Research Programs aligned to SDGs

Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research

Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research (QCDFVR) is based in Mackay and contributes to the prevention of domestic and family violence by informing, promoting and supporting the actions of individuals, communities, services and governments through state-wide leadership in research, professional development, education and community engagement.

The following research programs were delivered in 2021:

• Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum

This was the 17^th Annual Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum hosted by QCDFVR. The forum featured presentations and workshops on research, prevention, trauma, and healing.

• Domestic Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury Forum

Hosted by QCDFVR, this half-day forum featured the issue of domestic violence and brain injuries.

10,000 Steps

The CQUniversity 10,000 Steps program is one of the largest and most successful health promotion programs in Australia. Originally developed by researchers at CQUniversity to help raise awareness and increase participation in physical activity by encouraging the participant to accumulate ‘incidental’ movement as part of everyday living, the program’s impact has gone far beyond awareness and participation and was just recently ranked ‘high’ in the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Impact and Engagement Assessment.

Choices Program

CQUniversity in collaboration with community service entities and other universities has developed the Choices program to educate year 12 school students on safe behaviour in their post year 12 school celebrations.

iActivate Program

iActivate - Design and Grow Business for Good developed to provide a self-paced and ultra-flexible course to guide aspiring and early career social entrepreneurs from idea to impact. This partnership between Impact Boom and CQUniversity is supporting 'business for good' to change the world.

Gladstones STEM Central

Gladstone's STEM Central has partnered with a number of organisations for funding to deliver exciting experiences for students in Central Queensland. More than 600 students, preservice teachers, community members and staff got to explore and expand their STEM knowledge and skills with a series of COVID-safe events.

• The Science Experience Year 9 and 10 school students broadened their knowledge of STEM, business and entrepreneur skills with a trip to Quoin Island with several rotations including The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, Tangaroa Blue, CMERC, Harbour Watch, a tour of CQUni Gladstone facilities, drone flying, virtual reality along with guest speakers presentations from CQU and stakeholders.
• PreQUIP Year 10 Indigenous students attended CQUni as part of their career development to investigate potential career opportunities in the region.
• Queensland Virtual STEM Academy Students from several schools were lucky enough to access seagrass meadows and coral rock pools to collect seagrass seeds, assisting with the research CMERC are currently undertaking as well as experience some hands-on STEM activities on the barge.
• First Lego League More than 300 students battled it out at the annual STEM event. This experience has students develop solutions to various challenges while introducing them to STEM through fun, hands-on learning.
• School Visits Schools have taken the opportunity through COVID-19 restrictions to explore the facilities and resources of STEM Central. This included 80 Year 5 students from Calliope who attended to undertake a Leadership Camp.
• Indigenous STEM Camp Gladstone and Boyne Island have been hosting a unique five-day camp aimed at closing a key education gap by enhancing Indigenous kids’ engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

RACE – Gippsland

RACE - Gippsland delivers a range of hands-on, interactive, and engaging activities to primary and secondary students focused on raising aspirations in agriculture and building student capacity in STEM, digital technologies, agribusiness, manufacturing and food and fibre concepts.

Safety Circus

The Safety Circus is an engaging theatre production delivered by the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which imparts important safety messages to children around the areas of road safety (wearing helmets on bikes and scooters), bullying (using bystander behaviours to change the outcome of bullying), and use of a safety network to find a trusted adult.

Central Highlands Social Enterprise Program

CQUniversity has partnered with Central Highlands Community Services (CHCS) with funding from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal to deliver the Central Highlands Social Enterprise Project. This project included several events and workshops across the Central Highlands communities to develop skills in working in social enterprise organisations.

TeacherFX (Teacher Farm Experience)

The Teacher Farm Experience Program aims to increase the knowledge and confidence of STEM, digital technology and agriculture educators to allow them to incorporate food and fibre production into their teaching programs. As part of this partnership with Rabobank, CQUniversity has developed innovative and interactive resources for teachers to take back to the classroom and an evaluation framework to determine its success.

Women in Agri-Tech Initiative

The ‘Women in Agri-tech’ project will create and foster a strong network of females who will become leaders in digital literacy, STEM and entrepreneurship in regional, rural and remote areas. They will be guided and mentored by female researchers, professionals and entrepreneurs to develop engaging learning resources which will, in turn, inspire girls in the classroom to realise the opportunities available to them.

