GREAT Online modules for HDR now available to all HDR candidates

We’re excited to introduce the Graduate Research Enhancement and Academic Training (GREAT) online modules — a valuable resource designed to support all HDR candidates at Charles Sturt University. This essential resource will guide you through every stage of your candidature, from starting out to submitting your thesis.

What do the modules offer?

This training was co-designed with current HDR candidates and staff across the University. The result is a tailored suite of eight accessible online modules targeted at key stages of the HDR research journey:

  • Navigating Your Research Journey: Understand milestones, policies, and challenges throughout your HDR candidature.
  • Being a Responsible Researcher: Learn research ethics, academic integrity, intellectual property, and practical steps for preparing ethics applications.
  • Working with Your Supervisor: Build effective relationships, set realistic expectations, and navigate feedback and challenges.
  • Reviewing the Literature: Master strategies for finding, evaluating, and critically appraising literature for your review.
  • Writing Your Thesis: Get step-by-step guidance on thesis structure, drafting chapters, and preparing for submission.
  • Communicating Your Research: Explore publishing options, understand copyright, and share your findings with wider audiences.
  • Planning Your Career: Identify career pathways, network with professionals, and prepare compelling resumes and interview strategies.
  • Wellbeing & Balanced Researcher: Develop resilience, balance commitments, and promote personal and professional wellbeing throughout your journey.

As an HDR candidate, you are automatically enrolled in the Brightspace site. The GREAT modules sit alongside a range of resources for HDR Candidates and their supervisors. Visit the Research Hub ‘HDR Candidates’ tab and explore! There is also a new HDR-Training Brightspace site for you.

Get started today and set yourself up for a successful candidature!

For any issues or suggestions, please email: HDR-Support@csu.edu.au

Three-minute thesis is back and it’s time to get involved!

What is a Three-minute thesis you ask?

The three-minute thesis, or 3MT, is an international competition for doctoral students to present their research and its significance to a non-expert audience in just three minutes, using just one PowerPoint slide.

It is held annually at over 900 universities across 85 countries, including here at Charles Sturt.

In 2025 3MT is back once again with our heats held fully online as part of our DocFest program (May 26th -30th).

It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work, build your communication skills, and connect with a broader community. We’re now calling for entries—don’t miss your chance to share your research story. Submit your entry today and be part of this inspiring competition! Read more

Research and writing support for HDR candidates with Research Central

Are you looking to fast track your research in 2025 with the support of Research Central?

Places now available for HDR candidates at all stages of candidature to join the very popular research support and academic writing program, Research Central.

Research Central (Adroit) is an externally provided online community of practice for HDR Candidates from universities across Australia focusing on connection, motivation, accountability and mindset. Research Central provides access to masterclasses and resources on thesis writing, data collection and analysis, productivity, and much more.

One valuable inclusion is the weekly “Ask me anything” sessions with experienced expert moderators.

Each Term (11-week blocks) Charles Sturt offers limited ‘seats’ in Research Central for our HDR candidates. Participants are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the wide range of resources, workshops and writing groups available while they have access.

Places for Term 1 commencing Tuesday 4th February are now open (see the weekly schedule below). Read more

Call for abstracts now open for DocFest 2025

DocFest is our annual tri-faculty virtual conference for graduate research.

26-30 May 2025

DocFest25 theme: Developing Next Generation Researchers

The inspiration for this year’s theme comes from the Charles Sturt University Research Strategy.

The researchers of today step into an everchanging world, in which opportunity abounds, and paths are forged into new and unknown territories. Undertaking your higher degree needs to deliver you into this world with a range of transferable skills that will ensure you are ready to face the challenges and take up the opportunities that present.

Who is DocFest for?

DocFest is for anyone interested in graduate research but especially if you are:

  • A graduate research candidate
  • An Early Career Researcher
  • An HDR Supervisor
  • Research support staff
  • An Honours student
  • Interested in doing a PhD in the future

Call Abstracts for Oral Presentations and e-Posters

As well as a rich program of keynote speakers, expert panels and workshops, HDR candidates, supervisors and research and professional staff are invited to submit abstracts for oral presentations or e-posters in the following themes: Read more

Seeing like a researcher: Masterclass series #9

Seeing Like a Researcher is a masterclass series highlighting the experience, skills, wisdom and advice of Charles Sturt’s research leaders on themes relating to research innovation and professional skills for research.

