In 2005, JCU joined forces with Australia's CSIRO to form a strategic alliance known as the CSIRO/JCU Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture (TLJV) to facilitate collaborative research.

As part of the TLJV initiative, staff from both institutions are now located in the Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct (ATSIP) at JCU's Townsville Campus.

The co-location JCU and CSIRO staff creates an opportunity to position Australia as a pre-eminent provider of research to industries and communities in the world's tropics.The TLJV aims to develop a collaborative portfolio of research, drawing on the expertise of JCU and CSIRO researchers.

The Tropical Landscapes Joint Venture concentrates on research to underpin sustainable management of tropical landscapes, including the wet and dry tropics.