CQUniversity researchers have had plenty of opportunity to rev themselves up for the 2013 academic year, thanks to professional development events on Rockhampton Campus over the past week...

ECR L-R Lynette Browning (Adelaide), Dr Jo Luck (Rton), Assoc Prof Alison Owens (Syd), Dr Melinda McHenry (Bundaberg), Dr Victor Zhou (Mackay), Dr Sue Davis (Noosa), Dr Alison Jones (Rton), Dr Karena Burke (Rton), Dr En Li (Rton); Dr Jessica Paterson (Adelaide), Prof Drew Dawson (Adelaide), Dr Ros Cameron (Gladstone), Dr Mark Hochman (UniTas), Dr Dolene Rossi (Rton), Dr Phillip Donaldson (Bundaberg), Dr Dessalegn Mihret (Uni of New England), Dr Xanthe Mallett (UNE), Dr Sandrine Makiela (Rton).

The Early Career Researcher Program was a series of 10 full-day workshops facilitated by Professor Drew Dawson and Lynette Browning. 

Cohort participants were early career researchers from CQUniversity, with invited participants from University of New England and University of Southern Queensland (invited through the Regional Universities Network). 

The most recent sessions included Professor Drew Dawson on 'Becoming a public intellectual' and Professor Graham Pegg on 'The future: researcher career development', while Professor Geraldine Mackenzie visited from Bond University to talk on 'Australian Research Council panel whispering' and Dr Mark Hochman (University of Tasmania) presented a ‘hot off the press' talk about the Excellence in Innovation paper looking at research impact.

The ECR Program was an Office of Research Researcher Training funding initiative. It was the first step in a whole program of Researcher Training initiatives that the Office of Research will bring forward in 2013.

PhD students and Post Doctoral Fellows had the chance to attend a Research Career Planning Series event, arranged by the HEALTH CRNA few days after the final ECR session, PhD students and Post Doctoral Fellows had the chance to attend a Research Career Planning Series event hosted by the HEALTH Collaborative Research Network (which involves CQUniversity, Curtin Uni, QUT and UQ).

Professor Gregory Gass and Professor Hilary Winchester from CQUni, Associate Professor Tim Carroll from UQ, a CRN Health partner, and Dr Kathleen Finlayson, from QUT, also a CRN Health partner, led the sessions, helping researchers to strategically and successfully plan their future careers, under the theme 'Success is no accident'.

L-R Prof Sonj Hall, Prof Lynne Parkinson and Prof Desley Hegney prepare for their HEALTH CRN presentation

The HEALTH CRN followed up with a Systematic Literature Review Series session entitled 'Systematic reviews; Who needs them?'

Professor Desley Hegney from Curtin University shared her knowledge and experiences about the value of systematic literature reviews, and their important role in research and consultancy.

Dr Hegney is Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Program Coordinator, Vulnerable Populations, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute.