Last Thursday, the Flinders research community gathered for the inaugural Research Town Hall, hosted by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Raymond Chan. Joined by the Chief Scientist of South Australia Professor Craig Simmons, Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling and Deputy Dean of Graduate Research Professor Lucy Lewis, the event highlighted Flinders’ recent research successes and future research ambitions. Professor Chan emphasised that this event would become a regular occurrence, fostering ongoing dialogue and collaboration within the research community.

Professor Colin Stirling celebrated Flinders’ research successes over recent years, ranging from sustained research grant successes to the launch of the new Indigenous Research Strategy to the opening of the new Health and Medical Research Building. On a personal note, he detailed how inspiring it was to be surrounded by such passionate researchers.

Professor Craig Simmons reflected on his deep ties with Flinders, from his PhD and first lectureship to his role as the Foundation Director of the ARC National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. He celebrated Flinders’ seven finalists in the South Australian Science Excellence and Innovation Awards (the winners were announced after the research forum).  Professor Simmons also spoke to his vision for the future of research, highlighting priorities such as achieving an ambitious net zero target, elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems, and equipping students at all levels for success – and reminded us all that, even within STEMM, humans remain at the heart of these efforts.

Afterwards, Professors Simmons, Stirling and Chan were joined by Professor Lewis for a panel discussion, moderated by Peta Pool, Research Partnerships Director (Special Projects). They addressed audience questions, sharing their vision for the future of research and research institutions, and offering insights into how researchers can thrive in this evolving landscape.

The panel discussed key trends shaping the future of research and innovation with a focus on collaboration between universities, industry and community and the resulting research impact on society and end users. They highlighted that impactful research helps to convince the public and government that research is valuable and, thus, worthy of future support. There was unanimous agreement that basic discovery research is critical and must also be supported even though the benefits of that work might currently be unforeseen or might not be realised for several decades.

We hope you can join us for the next Research Town Hall. Stay tuned to iEnrol for the next event in 2025.