The Conference and Events team are seeking staff volunteers to help out at Summer Graduation, taking place from Thursday 26 June to Friday 4 July. Staff are required to assist with ushering guests to their seats in the Whitla Hall. Volunteers can offer to help at one or more ceremonies.

• Find out more and apply here.

The University has officially launched its Annual Sustainability Report, showcasing the successes and achievements of staff, students, and the local community in sustainability efforts throughout 2023-24.

Providing updates on the University's progress in implementing its Net Zero Plan and sustainability projects, the report includes case studies, key performance indicators and an overview of the work undertaken to address and incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals across all campus-wide activity.

• Click here to read the full report.

As part of Active Travel Month, the University is celebrating 'Bike Week' from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 June. Across the week, there will be a range of cycling-related events, including community bike rides, cycle clinics, and webinars. Events are open to all staff and students.

• Find out more on the dedicated page here.

Queen's has also signed up to the Sustrans Active Travel Challenge for the month of June.

In line with Government legislation introduced in 2012, all employers are required to automatically re-enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme every three years. This process is called pension re-enrolment and will take place on 31 July 2025.

If you are not currently enrolled in one of the University’s pension schemes and you meet the eligibility criteria listed below, you will be automatically re-enrolled on 31 July 2025, and a pension contribution will be deducted from your pay on that date. 

Following the recent launch of Queen's 180th anniversary celebrations in One Elmwood, we're delighted to share our new 180 campaign feature video, celebrating the people and communities who have shaped, and been shaped by, Queen's University over generations.

Narrated by Belfast-born actor, former Queen's student and honorary graduate, Ciarán Hinds, the video highlights the rich heritage Queen's University has in delivering real-world impact through our research, education and partnerships.

Staff are also invited to share their favourite Queen's memories for a chance to win some mystery prizes. Whether you've just joined or have decades of experience, we'd love to hear the highlights of your time at Queen's.

• Watch the video here
• Submit your memory here

As the University marks its 180th anniversary, staff are invited to help spotlight the extraordinary students from this year’s graduating cohorts who reflect the spirit of our university community and are helping to shape its future. The deadline for responses is this Friday 13 June at 4.00pm.

Staff are invited to nominate graduating students who have demonstrated:

• Social Impact – driven change and made a meaningful difference for others;
• Community Spirit – built strong community partnerships and made a tangible difference in people’s lives;
• Resilience – overcome challenges;
• Innovation – embraced creativity and digital tools to solve real-world problems;
• Sustainability – championed action for a more sustainable future.

To nominate a student, please click here.

As part of the University’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, accessible, and supportive workplace, we’re pleased to announce that all Queen’s staff – and their families – now have free access to Read&Write for Work. 

Originally developed to assist neurodivergent users – including those with dyslexia – Read&Write for Work offers a suite of discreet, user-friendly tools to help individuals of all abilities with reading, writing, and communication.

• Learn more and download the software today. 

As part of the University's commitment to supporting staff health and wellbeing, we have launched a new three-year Staff Health and Wellbeing Action Plan.

This plan offers a collaborative and comprehensive approach to wellbeing, with a year-round programme of initiatives designed to support and enhance the health and wellbeing of all staff working at Queen’s.

• Read the Staff Health and Wellbeing Action Plan here.

Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to have been awarded University of Sanctuary status. To mark this significant milestone, a celebration event will take place on Tuesday 17 June from 10.00am to 12.00pm in the Whitla Hall. Reflecting on the Path to Sanctuary, the event will feature keynote addresses, a video presentation, a panel discussion and live entertainment. The event will conclude with a light lunch.

Colleagues are warmly invited to join in celebrating this collective achievement and to hear about next steps we can take together to embody the Sanctuary vision and mission.

• Please register to attend here.

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to supporting managers across Queen’s in leading their teams through change, we’re pleased to launch the Leading Change Toolkit. 

