Murdoch University is a leading research university in Australia having strong academic and R&D programmes in mineral, metallurgical, chemical, environment and renewable energy technology. Both IMMT and Murdoch University have been collaborating with each other on specific projects such as mitigation of Arsenic in drinking water, nano iron oxide for effluent treatment, utilization of sulphur dioxide etc. with financial support from various Australian agencies. These projects have laid a strong foundation of cooperation between the two institutes, leading to significant scientific and technological contribution.

In order to expand and deepen this collaboration further, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two organizations on April 22, 2009 at IMMT Bhubaneswar. Both parties have hereby agreed to assist each other in developing, strengthening and implementing initiatives for promotion of R&D in material science, have bilateral exchange of research and teaching staff, training and guidance of students, collaboration in offering academic programmes, and organization of joint seminars and workshops, in keeping with the framework of rules and regulations of both organizations and countries. To start with it has been agreed to develop a collaborative R&D programme in the area of Solution Processing of Materials involving a range of disciplines from hydrometallurgy to computational material science. Other R&D areas in nanotechnology and biotechnology with mutual synergy and potential are being explored.

The MoU was signed by Professor Jim Reynoldson, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) of Murdoch University and Prof. B. K. Mishra, Director, IMMT Bhubaneswar. A team of research and teaching staff from Murdoch visited IMMT Bhubaneswar during 20 - 22 April to interact with various R&D departments on possible areas of collaboration and attend the signing of MoU between the two organizations. This agreement will help both IMMT & Murdoch complement each other in furthering scientific and human resources development goals.