Our research centres and institutes

BU’s research centres focus on specific areas of interest. They are multi-disciplinary, spanning departments and schools. Centres have close links with professional organisations and other research institutions, facilitating collaboration and maximising the output and impact of the research.

Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation

The Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) has been established to support high quality research and education in the fields of medical imaging and medical visualisation.

An older woman in the garden with a child

Ageing and Dementia Research Centre

Our Ageing & Dementia Research Centre (ADRC) at Bournemouth University (BU) brings together cross-faculty research expertise in areas of ageing and dementia. At a time when our population is living longer and often with long-term conditions including dementia, the centre’s research significantly impacts on theory, education and professional practice.

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) offers a collaborative model for supporting and conducting health and social care research in Dorset.

Creative Technology research ongoing in a lab with a man on an exercise bike, wearing a VR headset, with a woman observing activity on a monitor

Centre for Applied Creative Technologies

CfACTs is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) COFUND research centre, co-led by Prof Jian Chang and Prof Jian J Zhang, of the Bournemouth University’s National Centre for Computer Animation (BU NCCA); CfACTs runs from October 2020 to September 2025.

Centre for GP Practice

The GP Centre is the “area office” for Dorset for Health Education England Wessex. We are based in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences at Royal London House in Bournemouth University.

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health

The Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health aims to promote the health and wellbeing of women, babies and their families by enhancing practice through education, research and scholarship.

People with multi-coloured cardboard speech bubbles

Centre for Seldom Heard Voices

The BU Research Centre for Seldom Heard Voices brings together academics from across different disciplines including social sciences and social work to engage with marginalised communities and to amplify often excluded or silenced voices.

Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE)

The Centre of Postgraduate Medical Research and Education (CoPMRE) was established in June 2007. It represents a home for a medical Visiting Faculty with an interest in innovating delivery of care and developing clinical practice.

iWell

BU iWell is a research centre with a particular focus on people with chronic, long-term, and/or complex conditions. Our research activity takes an integrative approach to the understanding and promotion of human health.

National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice

The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice (the National Centre) at Bournemouth University is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable people by enhancing professional health and social care practice.

The National Centre has had over 20,000 students in the past 19 years and works with over half of the local authorities in England, plus 50 other major employers and as a team we are proud of our reputation and achievements.

Nursing for long-term health

Nurse colleagues at Bournemouth University have been researching leadership, workforce development and value-based nurse education, as well as issues pertaining to long-term conditions such as cancer and chronic obstructive airway disease (COPD).

Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI)

The Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) works across the university and with hospitals, industry partners and academia to produce high quality research and educational outputs that have a proven impact for patients, clinicians and society.