Institute for Ethics & Society

The Institute for Ethics & Society (IES) is a national research institute of the University of Notre Dame Australia. We are philosophers, theologians, historians and social scientists, drawing on deep intellectual traditions to grapple with the questions that define our age: how to live well, how to live together, how to meet a changing world.

Our work is organised through two centres and four research areas, and is supported by funders including the Australian Research Council, the European Research Council and the John Templeton Foundation, alongside industry and philanthropic partners.

Public engagement runs through everything we do: we host public lectures and orations, short courses, conferences, seminars and masterclasses, and we work in partnership with organisations across healthcare, education and Australia's faith communities.

The Institute is led by Co-Directors Professor David Bronstein and Associate Professor Nathan Lyons.

Our centres and research areas

• Centre for the History of Philosophy Research, teaching and public engagement across the history of philosophy - ancient, medieval and modern, Western and beyond - with particular strength in the Abrahamic traditions.
• Centre for Technology and Human Futures Humanities-grounded research on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, and what they mean for how we work, learn, and understand ourselves.
• Moral Philosophy and the Good Life What constitutes a good human life: virtue and vice, moral responsibility, and the ethics of belief.
• Bioethics and Healthcare Ethics Ethics at the beginning and end of life, spiritual care, and ethics education in clinical settings.
• Religion, Culture and Society Religion, spirituality and non-religion in contemporary society, politics and culture.
• Global Catholic Studies The history, cultures and ideas of Catholicism across continents and centuries.

Current research projects

Our researchers lead externally funded projects supported by the Australian Research Council, the European Research Council, the John Templeton Foundation and the Templeton World Charity Foundation, along with industry, community and philanthropic partners.  

Our current projects run across intellectual history, moral philosophy, science and religion, technology ethics and global Catholicism, and most are collaborations with partner institutions in Australia, Europe and North America.

Graduate research

The Institute supervises PhD, MPhil and MRes candidates across all of our research areas. Research degrees have no tuition cost for Australian citizens and permanent residents, and competitive candidates can apply for a tax-free stipend through Notre Dame's HDR scholarship program. Candidates join a full scholarly life of seminars, masterclasses, reading groups and international collaborations.

Partner with us

The Institute collaborates with organisations across healthcare, education, and Australia's faith communities. Our partnerships take several forms: co-designed research projects, co-hosted public events, research that informs practice, short courses and workshops, and industry-linked PhDs. Recent partners include St Vincent's Health Australia, The Great Synagogue Sydney, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, The Scots College and the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Australia.

Contact us

If you would like to know more about what we do at the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics & Society, we encourage you to email us ies@nd.edu.au.