This international sustainability and conservation initiative is focused on the southern coastal region of Western Australia known as the Bassian region. The project is sponsored by the U.S. based Alcoa Foundation which aims to support and foster global sustainability initiatives by encouraging improved education in sustainability issues.

AUSTRALIA - Curtin University of Technology.

Alcoa Research Centre for Stronger Communities
Department of Environmental Biology
Housing and Urban Research Institute of  WA
Office of Research and Development

The research program proposed by Curtin University of Technology, is a collaborative and multi-disciplinary conservation and sustainability program focused on developing place--based knowledge for the southern coastal region of Western Australia.
This region, known as the Bassian area, stretches from the town of Walpole to the South Australian border in a band approximately 150km wide.

The program brings together expertise from across the University in the biological, environmental and social sciences.

The purpose of the program is to document and enhance economic, environmental and social sustainability initiatives in the region by working alongside existing programs in partnership with community, government and industry.

Curtin University of Technology will host the the Foundation's Fellowship program through the Alcoa Research Centre for Stronger Communities.

This is a five year program which will support the appointment of six post-doctoral research fellows per academic partner.

The foundation also supports the appointment of a Sustainability Cabinet which has a stewardship role in the realisation of sustainable cross-sector partnerships that will emerge through the Fellowship program.