CDIO Academy 2025
The CDIO Academy at Monash University, Melbourne, invites you to participate in a student-led, team-based, cross-disciplinary innovation challenge. Work with students from around the world at Monash University’s world-class Makerspace and Design & Build Studios in the award-winning Woodside Building for Design and Technology to create solutions to the global challenge of carbon capture. This project is supported by the Woodside-Monash Energy Partnership, and the schedule includes a mix of hands-on project work, fun extracurricular activities, and free time to explore the city.
By coming to Melbourne for the CDIO Academy 2025 you’ll experience both the best of engineering and everything Melbourne has to offer!
Institution applications are now open and will close on 3 March. Successful institutions will be notified and student teams formed by 31 March. Online preparatory activities begin in early April, and the Academy will start at Monash University in late May.
What is the CDIO Academy
The CDIO Academy is an opportunity for engineering students who are active at CDIO institutions to work on design-implement projects in a cross-disciplinary team with peers from engineering programmes around the world.
Challenge 2025: Designing and Prototyping a Carbon Capture Module
The CDIO Academy challenge for 2025 is “Designing and Prototyping a Carbon Capture Module”. This challenge is highly relevant to many engineering disciplines, incorporating aspects of mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering, and you will take part in a rewarding learning experience while gaining international experience with peers from around the world.
Our industry partner is Woodside Energy, an Australian energy and exploration company, the largest of its kind in Australia. Woodside will offer insight into the challenges associated with direct air carbon-capture currently faced by industry, and provide additional context for the CDIO Academy 2025 challenge. In conjunction with Monash University, Woodside will host site visits to carbon capture laboratory facilities during the conference.
The detailed project brief will be provided once student Teams have been formed in late March, 2025. The project will focus on sustainability and other real-world outcomes in line with the conference theme of Forging Connections: Synergies for a Sustainable Future. Outcomes will be presented by each Team on the final day of the conference, and feedback will be provided by a panel of academics and industry professionals.
Program 2025
The physical part of the CDIO Academy takes place during the 21st International CDIO Conference at Monash University, Melbourne Australia, from 29 May – 5th June 2025, and there is a specific programme for the participants of the CDIO Academy.
Application schedule
Institutions that are interested in supporting their students to participate in the CDIO Academy 2025 will submit an application online via the CDIO Academy website. Applications will be screened and outcomes communicated to the institutes. Successful applicants will then submit student participant details. Before the conference, all participants will be assigned to multi-disciplinary, multi-institution teams. A detailed description of subsequent online and on-site activities will be sent out together with communications to successful institutes and applicants.
| Dates 2025 | Activity | Channel |
| 3rd March | Deadline for applications from institutions wishing to send students | CDIO Committee email: cdio2025committee@monash.edu |
| 10th March | Communication of institution application outcomes | |
| 24th March | Deadline for accepted institutions to supply student participant details | CDIO Academy Website |
| 31st March | Communication of student groups’ application outcomes and Team composition |
Online preparatory activities
Each participant will be expected to begin preparations from home, in collaboration with the rest of the team and a Monash supervisor, via Zoom meetings. We will arrange two compulsory online seminars for the teams on the 7th and 21st of April, followed by two additional, optional sessions on the 5th and 19th of May. Meeting times and links will be communicated separately. Throughout the period April–June the teams are encouraged to set and maintain their own work schedule and agenda.
In the week before the conference, we will also offer an online session for all participants to prepare for the visit.
| Dates 2025 | Activity | Channel |
| 7th April | Welcome onsite | Onsite at Monash |
| 29th May – 4th June | Team work on addressing the innovation challenge | Onsite at Monash |
| 5th June | Outcome presentation | Onsite at Monash |
How to apply
To apply for the CDIO Academy, a coordinating contact person from each participating education institution must be present at the CDIO Conference. Applications should be submitted to cdio2025committee@monash.edu on or before 3 March 2025 to be considered.
The coordinator should apply on behalf of their student group by providing an application consisting of their own contact information, as well as the following information about each student participant:
- full and preferred name
- email address
- study program (undergraduate, master, PhD) and engineering discipline
- present year of study
- a personal statement of their motivation for participation
In the event that applicant numbers exceed available places, we will endeavour to create the most diverse final list of participants possible.
Budgeting Information
The registration fee for CDIO Academy 2025 is $AU350 per student. This fee covers:
- access to the Monash labs and facilities
- catering (morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea) on the four on-campus working days
- the Academy Dinner
All other costs of attendance will be the responsibility of the institutions and individuals who attend. Below are some links that may help with budgeting and planning your visit to Monash Clayton.
Find where you are and what you need on campus using the Monash Digital Wayfinder. Monash University Clayton has excellent food and retail facilities and participants will have no trouble catering for their daily needs.
There are also several public retail areas close to the campus with supermarkets and restaurants.
There are several cost-effective accommodation options within easy walking distance of the Clayton campus, including Gateway on Monash Hotel, Quest Notting Hill, and ParkRoyal Monash.
Public transportation to Monash Clayton is frequent and easy to navigate via the PTV Journey Planner.
If you have any questions, please contact us at cdio2025committee@monash.edu