At Avondale University, research is not simply an academic requirement—it’s a calling. It’s about real-world impact, transforming lives, and faith in action.
As Avondale deepens its role in the higher education sector—now operating as a fully registered Australian university with a distinctive Adventist identity—it continues to position research at the heart of its mission. Research at Avondale is not confined to laboratories or literature reviews. It is, as Associate Dean of Research and Research Training Professor Tracie Mafile’o says, “part of mission itself.” And its aim is simple yet profound: to make a difference.
“Research actually is mission. It’s not some kind of academic thing,” says Mafile’o. “For an Adventist university or institute of higher learning, it’s a core contribution to mission that we make because it’s about making a difference to the world.”
This is research with purpose. Research that seeks to understand, to innovate, to respond to the needs of communities—locally, nationally, and globally.
A Faith-Based Vision for Discovery
Dr Jason Morton, Dean of Research and Research Training, frames Avondale’s research vision within the broader calling of the institution: to transform lives with God at the centre.
“Avondale’s purpose is to transform lives, and having God at the centre of that,” says Morton. “We want students to be excited about the world around them and excited to seek new knowledge which will inform the way they are as Christians.”
This ethos is evident in how research is integrated into teaching. From the first year of study, students are invited into a community of curiosity and discovery. “You see students get excited about joining that journey that we’re on as well,” says Morton.
Building a Culture of Research
Over the past five years, Avondale has invested significantly in strengthening its research culture and infrastructure. This has been driven by internal vision but also by the standards required of Australian higher education providers by TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency).
We want students to be excited about the world around them and excited to seek new knowledge which will inform the way they are as Christians.
“As a university, research is important and expected,” explains Morton. “We can’t be a provider of ministers, teachers, or nurses unless we also have research and research training built into our processes.” This growing emphasis has resulted in a shift: research at Avondale has become a defining pillar.
Significant resources have been allocated to ensure this is the case, from supporting academic staff with research mentoring and funding to developing user-friendly and up-to-date researcher profiles on the Avondale website.
Mafile’o has seen the cultural change firsthand. “We have a growing research culture and a vibrant, positive, open, inviting space,” she says. “For our emerging researchers, the research culture at Avondale is one where they feel supported to develop.”
Research That Matters: Recent Projects and Impact
This transformation in research culture is not abstract. It’s producing real, tangible outcomes with national and international significance.
One of the most notable is a landmark partnership with Adventist Schools Australia (ASA). Avondale has been commissioned to lead a national, multi-year research project to assess and improve the climate, wellbeing, and faith engagement across ASA’s 48 schools and campuses.
The project is driven by a team at the Christian Education Research Centre (CERC), one of three flagship research centres at Avondale, and is designed not just to collect data, but to empower action. It strengthens the quality of Adventist education in Australia while also demonstrating Avondale’s growing research leadership.
Another major initiative is the Global Adventist Pastors’ Survey, covering all 13 divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide. This research by the Scripture, Spirituality, and Society Research Centre offers insights into pastors’ spiritual lives, their alignment with the church’s beliefs, and their perspectives on mission.
The work of Professor Brett Mitchell with the Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre across a range of healthcare-related studies in Infection Prevention and Control has been recognised nationally through several awards, including becoming a member for the Order of Australia. These research studies have attracted recognition and funding and continue to contribute to global efforts to reduce healthcare-associated infections.
The Lift Project is a lifestyle-based mental wellbeing program created by Professor Darren Morton. To date, more than 50,000 people from over 20 countries have participated in The Lift Project. Studies of the outcomes of the program have resulted in more than 10 academic publications.
Other recent projects include:
- First Nations Community Development (2023–2024): using Indigenous methodologies such as yarning circles to explore effective community development models.
- Grit in Ministry (2024): examining perseverance and passion in pastoral roles in the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference.
- The Relationship Between School Climate and Faith Engagement (2021–2026)
These projects aren’t only academically rigorous—they’re also deeply responsive to real-world needs. “It’s how we do mission better,” says Mafile’o.
A Unique Contribution
Avondale’s research strengths are organised around three research centres, each contributing a distinctive voice to urgent contemporary conversations:
- Christian Education Research Centre
- Lifestyle Medicine and Health Research Centre
- Scripture, Spirituality, and Society Research Centre
The centres provide a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and serve as a bridge between academic excellence and community relevance—especially for the Adventist Church in the South Pacific and beyond.
Mafile’o highlights the importance of local context in shaping knowledge production.
“We’re not just taking this knowledge from over there and applying it blindly over here. We can produce our own knowledge, informed by an Adventist worldview and responsive to our local context and cultures in our part of the world.”
This context includes growing collaborations with institutions across the Pacific. It reflects a research culture that is not only academically credible but also socially and spiritually aware.
Looking Ahead: Here for Good
Avondale’s research agenda isn’t just about growing its profile—it’s about inviting others to join the journey.
“We absolutely are seeking people interested in furthering their research career,” says Morton. “We have scholarships available, particularly if they align with our research centres or with projects that our current staff are engaged in.” It’s a call to future higher degree researchers—those who want to produce research that transforms lives, research that is here for good.
Mafile’o sees it as part of the university’s larger spiritual and intellectual mission. “There’s a need to respond to present truth in 2025,” she says. “I think our calling to be a movement means that research needs to be fresh, vibrant, and engaging. It’s about our impact on the world.”
Whether it’s investigating the role of grit in ministry, understanding faith development in schools, or reducing preventable infections in hospitals, research at Avondale reflects the university’s core mission: to transform lives. And through its growing research profile, it is shaping a better world.
Interested in pursuing research at Avondale? Explore Higher Degree Research (HDR) opportunities, connect with supervisors, and learn more about scholarships at avondale.edu.au/research.