While the bulk of the institute was located at a purpose-built facility on the Kelvin Grove campus of QUT, a number of projects were conducted at sites across the two main QUT campuses (Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove) and at multi-partner research institutes adjoining major hospitals (the Translational Research Institute, adjoining the Princess Alexandra Hospital; and the Centre for Children's Health Research, adjoining the Queensland Children's Hospital).

The main facility was completed in June 2006 and forms part of the Kelvin Grove Urban Village.

Initial funding for capital works and equipment procurement was received from the Queensland Government, QUT and The Atlantic Philanthropies, a private charitable organisation.

The bulk of these projects were funded not by IHBI itself, but by a range of federal, state and private philanthropic grants awarded to individual teams of researchers.

The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q) was part of the Injury prevention and trauma management theme.