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 for the Modelling of Socio-Environmental Transitions

The Institute for the Modelling of Socio-Environmental Transitions (IMSET) addresses the interplay between population history, cultural practices and the dynamics of environmental systems, and how they unfold across different scales.

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.

Centre for Ecology, Environment and Sustainability

We aim to undertake internationally recognised research on environmental change and its impacts on biodiversity, and solutions to protect the environment. In addition we aim to be a leading provider of education and training in environmental science.

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.

Institute Studies Landscape Human Evolution hero

Institute for Studies in Landscape & Human Evolution

Our research is focused on tackling these questions from a landscape based perspective, integrating palaeoanthropology, ecology, remote sensing of modern analogues and both earth and computer science. We are collaborating with computer animators to bring our science alive in the imaginations of both scientific and non-scientific audiences.

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Centre

The interdisciplinary neuroscience research centre at Bournemouth University was founded in 2014 as a network embodying researchers in the fields of cognitive, social, systems and computational neuroscience, translational genetics and cognitive neuropsychology from the Faculty of Science and Technology, Health and Social Sciences and collaborating institutions.