Staff are also invited to come along, soak up the atmosphere, and help us create a great first impression for our students.

More information

The Student Engagement team (One Elmwood) is working with colleagues across campus to create a vibrant and supportive start to the academic year – an important part of delivering a transformative student experience and fostering a strong sense of student belonging.

Monday 15 September will be a full day of welcome activities, including Cool FM broadcasting live, games with Queen's Sport, food trucks and furniture on the lawn, and a few surprises.

This activity is part of wider efforts to enhance the student experience and comes ahead of next year's academic year restructure, which will introduce a three-day welcome period designed to support students as they settle in and begin their journey at Queen's.

This year’s programme features a broad range of short, part-time, day and evening courses – from personal finance to visual arts – each providing an opportunity for personal development as well as the discovery of new interests.

These courses at Queen's offer everyone over the age of 18 the chance to try something new and enjoy learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Staff are invited to share this programme with family and friends.

For more information, please contact: openlearning.education@qub.ac.uk 

More information

When a recording is taking place in a teaching space the indicator light at the teaching bench will be illuminated red.

* Lecturers have the option to leave recordings fully automated, opt out of one or more lectures if needed, or change your preferences up to one hour before class using the Panopto Automated Scheduling Tool on Queen’s Online to manage the settings.

• Step-by-step instructions on using the Panopto Scheduling Tool

Support Available

• Video-Enhanced Learning Toolkit (short Canvas course)
• Panopto Training – book via the Training Events calendar
• Panopto SharePoint – guides, training and support
• Contact panopto-support@qub.ac.uk with any queries.

PDR at Queen’s provides a valuable framework for meaningful conversations, giving staff the opportunity to receive feedback, assess their progress against key priorities, and discuss personal development goals.

* Once you have booked your place on iTrent, please email staffwellbeing@qub.ac.uk to confirm your timeslot. Failure to do so may result in no timeslot being available.

Staff Travel to Work Loan Scheme

The University offers salaried employees an interest-free loan towards the purchase of an annual travel card (which can gain you a 20% discount).

A loan is available to purchase a travel card for the purpose of commuting to work. The loan is repaid via 10-month salary deductions.

• Staff Travel to Work Loan Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Cycle+, operated by Cyclescheme, is Queen’s cycle to work scheme. This scheme provides staff with the opportunity to obtain a tax-free loan via salary sacrifice, allowing staff to purchase bicycle and safety equipment up to the value of £3,000.

• Cycling savings via Cyclescheme.

Bus and Rail Travel

Staff can also avail of Translink bus and rail services for their daily work commute. Visit the Translink website to explore best value travel options.
 

More on travel options.

This online platform provides a single end-to-end system for the creation, submission, review and approval of research ethics applications.

• Guidance documents and instructional materials.
• Training: sign up for one or more sessions here.

More information

All queries regarding OREM should be submitted to: worktribeethics@qub.ac.uk.

This training is designed to:

• equip you with the knowledge to recognize and avoid common cyber threats;
• promote safe digital practices in your day-to-day work; and
• ensure the University meets its compliance and security requirements.

Feedback and engagement is encouraged throughout this process to ensure its effectiveness and relevance in safeguarding our digital environment. For general enquiries or further information, please contact the Cyber Security team.

More information

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and many attacks today specifically target individuals through email, websites, and social engineering. Even a single click on a malicious link can have serious consequences for the company, including data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.

At the end of this course, you will be pointed towards our new training partner’s website at https://uk.knowbe4.com/ where any subsequent courses will be hosted. This will allow us to provide staff with additional ad-hoc training if and when required. These will be sent to you via email notification from do-not-reply@knowbe4.com. We are hoping to utilise this platform in order to gain a better understanding of the University’s Security Awareness Proficiency and know how to best target our efforts in the future.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and your ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure digital environment for our university.

This feature allows staff to easily report problems related to:

• faults with staff ID cards;
• difficulties with car park barrier access.

As this is an entirely new facility, provided by Estates, we would ask for your patience and to allow additional time for issues to be resolved.

For further guidance, please visit the Planon Staff Homepage or contact the Estates Service Desk.

