Intellectual Climate Initiatives
We provide several intiatives and programs to support graduate and early career researchers in their development, and to provide a diverse and dynamic research culture.
Writers and researchers around the world use SUAW as a great way to get things done. You can find out more about how SUAW works at La Trobe over on the RED blog. All staff and graduate researchers are welcome to participate in our SUAW sessions.
Start your week right, with Shut Up And Write!
The Research Education and Development (RED) Team hosts university-wide SUAW sessions on Zoom, Monday mornings from 10 am - 12 noon (Melbourne time). We use the Pomodoro technique of timed writing blocks interleaved with short breaks - this helps you feel connected to the broader researcher community at La Trobe whilst also keeping you focused.
To join a session, or to find out more about other SUAW sessions running across La Trobe, email via the link below to join the our weekly SUAW reminder emails.
The Three Minute Thesis 3MT competition is an international celebration of doctoral research encompassing most Australian and some international universities.
The 3MT competition provides an opportunity for doctoral candidates to develop confidence in public speaking and reach out to a broad audience for their research. Participants have a maximum of three minutes to present their research, unassisted by props or other materials, and accompanied only by a single PowerPoint slide.
Prior participants often note how much participating in 3MT helped them to consolidate and clearly communicate their research ideas.
Each Australian university sends a University Champion to the Asia-Pacific final at the University of Queensland. At La Trobe, we select our 3MT Champion through a series of events at the School and University levels.
Every November, you’re invited to focus on all things writing-related during Academic Writing Month! The RED Team convenes a university-wide, month-long program of activities for La Trobe researchers. AcWriMo encourages you to prioritise your writing and set writing goals to see out the year.
We recognise that researchers are dedicated to academic writing throughout the year. AcWriMo enables us to clarify and recommit to our writing goals and surround ourselves with a community of writers who cheer us on.
Whether you need inspiration, motivation or support, there is something in the program for you! There’ll be writing workshops, sessions about research communication, an accountability register, and the famous RED writing retreat!
Check back here later in the year to see the AcWriMo offerings for 2026.
Get involved
Sign up for the ever-popular RED Annual Online Writing Retreat, 24- 26 Nov 2026, 3 days of writing facilitated by the RED team. Registration link below.
The RED team tailors La Trobe’s Researcher Intensives to the priorities and preferences of our University’s researcher cohort.
The intensives are ideal for those who are aiming for their next academic levels of research capacity and achievement.
Each set of intensives focuses on a different aspect of researcher capacity-building, strategy, and career planning. The priority for the program is to provide education, development, and career-building opportunities that are sustainable, productive, and reflective of La Trobe University’s values. Gaining development in these areas will enable researchers to add significantly to the research culture of their surrounding institutional contexts.
The intensives are convened and managed by the RED team and involve La Trobe’s senior research executive, specialist university units, invited guest speakers, and the researchers themselves.
Through participating, La Trobe researchers will benefit from intellectual, professional, and applied outcomes that extend well beyond the program itself.
How do I participate?
The Researcher Intensives require registration, and numbers for the intensives are capped. We recommend our Researcher Development mailing list to receive information about the intensives and other research staff programming.
Eligibility
The intensives are open to all La Trobe University academic staff.
The ACP is an eight-week support program for final-stage PhD candidates who may be at risk of not completing in a timely manner.
The La Trobe Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network invites you to join our group of volunteer members connecting ECRs across La Trobe University (LTU) Colleges and campuses.
Our network provides ECRs with opportunities to expand your networks, share knowledge and access support during the early phase of your research career.
We grew from an awareness that ECRs are a distinct group in the LTU community – our needs, job security and track record differ greatly to PhD candidates and senior collects.
Who is an ECR?
At LTU our ECRs include all researchers (casuals, fixed term and permanent staff) who completed their PhD up to seven years ago. This excludes career interruptions such as:
- non-research employment
- part-time status
- personal leave (for example carers or parental leave).
Why join the ECR Network
We provide ECRs across our Colleges and campuses with the opportunity to connect with academics you don’t normally engage with. For example, if you work in history, you might not typically meet a researcher from biomedical science or speech pathology.
Despite coming from different disciplines and research backgrounds, ECRs share a lot of common interests – including:
- the need to source research funding
- juggling research and teaching responsibilities
- taking on increasing professional and service roles.
We organise various social, networking and professional development events, with a focus on shared experiences. For example, practicing pitching your research, or feedback on grants, oral/written work from someone not in your field.
Growing Researchers Online (GRO) is a suite of online resources created by La Trobe’s Research Education and Development lecturers and the Graduate Research School, which are available to you when you need them (including before your enrolment formally commences) and remain available to you after you complete your candidature.
The resources include information, activities, and opportunities to reflect on your individual project.
The GRO Suite includes:
- GRO 3MT development module
- GRO 5 rules of grant club
- GRO Orientation
- GRO Academic Writing
- GRO Candidature Management and Progress
- GRO Digital Academic
- GRO Industry engagement and impact
- GRO Intellectual Property
- GRO Research Integrity