Developing best practice strategies for Australian Centres of Excellence
Author Natalie Campbell
Date 6 August 2024
On 23-25 July 2024 professional staff members working across the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence scheme gathered at QUT Kelvin Grove for three days of professional development, best practice discussion, and networking.
Bringing together more than 120 staff members from 19 Centre’s around Australia, the event was facilitated by the Queensland-based ARC Centre of Excellences.
On Tuesday 23 July, Centre Directors and Chief Operating Officers kicked off proceedings with a program designed to share valuable knowledge on research translation, program governance, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategies.
The leadership group was joined by Prof Alistair McEwan, Executive Director for Centres of Excellence at the Australian Research Council, and Prof Kerrie Wilson, Queensland’s Chief Scientist, who provided insights and ideas from their respective roles in the research sector.
ADM+S Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Walsh shared his experience of the ARC mid-term review as part of a panel designed to equip other Centre leaders with expectations of the process.
ADM+S director Prof Julian Thomas was also featured in the program, speaking about the ADM+S Centres EDI EDI strategy and initiatives, alongside colleagues from OzGrav and CEVAW.
The annual all-staff program took place on Wednesday 24 July, and aimed to build connections across the COE network for staff to co-develop best practice strategies for challenges and opportunities unique to Centres of Excellence.
“The week presented ample opportunities for sharing insights, developing practical skills, and building valuable networks to enhance our contributions to the field,” said ADM+S Chief Operating Officer Nick Walsh.
Members from different Centre’s presented on various topics of their expertise, including First Nations engagement, leadership development, and workplace wellbeing.
Additional workshops were run on Thursday 25 July, addressing specialised topics such as finance management, communications and outreach, and research infrastructure optimisation.
