To support and extend research based in academic departments, the University has established a number of research institutes and centers. Institutes promote and facilitate broad interdisciplinary research collaboration, while centers tend to be more focussed. Such units advance the complementary research interests of a group of faculty and research staff, normally across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Together with disciplinary research in academic departments, the following specialized research units provide both postgraduate and undergraduate students with opportunities to participate in leading-edge fundamental and applied research.