For our 9th session we are very pleased to welcome Distinguished Professor Sarah O’Shea who will present:  A qualitative research journey – the highs and lows.

Join Professor O’Shea for an insightful session that delves into the intricacies of qualitative research. Through candid reflections and shared experiences, this masterclass explores the journey from designing a qualitative study to addressing ethical considerations, recruitment, and data analysis.
Read more

Seeing like a researcher: Masterclass series

Seeing Like a Researcher is a masterclass series led by Professor Mark Evans. The Series highlights the experience, skills, wisdom and advice of Charles Sturt’s research leaders on themes relating to research innovation and professional skills for research.

We are excited to have Distinguished Professor Geoff Gurr join us for Session 7, Publish or Perish, Publish and Thrive.

Distinguished Professor Gurr is an internationally recognised ecologist who has held academic appointments at Melbourne, New England, Sydney and Charles Sturt as well as visiting professor positions at Sydney, Lincoln University (New Zealand) and Zhejiang University and Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University (China). His work over the last three decades has focused on harmonising agriculture with the natural environment. Read more

Researcher careers across borders: supporting careers beyond academia

Vitae is the global leader in supporting the professional development of researchers, experienced in working with institutions as they strive for research excellence, innovation and impact.

‘Researcher careers across borders: supporting careers beyond academia’ is an online event being held on Thursday 21 November 09:00-11:00 (GMT). This webinar is focused on international approaches to how researchers are supported to explore careers beyond academia.

This event will be joined by:

  • Dr Teresa Rosas, Academic Talent and EDI Officer at CREAF (Inici | Creaf), who will share CREAF’s initiatives for supporting researchers in careers outside of academia
  • Dr Johanna Stadlbauer, Anthropologist and Head of Postdoctoral Office at the University of Graz, who will present insights on how Graz supports researchers in exploring non-academic career paths
  • Professor Alison Truelove from the University of Exeter, who will present on the Developing Business-Aware Academics project (Welcome – Developing Business-Aware Academics) focused on developing business-related skills in researchers

This event is free and open access. Please feel free to share the events details with your networks and anyone who may benefit from attending.

Book your place

Early Childhood Voices Conference (ECV2024)

You’re invited to join us for the Early Childhood Voices Conference 2024 (ECV2024).

ECV2024 is an interdisciplinary international conference providing a platform to share research about innovative methods, theories and partnerships with children, families and practitioners that supports social justice during early childhood and within the early childhood sector.

Registrations now open!

And its free!

Online 25-28 November 2024.

Register here: https://csu.edu.au/ecv2024

The Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final showcase is now online!

The Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final showcase is now online!
This year’s competition showcases the presentations and research of 56 outstanding competitors from universities from across Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, North-East Asia and South-East Asia including Charles Sturt’s Sarah Esmaeili.

The 2024 Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final will showcase video submissions from 3MT finalists from across Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, North-East Asia and South-East Asia.

View the Semi-Final Showcase and watch Sarah here!

Over the next two weeks, two judging panels will review and select 8 finalists from the 56 competitors, to proceed to the 2024 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Final which will be held via live stream, on Wednesday 30 October.
The 8 finalists competing at the Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Final will be revealed on the 3MT website on Monday 21 October.

Qualtrics now live!

Try Qualtrics Today!

Charles Sturt University is transitioning to Qualtrics as the preferred survey tool for researchers.

Qualtrics is the recommended tool for collecting and storing “highly sensitive” research surveys by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) at Charles Sturt University.

The advanced web-based survey platform enables researchers to:

  • collaboratively create, distribute, collect, share, analyse and store complex (short or long term) research surveys and data.
  • Design a (complex) research survey using a Charles Sturt University branded online template and a range of question types and display logic.
  • Export survey data to different file formats: Word, PowerPoint, PDF, CSV, TSV, Excel, Google Drive sheet, XML and SPSS.
  • Collaborate within and outside the University and with other Qualtrics users.
  • And more.

Try Qualtrics today!

More info: https://research.csu.edu.au/research-support/data-methods-and-tools/tools

Step 1 of 2
Please sign in first
You are on your way to create a site.