IBM-aligned Mainframe Trainee Program

CQUniversity collaborated with an IBM Business Partner, Column 72 to conduct the IBM-aligned Mainframe Trainee Program. Successful applicants will not only have their full degree costs covered; they will also be matched with an employer and receive a salary over the three years of their study at CQUni.

Skilling Queenslander for Work Program

CQUniversity partnered with various stakeholders to help the Rockhampton region's unemployed learn new skills and improve their everyday lives through the Skilling Queenslander's for Work program funded by the Queensland Government's Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.

Advancing Young and Mature Women in STEM+C Education

WinTech (Women in Technology) STEM club at CQUniversity is committed to improving gender disparity in Science Technology, Engineering and Maths + Computing (STEM+C) education, and in doing so STEM+C workshops and mentoring opportunities are hosted every year for young and mature women across the community. These workshops are conducted in response to bringing change in STEM education, making female students more interested and more confident in taking up STEM+C subjects as their career.

bringing change in STEM education, making female students more interested and more confident in taking up STEM+C subjects as their career.

Women in Agri-Tech

Women in Agri-Tech offer a range of programs and events for students and women in agriculture. This includes the Pitch Competition and the free access to twelve learning modules suitable for Year 7-12 students featuring agri-tech tools and systems which were written by the participants of the Women in Agri-Tech Project

Central Queensland Regional Arts Services Network

CQRASN is striving to deliver excellent regional arts programs and services to ensure that our Central Queensland communities are connected, creative and cultural communities to live and work. This project leads a series of activities and events across the Wide Bay and Burnett. Delivering workshops and forums, as well as networking and festival events.

Fitzroy Partnership for River Health

CQUniversity is a partner in the Fitzroy Partnership for River Health and collaborated on research relevant to the Fitzroy Basin Report card.

Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership

CQUniversity works with the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership to monitor the health of Gladstone Harbour. In 2017 the highlight was adding a mud crab indicator into the Gladstone Healthy harbour report.

Port Curtis Integrated Monitoring program

CQUniversity participates in the Port Curtis Integrated Monitoring program. This program conducts research on the Port of Gladstone and Professor Owen Nevin, Associate Vice-Chancellor for the Gladstone region, is the independent chair of this not-for-profit entity.

Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre

CQUniversity Australia’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) has been established to work with coastal industries and communities to develop practical and sustainable solutions for our unique coast and marine environments. Some educational resources developed through CMERC are:

• CMERC held a stand at the 2021 Ecofest demonstrating seagrass restoration and microplastic research. The event saw over 5000 people through the gates.
• The Science Experience - Year 9 and 10 school students broadened their knowledge of STEM, business and entrepreneur skills with a trip to Quoin Island with several rotations including The Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, Tangaroa Blue, CMERC, Harbour Watch, a tour of CQUni Gladstone facilities, drone flying, virtual reality along with guest speakers Dr Megan Ellis - GPC and Eliza Coop – Santos and guest presenters Dr Michelle Vanderburg from Bundaberg and Associate professor Mike Cowling from Brisbane.
• Queensland Virtual STEM Academy - Students from several schools were lucky enough to access seagrass meadows and coral rock pools to collect seagrass seeds, assisting with the research CMERC are currently undertaking as well as experiencing some hands-on STEM activities on the barge.
• CMERC led two Seagrass Regeneration Missions in September and October 2021 at Pelican Banks on Curtis Island.  Over 2 hours, we covered over 20ha of meadow at low tide to collect over 10, 000 flowers.  These flowers will be held in aquaria for 1 month to collect seeds.

Smart Irrigation Project For Cairns Parks

Under the Cairns Regional Council’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, students and researchers are working on smarter irrigation for Cairns parks which aims to save water and protect the reef.

Fitzroy Basin Association

CQUniversity partners with the not-for-profit organisation Fitzroy Basin Association to conduct research on environmental and agricultural issues.

Parasites in the Wild - Citizen Scientist Program

Participants developed a project plan addressing a hypothesis through the scientific method. Participants collected and identified ticks using field and laboratory equipment and easy-to-understand identification keys. Citizen Scientists will be able to get hands-on in the design and construction of laboratory and field equipment, including tick traps.

Enhancing Foodbank's Stakeholder Engagement

CQUniversity has partnered with Food Bank Australia for the Enhancing Foodbank's Stakeholder Engagement project. This project is funded by Fight Food Waste CRC and focuses on a multi-stakeholder approach to minimise food waste and improve food security in Australia.