Join the Staff Wellbeing Physical Activity Programme, starting 13 January! 

Featuring a variety of activities for all fitness levels, this programme is designed to keep you active, healthy, and energised throughout the winter. 

Click here to book and make a payment. 

Staff are invited to register for the 2025 Open Learning Programme which offers staff a diverse range of short, part-time courses designed to enhance personal and professional development.

Courses are available in a variety of subjects, including Creative Writing, Digital Photography, History, Beginners' Languages, Literature, Music, and Personal Development.

Find out more and register here.

With the arrival of the Year of the Snake on Wednesday 29 January, we would like to send our best wishes to all those who celebrate it and its variations (Lunar New Year in some Asian countries), and warmly welcome colleagues to join us in a variety of cultural events at Queen’s, featuring:

• The launch of the Chinese New Year celebrations (Wednesday 22 January)
• Student-led events
• Culture talks and workshops
• Art exhibitions

For more information and to register click here.

The University is currently advertising the following position internally:

• 24/112354 – International Student Immigration Adviser, Directorate of Academic Services

Staff can view internal and external vacancies through iTrent Employee Self-Service.

The organisers of the QUB Christmas Collection for South Belfast Foodbank wish to thank all staff who donated to the collection. A total of £1,420 was raised in monetary donations and 216.5kg was donated in food and toiletries. This incredible generosity shown by staff will help South Belfast Foodbank continue providing essential support to families in our local community during the challenging winter months. The total raised will assist approximately 35 families for a week.

After 14 October 2025, Microsoft will cease providing security and technical support for Windows 10. While your computer will still function after this date, it will become increasingly vulnerable to security risks and viruses and Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, software updates or security updates free of charge.

To address this, Digital and Information Services (DIS) is leading a project across the university to upgrade all Windows 10 computers to Windows 11, which offers enhanced security features. 

Staff are invited to the first REC and iRise Academic Progression Workshop, taking place on Wednesday 22 January from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the Senate room, Lanyon Building. This workshop is co-hosted by Queen's REC (Race Equality Charter) team and iRise – Queen's Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and international staff network. A light lunch will be provided.

As part of #QUBeWell, the whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing, Queen’s is hosting Brew Monday, a programme of events designed to encourage positive mental health and connection during January. 

Some of the planned events include a Staff Wellbeing Talk with Inspire, a 30-minute bodyweight class with Queen's Sport and a Wellbeing Litter Pick with the Sustainability Team. 

View the full programme of events here. 

The Staff Wellbeing Team invites colleagues to the following upcoming events. Information and registration is via iTrent Employee Self Service (except where indicated):*

• Nightingale Holistic Therapies
• Brew Monday: Inspire Awareness Session

The 2025 Active Campus Programme is now live, offering staff a fantastic line-up of activities, including Brew Monday Move and Groove, Badminton, Netball, Football, Couch to 5K, and more. It’s the perfect way to stay fit, have fun, and connect with colleagues! 

View the 2025 Programme here. 

Staff are invited to audition for the chance to showcase their unique talents at the 2023-24 Staff Excellence Awards, which celebrate the exceptional achievements and contributions of Queen's staff throughout the academic year. Selected performers will have the chance to share their talents with colleagues and the wider campus community at the awards ceremony.

Whether you’re a singer, musician, comedian or have another special skill to share, staff are encouraged to audition for Queen’s Got Talent. 

The Sustainability Team is pleased to announce that Cyclescheme will host the following live events, open to the public, on Thursdays from 11.30am on January 2025:

• 16 January 2025
• 30 January 2025

Queen's is partnered with Cyclescheme to offer our staff savings on the cost of a bike and equipment for commuting to work. The costs are spread over monthly instalments taken from your payslip pre-tax. The scheme can save you between 32% – 42% on the cost of a bike and accessories. Cycling to work enables you to save on fuel costs while travelling sustainably. Find out more.

Our on-campus Bike Hub in partnership with Freedom Cycles offers convenient bike sales, servicing and repairs to staff, students and the general public.

Staff are encouraged to promote the below leadership opportunities to their students. Staff can also suggest a student for one of these positions; the friendly SU Voice team will then reach out to ask that they consider putting themselves forward.  

