This Wednesday 1 October marks the beginning of National Safe Work Month. The 2025 theme, ‘Safety: every job, every day’, encourages all workplaces to focus on safety and be aware of workplace health and safety risks. During the month, UQ is hosting a series of specialist-led webinars on topics including psychological safety, indoor air quality, biosafety, and more.
During Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, learn how you can make small behaviour changes that make a big difference in protecting yourself and others from online threats. On Thursday 9 October, discover mindful ways to stay connected and protect your online peace of mind at the Calm and Connected Expo. Register for the expo and other events on the Cyber Security Awareness Month webpage.
Construction of the second Student Residence Complex at St Lucia is progressing well and works will begin next week to install a water main beneath Walcott Street. From Monday 29 September, a section of Walcott St will be closed to traffic during the day for approximately 2 weeks. A detour will be in place via Glasshouse Road, Services Road and Hood Street to maintain access to nearby residences. Traffic control will be in place and motorists are advised to take care in the area. Pedestrians should continue to use the existing signed detour.
Thanks to the large number of staff who participated in the Fitness Passport 2025 annual survey in June. Fitness Passport is UQ's corporate fitness program that gives UQ staff and their immediate families exclusive access to a significantly discounted fitness membership and more than 430 pools and fitness facilities for one membership fee. Fitness Passport wishes to advise that, from Friday 7 November, the membership fees will change for both existing and new members.
UQ is a major partner of the 2025 Brisbane Writers Festival, which is running from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 October at the Brisbane Powerhouse. As a UQ staff member, you can enter to win one of 18 double passes to attend a session of your choice. To enter, read the festival program, then email sponsorship@uq.edu.au with your first and second preference of sessions. As a UQ staff member, you can also receive a 10% discount on Brisbane Writers Festival tickets by using the code BOOKISH10 at checkout.
Orientation is UQ’s multi-week program that welcomes new and returning students to campus at the beginning of each semester and fosters a strong sense of belonging. If you would like to host an event, activation, workshop or presentation at any of UQ’s 4 UQ campuses during O-Week or Connect Week in Semester 1, 2026, submit an expression of interest before 5pm on Monday 27 October.
UQ Skills will be undertaking a training exercise using hand-held flares at the St Lucia campus between 2 and 4pm on Wednesday, 1 October. The flares do not produce noise but do produce some light and smoke. The exercise is compliant with the relevant safety requirements, authorities have been notified, and an authorised UQ officer will be present.
Registrations are now open for our annual UQ Thanks You events, which celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of our staff. Events will be held at all 4 campuses – on Tuesday 4 November at Dutton Park, Friday 7 November at St Lucia, Thursday 27 November at Gatton, and Friday 28 November at Herston. This year, the celebrations at St Lucia will include a Battle of the Bands competition open to soloists and group acts from across UQ. Submit your expression of interest by Friday 10 October.
From Saturday 4 to Sunday 12 October, UQ is celebrating Queensland Mental Health Week. You can get involved in events and wellbeing challenges throughout October. On Thursday 9 October, join the mindfulness and breathwork sessions by the lakes at St Lucia or online. You can also get a team together for the 5-minute mental wellbeing challenge, which begins on Monday 13 October. And, from Tuesday 21 October, join the 4-week Stress Busters Challenge, a behaviour change program that focuses on learning sustainable approaches to building and maintaining mental fitness – submit an expression of interest by 9am on Wednesday 8 October.
During Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, learn how you can make small behaviour changes that make a big difference in protecting yourself and others from online threats. UQ is hosting a webinar on Wednesday 8 October about the ways technology can be misused to cause harm. You can also explore mindful ways to protect your digital wellbeing at the Calm and Connected Expo on Thursday 9 October.
UQ Giving Day is back on Wednesday 15 October, and you can now register to become an ambassador. Giving Day is a 24-hour online fundraising challenge where we call on our UQ community to make a gift towards a cause they are passionate about. As an ambassador, you can make an impact by spreading the word about the more than 45 causes people can support on Giving Day.
You can now register for Teaching and Learning (T&L) Week 2025 events. T&L Week, running from Monday 3 to Friday 7 November, is your chance to exchange ideas and celebrate creative and innovative teaching and learning practices that enhance student learning. Choose from a diverse program of in-person, online and hybrid sessions focused around the 2025 theme, ‘Elevate’. View the full program and register now to secure your spot.
The Cyber Security team has reported a recent scam where staff receive an unexpected calendar invite containing a malicious attachment. The attachment links to a fake UQ login page prompting the user to enter their UQ credentials. If you receive an email that you think may be suspicious, please report it using the Phish Alert button in Outlook or email csoc@uq.edu.au.
