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The Centre has five academic and over 20 researchers dedicated to membrane science and technology. The Centre has a strong profile and recognition factor internationally as one of the largest membrane groups and as a world leader in a wide range of research areas.

Much of the Centre’s reputation rests on our approach to wider generic problems from a fundamental engineering science approach incorporating skills from physical chemistry to high level computing, rather than solely from an application focus. Historically, it has been a University Centre for over 20 years and was previously supported as Commonwealth Special Research Centre for 9 years.

Recently, the Centre has leveraged its collective infrastructure and expertise to form collaborative links with other Centres and schools and participate in major research initiatives nationally and internationally. These include a major CSIRO cluster in water, 3 DEST International Linkage Programmes, and three Cooperative Research Centres. This has brought significant research income and profile to UNSW in addition to our continuing success with traditional sources of funding from the Australian Research Council and industry. Due to the increasing role of membranes in the global issues such water, energy, and climate change, the Centre is in a position to take a research leadership role in many of these key technology challenges.

The Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at the University of New South Wales was originally established as a University Centre in 1987 and became a Commonwealth Special Research Centre in February 1988. Membrane research at UNSW began in 1972, marking over five decades of significant contributions to the field. The work of pioneers such as Tony Fane, Chris Fell, and Hans Coster laid the foundation for many of the Centre's advancements.

In 1982, the development of the nylon membrane, followed by the purchase of intellectual property by Baxter Travenol and the subsequent spin-off and ASX listing of MEMTEC, highlighted the commercial potential of this research. The Centre's reputation was further solidified with the establishment of the Australian Centre of Excellence in 1988 and the prestigious UNESCO Accreditation in 1992.

In 1992, Mr. Barry Jones MP signed an agreement on behalf of the Centre with UNESCO, awarding it the status of a UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology, one of only four UNESCO Science Centres worldwide. This status, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Special Research Centre, emphasizes international collaboration, positioning Australia as a key player in the field.

The Centre has established a robust network of technical liaison and collaboration within Australia, including various research groups and other Centres within the University of New South Wales, other universities, and government research organizations. Internationally, the Centre has a growing network of collaborators, including links with EU networks. These activities have been further strengthened by the Centre’s UNESCO status. Close liaison is also maintained with Australian industry, providing a significant technological resource for independent and objective assessment.

A key element of the Centre's success is its focus on membrane science and technology, recognizing that experimental and theoretical analytical tools developed for the fundamental study of membranes can lead to the successful development of high-performance membranes for industrial purposes.

The Centre is hosted by the School of Chemical Engineering, where its academic staff are based. At the end of 2005, Professor A. G. Fane and Professor Dianne Wiley stepped down as director and deputy director respectively, and Professor Vicki Chen became the new director until 2014. In 2014, Professor Greg Leslie became the Director of the Centre.

For more than 50 years, membrane research at UNSW has informed and guided the engineering of membrane processes and the preparation of novel membranes. From optimizing membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment to developing a better understanding of membrane fouling in desalination and water reclamation, these processes have transformed water quality, treatment, and sanitation outcomes in Australia and overseas.

From humble beginnings as a modest research group to playing a part in the evolution of a multi-billion-dollar industry, the Chemical Engineering team at UNSW has focused on membrane technology to benefit both industry and the community alike.