AIID Facility

A new state-of-the-art facility

A new globally leading centre for infectious diseases research, education and public health will be built in Melbourne to support the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID). Providing state-of-the-art research platforms and technology will enable research translation into faster, more effective diagnostic tests, treatments, vaccines, and public health interventions for infectious diseases.

Learn more about the AIID facility from our leaders in this video:

Facility progress to date

With government funding secured, a strong business case finalised and land identified, the AIID project is well underway.  

Leading Melbourne architectural firm, Wardle has been announced as the lead architects and Aurecon is the lead engineering firm. 

Concept design for the building was completed in early 2023, and schematic design completed in early 2024 with input and collaboration from Foundation Partner researchers and staff, who will ultimately be the future users of the building’s cutting-edge facilities. 

Kane Constructions has been engaged for the early and enabling works which commenced in early 2024. Tendering for main works will follow in the coming months.

Images of the building design can be seen below:

 

Funding

The Victorian Government has committed up to $400 million for the $650 million project, with funding also being provided by the University of Melbourne, the Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute, along with philanthropic support.

Location

The new facility will be built in the world-leading Melbourne Biomedical Precinct adjacent to the existing Doherty Institute building on Elizabeth Street. It will enable the University of Melbourne and Doherty Institute to expand and the Burnet Institute to relocate to the Parkville site.  The facility will house more than 1000 scientists, academics, students and public health experts from the institutes alongside industry partners. Co-location will strengthen collaboration and engagement with their peers nationally and internationally and create a platform for new partnerships to be forged with the private sector and industry stakeholders.

Facilities and research platforms

The AIID will provide vital facilities and research platforms needed to develop vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases, including:

• New high containment facilities enabling identification, isolation and characterisation of new viruses and other infectious diseases
• New drug screening, imaging and testing in high containment needed for early-stage human drug and vaccine research
• Human infection challenge unit designed to accelerate the development of new medicines and vaccines for key partners and industry clients, through high-quality and ethical clinical research
• Robotic biobanking to store biomedical samples efficiently and safely from large clinical trials
• Public health genomics, incorporating future technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to allow for rapid outbreak response and understand transmission of infectious diseases
• Cross-disciplinary disease transmission modelling for prediction of new outbreaks and intervention impact
• Dedicated industry partner space for production and commercialisation of medical products and procedures to improve health outcomes