Forewords

Professor Remco Polman
Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Executive Dean, IHW

Welcome to the 2024 Higher Degree by Research Conference “Sharing the journey: Connect, inspire and celebrate’. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this important day (I will be at another conference in Europe!). However, I do recognize the significant impact HDR students have on the research landscape in Australia and how they drive research regionally and nationally. Conferences like this are the ideal opportunity to tell others about the details and intricacies of your research and provide opportunities for constructive feedback and discussions with your peers and other researchers.

Presenting and synthesizing your work at a conference might be nerve-wracking but provides you with an opportunity to celebrate on what you have achieved to date and tell the world about it. It is also a good time to reflect on what you have done so far in your research project and discuss this with a diverse audience. The topics and background of presenters and the audience will be diverse. Hence, the research conducted by HDR students at Federation University includes areas like health, science (e.g., renewable energy, environmental issues, IT), social science and in heritage and culture. These projects are often co-sponsored with local or regional companies and organisations often contributing to regional development and knowledge generation.

Federation University is the only regionally-based Higher Education provider in Victoria. This unique position means that we can assist regional industry and government partners in promoting sustainable economic development through research and training. In research we usually achieve this through co-designed projects with our partners, often conducted by a HDR student. Importantly, through our regional precincts at Ararat, Horsham, Ballarat and in Gippsland our students live and work with our community partners. This allows us to deliver high quality research that makes a difference, and students to gain experience with our partners which can lead to employment in regional Australia. Indeed >70% of students who study at our regional campuses remain employed in regional Victoria and are well paid.

Lastly, I’d like to thank everyone who will help make this year’s Research Conference a success. This includes the organising committee, and the staff of the Graduate Research School who make this event possible – and especially Lauren James for her coordination – and of course, all participants.

Have a great day.

Professor Wendy Wright
Dean, Graduate Research

It is my very great pleasure to welcome all HDR candidates and supervisors to our 2024 HDR Conference, being held at the Mt Helen Campus.  Our conference theme this year is: ‘Sharing the journey: connect, inspire and celebrate’ and I trust that delegates will take advantage of our time together to develop networks, share the experience of the HDR journey, practise and refine communication skills and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment.

In 2024 we will meet face to face at the Mt Helen Campus, with support in place for students from our other campuses across Victoria to participate. As such, the conference provides a rare opportunity to showcase the range, diversity, and strength of HDR research and HDR researchers. Please do take the opportunity to meet, listen to, and engage with, your peers and colleagues throughout the day.

The annual HDR conference is a wonderful celebration of the work and contributions of the Higher Degree by Research candidates across our university and a great opportunity to understand how HDR-led research at Federation is transforming lives and enhancing communities.

Welcome, and enjoy your HDR conference!

Professor Andrew Barton
Deputy Dean, Graduate Research

I welcome all HDR candidates and participants to the 2024 HDR research conference. This is a highly anticipated event for the University’s HDR community to come together and share our research successes. This year, we are meeting on campus to provide opportunities for candidates to present and discuss their research with their colleagues, supervisors, and network of collaborators.

Sharing and communicating research to your peers is an important element of research training, with the experience and skills developed being things that will stay with you for the whole of your research and professional careers. The University is invested in the training and success of our HDR candidates, and we are eager to provide this opportunity for you. I encourage all HDR candidates to engage fully with the program and to support your colleagues. I hope you are inspired by what you see and hear, and take renewed excitement to be working on your research and within the wider research sector.

This year our theme is ‘Sharing the Journey: connect, inspire and celebrate’, and so I am particularly looking forward to being inspired by the research I see, and to celebrate the industry and community collaborations many of you have. Indeed, Federation University is very fortunate to have many deep and productive research partnerships, and I would like for us all to recognise this as a strong and positive feature, as we come together for this conference.

Good luck to all presenters and participants!

Keynote Speaker

Dr Amali Welgama

Title: 'The next chapter: Navigating uncertainty'

Amali Welgama completed her PhD in Agriculture at Federation University in 2021. She worked as an agricultural scientist in BASF wheat breeding program until she pivoted her career into compliance and regulatory last year. Currently she works as the product safety officer for BASF Australia and New Zealand, regulating all internal chemical imports ensuring their compliance. She is currently part of Chemistry Australia Emerging Leaders Advisory Council that has been established to advise the Chemistry Australia Board on future strategic opportunities, risks, strategies and initiatives that are important to the growth and sustainability of the industry. Amali is also an active member of Women in BASF Diversity and Inclusion council that focuses on inclusive leadership and raising awareness of unconscious bias. She has also been recognised to feature in the “STEM revolution” for Women in STEM on the Study Australia government website. Amali has completed her Bachelors Honours degree in Botany back in Sri Lanka at University of Peradeniya, before moving to Australia. Amali is passionate in research extension and bridging academics with industries to make the true impact of research findings and to make them tangible for the general public.