Researcher Development Unit

Researcher Development News

Support, training, opportunities

Edition 10
February, 2026

EMCR Training Grant Scheme 2026

Build your leadership and the skills of your peers

Researchers are well-placed to share knowledge, experience, and build capacity in their peers, which is where the EMCR Training Grant Scheme comes in. Designed to provide early to mid-career researchers and their communities with the opportunity to create and deliver researcher development events that respond directly to the needs of their peers, the Scheme enables researcher skill development from the grassroots up.

Grants are available for up to $5,000 for workshops, seminar series, and other initiatives that build researcher skills, share knowledge, and foster a supportive and inclusive research environment. In addition to providing training and support to their cohort, the Scheme enables researchers to develop their leadership skills whilst in service to one another, the essence of collegiality.

Find out more about the current round including the guidelines and previously successful applicants on the Researcher Development Hub, and read on for in-depth coverage of two initiatives awarded in the last round.

Applications close February 25

Find out more and apply

Making meaningful events with community, by community

An EMCR Training Grant event with the Powerful Stories Network

Amy Davidson speaks of working with country.

Researcher Amy Davidson discusses learnings from working with community at the Powerful Stories Network event

Reimagining Community Engaged Research and Practice: Dialogues Between Early Career Researchers and Community Practitioners by the Powerful Stories Network was a full-day event involving a series of rich conversations that explored what it means to ethically and thoughtfully research with community. For the organisers, the event was an opportunity to dig deep into some of the questions they have been working on in their own research and to gain insights from one another.

Read more

Building impact through media communication

An EMCR Training Grant event with Dr Brooke Nickel

Researchers from across health and medicine were treated to a two-day training on media engagement and research communication thanks to a training grant led by Dr Brooke Nickel. The first session welcomed a broad cross-section of health and medical researchers from across disciplines, before a smaller, practical workshop of around 20 participants focused on developing and refining media pitches.

Read more

Programs and offerings
from the Researcher Development Unit

RDU Regional Travel Grants

The RDU Regional Travel Grants enable greater access to the Researcher Development Unit’s in person events for researchers at regional University of Sydney campuses. The scheme will award funds for return economy airfares to attend an eligible in-person event at Camperdown campus. A total of $5,000 is available for the scheme in 2026, and awards will be made until funding is exhausted.

View the guidelines

The Conversation: Pitching and Writing Masterclass
Monday 23 March
10 am-12 pm
Online via Zoom

Learn how to translate the narrative of your research and its impact to gain public attention and effective coverage through journalistic outlets. In this workshop led by senior Conversation editors, gain practical tips and individual feedback on your own pitch to increase the likelihood of attracting positive media interest. 

EOIs open now

Presenting with Impact
Wednesday 29 April 2026
9 am-5 pm
NIDA Studios, Kensington

Build your confidence and impact as a presenter in this practical 1-day course delivered by the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). In a small group of 10, you’ll receive hands-on practice and personalised feedback to strengthen your communication, physical and vocal presence, and storytelling to engage your audience.

EOIs open now

Nature Masterclass
Tuesday 2 June 2026
9 am-5 pm
In-person, Camperdown

This Nature Masterclass on scientific writing and publishing is delivered by Nature Portfolio editors and provides insight into publishing in top journals. It contains a unique overview of the writing process, what to include in each section of the paper and the publishing process.

EOIs open now

View all and apply

Internal Development Opportunities

on the Researcher Development Hub

Education Focused Academics’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Grants
Closes 23 February
The Education Focused SoTL Grant program is a competitive granting scheme which funds SoTL research projects for Education Focused (EF) academics, with the goal of delivering this transformational learning experience.

Sydney Genesis Program
Closes 1 March
The Genesis program supports founders with mentoring, a supportive entrepreneurial community and a chance to win the Genesis Wellness Reimagined Prize, valued at $30,000 in our bi-annual startup program. Since launching in 2008, Genesis has supported more than 1,000 University of Sydney alumni, students and staff to accelerate their commercial and social enterprises.

University of Sydney-NUS Ignition Grants
Closes 9 March
The Ignition Grants are an initiative to support researchers from Sydney and National University of Singapore (NUS) to facilitate collaborative projects that develop multidisciplinary cutting-edge research to create academic and societal impact.

Resource Roundup

Discover all resources on the Researcher Development Hub

Check out the Leadership Academy and cultivate your leadership skills

Read through the Academic Excellence Sharepoint site

Keep in touch

Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia
Phone +61 2 9351 2222 ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS Number: 00026A

Please add researcher.development@sydney.edu.au to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future.

Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove®
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

Disclaimer | Privacy statement | University of Sydney