The Research Theme Program 2016 - 2024: Supporting academic excellence. Connecting science with industry. Delivering measurable value.

The Program has made a unique contribution to Western’s research culture and capacity. It is an exemplar of leadership for the development and management of research. The Program has significantly elevated the University’s research capabilities, fostering impactful collaborations that transcended traditional academic boundaries.
The collective and quantifiable influence of the RTP is stellar. Analytics from 2021-2024
indicate that an investment of $280,000 in seed funding provided via the Champions resulted in a return-on-investment rate of 23.0 ($6,400,000). By the end of 2023, this investment, underpinned by additional support programs provided by the Champions, enabled grant recipients to register 5 patents, establish 48 new collaborations with partners in industry and government, submit 38 external grant applications, submit 36 journal papers, and deliver 20 conference presentations. Leading the discussion in areas like aging, women’s health, disability, urban development, sport, diabetes and many others, the Program has supported the creation of 14 White Papers that are used widely in relevant industries and policy areas.
Since its inception, the Program assisted and educated researchers in all matters of sustainability, whereby strongly supporting the pathway to Western’s global leadership in impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.