• Student Officers (Full-time, paid)  
• UG Faculty Reps (Part-time, voluntary)  
• UG School Reps (Part-time, voluntary)  
• Student Association Chairs (Part-time, voluntary) 

Recent posts from Queen's Policy Engagement (QPol):

• Prof Muiris MacCarthaigh: Ministerial portfolio changes adding to policy pressures
• A new podcast from the Post-Brexit Governance NI team at Queen’s: The Protocol/Windsor Framework: What Next?
• Dr Jonny Hanson: Home sweet home: achieving a Just Transition in Northern Ireland 
  

The Conversation is a news website featuring articles by academics, often republished to global media outlets. Articles by Queen's academics published in The Conversation have been read by 12.5 million people internationally. Read the latest:

• How your stress levels affect your dog, by Gareth Arnott and Aoife Byrne
• Trump 2.0: Three tactics he may use to get his way in a second administration, by Dr Richard Hargy
• We all need toilets – expert insights into what happens when there aren't enough of them, interviews with various contributors including Dr Omololu Fagunwa, Queen's University Belfast

Read the latest staff news stories on the Staff News and Community Gateway:

• Queen's staff recognised in New Year Honours List 2025 
• Theoretical Physicist Dermot Green Awarded Prestigious European Research Council Consolidator Grant 
• Significant progress made on Queen's innovation centres in 2024
• Queen’s launches Annual Report 2023–24 

Research staff are invited to join a webinar hosted by the Research Strategy and Engagement team on Thursday 23 January from 12.00 noon to 12.30pm to learn more about the new Responsible Research Assessment Policy. This policy aims to ensure that research assessments are fair, transparent, and inclusive.

Register here.

Staff are invited to take part in an important survey as part of the Wellcome Trust-funded Research Culture NI project, led by Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.

If any staff members work within or collaborate with Northern Ireland's research and innovation (R&I) ecosystem - across any role or sector, academic or non-academic—their insights are essential to this project.

Complete the survey here. 

Queen’s Net Zero Impact Accelerator launched on 2 January 2025 and is now inviting innovative project ideas aimed at advancing net-zero initiatives. The programme encourages collaborations across the university, involving industry and external partners. Two funding streams are available:

• Emerging Impact Fund: Supports projects up to £12,500
• Impact Follow-on Fund: Supports projects up to £50,000

Queen's Proof of Principle (PoP) funding programme is now open for applications. This is an open call across all Queen's faculties, with a focus on Digital Technologies and Net Zero/Circular Economy.  

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 5 February at 5.00pm. 

The Mitchell Institute invites staff to the following events. More information and registration can be found at the links below:

Staff are invited to register for the inaugural Emerald Isle Conference on Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, which will take place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, from 9 to 11 April 2025.

Register here to avail of the Early-Bird rate before 31 January. 

FameLab is a competition which encourages and enables science-related researchers to communicate their work to the public in an engaging and exciting way. Staff interested in applying can find out more and apply here.

A Science Communication training session for those interested in applying will be hosted in the Great Hall on Thursday 30 January 2025 at 9.30am.

For more information, please contact d.rogers@qub.ac.uk.

Details of ongoing works being carried out across the University campus can be found on the Estates Directorate webpage. 

This week’s new and returning films at Queen’s Film Theatre, your cinema on campus.

SHOWING THIS WEEK: 

To mark Queen's 180th anniversary celebrations, the Naughton Gallery is launching its 2025 programme with Call Me Mother, a candid exploration of the realities of motherhood, shedding light on its undervalued labour while challenging societal perceptions of women during and after pregnancy.   

Silversmithing Workshop 

The Naughton Gallery's popular Silversmithing Workshops will also be returning with the first session to be held in the Senate Room on Saturday 8 February from 10.00am to 4.00pm. For further information and to reserve your space, please email: art@qub.ac.uk 

Staff interested in enhancing their personal development are encouraged to avail of the Staff Coaching Service.   

Coaching is widely recognised as a development tool that helps staff enhance their personal and professional growth. Through structured conversations, it enables individuals to explore options and gain valuable insights into work-based challenges and opportunities. 

