The RMIT Global Cities Research Institute was inaugurated in 2006, but it has a longer history based in the research development of RMIT. Over the period of 2002 to 2006, the University supported a focussed Research and Innovation program with one of its four major emphases on globalization and a second on global sustainability. The RMIT Global Cities Research Institute represents a coming together of those two research emphases under a common umbrella—represented by the Globalism Research Centre and the Global Sustainability@RMIT, both of which continue to flourish—together with a number of other RMIT centres and individuals. Ten continuing research entities at RMIT have thus affiliated to form the RMIT Global Cities Research Institute:

• Australian Centre for Risk and Community Management
• Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)
• Conservation and Renewable Energy Group (CARE)
• Centre for Applied Social Research (CASR)
• Centre for Design
• CRC Construction Innovation
• CRC Water Quality & Treatment
• Globalism Research Centre
• Global Sustainability@RMIT
• Nautilus@RMIT

Importantly, the Global Cities initiative involves a broadening of the disciplinary base of the research team from the humanities and social scientists to natural scientists, engineers and business researchers.

After a period of consultation in 2005, the Institute was initiated in late 2006 with the governance structure confirmed and the research focus elaborated on the basis of a commitment to engaged research. It was agreed that two of the most pressing overarching issues facing the world today are globalization and global climate change. They encompass questions of global security, cultural resilience, urban adaptation, environmental sustainability and global learning. Over the last decade, billions of dollars have been spent on ameliorative and security-oriented projects by both government and non-government agencies. However, many communities continue to live under difficult circumstances. Understanding these issues became central to our research agenda. The inaugural discussions emphasized the concern that developing a thorough on-going research program entails going beyond identifying the immediate threats to exploring pathways to enhance resilience and adaptation.