ACU-Wellcome Trust webinar

23 September 2021, 11:00-12:30 UTC

Most theories of leadership focus on high-income countries, with comparatively little research on leadership in low-income countries. In response to this knowledge gap, the Wellcome Trust commissioned research on pathways to leadership in African countries and India, to find out how these may vary and to better understand how diverse research ecosystems can support the development of excellent leaders.

This free ACU-Wellcome Trust webinar will share the findings from the research project and also insights on the qualities that make a good research leader. Speakers include representatives from the African Academy of Sciences, Vitae, Alliance for African Partnerships, and INCLEN Trust International, with more speakers to be announced.

Registrations will close on 21 September 2021 at 17:00 UTC.

University of Johannesburg Library

7-8 September 2021

The ACU is partnering with the University of Johannesburg Library for their free second virtual international conference. Librarians from across the world are invited to reflect on and share in conversations about lessons learnt, ongoing challenges, best practice examples and innovative solutions to the ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in.

The first keynote speaker will be our Community’s very own Steering Committee member Donna Bourne-Tyson, Dean of Libraries at Dalhousie University in Canada. We look forward to hearing from Donna and the other speakers at the conference’s keynote sessions and workshops.

Applications for the 2022 intake for the new Postgraduate Diploma in Research Management and Administration (RMA), offered by the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University, in South Africa, are now open. This academic RMA qualification was developed over the past four years through the StoRM project, an Erasmus+ funded initiative, and was rolled out for the first time in 2021.

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2021 for South African applicants and 31 August 2021 for international applicants (including SADC)

The University of Western Australia is currently inviting applications for its new fellowship programme for researchers from more developed countries (MDCs)/less developed countries (LDCs), especially in Africa, the Indian Ocean Rim, and South East Asia. The programme will provide targeted educational, mentorship and networking opportunities with leading academics – helping the new Fellows develop advanced research, leadership and advocacy skills to apply evidence-based solutions to complex issues in their community and field of work. Successful applicants will be guided by a cross-disciplinary array of mentors from the University of Western Australia. The fellowships will begin in October 2021.

Deadline for applications: 1 September 2021

INASP’s AuthorAID Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) equip researchers from lower and middle income countries (LMIC) institutions with the skills to write, publish and communicate their work. They are particularly suitable for early-career researchers, or those with limited experience in publishing papers in reputable peer-reviewed journals.

2021/2022 course dates:
7 September-2 November 2021: Research and proposal writing in the sciences (8 weeks)
5 April-16 May 2022: Research writing (6 weeks)
7 June-19 July 2022: Research writing in the social sciences (6 weeks)
6 September-1 November 2022: Research writing and proposal writing (8 weeks)

Registration is free at the point of use to researchers. INASP also have a sponsorship package that enables research teams and institutions to provide additional support to their partners or cohort of researchers. They can receive a private virtual ‘classroom’ for their group, additional learning content, access to analytics, and more ongoing guidance for participants. In addition, there are options to identify specific learner needs, and provide dedicated facilitation or live video workshops.

Revised deadlines:
Submission of abstracts: 16 August 2021
Submission of final papers: 30 August 2021

Co-organised with the ACU, the NMIMS University conference will take place from 2-3 September 2021 and explore various aspects of STEM education. This conference will be hosted online and offer a platform to academics, researchers, doctoral scholars, research lab scientists, and industrial participants to share their research findings with experts from leading universities across the Commonwealth. ACU members are eligible for a discounted registration fee.

There are many ways to get involved with the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). The ACU is working to connect our members with a range of global COP-related activities and we have created a brand new COP26 bulletin board where current opportunities from the ACU and beyond are displayed. The board will be updated on a rolling basis, so please check back regularly.

The ACU has launched a social media campaign to show the world what universities are doing for our planet. Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity and the solutions to climate change and adaptation lie within universities. Our campaign highlights the important work that universities, students and researchers are spearheading across the Commonwealth to tackle climate change.
We are collecting stories from ACU members to amplify this message. If your university is involved in climate research and projects – we want to hear from you.