A new institute to protect Australians against future infectious diseases and pandemics is one step closer.
Concept designs for the new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease in the Melbourne Biomedical have been unveiled.
The Victorian Government will deliver up to $400 million in funding to develop the institute, which will bring together three of Victoria’s leading research organisations to help form the largest centre of infectious disease expertise in the Southern Hemisphere.
Additional funding of $250 million from three Foundation Partners – the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the Burnet Institute, and the University of Melbourne – will ensure greater collaboration on infectious diseases for the benefit of the community.
The AIID will support groundbreaking research into life-saving therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines. It will establish Victoria as a global leader in understanding and fighting infectious diseases and respond to other public health challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will also include dedicated spaces for drug screening and critical imaging not currently available in Australia. The AIID will provide access to a range of shared facilities to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
With major works scheduled to commence next year, the project will create around 350 jobs in the design and construction phase alone.
Once complete, the AIID will house more than 1,000 scientists, academics, students and public health experts and has the potential to support up to 5,000 jobs across the research ecosystem.
The Victorian Government investment in new centres like the AIID forms part of its ten-year strategy to ensure Victoria has the people, institutions and innovations required to position the sector to be the best in the world.
A closer look at the AIID concept is available on Inside the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease .
Reviewed 20 June 2023