University of Queensland
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

The Global Change Scholars is a centrally supported initiative open to current PhD students. The purpose of the program is to help PhD Students gain insight into global change and grand societal challenges and engage in cross-discipline collaboration, including engagement with government and industry leaders.

Learning side-by-side with students from other disciplines, Global Change Scholars will be exposed to the latest thinking on global change from internationally renowned academics as well as captains of industry, and political and societal leaders. Scholars will regularly engage with well-recognised leaders in their fields who are passionate about global change issues. In addition, scholars will profile their research through public engagement, networking opportunities and through the media, including a dedicated workshop with ABC Radio National's Science Show host Robyn Williams.

Students who are selected via an expression of interest process are supported by a $2,000 completion award to use for activities related to their PhD Studies. Since 2017 over 80 UQ PhD students have completed the Global Change Scholar’s program. Events, outcomes and other news related to the program is publicly document on the Global Change Scholars stories and events website.

Global Change Scholars program is online
https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/current-students/global-change-scholars-program

Global Change Scholars stories and events
https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/global-change-scholars-program/stories

Additional programs to support student researchers include:
Future Students (Research tab)
https://future-students.uq.edu.au/
Find a UQ Research supervisor
http://researchers.uq.edu.au/
Career development (Research tab) information on career placements & networking, skills workshops, experiences and Researcher development
https://future-students.uq.edu.au/careers?qt-careers_employability=2#qt-careers_employability
Scholarships and scholarship rounds
https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/scholarships
Scholarships for new research students
https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/future-students?combine=&field_uq_scholarship_country_tid=All&field_uq_scholarship_study_area_tid=All&field_uq_scholarship_career_lvl_tid=43
Scholarships for current research students
https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/current-students?combine=&field_uq_scholarship_country_tid=All&field_uq_scholarship_study_area_tid=All&field_uq_scholarship_career_lvl_tid=43
Candidate Development Award
https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarship/candidate-development-award-cda

UQ's Global Change Institute (GCI) has led climate change solutions in Australia and south-east Asia for almost a decade. GCI promotes transdisciplinary collaboration from across UQ, industry, government and the community to address grand challenges and build a strong Australia within a competitive global economy.

Through innovation brokering, design-led facilitation, impact research networks and institute operations, the GCI seeks to stimulate research collaboration for complex transdisciplinary challenges across five key areas: ‘Leading Healthy Lives’, ‘Building Better Bioeconomies’, ‘Achieving Resilient Environments and Livelihoods’, ‘Designing Technology for Tomorrow’ and ‘Transforming Societies’.


Transdisciplinary Impact Research Networks (TIRNs) are also being established to bring together different research capabilities and disciplines from across UQ to co-design research directions with relevant external partners. TIRNs will be supported by a budget allocation to support targeted engagement activities and development opportunities for those researchers involved in the TIRN.
https://gci.uq.edu.au/about-gci
https://gci.uq.edu.au/gcis-next-generation-takes-shape
https://gci.uq.edu.au/global-change-flagship-projects

Additional programs to support staff researchers include:
Researcher development
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development
New researchers
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/new-uq
Researcher support
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/researcher-support
Early & mid-career researchers
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/researcher-support
Researcher mentoring
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/mentoring
Researcher professional development and engagement
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-support/researcher-development/external-researcher-resources

UQ values interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. UQ's research centres are made up of an interdisciplinary community who champion research excellence. https://research.uq.edu.au/about

UQ continually builds on its global reputation in key areas of national and international significance such as energy, sustainability, water, health, food security and social equity through an emphasis on high-quality, interdisciplinary global collaboration with public and private organisations. Through our five research impact themes, UQ connects people and capabilities from across the university to develop solutions to major global challenges.
https://research.uq.edu.au/research-overview

UQ’s academic appraisal process and Guidelines on Evidence Academic Achievement are made publicly available via the Policy and Procures Library 5.70.17 Criteria for Academic Performance.

The guidelines explicitly mention leading and participating in interdisciplinary initiatives as evidence of quality and impact in scholarship and research. In addition, this guideline recognises the significance in having an impact on policy, health services impacts, and engagement/consultation with end-user communities—all which are key components of supporting the SDGs.
Guidelines on Evidence Academic Achievement
https://staff.uq.edu.au/files/341/guidelines-academic-achievement-evidence.pdf
Criteria for Academic Performance
https://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/5.70.17-criteria-academic-performance

UQ library supports research across the University with resources focused on sustainability managed by discipline specific librarians in any of the 14 libraries across the University https://web.library.uq.edu.au/locations-hours

The University has subject librarians and specialist libraries for every major program. Specialist librarians are available to assist in information sourcing, for advice and services to support research goals. A list of specialist librarians is online
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/liaison-librarians

Library guides specific to sustainability and related topics are available
https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/environmental-science

Materials and resources for research and learning for sustainability are collected relevant to areas of interest and are also provided as a direct request from researchers. Specialist library services for researchers includes finding funding, managing research data, publishing and sharing as well as metrics, engagement and impact
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-researchers

UQ library also provides training in software skills, research skills, publishing and research management as well as search techniques, software & tools, accessing Australian Government datasets, intellectual property and copyright, requesting an ISBN or ISSN and conferences.
Additional online information includes services include finding funding, managing research data, publishing and metrics.
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-researchers/find-funding
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-researchers/manage-research-data
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-researchers/publish-share
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-researchers/metrics-impact-engagement

Specialist support for Higher Degree by Research students can be found online
https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/services-higher-degree-by-research