laboratory is a research facility in the School of Psychology that uses experimental psychology and psychophysiology to explore human-environment interactions, spatial navigation and cognitive ageing, and the role of non-oscillatory neural activity in human cognition.

The lab supports national and international collaborations, with a particular focus on the use of electroencephalography, peripheral psychophysiology, virtual reality and machine learning. 

Current research strands include:

  • Non-oscillatory (i.e., aperiodic) neural activity as a mechanism for human cognition and cognitive ageing
  • Novel assessment methods for human spatial navigation
  • Environmental Influences on human behaviour and cognition

Society & Design higher degree research (HDR) collaborative space

The Faculty of Society & Design houses a collaborative higher degree research (HDR) space. The space, which is located next to the Alumni Centre, provides HDR students with a collaborative dedicated area. It features a small conference room and an area designed and equipped for Seminar presentations and PhD Confirmation of Candidature presentations. 

Higher degree research (HDR) programs

With its broad range of disciplines, headed by internationally recognised academics, the Faculty of Society and Design attracts HDR students from around the world.

They work in a diverse range of fields – from philosophy, creative writing and criminology to psychology, architecture and sustainable development.

Research-focussed degrees are offered at the Masters, MPhil and PhD level under three HDR hubs:

  • Humanities
  • Social Sciences
  • Built Environment

In addition to the academic, advisory and professional development protocols offered by the University’s dedicated Research Support team, the Faculty runs regular workshops and get-togethers for its HDR student community.

  • CRICOS Code: 072092F

    Master of Philosophy - BU-70001

    • 2 years (6 semesters)
    • Postgraduate research
    View program

  • CRICOS Code: 063150J

    Doctor of Philosophy - BU-70003

    • 4 years (12 semesters)
    • Postgraduate research
    View program
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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Research groups

  • The Communication, Culture and Narrative group focuses on research related to communication, media, advertising, technology, news, visual communication, tertiary education and storytelling.

    Current research strands include: 

    • Use of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies by brands
    • Creative cultures and brand cultures in advertising
    • Meaning-making, rumination, gender communication, emotion and close relationships as studied through autoethnography and narrative
    • Digitalisation, technological convergence and the integration of entertainment with learning
    • Visual communication, including information graphics and representation of women in film
    • Social media and editorial decision-making, news frame and agenda setting, and the framing of global news stories in Australia

  • The Cultural Futures group brings together researchers in international relations, history, languages and philosophy to examine the crucial role these cultural disciplines play in preparing for a radically transformed future.

    Current research strands include:

    The cultural power of sports for international diplomacy 

    The significance and power of storytelling in the history of women’s sports 

    Indigenous philosophical insights and environmental ethics

  • Our Creative Practices researchers examine the role of technology, work practices and education in the film industry. Areas of particular interest include the use of the latest technologies in screen project development, sustainable and equitable work practices in the global screen industry and how higher education institutions can impact the development of the film industry and its practitioners.

    Current research strands include:

    • Exploration of artificial intelligence in project development and execution
    • Discovery of new paradigms of screen production that increase efficiency and equitability
    • Methods of centring the university within the professional screen industry

  • The Mental, Social and Health research group looks at how the intersection of biological, psychological and sociological factors impact health and wellbeing. They work across diverse populations, with a focus on promoting mental and social health equity, reducing mental and social health disparities, and improving quality of life.

    Current research is centred on three key areas:

    • The complex interplay between mental health, social relationships and environmental factors
    • Evidence-based mixed-methods research that promotes resilience, social equity and well-being across diverse populations
    • Rigorous research that can inform policy and practice and contribute to a better understanding of the social determinants of mental health.

  • The SBERG focuses on property, planning and project management, with the goal of promoting sustainable practices in the development of natural and built environments. The group’s research and consultation projects align with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Current research strands include:

    • Housing and property as mediated through the property market and the supply and demand for this dominant social resource
    • Sustainable cities research into the planning, design and development of cities and city regions that will provide viable urban futures for a rapidly growing and increasingly urbanised world population
    • Project management research with a focus on cybersecurity, gender diversity in project organisations, and organisational transformation into project management-focused practices and structures.

  • The Project Success Lab (PSL) is dedicated to advancing research on the factors influencing project success across industries, with a particular focus on public infrastructure, construction, IT, and healthcare projects. The lab aims to develop evidence-based models and frameworks that help practitioners and policymakers enhance project outcomes. Our research examines key drivers of success, including risk dynamics, leadership, organisational maturity, sustainability, and emerging technologies such as AI. The lab employs a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including systems dynamics modelling, empirical studies, and action research, to assess and improve project performance.

    Our four main research focuses are:

    1. Dynamic Systems and Risk in Project Success
      Development of a systems dynamics model to evaluate the impact of risks on project success.
      Measuring organisational maturity and its influence on project outcomes.
      Assessing the effectiveness of government initiatives in project success.
    2. Gender Diversity, Leadership, and Team Performance
      Enhancing project success in multicultural teams.
      Gender diversity in construction projects and its impact on success.
      Leadership competencies and their role in driving project outcomes.
    3. Incorporating Agile project management to support gender diversity in projects.
      Sustainability and Innovation in Project Management
      Integrating sustainability principles into project management for long-term success.
      Project success in aged care facility development.
      Leveraging AI in project management to enhance efficiency and decision-making.
    4. Technology-driven resilience and productivity improvement in Project Management
      Digital technology infusion in project management for sustained project success.
      Rethinking productivity measurement and tracking in project management for enhanced project success
      Exploring effective resilience strategies for navigating uncertainties and adverse disruptions in project management

    PSL aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing insights that shape future project management methodologies and policies.

The Communication, Culture and Narrative group focuses on research related to communication, media, advertising, technology, news, visual communication, tertiary education and storytelling.

Current research strands include: 

  • Use of artificial intelligence and interactive technologies by brands
  • Creative cultures and brand cultures in advertising
  • Meaning-making, rumination, gender communication, emotion and close relationships as studied through autoethnography and narrative
  • Digitalisation, technological convergence and the integration of entertainment with learning
  • Visual communication, including information graphics and representation of women in film
  • Social media and editorial decision-making, news frame and agenda setting, and the framing of global news stories in Australia

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Faculty of Society & Design researchers

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