Last week, Australia’s most influential and impactful researchers were celebrated during Research and Innovation (R&I) Week. Congratulations to those who were recognised at the Research and Innovation Awards for Excellence and Research Culture Awards, as well as the Three Minute Thesis winner, Fran Spinelli from the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Following the successful implementation of Microsoft Teams Phone at UQ St Lucia, rollout will soon commence at UQ’s other campuses and sites. Through Microsoft Teams Phone, you can make and receive phone calls from your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, so you can stay connected from wherever you are working. The rollout across campuses in the greater Brisbane region and remote areas began on Monday 22 September.
UQ eSpace manages research publications at UQ. When you update your UQ eSpace profile to include your recent publications and research outputs, they are automatically added to your Individual Activity Profile and UQ Experts profile. To prepare for the Annual Performance and Development (APD) process, academic staff are encouraged to log in to UQ eSpace and ensure it is up to date. For assistance in managing your publications through UQ eSpace, contact the Library.
A pop-up food outlet, The Gourmet Press, is now open for Semester 2 near Building 4 at St Lucia – in the former Wordsmiths location. Initially serving coffee and pastries, the menu will expand to include gourmet toasted sandwiches. Staff and students are invited to drop by and enjoy the new food and beverage offerings.
Academic staff and research support staff are encouraged to complete an online module to enhance their knowledge of conducting research responsibly and with integrity. The module covers UQ’s research governance framework and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. You will also learn about the broad principles and practices of responsible research conduct.
The Postgraduate Sports Physiotherapy Clinic is open at UQ St Lucia until Monday 20 October. Book an appointment to have your sports-related injuries treated by a qualified physiotherapist currently undertaking postgraduate study. All appointments are supervised by qualified expert clinicians. Appointments are available on Mondays and Thursdays from 2pm. UQ staff and students receive a 15% discount on all services.
The Annual Performance and Development (APD) process for 2025/26 has begun, and all continuing and fixed-term academic and professional staff have received their APD form in Workday. You can find links to helpful resources, guides, and an FAQs document on the APD website. Staff training, including the online APD Foundations course, is also available.
Honorary Awards are the University’s highest honours. These awards – the UQ Honorary Doctorate and the UQ RH Roe Award – celebrate the diversity of our global community and recognise individuals who embody the mission, values and aspirations of UQ. If you know someone deserving of this recognition, submit your nomination by Thursday 27 November to be considered for conferral in July 2026.
The Curriculum Design at UQ course, for teaching and teaching support staff, develops skills in curriculum and assessment design and selection of pedagogies. This course will support you, through an experiential learning opportunity, to actively design (or re-design) a curriculum framework for an actual learning opportunity. Applications close 5pm Friday 14 November.
Enrolments are now open to participate in a UQ Disability Inclusion Masterclass during Semester 2. At this masterclass, run by the UQ Disability Inclusion Advocacy Network (UQ DIAN), learn practical ways to improve disability inclusion at UQ and build a more supportive workplace. All staff are encouraged to attend and be part of creating positive change. After completing the masterclass, you will receive an invitation to join the UQ DIAN.
The UQ Ally Network is a cohort of well-informed staff who create a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for people of diverse sexes, genders and sexualities at UQ and in the broader community. All UQ staff, regardless of identity, are invited to join the network by completing a UQ Ally Workshop. In-person workshops are being hosted at St Lucia, Gatton, Dutton Park and Long Pocket throughout the second half of 2025, and enrolments are open now via Workday.
As part of UQ's commitment to fostering a safe, positive and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ people, we provide a range of resources – including training, guides, templates and support services – to support both staff and students. These resources are designed to help ensure everyone can work and study free from discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Looking for a new furry friend? The UQ VETS Pets for Life Adoption Program, based at Gatton, has cats available for adoption. Cats of all ages, sizes, colours and attitudes are searching for a new loving home – including 1.5-year-old Sting (pictured), who loves people and wants to be your new best friend. Book an appointment to meet a cat by calling 5460 1868 or emailing svs-csc@uq.edu.au.
Windows 10 will reach the end of support on Tuesday 14 October. This means Microsoft will stop releasing free security updates, bug fixes and technical support. If you use a UQ computer that currently runs Windows 10, take action to upgrade, dispose of, or replace it before support ends. For assistance, please contact your faculty, institute or area’s local ITS team.
Volunteer for a UQ research study
Get involved in UQ research by volunteering for a wide range of studies. Your participation may be vital to solving medical mysteries or answering important research questions.