The primary focus of the Science Communication unit is to provide curatorial expertise directed towards collection development, research, and exhibitions for Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks in the areas of:
- Antarctic science history
- astronomy
- human biology
- medicine
- meteorology
- physics
- science communication
- scientific instruments
Many exhibitions at Melbourne Museum and Scienceworks, as well as the Planetarium, are test-beds for research into science communication. Research is currently being undertaken into the issues of ethically displaying psychiatric art and human remains.
Research is also being carried out to develop curatorial tools that provide a multidisciplinary approach to exhibition development.