Projects
From its inception, La Trobe University has had a distinct mission: to serve the community though the relevance and inclusiveness of its research and teaching, and through the production of graduates who are rounded citizens as well as trained professionals.
The University also understands that the fulfilment of its mission is a participatory process and that is why we invite you to join with us and play a role in planning for our future by supporting the University in its research, scholarship and teaching.
In addition to its general work of seeking philanthropic support to the University, The La Trobe University Foundation has a number of key projects to help capitalise on the University's existing scholarship strengths and lead to exceptional accomplishments.
Please contact us for more information.
Autism
La Trobe University recognises that its commitment to social and environmental responsibility has a global reach, yet should commence at the local level. This commitment is strategically targeted to areas of both opportunity and need to ensure that any activity undertaken is to the mutual benefit of both the University and the communities we seek to serve. This commitment is exemplified in the work undertaken for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
With the assistance and generosity of a number of private donors, La Trobe University is establishing an Autism Research Centre as a joint initiative between the University and Autism Victoria.
The Centre will focus on both basic and applied research. The Centre will provide the vehicle for both community service provider links and links with other centres/universities involved in Autism research both in Australia and overseas. The Centre will also be seeking funding from philanthropy, government and other financial sources.
The Centre will be named The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre in recognition of the major initial donor.
The objectives of the Autism Research Centre are to
- Facilitate large and/or ongoing research projects.
- Facilitate collaboration with other research centres both nationally and internationally.
- Foster and support a National Research Network investigating the cause and management of ASD.
- Conduct campaigns to improve the public profile of Autism Research.
- Provide opportunities for student based research and mentoring programs, and
- Foster knowledge transfer to practitioners within the field.
The Centre will have a governing board of Academic and community specialists and work in partnership with Autism Victoria and other appropriate state bodies. While community based, it will also have a national focus.
Please contact us for more information.
Pharmacy
La Trobe University has one of the finest and oldest histories in pharmacy and science in Victoria, commencing with the (then) Bendigo College of Mines teaching a pharmacy degree from 1879.
Pharmacy at La Trobe was developed to address the serious shortage of pharmacists in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. Based in Bendigo, the program emphasises patient care, rural health issues and the place of the Pharmacist as a member of the primary health care team.
We all need Pharmacists! The University is seeking to create more scholarship and award opportunities for students wishing to pursue a vocation in the field of pharmacy. We invite you to join with us.
Please contact us for more information.
Art History at La Trobe: Into the Future
Art History was established at La Trobe University in 1972 when Peter Tomory became its
founding Professor. Gathering together an outstanding team of internationally recognised scholars, the Art History program produced a generation of graduates with international reputations. Art History continues to be taught at La Trobe University. More information on the current program can be found on the Art History web-site.
Art History at La Trobe University is embarking on an exciting period of renewal and growth with the aim to secure the future success of the new program and ensure continued excellence in teaching and research for the internationally respected Trendall Centre.
The target is to raise $250,000 to:
- Develop the Art History program and support areas of cultural endeavour
- Endow a Lectureship in Greek Art, by attracting an exceptional scholar to teach and research the art of Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.
Professor Trendall was instrumental in the acquisition of a distinguished collection of Greek vases for the National Gallery of Victoria and his bequest to La Trobe University included:
- An extraordinary library of books and journals dealing with Classical art
- An archive of over 40,000 photographs of Greek vases
- Personal art collection (including Greek vases and other ancient works of art)
Professor Trendall donated his collection to La Trobe in the belief that Australian scholars had made, and would continue to make, a significant contribution to international scholarship in this field.
To make a contribution to this cultural enrichment program you can donate online or support the Trendall Research Centre through a bequest, payroll deduction or cheque donation. Please contact us for more information.
Australian Institute of Molecular Medicine
La Trobe University is establishing a new Australian Institute of Molecular Medicine (AIMM).
The Institute will be dedicated to research into the molecular basis of cancer and other human diseases.
The Institute has three key missions:
- To take a leading role in further significant discoveries for the diagnosis and treatment of major diseases;
- To nurture the next generation of senior biomedical researchers and laboratory heads;
- To extend the outreach capacity of the Institute and the University for those who may wish to study here from overseas.
The focus of the Institute will be the fight against cancer and other diseases.
We invite you to partner with us in this exciting project. Please contact us for more information.
The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary
"Man gets along effectively by collaborating with nature rather than trying to master it"
Zen Buddhist tenet
For over 30 years La Trobe University has been revegetating a former 28 hectare farmland site at its Bundoora campus as a biological reserve. It is now a protected natural habitat surrounded by University facilities and suburbia. A sanctuary of peaceful woodland and simulated billabong areas that currently support wildlife such as birds, grey kangaroos, bats, gliders and possums.
La Trobe pioneered indigenous revegetation in Australia. The University also manages a number of linked reserves that provide a wildlife corridor to the Gresswell Forest in the north east and the Darebin Creek which flows to the Yarra River to the south.
The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary project is underpinned by a strong educational focus for both the education and the wider communities. The educational experiences at the Sanctuary are based in experiential learning, ranging from activities such as prep children investigating habitat requirements of 'minibeasts' to the volunteer members of the community physically creating habitat for the animals.
At last Melburnians have the opportunity to come face to face with animals living naturally – as they did before European settlement – in their own suburbs.
We encourage you to partner with us in this unique project. Please contact us for more information.
Support Program for Students with a Refugee Background
The steady flow of refugees arriving in Australia from war torn countries has created an urgent need for the tertiary sector to consider how it can best support students who are refugees. Many refugee students show high academic potential, yet they are among the most vulnerable people in the Australian student population.
La Trobe University has a number of important research centres which are involved in refugee matters within the general Australian society:
- The Centre for Dialogue
- The African Research Institute
- The Refugee Health Research Centre
- The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Research Centre
As a further demonstration of its social responsibility, La Trobe University is establishing a support program for refugee students studying at the university. The University recognises that these students can have limited access to resources including government support and scholarships and are likely to defer and/or withdraw mid course. Consequently there is a need to develop a integrated and holistic support system for these students. The university's program will include the provision of a Refugee Contact Person to work with affected students and relevant community agencies.
Please contact us for further information. Secure donations to this program can also be made online.