All staff and students are invited to stop by One Elmwood on Monday 1 December 2025 between 11.00am and 2.00pm to find out more about how we are ensuring our campus is a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all, including our zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination.

This event will include:

• Information stands with representatives from a wide range of internal teams and external partners;
• Resources on personal safety and wellbeing, including our Personal Safety Pocket Guide;
• Free personal safety alarms and other giveaways (available on a first come, first served basis);
• Opportunities to ask any questions you may have and share your feedback with us.

A reminder to please take a few moments to complete the Pulse Survey before it closes on Tuesday 9 December. All staff received an email from survey-invite@peopleinsight.co.uk on Tuesday 18 November inviting them to take part.

The survey is brief, taking no longer than a few minutes to complete. The feedback you provide is strictly confidential and cannot be traced back to you individually.

• Further detail and Frequently Asked Questions are available on the People and Culture Intranet.

The Flexible Retirement Scheme for 2026 is now open for applications. This scheme is designed to support staff in planning a smooth and personalised transition into retirement. It offers a valuable way to adjust your work-life balance while allowing the University community to continue benefiting from your knowledge and expertise.

• Should you wish to apply for flexible retirement, please complete the application form and pass to your Head of School/Director by Friday 9 January 2026.
• The Retirement Policy and application form can be accessed on the People and Culture website.

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The International Partnerships Team is pleased to launch the International Partnership Development Fund (IPDF) for Academic Year 2025-2026.

This strategic funding opportunity has been created as a pilot pump-priming scheme to support the development of high-potential institutional partnerships in designated regions.

• Find out more and apply here. Applications close at midnight on Wednesday 3 December.

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Staff are invited to take part in a short but important survey exploring how Queen’s reputation compares to other UK and international universities. The survey takes just five minutes to complete, and your feedback will be invaluable in identifying areas for improvement and shaping the university's strategic approach.

• Please complete the World 100 survey here by Friday 28 November at 12.00pm (noon). 

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The University is currently recruiting for a number of positions internally.

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

Tuesday 25 November is the start of the UN Campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.

The Lanyon Building will be lit up in purple to mark the occasion, and staff are asked to wear something purple on the day to show your support for the campaign.

Staff are invited to come along at 4.00pm to the front of the Lanyon for a photo to mark the illumination.

The payment date for December 2025 will be 19 December 2025. The cut-off date for all information to be included in the December pay run is Friday 5 December at 5.00pm.

• Relocation Claims: Staff are asked to submit relocation claims to relocation@qub.ac.uk by Wednesday 26 November, to ensure processing and inclusion in December salaries.
• Sickness Absence monitors: all inputs are to be updated by Friday 5 December.

As this payroll is being run earlier than usual, please provide all changes/inputs by the above deadlines to avoid any underpayments.

Please contact salaries.office@qub.ac.uk if you have any questions.

As we approach the holiday season, please ensure that all costing requests are submitted via RAS by 12.00pm on Friday 12 December 2025.

Timely submission is essential to support accurate reporting and ensure smooth processing around this busy time of year. Any requests received after the deadline will be processed after the Research Finance Team returns from the Christmas leave period in January 2026.

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The Conference and Events team are seeking staff volunteers to assist at Winter Graduation, taking place from Monday 8 to Friday 12 December. Volunteering opportunities are still available for ceremonies on Thursday 11, Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 December.

• Find out more and apply to volunteer here.

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The Queen’s University Chaplains' Christmas Carol Service will be held on Monday 1 December at 5.30pm in The Great Hall.

Staff, students and their families and friends are all welcome to attend.

Christmas refreshments will be served at the end of the service in the Canada Room. Tickets are not required.

The Active Campus team warmly invites staff to join its festive Christmas-themed social run and walk on Wednesday 3 December from 1.15pm to 2.00pm, meeting at the front of the Lanyon Building (outside the Black and White Hall).*

This is a great opportunity to take a break from your desk and get moving, connect with colleagues, and enjoy a relaxed, seasonal celebration to mark the end of semester.

• Register here to join.

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The Student Engagement team invites staff to its Festive Event on Tuesday 2 December in the One Elmwood Foyer.

The Staff Wellbeing choir will be singing Christmas Carols from 12.45pm and the team will be serving some festive drinks and snacks.

All are welcome.

A new, streamlined, risk-based process for approving programme changes will be implemented in 2025-26. 

All staff involved in programme changes, including both academic and professional services colleagues, are invited to join a webinar on Wednesday 3 December from 2.30pm to 4.00pm for support on the implementation of the new process. 

• To attend, please add MS Teams meeting link to your calendar.