There is also an option for staff or students to make a report on behalf of another student and anonymous reports can be made too.

• Find out more on the Report and Support website.
• Advice and Guidance for staff on supporting disclosures is available from the Safe and Healthy Relationships website.

National Postdoc Appreciation Week celebrates postdoc achievements, raises awareness of their vital role in research, and recognises the incredible contributions they make to the research community.

More on this year's events:

• Postdoc Wellbeing Morning: A Successful MYND: A chance to pause to reflect on your progress and reset your mindset to boost focus, motivation, and resilience for the year ahead. Free pastries and coffee will be served.
• Postdoc Showcase: Talks, posters, panels, a postdoc 'drop in' session, the announcement of the PDC Postdoc Awards, and networking with fellow postdocs - finishing with a drinks reception.
• UK-wide NPAW National Event: This is an online masterclass focusing on resilience and self-leadership and panel discussion with speakers from across the UK who will share insights from their diverse career paths.

It is particularly relevant in the following situations:

• Meetings and conferences
• Fieldwork
• Hosted research
• Visiting researchers
• Conference speakers
• Teaching
• Visits to academic institutions
• Visits to overseas industrial partners or sponsors

NPSA also has a series of Implementation Scenario Videos, based on real events that have occurred in UK academia. They have been developed by the NPSA and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), under the Trusted Research advice and guidance, as learning resources to help academics identify and mitigate research security risks.

Find out more here.

To contribute an article to Queen's Policy Engagement, please email Kevin at qpol@qub.ac.uk.

• How microbes could help solve the world's plastic pollution crisis / Como micróbios podem ajudar a resolver a crise global de poluição por plásticos, by Dr Julieanne Megaw
• Donald Trump to chair new Olympic taskforce in bid to allay international visitor concerns ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Games, by Dr Richard Hargy

Queen's Staff Forum was established in June 2018. Made up of representatives from each School, Directorate and GRI across Queen's, this group represents all of our people and provides an opportunity for staff to share their views on all aspects of working at Queen's, help shape the employee experience, and make a real difference for all who work here.

• GPT-5 Release: OpenAI has introduced GPT-5, its latest AI model.
• GPT-5 Blog: GPT-5: It Just Does Stuff
• Article: AI Fatigue? Why It Matters: Professor Philip Hanna argues that turning away from AI isn’t the solution, especially in education.

Support and information:

• AI Case Studies of Queen's staff.
• AI self-help guide: AI on assessment.
• AI self-help guides: Saving time.
• AI student support page.
• Find more AI guides and resources on the AI Hub.

Professor Nik Zainal’s work combines computational and mathematical modelling and experimental genomics approaches to reveal how DNA damage and repair processes shape cancer.

Please contact PGJCCR@qub.ac.uk for more information. 

This half-day conference will explore and consider:

• how public health and allied health professionals, academics, policymakers and researchers can respond to the challenges posed by commercial and political determinants or factors that shape population health and wellbeing;
• the rise in misinformation and disinformation in the public health arena and what we can do about it.

Keynote speakers and panelists will include:

• Professor Anna Gilmore, University of Bath;
• Associate Professor Norah Campbell, Trinity College Dublin;
• Peter Cunliffe-Jones, author and visiting researcher at the University of Westminster;
• Professor Diarmuid O'Donovan, Director of National Health Improvement with HSE Public Health;
• Dr Orna Young, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Fact Check NI.

Anyone wishing to meet with Dr Tarran during his visit can contact Dáire O'Neill to try and arrange this.

* Suitable audience: Lecturers and beyond, including research assistants and postdocs supporting academics with their application.

• Subscribe here.

This newsletter includes the latest R&E information on:

• Research Quality
• Impact and Engagement
• Funding
• Enterprise and Innovation
• Knowledge Transfer Partnership
• Awards and honours
• Training and Development
• Research to Reality

• Little Trouble Girls
• Sorry, Baby
• The Thursday Murder Club
• David Lynch: INLAND EMPIRE
• NT Live: Inter Alia
• Planetary Screens: Black Pond + Bosque (Short Films) + Q&A
• Eddington
• Sanatorium
• Young Mothers
• Jaws

More information

From fractured sculptures to bold photography, intricate collage to playful interventions, CRYIN' AT THE GYM explores how sport intersects with identity, community, and resistance. Whether tackling themes of gender, race, politics, sexuality, or fandom, the featured artists use the aesthetics and iconography of sport to ask urgent questions about contemporary life.

