The Australian Council of Graduate Research 2026 Award winners include; Indigenous Excellence and Empowerment: James Ward, Judith Dean, Stephen Harfield, Rebekah Hauiti, (Uni Queensland). Graduate Research Supervision: Udoy Saikia (Flinders U). Industry Engagement: Lee Hickey (Uni Queensland). Leadership: Kathryn Burdon (Uni Tasmania). HDR Supervisor Development: Dani Milos, Rhiannon Vince (Flinders U).
Niko Bekker becomes Director, Enterprise Portfolio and Delivery at Uni Sunshine Coast. It is an internal appointment.
Bindi Bennett is the Australian Research Council’s inaugural Academic Director (Indigenous). Professor Bennett moves from Federation U.
Rod Boswell (ANU emeritus) wins Uni Michigan’s 2026 prize for plasma science and engineering.
Laura-Anne Bull becomes Deputy Rector of Uni NSW, Canberra. She was DVC E at Swinburne U.
Merlin Crossley will become Chief Scientist at the Australian Museum Research Institute next year. He will step down from his role as DVC Academic Quality but will continue leading his lab at UNSW.
Katherine Daniell (ANU) is elected VP of the International Federation for Systems Research.
The Australian Institute of Physics awards its Walter Boas medal to Andrew Dzurak (UNSW) for “his outstanding contribution to quantum computing.” Professor Dzurak is also CEO of university spin-out, Diraq.
Natalie Harkin (Flinders U) wins the Indigenous Writers Prize in the State Library of NSW Literary Awards.
Jess Hill is the writer in residence at Uni Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre. The brief is to connect creative writers and health researchers, “to address complex health and social challenges through literature.”
Peter Jean bails from ANU Media to become a reporter at the Canberra Times.
Rebekha Russell-Bennett becomes Dean of Adelaide U’s School of Marketing. She relocates from Uni Canberra.
Juan Francisco Salazar is the new Director of Western Sydney U’s Institute for Culture and Society. It is an internal appointment.
Mahsood Shah starts in a month in a new Uni Wollongong role, PVC Regional and Metro. He moves from S P Jain School of Global Management.
QUT re-elects Ann Sherry as Chancellor. “Respected educational leader” Karen Spiller becomes deputy chancellor. The University Council also establishes an Indigenous Australian Committee, chaired by Council member Mick Gooda.
Former SA senator Natasha Stott Despoja is appointed chair of the advisory board of Adelaide U’s Australian Centre for Child Protection.
Nick Wailes is in-coming ED Business and Economics at Monash U, moving from Uni NSW.