HDR Skills Week: 23-27 June 2025
Join us at HDR Skills Week from 23-27 June for our week-long series of webinars designed around this year’s theme ‘external engagement’. Our program designed exclusively for HDR candidates will enable you to develop skills to engage with individuals and organisations outside of academia and promote yourself and your research to a broader audience. View the full program below and register now.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
| MONDAY 23 JUNE | TUESDAY 24 JUNE | WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE | THURSDAY 26 JUNE | FRIDAY 27 JUNE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What Skills Does Industry Want in HDR Graduates?10 - 11 AM (online) | Leveraging Research Metrics for External Engagement10 - 11:30 AM (online) |
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Researchers Without Borders: Communicating Your Research Beyond Academia12 - 1:30 PM (online) | Building An Effective Online Researcher Profile12 - 1:30 PM (online) | Writing Submissions and Giving Evidence to Public Inquiries12 - 1:30 PM online) | Mastering Oral Communication With Different Audiences12 - 1:30 PM (online) | HDR Internship Opportunities12 - 1 PM (online) |
Note: All sessions will be held online via Microsoft Teams.
WEBINAR DESCRIPTIONS
Researchers Without Borders: Communicating Your Research Beyond Academia
Monday 23 June, 12 – 1:30 PM (online)
Facilitated by: Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz, Griffith HDR Alumni and Lecturer, School of Health Sciences & Social Work
Up to 85% of research fails to have an impact, because it isn’t effectively communicated to the people who need it most. Writing a thesis is hard enough – getting it out into the world shouldn’t be!
This thought-provoking webinar will help HDR candidates rethink their research beyond traditional academic outputs. Shaun will share examples of how he has used a range of creative and “non-traditional” modalities to share his research to engage different audiences. Participants will reflect on their own work and explore practical strategies for communicating their research to create real-world impact. By attending this session, you will learn how to:
- Identify the value and purpose of diverse dissemination strategies for communicating research.
- Reflect on different audiences for research and consider how to tailor communication strategies accordingly.
- Select dissemination strategies that align with research goals, contexts, and fields of study.
What Skills Does Industry Want in HDR Graduates?
Tuesday 24 June, 10 – 11 AM (online)
Facilitator: Dr Geoffrey Carter, Director of Work Integrated Learning and Engagement, Griffith Business School and Elia Hill, CEO, Tennis Queensland
Industry says they want HDR candidates for their specialised knowledge, research skills, and ability to solve complex problems.
What they really want is a little different. Your specialty and mission, no matter what discipline area, is to change the orthodoxy, be an iconoclast, and give a fresh, different, and challenging perspective.
Business no matter the stripe or colour want you for your:
- Expertise & Innovation – Companies seek HDR graduates who bring deep expertise in their field and can drive innovation.
- Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills – Businesses appreciate HDR candidates' ability to analyse data, think critically, and develop solutions.
- Communication & Collaboration – The ability to explain complex ideas clearly and work well in teams is highly valued.
- Adaptability & Initiative – Employers look for HDR graduates who can apply their research skills to real-world challenges and take initiative.
- Industry Awareness – Understanding how research applies to business needs can make an HDR graduate more attractive to employers.
The real value they see is difference; the different perspectives and views you have after all those years of study are unique. Sell that unique view; you are the cutting edge.
Join us at this webinar to hear more about how to make your skills stand out to potential employers.
Building An Effective Online Researcher Profile
Tuesday 24 June, 12 – 1:30 PM (online)
Facilitators: Sharron Stapleton, Library Research Specialist, Academic Engagement Services, Griffith Library; and Mahdis Smith, HDR candidate, Department of Marketing and HDR Project Officer, Griffith Careers and Employability team.
This webinar will guide HDR candidates on creating and maintaining a professional online researcher profile that appeals to external organisations. By attending this session you will learn how to:
- Create a comprehensive and engaging researcher profile.
- Highlight your key achievements and skills relevant to external partners.
- Use online platforms LinkedIn and ORCID to maximise professional visibility.
Writing Submissions and Giving Evidence to Public Inquiries
Wednesday 25 June, 12 – 1:30 PM (online)
Facilitator: Associate Professor Keiran Hardy, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Public inquiries provide an ideal opportunity for researchers to communicate their research findings to a wider audience. Parliamentary committees and independent bodies frequently ask for written submissions to help answer questions in the national interest. From these submissions, a smaller number of contributors are invited to give oral evidence in a public hearing. Compared to media interviews and opinion articles, this process allows researchers to dig deeper and explain their detailed findings. It presents an ideal opportunity for HDR candidates and early career researchers to start building a national profile.
In this webinar, Assoc. Prof Keiran Hardy will explain how to navigate the inquiry process, write effective submissions, and give oral evidence with maximum impact.
Leveraging Research Metrics for External Engagement
Thursday 26 June, 10 – 11:30 AM (online)
Facilitator: Amanda Pearson, Discipline Librarian (Business), Researcher Services, Griffith Library
This webinar will teach HDR candidates how to use research metrics to showcase their work to external stakeholders and enhance their research profiles. You will learn how to:
- Understand different types of research metrics and their significance.
- Present research metrics to external audiences.
- Develop strategies to improve research visibility and impact.
Mastering Oral Communication With Different Audiences
Thursday 26 June, 12 – 1:30 PM (online)
Facilitator: Dr Abigail Downie, Graduate Research Development Consultant, DVC Research
As an HDR candidate you will have a variety of opportunities to communicate orally with a variety of different audiences ranging from an academic audience through to the broader community. During this interactive webinar we will explore different target audiences and how to craft compelling key messages that resonate with them. By understanding your audience's needs and interests, you'll learn how to develop a narrative that captures their attention and effectively conveys your ideas. Following this, we will delve into a series of practical oral communication techniques to help you present with confidence and clarity. Whether you're preparing for a conference presentation, a thesis defence, or any other speaking engagement, this workshop will equip you with the tools to communicate your research effectively.
HDR Internship Opportunities
Friday 27 June, 12 – 1 PM (online)
Facilitator: Brooke Cotton, HDR Partnerships Coordinator, Griffith Graduate Research School
HDR research internships are an excellent opportunity for you to test your capabilities as a researcher, develop transferable and professional skills, and gain valuable insights into work expectations outside of academia. Internships can be undertaken any time between confirmation and conferral of your degree.
Attend this webinar to learn about the HDR Block Research Internships Program and opportunities available to develop translational skills and networks in industry.
BITE-SIZED RESOURCES
Short on time (or motivation)? Be inspired by this collection of short, easy-to-digest articles and resources:
Looking for something more in-depth? Try a MOOC
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