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This week is European Week for Waste Reduction. A variety of sustainable events for staff and students are taking place across campus from 24 November to 27 November, including:

• A free pop-up bike check from Freedom Cycles;
• A repair café;
• A community wide litter pick;
• Sewing and mending workshops.

Find out more and register for upcoming events here.

As part of Queen’s commitment to sustainable travel, the University has a number of travel options, enabling you to make healthier, more efficient journeys to work whilst saving money and reducing stress.

With free parking, many train stations and some bus interchanges on main routes have park and ride facilities. Using park and ride locations such as Blacks Road, Cairnshill or Ballymartin, means that you save considerable time around Belfast looking for that elusive car parking space.

• Check out the high frequency services offered by Translink from major park and ride sites here.
• View NI Direct's list of all park and ride options available throughout Northern Ireland.

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As we enter the peak months for winter virus, a quick reminder of some sensible precautions you can take to keep yourself and others healthy:

• Get Vaccinated: The PHA is urging everyone in the eligible groups to take up the offer of free vaccination when invited. You can get vaccinated at your local pharmacy if not eligible for a free vaccination. 
• 'Catch it. Bin it. Kill it’: Carry tissues to catch coughs or sneezes, then bin the tissue after use.
• Regularly wash your hands throughout the day, especially before eating or drinking and after using the toilet.
• Rest up: Know when to stay home to stop the spread:
  • If you have a high temperature, stay home until you feel better; 
  • If you have diarrhoea and/or vomiting, you should stay home and avoid preparing food for others for at least 48 hours after the last episode;
  • Read our Sickness Absence Procedure here.
• Keep indoor spaces ventilated: Open a window when meeting others indoors to help limit the spread of viruses.

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At Queen's we recognise the importance of making people feel welcome and supported to breastfeed wherever they go.

The University is a member of the Public Health Agency's 'Breastfeeding Welcome Here' scheme, supporting breastfeeding staff, students and visitors to campus. Provision includes nursing mothers and parents' rooms and the University creche.

• Find out more here.

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The following courses are available to support staff wellbeing within Queen’s. In iTrent, search for 'Wellbeing' to view available courses.

• Green Dot – Active Bystander: Tuesday 25 November, 10.00am to 11.00am, in person, Main Site Tower (room 0G/010)
• Men's Health Month Prostate Cancer Awareness: Friday 28 November, 10.00am to 11.00am, in person, One Elmwood (Blue Sky Room)

The Diversity and Inclusion team are hosting two Domestic Abuse Awareness sessions on Tuesdays 25 November and 9 December from 10.00am to 12.00pm, online. The sessions will be delivered by Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland and are designed to raise awareness, build understanding, and equip attendees with the knowledge to make a difference.

• Register via iTrent to attend.

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• AI for Educators Canvas Course: recently launched, this course is designed to help student-facing staff build confidence in using AI in educational contexts. It includes four modules* – Basics, Teaching & Learning, Assessment & Feedback, and Research – with opportunities for discussion and hands-on AI Skills Build activities.

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

• Heritage, Creativity and Belonging: A Participatory Approach to Policy Innovation, by Dr Emma Reisz and guest contributor Lisa Rea Currie
• October Post-Brexit Clinic at Queen's: recording and slides

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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 23.8 million people internationally. Read the latest:

• How the Louvre thieves exploited human psychology to avoid suspicion – and what it reveals about AI, by Dr Vincent Charles (QUB) and Dr Tatiana Gherman (University of Northampton)
• Arrest of top whistleblower shows extent of Israeli impunity over torture of Palestinian detainees by Dr Merav Amir (Queen's University Belfast) and Professor Hagar Kotef (SOAS, University of London)

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

• Queen’s and Dundalk Institute of Technology to establish University College in Dundalk
• Queen’s academic 'incredibly moved' by prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry award win
• It’s official: Queen’s celebrates new ‘Civic University’ status
• Queen’s researcher honoured as Healthcare Leader of the Year
• Queen’s researcher awarded prestigious fellowship to lead UK-wide intensive care clinical trial
• Queen’s first UK university to train students on spotting signs of domestic abuse
• International research prize for School of Mathematics and Physics Academic
• Copty Scholars connect at Queen’s
• Queen’s appoints three new Academic Leads for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Queen’s KTP team shines brightly at national Golden Awards

Our latest 'Spotlight on our Staff' profile features Deirdre Johnston, Disability Officer.

From advocating for accessibility to supporting students with diverse needs, discover how Deirdre Johnston’s work as Disability Officer is making a meaningful difference across our campus community.

• Read Deirdre's profile.

