Major grant rounds – thanks to round teams and round temps

With the peak of the 2018 major grant rounds passing on Wednesday 14 March 2018, a very big thanks goes out to the tireless UQR&I pre-award round teams, including a large complement of round temps who join the office for ‘grants season’. Four external deadlines (ARC and NHMRC) passed on 14 March – an eventful day to say the least. This included submitting 290 NHMRC Projects and 145 DECRAs.

This year, the OSR had five returning and 10 new temporary staffers, some of whom are already lining up to re-join the office for the major rounds in 2019. For all members of the pre-award round teams, the commitment, hard work, and sheer determination to assist researchers to submit the best-quality grant applications (in a compressed timeline) is acknowledged as adding significant value for UQ.  The rounds are a key professional development experience testing technical skills, understanding of grants strategy, and time management. Staff also get the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating research being conducted at UQ.

As many of the temps are mid-to-late stage UQ PhD students, a new initiative will soon commence with the UQ Graduate School to document the skills and attributes gained by PhD candidates who work with UQR&I during the majors.

Pictured are the NHMRC and DECRA pre-award teams ‘in the moment’ of submitting the last UQ grant proposal in this year’s major rounds.