JCU Graduate Research School

02/09/2026

Registration is now open for the final program of e-Grad School modules for 2026. You can choose from: Emotional Intelligence for Researchers; Practice-led research in creative arts, media and design; Public Policy; and Maximise your Research with GenAI.

The GRS has an institutional licence with the e-Grad School, which means JCU HDR candidates can access these courses at no charge. Click the “Register” link below.

Join this flexible, online learning platform designed for graduate researchers for:
• Flexible learning: Participate in our modules with the flexibility to study online for about 3-5 hours per week, at a time that suits your schedule.
• Expert Moderation: Our modules are moderated by highly experienced experts in the field, ensuring a rich learning experience.
• Networking: Connect with fellow researchers from different universities, expanding your professional network.
We recommend choosing one or two modules per term to keep your workload manageable. On successful completion of each module, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Key dates:
• O-Week starts Monday 14 September
• Teaching starts Saturday 19 September
• Teaching ends Friday 23 October
Register here: https://qsurvey.qut.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_9NqAjpgG2ERNPDg?_gl=1*yp49wo*_ga*MzMwMjM1Mjg1LjE3NjIzNzM5NTU.*_ga_S1B55LT1H8*czE3ODgxNTk3MTUkbzQwMyRnMSR0MTc4ODE2Mjc5NCRqNjAkbDAkaDA

You may also be interested in the 2026 e-Grad School Global Conference, which is being held on Tuesday 24 November 2026 with the theme “What's next for research? Translating innovation into global impact”. Abstract submissions are now open – go to: https://www.qut.edu.au/research/e-grad-school/conference

This year’s keynote speaker is Distinguished Professor Lyn Robyn Griffiths, who will speak on “Bridging genomics, technology, and translation for real-world impact”.

Information on the e-Grad School Global Conference hosted by QUT.

19/05/2026

Want to learn how to create an effective academic poster? Join the new workshop of that name, with the first sessions being held on 13 August and 10 September. Register now on SkillsJCU.

This practical workshop asks HDR candidates to engage in an important form of research communication at the intersection of verbal concision, visual design, audience awareness and academic persuasion. Participants will discuss what works and what doesn't in poster design, what role posters play in academic communication, and how some simple design ideas can be brought into play (although no-one is expected to be a graphic designer!). Candidates are encouraged to begin the process of turning their ideas into effective posters.

The workshop will be useful to all HDR candidates, but especially those who plan to enter the Open Access Advocate competition that is available to all JCU HDR candidates. The workshop convenor, Professor Liz Tynan, is one of the organisers of this competition and will be able to provide advice on how to achieve a winning design.

22/04/2026

ATTN ASPIRING SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS

FameLab might get you the start you are looking for.

The Western Australian Museum will host FameLab Australia 2026, the nation’s premier science communication competition for postgraduate and early career STEM researchers.

The application deadline for FameLab Australia 2026 has been extended to midnight (AWST) on Sunday 3 May 2026.

The FameLab competition is open to candidates currently undertaking an MSc or PhD qualification, postdoctoral fellows or early-career researchers who have received a MSc or PhD degree within the past five years. Further information on the competition can be found here: https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/famelab

15/04/2026

Whatever you do, do not miss next week's ThinkWell workshops. Register now on SkillsJCU

THE SEVEN SECRETS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH STUDENTS
Wednesday 22 April, 9:30am-12 noon AEST, with Maria Gardiner (Zoom)
What do HDR candidates do to finish on time, to overcome isolation, doubt and writer’s block, and to enjoy the process? And just as importantly how do they spend guilt-free time with their family and friends and perhaps even have holidays? If this sounds appealing, come to this session.

This workshop describes the key habits that our research and experience with thousands of students shows will make a difference to how quickly and easily you complete your HDR. Just as importantly, these habits can greatly reduce the stress and increase the pleasure involved.

The workshop helps you to understand how to increase your effectiveness and outcomes in the following key areas:
• how you deal with your advisor/s
• how you structure your study time
• your attitude (or lack thereof!) in relation to your research
• dealing with writer’s block or having difficulty writing
• getting the help you need when you are stuck
• juggling multiple commitments and never having enough time
• keeping on going when the going gets tough

PRESENTING YOUR RESEARCH WITH CONFIDENCE
Thursday 23 April, 2:00pm-4:00pm AEST, with Hugh Kearns (Zoom)
If you’re a researcher, at some stage you are going to have to present your findings. It’s tempting to get up and just read your paper, but to really speak to your audience you need to be able to communicate skillfully and with conviction. We’ve all been to dull presentations so it’s worth your while spending a little time to learn how to do it properly.
This workshop will provide a clear step-by-step structure that you can use again and again to give high quality presentations. It will cover:
• How to make your message relevant to your audience
• How to structure and link parts of your talk
• Preparing materials, notes, handouts, PowerPoint
• Practicing
• Delivery
• How to handle questions
• Dealing with nervousness

31/03/2026

LAB TO MARKET

It's not to late to join the Lab to Market session10am-11am AEST Thursday 2 April.

This inspirational one-hour session with JCU’s Innovation Facilitator Dr Samantha Horseman may kick-start your future entrepreneurial career. Sam has an amazing story to tell about her pathway from researcher to entrepreneur and beyond. She will open new and possibly surprising vistas for you as she shows you how great ideas can lead to through a series of stages to products in the marketplace. This session is open to all HDR candidates from any discipline. Sam will show what is possible, no matter what your starting point or your research interests.

This session will also provide information on how you can apply to join a three-day Impact 10X AI simulator intensive event being planned for June year in Townsville, designed especially for HDR candidates. The session will also encourage you to consider an internship during your candidature, and provide some options you may not have previously known about.

01/03/2026

Register now for e-Grad semester 1 courses!

The e-Grad School makes available a wide range of high quality courses. You can choose any courses you like, at no charge, as the GRS has an institutional licence with the e-Grad School. For the forthcoming semester, you can select from: Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship; Introduction to Coding for Researchers; Leadership and Communication; Mental Wellbeing for Researchers; Project Management; and the popular Write Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. These modules all count towards your professional development. Simply obtain a certificate of completion at the end of the course and upload it to your SkillsJCU account

Register now here: https://qsurvey.qut.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_9NqAjpgG2ERNPDg

20/11/2025

PREPARING FOR ORAL EXAMINATION

Just a reminder to HDR candidates who are no more than six months away from submitting their thesis - come to the practical session on preparing for your oral examination on Wednesday 3 December, 1-3pm AEST. This session is being conducted on Zoom, and is available for registration on SkillsJCU.

04/11/2025

CLIFTON STRENGTHS FOR HDR CANDIDATES

This face-to-face workshop introduces HDR candidates to "Clifton Strengths". Do the Clifton Strengths career assessment to gain awareness of your greatest talents and to begin turning them into strengths. It is being held in Townsville on 13 November, 3-4pm, and is available now for registration on SkillsJCU.

Clifton Strengths is a strengths-based development strategy that focuses on what people do well. By discovering and then investing in our strengths, we are more likely to be efficient; more productive and act with more confidence, direction and hope. The system identifies areas where an individual’s greatest potential for building strengths exists.

This workshop will allow you to discover your top 5 strengths and you will gain access to a number of reports that will assist you to bring clarity to your role as a student/researcher and help you thrive academically, socially and in your future career.

04/11/2025

ATTN TOWNSVILLE-BASED HDR CANDIDATES WITH AN INTEREST IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

HDR candidate Theo Williams is starting a reading group and you are invited.

You will have the opportunity to meet like-minded people while exploring seminal ideas, such as logic, epistemology, and the scientific method.

The group will meet fortnightly on Thursdays from 11am to 12 noon at the HDR Hub on the Townsville campus, starting on 13 November 2025, with snacks provided. The reading group is face-to-face only and is not available on Zoom.

The readings for the first five sessions focus on logic and reasoning, from antiquity to 20th century thinkers, with the readings kept intentionally short (

30/10/2025

Facing HDR oral examination soon? Perhaps unsure of how to prepare? Come along to the Preparing for Oral Examination workshop. A session is available on 3 December.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORKSHOP IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO CANDIDATES WHO ARE NO MORE THAN SIX MONTHS FROM SUBMITTING THEIR THESIS FOR EXAMINATION

This practical workshop will demonstrate how to use GenAI tools to prepare questions that may arise in an oral thesis examination, then encourage the candidate to formulate well-grounded responses to the questions. Candidates will be asked to provide oral answers to the questions, and these in turn will be critiqued using GenAI, to provide a strong preparation for the oral examination process. You will need either your thesis abstract and/or papers relevant to your project, for use during the session.

This session is only for Candidates who have:
Completed their Pre-Completion Evaluation (or close to completing)
Are within 6 months of thesis submission
Are able to bring a well-developed draft of their thesis abstract and any published papers to at this session