This toolkit is designed for anyone who manages people and is responsible for delivering change within their area.

A core focus of the toolkit is effective planning and preparation, with dedicated resources to help managers:

• Evaluate the need for change;
• Set clear and achievable objectives;
• Identify risks and challenges early;
• Develop a proactive, tailored change plan for their team. 

In the third episode of Queen's Sustainability Podcast, The Ripple Effect, we're shining a green spotlight on the Queen's Students' Union and how they're weaving sustainability into the heart of their incredible volunteering projects.

Listen and follow here: 

• Spotify 
• iTunes 

For planning, the Staff Round Up Summer schedule will begin from Monday 7 July.

Summer editions will issue fortnightly as follows:

• Monday 7 July
• Monday 21 July
• Monday 4 August
• Monday 18 August

The Staff Round Up will resume its weekly schedule from Monday 1 September.

The University is currently advertising the following positions internally:

• 25/112631 - School Manager, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences
• 25/112627 - Office Manager, Queen's Global
• 25/112630 - Senior Partnerships Manager (North America & Latin America), Queen's Global
• 25/112610 - Financial Systems & Operations Coordinator, BRCD AMIC
• 25/112513 - Research Fellow in Optometry (part-time 0.8 FTE), MDBS
• 25/112619 - Senior International Officer - North America, Queen's Global
• 25/112601 - Office Manager, Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility

Staff should now see the new Phish Alert Button (PAB) appearing in Microsoft Outlook. This feature lets you report suspicious emails with a single click. Colleagues will also soon receive a message prompting you to test the PAB to confirm it is working correctly – simply follow the steps provided.

• Find out more about using the PAB button here.

The following courses are available to support staff wellbeing within Queen’s. Please register via iTrent Self-Service, unless otherwise indicated. 

• Working through Change and Building Resilience: 17 September, 22 October, 20 November and 17 December (Online) 
• Communicating with Empathy and Understanding Through Change: 19 June and 28 August (Online) 
• Financial Advice 1-to-1 Sessions: 24 June, 29 July and 30 July (In Person) & 10 June, 11 June and 25 June (Online). Book directly via the provider here. 

Queen’s Learning for All monthly programme of events offers staff a wide range of informative courses designed to support all needs and abilities, aimed at enhancing personal and professional development capabilities.

Courses include: 

• Get Ready for Management and Leadership
• Planning my Career Development
• Getting started as a Project Manager
• Master Key Financial Analyst Skills

Learn more and register today here.

All staff at Queen's can avail of the University's Staff Discounts Scheme, MyLifestyle, which offers discounts at hundreds of outlets – including supermarkets, high street stores and restaurants, as well as vouchers and reloadable top-up cards.

Through the MyLifestyle Discounts Scheme, staff enjoy exclusive savings at hundreds of retailers and supermarkets, including:

• Shopping and Retail: Discounts at all major supermarkets: Sainsbury’s, M&S and Tesco;
• TV and Broadband: Savings on packages from Sky, BT, and Virgin Media;
• Travel and Leisure: Discounts on holiday attractions, such as Eurocamp, Alton Towers and LEGOLAND;
• Dining: Vouchers and offers at popular restaurants, including Pizza Express, Zizzi, and Harvester.

Find out more about the Scheme here.

Queen's Staff Blog provides a space for staff to share their reflections, knowledge and experiences, and build a connected University community. 

Recent Staff Blogs:

• BLOG: Carers Week Reflections: My Experience as a Staff Carer at Queen's. Jill Kilner, Senior Technician, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, shares her personal experience of caring for both her mum and dad, and the invaluable support she has received through Queen’s Carers Network, CONNECT.
• BLOG: Carers Week Reflections: My Experience as a Staff Carer at Queen's. Dr Abbie Edgar, Researcher Development Consultant in the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School, shares her personal and heartfelt reflections on her role as a carer for her mum, and the support she has received from Queen's Carers Network, CONNECT.
• BLOG: Going to greater heights for Friends of the Cancer Centre. Professor Peter Robertson, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), shares with us his experience of a charity skydive and the vital work of Friends of the Cancer Centre.

