James Cook University (JCU) is a leader in research that addresses critical challenges facing societies and the environment in the tropics, world-wide.

The Singapore campus of James Cook University is fully owned by James Cook University Australia, which is ranked in the top 2% of universities in the world.¹

JCU is committed to providing shape and direction to our research by alignment with five major themes:

• Advancing Health and Well-being in the Tropics
• Thriving Tropical Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems and Environments
• Sustainable & Resilient Regional & Tropical Economies
• Enriching People, Communities & Societies of the Tropics
• Elevating & Supporting Indigenous Futures

Our Singapore campus is an important contributor into these themes and has a particular focus towards the conduct of innovative and impactful research relevant to Singapore and the surrounding region.

At our Singapore campus, areas of research strength include Aquaculture and Environmental and Marine Science; Business, Management and Accounting; Computer Science; Applied, Social & Cognitive Psychology; and Social Sciences. Within these research areas our highly qualified academics are delving into research interests as diverse as reef fish evolutionary ecology, selective breeding of aquaculture species; allergenicity and the production of healthy and safe alternative proteins; tourism, leisure and hospitality management; human-computer interaction and cybersecurity; organisational behaviours; and mental health and well-being.

JCU is committed to conducting research of excellence and high impact, particularly on issues of critical importance. We seek to engage with industry, business and government, commercialise our research findings and achieve critical mass through productive research partnerships with other research organisations. If you have a particular research need, JCU encourages you to engage with the University so we can explore how best to provide a R&D solution that translates into an impactful outcome.

Research Strategy

Researchers at our Singapore campus are building on the strong research undertaken by the Australian campuses of this University.

What we've done

• Appointed academic staff with strong research track records or research potential
• Incorporated research output as a Key Performance Indicator for academic staff
• Created a research institute focusing on our strengths and as a vehicle to partner with industries and other institutions to conduct high quality, socially relevant research

What we're doing

Research Strategy

Researchers at our Singapore campus are building on the strong research undertaken by the Australian campuses of this University.

What we've done

• Appointed academic staff with strong research track records or research potential
• Incorporated research output as a Key Performance Indicator for academic staff
• Created a research institute focusing on our strengths and as a vehicle to partner with industries and other institutions to conduct high quality, socially relevant research

What we're doing

• Pursuing high-quality, curiosity-driven and strategically significant research to achieve international excellence in all areas
• Publishing and disseminating research findings and their implications
• Promoting interdisciplinary research and cultivating the development of new disciplines
• Collaborating with public, industrial and commercial partners on technology transfers and the application of research, both in Singapore and the region
• Maximising international opportunities through school and university-led collaborations
• Pursuing world-class appointments to our remaining research positions
• Growing and strengthening our Graduate Research program.
• Establishing strategy groups to take lead responsibility for thematic areas
• Mentoring early and mid-career researchers to build research capacity. Early and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Mentoring Scheme

¹ 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 2023 ShanghaiRanking Academic Ranking of World Universities as a percentage of higher education providers in the International Association of Universities (IAU) database