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

Our latest Staff Blog:

• BLOG: Smarter Ways to Travel: Tips from Nathan Booth, Assistant Estates Manager (Sustainable Travel) – Nathan offers some of his top travel tips to make your journey smoother, cheaper and greener.

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• View the November edition of the Mitchell Institute Newsletter.

The Mitchell Institute invites staff to the following event. Find out more and register at the link below:

• Symposium: Understanding Gendered Violence in Irish Language Studies, Tuesday 25 November, 9.00am to 3.30pm, An Chultúrlann Arts Centre, 216 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6AH

Applications are now open for the We Innovate Programme, the University’s initiative designed to support and empower female-led ventures to develop, grow, and scale.

• For full programme details or application information, please visit the We Innovate webpage.
• Applications close on 16 December at 12.00pm, and outcomes will be announced on 7 January 2026.

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Taking place online on Thursday 11 December from 5.00pm to 6.00pm, this brand new training course is aimed at academic staff, including career researchers and postdocs, seeking to develop their understanding of which persistent identifiers they need to use for their research and how to go about setting up these identifiers.

• Please register here.*

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• Postdoc Group Mentoring Programme 2025/26: Apply now!
• Supervising Skills for Assistant Supervisors and Postdocs: Monday 1 December, 9.30am to 12.00pm, online
• Identity Matters: Thursday 4 December, 12.00pm to 1.30pm, online
• Postdocs Spotlight @ QUB – Scales of Research: National, Digital, Planetary: Thursday 18 December, 11.45am to 2.00pm, Canada Room/Council Chamber, Lanyon Building
• Postdoc Society: Writing Retreat for Postdocs and Research Staff: Thursday 27 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm (in person)

Colleagues are invited to view the latest newsletter of Queen's Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE). This newsletter includes the latest ACE-CSE news, insights, training opportunities, and events.

• View the newsletter here.

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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.

• Testimony
• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
• Too Much: Melodrama on Film

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The Naughton Gallery's current exhibition, THE BIG NEIGHBOURHOOD, closes on Sunday 30 November. This exhibition – presented as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival – explores the intricate web of connectedness and community that spans our globe. 

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Staff are invited to the workshop 'Building a Legacy with People' on Wednesday 3 December from 9.30am to 4.00pm in the Great Hall.

Organised by Queen's PPI Network and the Patient and Carer Education Partnership (PCEP) Forum in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, this event will explore and celebrate the achievements of PCEP, highlighting the collaborative work, innovative projects, and transformative outcomes that have contributed to improving healthcare education and research within the School. 

• Register here to attend. Places are limited.

Queen's University Belfast's Students' Union has been named No.1 SU in the UK at the 2025 Whatuni Student Choice Awards – a recognition based entirely on student reviews.

The SU is hosting a special celebration event on Thursday 27 November from 12.00pm to 2.00pm in the SU Foyer. Students will enjoy games, freebies and treats, meet their Student Officers, and explore the ways they can get involved with everything the Students’ Union has to offer.

Please encourage your students to attend and join in the celebration.

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Staff are invited to the Students’ Union Sustainability Fair in the SU Foyer on Tuesday 25 November from 12.00pm to 2.00pm.

• Explore ways to get involved in sustainability, from volunteering opportunities to creative repair and recycling projects.
• Connect with local organisations making a positive impact in the community.
• Discover new ideas to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Climate Café in The Cube will also be providing Fairtrade coffee and a locally sourced lunch celebrating sustainable food choices.

Applications are now open for the 2026 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). These highly competitive awards are open to those passionate about outstanding teaching and learning.

• Submit your Expression of Interest by Friday 28 November 2025.
• Visit the CED NTFS and CATE Awards webpage for full details and guidance.

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• One-to-One Consultations: Staff can book a 30-minute virtual session with a Digital Learning Developer from your Faculty, School or VLE Pedagogy Support Team (subject to availability).

Academic staff are invited to participate in this blended learning course, which has been designed to support the embedding entrepreneurial education within the curriculum, meeting the requirements of the QAA and professional accrediting bodies.

The course will run from 5 January 2025 to 20 February 2026, with a commitment of attending two workshops during that period.

• Register via iTrent.

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Join us for a half-day workshop on 16 January 2025 from 9.00am to 1.00pm (location TBC) where we will focus on equipping you with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively support and guide our students.

Through interactive sessions and collaborative discussions, you'll gain valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your advising practice. Connect with fellow advisors, share experiences, and learn from experts in the field. Together, we can create a supportive network that fosters student success and enriches our academic community.

• Register via iTrent.

This year's Safety Training programme 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 the remainder of November to the end of January 2026 are given below. All sessions are in person.

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