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

• New inclusive software now available for all Queen's staff and their families 
• In Pictures: Queen's hosts Boardroom Breakfast with Diversity Mark
• Queen's hosts Northern Ireland's First Technician Commitment Signatory Event
• Queen’s launches 180th Anniversary with Celebration of Real-World Impact
• Queen’s an official Sanctuary in its 180th Anniversary Year
• Video Message from UMB: Our Proactive Approach to Ensuring Financial Sustainability
• Video Message from UMB: Supporting a Smooth Post-Voluntary Severance Transition

Nominations are now open for the PDC Postdoc Awards 2025. These awards aim to recognise postdoctoral contributions to research, citizenship and outreach, and support.

All staff are encouraged to nominate Queen's postdoctoral researchers who have excelled in their contributions to each of these categories. Nominations close on Monday 30 June at 11.59pm.

• Find out more on the PDC Postdoc Awards webpage.

• Careers in the Public Sector: Tuesday 10 June, 9.30am to 1.30pm, Mandela Hall
• PDC Postdoc Awards 2025: Nominations are now open. All staff are encouraged to nominate postdoctoral research staff whom they believe have excelled in one of the award categories this academic year. The deadline for nominations is Monday 30 June at 23:59. 
• New Postdoc Induction: Wednesday 2 July, 1.30pm to 4.00pm, R&E Seminar Room
• Who are your Postdoc Representatives: Established in 2022, the PDC Representatives' Network includes postdoctoral researchers and academic staff from Schools across all three Faculties of the University. The network is currently seeking additional postdoctoral representation from Schools within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS). Postdoctoral researchers interested in representing their School are encouraged to contact Dr Lisa Douglas, PDC Officer at: l.douglas@qub.ac.uk

Applications are invited for the Queen’s University Teaching Awards 2025. The closing date for receipt of applications is 4.00pm on Thursday 31 July 2025. Queries can be directed to Liz McDowell on e.mcdowell@qub.ac.uk.

• Full details are available on the Centre for Educational Development (CED) website.

Queen’s staff are warmly invited to attend an engaging Culture Talk, How to International – My Intercultural Journey as a Global Citizen,  presented by Dr Zheng Li, Lecturer in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science on Friday 13 June, from 1:00pm to 2:00pm, in the Auditorium, McClay Library.

Drawing inspiration from How to American by Jimmy O. Yang, Dr Li will share his personal journey as a global citizen - from China to Australia, Sweden, Chile, and now the UK, reflecting on what it truly means to thrive across cultures. 

• Find out more and register here 

The current Co-Chairs of iRise – the University's Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network – are completing their term. Expressions of Interest are now invited for the two Co-Chair positions, which opens a development opportunity for new colleagues to be involved in the network.

• Staff interested in the roles are asked to please complete this form before close of business on Friday 20 June.

Staff involved in public engagement, science communication, knowledge exchange, civic engagement, or research impact are invited to join the Northern Ireland Public Engagement Network (NIPEN).

This cross-institutional network brings together colleagues from across Northern Ireland who are committed to strengthening the connection between research, communities, and policy.

NIPEN provides a supportive environment for learning, collaboration, and enhancing the reach and impact of public engagement activities.

