Share your work at Research Support Community Day 2026

Research Support Community Day (RSC Day) is returning in 2026, and expressions of interest are now open for presentations, lightning talks, and interactive sessions. 

The free, annual event brings together colleagues from universities, research institutes, libraries, eResearch teams, and professional services across Australia, New Zealand and beyond.  

Coordinated by a cross-institutional organising committee, RSC Day is a community-drive space for sharing ideas, challenges, and innovations across the research support ecosystem.  

RSC Day offers professional development and training for anyone involved in providing research support and related services. It is also an amazing opportunity to connect with colleagues, share ideas and build your professional network.

Research Support Community Day is an open and free opportunity for research support to come together and share ideas.

This year’s event will be hosted by Monash University and will run online over three days from Tuesday 16 June to Thursday 18 June (12pm-3pm AEST each day).  The virtual format ensures broad participation from a range of Australian and New Zealand time zones. 

“Research Support Community Day is an open and free opportunity for research support to come together and share ideas,” Research Impact Facilitator Catherine McElhone said.

“As it's online it makes it accessible for peers across Australia and New Zealand - I'm hoping to be inspired about emerging practices and bring practical strategies to my own work.”

Why present at RSC Day? 

Presenting at RSC Day is an opportunity to:  

• Showcase UTS initiatives that improve researcher experience, infrastructure, data management, digital tools, governance, or skills development
• Share practical insights and lessons learned, including case studies, works-in-progress, and challenges
• Connect with peers tackling similar challenges and exchange ideas you can bring back to your own team
• Contribute to sector-wide conversations about the evolving landscape of research support. 

Data Librarian at UTS Library and UTS representative on the RSC Day organising committee Ria Hamblett said, “RSC Day is a genuinely welcoming space, and it would be great to see UTS well represented on the program. Submitting an EOI is a good opportunity to reflect on the work you have been doing and help shape the program for 2026.”

RSC Day is a genuinely welcoming space, and it would be great to see UTS well represented on the program.

What can you present?

The organising committee encourages a broad range of contributions. Possible topics might include:  

• Advancing open scholarship and enabling more transparent, accessible research practices
• Promoting research integrity, including approaches to addressing issues like paper mills and questionable publishing practices
• Understanding and communicating research impact, publication metrics, and responsible evaluation
• Using artificial intelligence and emerging digital assistants to enhance research and research support
• Working respectfully with Indigenous knowledges and culturally informed research practices
• Strengthening persistent identifiers (PIDs), research infrastructure, and connected systems
• Supporting scholarly identity, including researcher profiles and digital presence
• Embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion in research systems, services, and culture 

These are just examples. If your work touches any part of the research ecosystem and helps researchers, it’s relevant and welcomed. 

All perspectives are welcome from any role, discipline, or level of experience.  

Who should submit an EOI? 

Anyone at UTS with an interest in research support is encouraged to submit an idea. This includes professional staff, academic colleagues, HDR support teams, technical and IT teams, project staff, and cross-functional groups.  

You don’t need to be formally working in research support or have prior experience delivering services to researchers.  The event values diverse perspectives and community-driven learning.  

You also don’t need a polished presentation yet; the EOI simply asks for a short description of your idea and the session format you have in mind.  

Apply now

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), share your ideas, and help shape Research Support Community Day 2026. Submit your EOI by COB 27 March using the online form.  

Fill out EOI form

UTS is represented on the organising committee by Ria Hamblett, Data Librarian at UTS Library. If you’re thinking about submitting an idea or want to discuss a possible topic, Ria is very happy to chat.  

The committee will strive to accommodate as many submissions as possible, with a balance of different topics. However, as time is limited on the days, they may not be able to accept every proposed session. You’ll be contacted about your submission by Friday 10 April. 

Registration to attend RSC Day 2026 is free and will open in a few weeks. We’ll share details with UTS staff when they are available.  

What’s next?

• Contact Ria Hamblett for any queries or to discuss potential ideas.
• Learn more about RSC Day.
• Explore last year’s program.
• Browse the list of previous presentations.