The Strategic Researcher
The Strategic Researcher supports early-career researchers (ECRs), mid-career researchers (MCRs) and other academics wanting to strategically develop as researchers and advance their career.
Applications for 2024 are closed.
Program overview
Research careers can be diverse, rewarding and exciting, yet the move from early- and mid-career (ECR/MCR) stages to leading research programs and teams can be complex and challenging. The Strategic Researcher program provides expert advice, flexible tools and resources, case studies, and opportunities for critical reflection and goalsetting needed to develop key capabilities to develop as a researcher.
- Develop and maintain a research plan
- Manage your research workload and time
- Build engagement and impact in your research plan
- Establish a strong research profile
- Manage and deliver research projects
- Develop strategies for funding success
- Lead research teams and engage in collaborative efforts
Program schedule
The Strategic Researcher is an online program, including seven x 2-hour monthly sessions on Fridays 10:00-12:00 (AEST) from May to November 2024.
Session | Date | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 May | Career & workload management | Learn about the current research landscape, discuss developing and maintaining a research career strategy, and cover practical approaches to managing your workload and time in the academic context. |
2 | 28 Jun | Understanding research impact | Discuss the pathway for translating basic and applied research to real-world outcomes and impact, the institutional and national research impact landscape, and expectations for planning and achieving impact. |
3 | 26 Jul | Planning for & achieving research impact | Learn about what researchers should do to maximise research impact. This includes practical steps that all researchers need to consider for research planning. |
4 | 23 Aug | Building a research track record | Understand and prioritise your research activities to create a strong research profile. |
5 | 20 Sept | Research project management | Cover practical skills for planning, managing, and delivering research projects using an impact framework template. |
6 | 25 Oct | Strategies for funding success | Discuss steps and strategies for improving the likelihood of funding success, particularly in ARC and category 1 grants. Focus on long-term planning and steps to building a funding track record; aligning your research, funding and impact plans; and tops tips for grant-writing. |
| 7 | 15 Nov | Research leadership and team management | Discuss skills for becoming a research leader, role model and transiting to leadership/management roles. Learn strategies to lead research teams and collaborations, supervise students and manage research (and other) staff. |
About your facilitator
The Strategic Researcher is facilitated by Gayle Smythe from With Distinction Research. Charles Sturt staff will also join workshops as guest speakers on dedicated topics.
Dr Gayle Smythe (BSc(Hons), PhD) has a background in biomedical research and teaching. She’s held senior university positions including Head of School/Department, and Associate Dean (Research), and is experienced in university and research administration, management, governance and compliance. She has produced executive level university reports on research quality, training, integrity, engagement and impact; developed and implemented research strategic plans; and regularly works with Australian and New Zealand research teams to develop project plans, proposals, impact and implementation pathways, and funding applications. Read Gayle’s full bio here.