December update

Message from ACGR President

Dear ACGR friends and colleagues,

With the final stages of 2022 firmly in sight, we once again express our sincere appreciation to the ACGR community for the varied and thoughtful contributions so generously provided throughout the year.

It was both lovely and energising to reconnect with so many of you at the ACGR National Meeting in Canberra. Two days of thoughtful, engaged and generous discussion once again demonstrates that the future of graduate research and research training is in safe hands.

The meeting was an apt culmination of an enormously busy year that has seen energetic, knowledgeable and intuitive discussion and exchange amongst ACGR members. We have witnessed tremendous attendance across our activities, events and meetings. We also appreciate the thoughtful and pragmatic input we have received for our various submissions and advocacy initiatives.

Next year certainly shapes as another busy and exciting one, I will complete my second year as ACGR President and Professors Justin Zobel from The University of Melbourne and Susan Kinnear from CQU also continue on the Executive Committee.

Professor Clive Baldock from Western Sydney University was elected as President Elect at the recent ACGR AGM. Clive will commence this role on 1 January, 2023, and transition to President of ACGR in 2024 and 2025.

Also elected to the committee for 2023 and 2024 were Professor Wendy Wright, Federation University Australia who will re-join the committee after a one year appointment in 2022 and Professor Ann Evans of ANU.

We are also pleased to announce that Professor Chris Abbiss, Edith Cowan University, has been co-opted to the committee for 2023 to fill the vacancy created by Professor Baldock’s move to President Elect.

We are also extremely pleased to introduce Tracy Sullivan as our incoming Executive Director for 2023. ACGR has contracted Ed Sapiens Consulting for the provision of executive services commencing 1 January and Tracy will be our lead contact, supported by Andrew McKenna.

We conclude this Update with the challenging business of goodbyes. It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to our inaugural and long-time Executive Director, Fiona Zammit. Professor Anne-Marie Hede, who has served as ACGR Secretary for four years, and Dr Simon Moss also both conclude their roles with the Executive Committee. The contributions that these three amazing individuals have made to ACGR cannot be under-estimated. The graduate research context here in Australia is much improved because of their tireless efforts.

Finally, we are pleased to provide you with early notice that our face to face national meeting will be held on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 April. The virtual meeting will be run in October or November, date to be advised. Importantly, we are now seeking expressions of interest from institutions that would be willing to work with ACGR to host our April meeting. If you would like to showcase your university, please the Executive Officer () ASAP so that we can explore this possibility together.

We wish all members a safe and relaxing festive season. Stay safe and we look forward to engaging with you in 2023.

Best regards,

Imelda Whelehan, ACGR President