• Register your interest by emailing: d.rogers@qub.ac.uk

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

• The Serendipity of Science: COVID's Silver Lining, by Professor Mark Lawler
• New policy paper - Non-recent Institutional Abuses – what might ‘justice’ look like?, by Professor Anne-Marie McAlinden
• How does where we live impact our health and how we age?, by Dr Niamh O’Kane and Professor Ruth Hunter
• Saving the National Cancer Plan: The triumph of evidence over opinion by Professor Mark Lawler
• Exploited Children Need Help, Not Handcuffs by Megan Phair from Invisible Traffick

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:

• Russia is facing fresh sanctions, but Putin is used to dealing with a struggling economy, by Dr Yerzhan Tokbolat and Dr Moldir Mukan
• Quantum computers could crack the security codes used by satellites – they need future-proofing, by Panagiotis (Panos) Vlachos

The Communications Office is hosting a female-only, virtual training session with The Conversation UK on Wednesday 25 June from 10.30am to 12.30pm. This is open to all female academics/researchers across the three faculty areas. This interactive session will be led by one of the editors who will take you through what The Conversation is, its origins and aims, what it does, and why.

• Please register here.*
• Join the session here.

• Profile: School of Nursing and Midwifery Staff Forum Representative, Lynne Marsh. 

Registration is now open for a new pilot in the CED's professional development Step into series!

Beginning on 25 June, 'Step into a Director of Education Role' is a 12-week CPD programme created to support colleagues who are new to, or thinking about stepping into, a Director of Education role. 

• Register on iTrent. Places are limited. 

The Research and Innovation Conference Fund will be closing to all new applications from Tuesday 1 July to Tuesday 15 July 2025 to conduct important year-end financial reporting and reconciliation.

• For any applications for conferences during the month of July 2025, colleagues are asked to apply to the fund here by no later than Monday 16 June, to provide the Review Panel with ample time to give due consideration to your application. Any applications for conferences being attended in August 2025 will be considered, provided sufficient funding remains.
• For the current academic year (i.e. those holding awards for travel between August 2024 and June 2025), colleagues are asked to please ensure that your claim has been submitted by no later than Thursday 31 July 2025. Claims submitted after this may not be reimbursed. Where a trip occurs within the month of July, please submit costs already incurred by Thursday 31 July and submit any other costs as soon as possible after the date of return.

As part of Carers Week (9 to 16 June), colleagues are invited to take a virtual Carers Awareness Training for Staff session, facilitated by CarersNI, on Thursday 12 June from 12.00pm to 1.00pm.

• Please register here to take part. A Teams invite to join the session will be sent closer to the event.

Colleagues are encouraged to share this invitation with any staff for whom this training may be relevant or of interest.

If you are unable to attend and would like to receive a recording of the training, please contact: lynsey.mcevoy@qub.ac.uk.

Staff interested in applying to Horizon Europe Cluster calls for collaborative research are invited to attend an in-person workshop on Tuesday 24 June, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

This session is designed to support those who are new to the application process and seeking guidance on how to get started.

• Register here.

The June 2025 edition of the Mitchell Institute Newsletter is now available. Staff can sign up to receive the monthly newsletter here.

Staff are invited to the following events. Find out more and register at the links below:

• Lecture: What Feminists Reveal When They Investigate Masculinities: The Case of Military ‘Manpower’, Tuesday 17 June, 6.00pm to 7.30pm, Canada Room and Council Chamber, Lanyon Building
• Conference: Reforming Legal and Policy Responses to Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Violence, Thursday 19 and Friday 20 June, 9.30am to 4.30pm, The Great Hall

The Seamus Heaney Centre warmly invites staff to celebrate the book launch of Harbour Doubts, the second poetry collection by Bebe Ashley, published by Banshee Press on Thursday 26 June at 6pm. 

• Find out more and register here.

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

The Naughton Gallery invites staff to its new sports exhibition, 'CRYIN' AT THE GYM'. All are welcome. Admission is free.

The Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00am to 4.00pm.

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

• Along Came Love
  
• The Ballad of Wallis Island

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.

Training sessions for June are given below. All sessions are in person.

Watch the AI Hub's AI Case Studies of Queen's staff.

• View and use AI Self-Help Guides on the AI Hub;
• Find recordings of the AI Hub's AI Building Blocks sessions;
• Listen to Jisc's Beyond the Technology Podcast, featuring Queen's.