The new Learning for All Programme is now open for all staff, with workshops available below: 

• Get Ready for Management and Leadership  
• Planning My Career Development   
• Effective Communication Skills 
• Working Smarter for Better Time Management 
• Skills for Effective Mentoring 
• Introduction to Project Management Skills Part 1 & Part 2 
• Interview Skills for Interviewees

Staff are invited to attend an event on decarbonisation titled Decarbonising the International Student Journey: Practical Approaches to Sustainable Recruitment and Education. The event, hosted by Queen’s University Belfast in partnership with Duolingo and the International Education Sustainability Group, will take place on 30 January at Riddel Hall, from 4:00pm to 7:30 pm.

The event will explore innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint of international student recruitment, addressing the challenge of balancing global engagement with sustainability in the higher education sector.

Find out more and register here.

Academic staff are invited to take part in a blended learning course, designed to support the integration of entrepreneurial education. 

This course helps staff meet the requirements of the QAA and professional accrediting bodies by supporting the integration of entrepreneurial education into teaching. Modules that involve students generating ideas to solve problems can benefit from adopting this approach.

Staff involved in research degree programmes are invited to participate in an upcoming webinar dedicated to discussing significant amendments to the Study Regulations for Research Degree Programmes for 2024-25 on Thursday 16 January from 2.00pm to 3.30pm. 

These changes encompass a range of critical updates, including the appointment of examiners and supervisors, and the expansion of research degree submission models at Queen’s. The session will provide training on these updates and related Student Registry procedures and is open to all staff, both academic and professional, who provide advice and guidance to postgraduate research students. 

Register here.

The Thomas J. Moran Graduate School will be hosting Supervisor Training Sessions for staff supervising Queen’s PhD students from 9.00am to 1.30pm on 21 February and 9 May 2025.

Register via iTrent. 

ONLINE COURSE: ‘AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for Teaching’  

Want to incorporate more AI into your teaching practices? This self-paced course by Ethan Mollick explores key AI concepts and strategies for integrating AI in teaching and assessment. 

Queen’s Fellowship Scheme, the QMA, has been reaccredited by Advance HE, effective from January 2025. The refreshed scheme introduces a new opportunity to apply for Principal Fellow, alongside the existing Associate Fellow, Fellow, and Senior Fellow categories. More information will be shared with staff soon.

For queries, please email: ced@qub.ac.uk or call 028 9097 5845. 

Staff should be advised that Canvas courses from the academic year 2018/19 will be archived on 20 January 2025 as part of the annual Canvas Archiving process.   

Following the transfer of the courses to the archiving system, they will be deleted and will no longer be accessible. Staff are advised to download any materials they wish to retain from these courses by 13 January 2025.   

Visit Canvas VLE Retention Policy on Queen’s DigiHub for further information on this process.   

The Queen’s Postdoc Society warmly invites all postdocs and research staff to an informal networking event on Monday 27 January from 10.30 to 1.30pm. 

Register here.

In the next instalment of the Postdoctoral Development Centre's new career exploration interviews, the team welcome Dr Anthony Kavanagh, former Physicist to Senior Patent Counsel, who will be discussing his discuss his exhilarating career journey online on 23 January 2025 from 12.00 noon to 1pm.

Find out more and register here.

The Postdoctoral Development Centre will be holding an information session for postdocs and research staff to learn about Queen’s Institutional Responsible Research Assessment Policy on Tuesday 21 January from 12.00 noon to 1.00pm.

Find out more and register here.

The Safety Training programme for this academic year is available on the University Safety Service Training webpage. The full range of courses can be booked via iTrent Employee Self-Service.

Please feel free to contact the University Safety Service at safety@qub.ac.uk should you have any queries or training requirements.

Available training sessions for January are as follows. All sessions are in person.

Staff can now register online for the 2025 Programme of IT Training Courses.

With training courses available in Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, and many other tools. there's something to cater to all skill levels and abilities.

Find out more and register here.

Researchers at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast are investigating how the structures of the eye could indicate early Alzheimer’s disease changes. This study is funded by Alzheimer's Society and volunteers are encouraged:

• People with Down syndrome, aged 6-50 years
• People aged 50-80 years, diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment from a memory clinic, to participate in our study

If you, or your friends or family would like to take part or hear more about the research, please contact Dr Aoife Hunter: a.hunter@ulster.ac.uk | 028 7012 3416.