CDU Early Career Researcher Program

ECR Application Process 2024

• Visit Office of Research and Innovation Waterhole to access the application packs.
•  Applications open 18 September 2023. Interested applicant must submit their online application form to their Faculty PVC or Head of institute for approval and signature.
• Approved and signed online applications must be submitted by the approver (Faculty PVC or 
  Head of an institute) by 24 October.
• A selection panel will review the applications and successful candidates will be contacted for 
  inclusion

Key Dates:

• Call for Faculty nominations - 18 September
• Deadline for submissions - 24 October
• Selection panel review - 30 October 2023
• Application results announced - 1 November 2023

CDU provides support for researchers in their early careers and organises a range of programs and initiatives to facilitate staff development and performance.  These activities include workshops, networking events, online modules, mentoring schemes, and reward systems that are tailored specifically to the needs of early career researchers (ECRs) to assist individuals to:

• collaborate with each other and with other researchers more effectively
• network more productively with end users
• extend their skills in research leadership, communication, and project management
• develop specialised capabilities in advanced research methods
• optimise funding applications, publications, and other outputs, and
• reach suitable decisions around their priorities and careers.

Specifically, this includes initiatives that,

• increase the impact and benefits of CDU research to the community

• improve the quality of research outputs
• attract more research funding
• facilitate the completion and satisfaction of HDR candidates, and
• enhance the capacity of CDU researchers to support one another collegially.

An ECR at CDU is a staff member who is classified as research active or research focussed and who has completed their PhD within the past eight years. At CDU we also recognise that there may be other staff members, including teaching-focussed staff, VET academic staff, and technical staff, who are active in research and are eligible to benefit from accessing some of these researcher development activities.

Alignment with CDU Research Culture

By supporting our ECRs we can help achieve the CDU research culture framework and research strategy of CDU. As part of an annual program, activities are delivered which align with the Why, How and What CDU research culture and strategy framework (see below).

• Why we do research 
• How do we do research
• What can we do to build the research environment of CDU

Other ECR support initiatives may also be offered from time to time through CDU Colleges, Research Institutes and Centres.