Highlights include depictions of an all-female skate crew in Ethiopia, a confrontation of homophobia within football, and a psychological journey across the Merseyside football divide. Olympic athlete Florence Griffith Joyner and NBA stars emerge as icons of athleticism and style, while also revealing the layered expectations placed on Black bodies in the public eye. Elsewhere, Gaelic football becomes a site of political memory, and a basketball game turns sculptural with every point scored.

The toolkit includes:

• Short, engaging, and informative videos, providing practical guidance to support managers at every phase of the change process;
• Practical guides, ready-to-use templates, and resources offering step-by-step advice on managing change effectively;
• Communication guidance and advice, including tips and tools to engage teams and support open dialogue throughout the change journey;
• Curated training and development opportunities to support managers and staff experiencing change.

If you require further information or support, please contact your local HR Business Partner, or email: hrhub@qub.ac.uk.

These short collaborative sessions offer a unique opportunity to translate your research into practical solutions, while allowing you to gain fresh perspectives on industry needs and build professional networks.

Feedback from former ‘Access the Expert’ hosts:

"The seminar provided a really useful platform for discussing my research with industry experts, exchanging thoughts and sharing ideas." – Dr Beatrice Smyth, Senior Lecturer, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

"The Access the Expert seminars are brilliant for connecting academics with senior business leaders. Learning about the real-world challenges involved in different business sectors really helps us to understand the pathways to real-world impact of our research." – Professor Iain Styles, School of Electonics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

From Learning for all, LinkedIn Learning, Nature Masterclasses and Recruitment and Selection Training, the Learning and Development programme of events includes courses to suit everyone.

New Workshop: Introduction to the Role of Programme Lead: A workshop offering the opportunity for staff to explore the core responsibilities of the role, leadership strategies, and practical tools to support your transition.

Developing Leadership in Educational Practice: A programme of study, running from September 2025 to March 2026, designed to bring together staff who work within the same environment to share good practice and discuss issues to enhance their personal development and wider professional practice. Colleagues in professional services or academic roles, as well as those in leadership roles in the Students’ Union are welcome to join.

Advisor of Studies Training Day: A half-day workshop equipping attendeees with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively support and guide our students.

Stepping into Series pilot: The Role of Programme Lead: This four-session programme supports aspiring and newly appointed Programme Leads at Queen’s University Belfast by offering practical strategies for transitioning into the role, insights into leadership and team influence, and tools for navigating university systems and enhancing curriculum delivery.

Leading Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Curriculum: A programme of study designed to bring together staff in an environment which encourages reflection on their past and current teaching and assessment practices, with a view to enhancing their skills as educators in an ESD-informed manner. Running from September to December 2025, this programme is open to Module Co-ordinators or Programme Directors, or members of staff who have significant influence over the curriculum development and design of credit-bearing courses.

Please feel free to contact the University Safety Service at safety@qub.ac.uk or 028 9097 4613 should you have any queries or training requirements.

Timeline for the call:

• Competition opens: 16 June 2025
• Competition closes: 11.59pm on 22 September 2025
• Decision to Applicants: week ending 7 November 2025

For assistance in any aspect of this competition please contact:

• Agri-food and Nutrition – Dr Andrew Baxter: a.baxter@qub.ac.uk 
• AHSS – Mr Kevin Fearon: k.fearon@qub.ac.uk 
• EPS – Dr Alistair Quinn: aquinn@qub.ac.uk 
• Medicine and Health – Dr Maeve Murphy: maeve.murphy@qub.ac.uk 
• Overall call – Mrs Clare McAuley: c.mcauley@qub.ac.uk 

* These studentships are funded by the Department for the Economy NI and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Doctoral Training Programme.