Engagement

Visitor & Exchange Programs

CIRES welcomes visitors from academia, industry professionals, and students to spend time working with Centre researchers and be based at either The University of Queensland (Brisbane) or Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne).

Visiting Students Scheme

The CIRES Visiting Student Scheme ran from 2023=2026. It supported high calibre research students to spend 8-12 weeks working with Centre researchers to conduct joint research work on areas of mutual interest. Applications for this scheme have now closed.

Successful applicants were based at the The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane or Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. They were provided with funding support via a lump sum to partially cover living costs and return airfares. The scheme was primarily intended for PhD students who had already passed their Qualification Exam at their respective university, however exceptions were made for Masters or Bachelor students who demonstrated strong research and development expertise to the assessment panel.

Applicants’ main research expertise was aligned with data science and in particular with the research specialisations of the CIRES centre investigators as well as with the interests of centre industry and government partners, and Centre research projects. Details available here.

CIRES funding offered:

AUD $5,000 for an 8-week visit, or
AUD $6,000 for a 12-week visit

Applications have now closed for this scheme.

March 22, 2026, 23:59, Anywhere on Earth – CLOSED

Application materials
The student should provide the following, sent as one PDF file to the contact address (below):

A 1-2 page research proposal (in line with the proposed duration of stay), including clearly planned outcomes.

Please indicate the linkage between the proposal and the research conducted by one or more members of CIRES.
The proposed research should be of high quality, for example something that could be published at a top conference or journal

A 1-2 page CV highlighting key achievements, plus a full publications list (for journal papers, please indicate the impact factor; for conference papers, please refer to http://portal.core.edu.au/conf-ranks/ to find the rank of the conference, if available).

Evidence that you have contacted at least one CIRES Chief Investigator and obtained their agreement to be your potential supervisor during your visit. Your research proposal should be reviewed and agreed by your potential local supervisor before submitting your application.

A draft budget of the expected costs and required funding.

Separately, as a final step the student’s supervisor must provide a letter of support, emailed directly to the contact address (below), including details of the provided co-funding. Please note that an application will not be considered complete until such a letter is received.

Review process CIRES will form a review panel and aim to provide a decision within 14 business days (unless specified otherwise).

Get in touch

All information should be sent in an email with the subject “CIRES Visiting Student Scheme” to cires@uq.edu.au, copied to the proposed UQ-based collaborator and the student’s supervisor.

Visiting Academics

A Visiting Academic is an employee of an overseas institution who arranges to visit the Centre nodes of UQ or Swinburne, for a duration of at least four weeks. The intention of the visit is to contribute to and share research knowledge, through collaborative involvement in a research project. During the visit, the visitor will have the opportunity to connect with CIRES researchers including partners, and participate in the Centre’s activities including reading groups, events, meetings, and workshops.

Visting Academics will be supported with:

Connection to the Centre researchers and partners and the opportunity to participate in Centre’s research program and activities
A University identification card, IT logins and an email account
Access to University facilities including the library
Shared office space

Get in touch

To discuss a potential visit to CIRES, please connect with one of the Centre’s Chief Investigators at The University of Queensland or Swinburne University of Technology.

Professional sabbaticals

We invite professionals in industry and government organisations outside the university sector to spend time collaborating with Centre researchers and be based at the Centre Headquarters at UQ in Brisbane. The timing and duration of a professional sabbatical with CIRES can be flexible to align with your organisation’s leave or sabbatical scheme. There are two key components for the sabbatical program.

Co-design a specific project of mutual interest that aligns with our research program to address a real-world challenge you are facing in your role or organisation
Undertake professional development and upskilling by participating in the Centre’s Information Resilience Training Program
Contributing to the Centre’s activities through a workshop, talk, or mentoring Early Career Researchers

Visiting Professionals will be supported with:

Connection to the Centre researchers and partners and the opportunity to participate in Centre’s research program and activities
A University identification card, IT logins and an email account
Access to University facilities including the library
Shared office space

Get in touch

To discuss a potential research project, and other opportunities for a sabbatical, please get in touch. You can reach our team at The University of Queensland (Brisbane) and Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne) via email to cires@uq.edu.au

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