GRASP
GRASP Newsletter Issue 4, 2026
August 19th, 2026, by
Hi everyone.
Welcome to our fourth newsletter for 2026, which provides information about some upcoming events that may be of interest to HDR students.
In brief:
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Prestige vs Purpose: Rethinking Scholarly Publishing
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Crafting your new Curtin profile
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Upcoming GenAI workshops
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Tiny research
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Upcoming Thesis Bootcamps
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Wondering about Vivas?
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What’s new in the GRASP Ideas Hub blog
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Overton database webinars
Prestige vs Purpose: Rethinking Scholarly Publishing
HDR students are highly encouraged to attend this panel discussion about the scholarly publishing system - where it works well, what’s broken, and what the future of scholarly communication might look like. Chaired by Dr. Danny Kingsley, it will be a candid conversation with opportunities for networking and most importantly, enjoying a morning tea!
Session schedule:
9:30-10:30 Panel discussion
10:30-11:00 Morning tea and networking
When: Tue, 25 Aug, 9:30am - 11am AWST
Where: Curtin University, TL Robertson Library (Building 105), Level 7, The Lantern
Register here.
Crafting your new Curtin profile
Bring along your laptop and join us in the Library for an information session on how to craft your profile in the new Curtin Profiles platform.
Register for a session here.
Upcoming GenAI workshops
Using GenAI is a new series being run by the Library – some specific workshops directly relevant to HDR students are:
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GenAI and Academic Writing for HDRs: Thursday 10 September 10 – 11.30 (online) or Friday 11 September 10 – 11.30 am.
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GenAI and Literature Searching: Thursday 17 September 2 – 3.30 pm
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GenAI policy and practice for researchers Tuesday 29 September, 10 – 11.30 pm.
Register here. Find our other scheduled GRASP workshops here.
Tiny research
How do you explain years of research in a way that anyone can understand? Ever wanted to shrink your research into tiny bits?
We could showcase your research in fun and creative ways using miniatures made in the Library Makerspace. For your chance to be involved, send details of your research project to makerspace@curtin.edu.au. Our Creative-in-Residence, PhD student Ashlyn Poole, will be in contact if your project has been selected.
Expressions of Interest close on Friday 21 August.
Upcoming Thesis Bootcamps
These focussed writing sessions are a great opportunity to set aside some dedicated time to work on your thesis alongside your peers in a structured, supportive environment.
August Thesis Blasts Register your expression of interest asap.
- in-person: 20 Aug
- online: 21 Aug
Sep/Oct Thesis Bootcamps Register your expression of interest by Friday 20 August.
- online: 14-16 Sept
- in-person: 30 Sept - 2 Oct
For more information, visit the GRASP website https://researchtoolkit.library.curtin.edu.au/grasp/thesis-boot-camps/
Wondering about Vivas?
Find Your Tribe has invited Richard Norman, Dean of Graduate studies to come along to our Teams meetup for an informal conversation about what a Viva involves, the opportunities it can offer, and other factors to consider. Bring along your questions and hear different perspectives and insights.
Tuesday 1 September, 12 – 1 pm (online). You can register here.
What’s new in the GRASP Ideas Hub blog
The Ideas Hub blog, https://researchtoolkit.library.curtin.edu.au/grasp/ideas-hub/ written especially for Curtin HDR students, has been posting regularly, so do check out our latest posts listed below.
Exploring R and Python for data analysis
Writing your M1 research proposal
Continuing your research journey after your PhD
HDR conversations - Staying connected from afar with Michelle Vokal
Prof. James Arvanitakis on ‘The road to success is never a straight line’.
Overton database webinars
Overton is the world’s largest policy and grey literature database, allowing you to easily find and analyse policy documents and track real-world impact of your ideas.In these sessions you will learn more about the platform. Each session includes a 30-minute presentation/demonstration with time for questions at the end. All of the sessions will be recorded and shared with registrants afterwards.
Overton for Individual Research Impact - 2 September 2026, 1 PM AEST. Register here.
Overton for Finding Policy Documents and Grey Literature - 30 September 2026, 1 PM AEST. Register here.
Overton 101 Webinar - 19 November 2026 12:00 - 13:00 PM AEDT. Register here.
For more details on our other services and events, visit the GRASP (Graduate Research Advanced Skills Program) website. If you have any questions or suggestions about GRASP, or would like to unsubscribe from the newsletter, please get in touch using one of the email addresses below.
Warm wishes
Karen Miller (karen.miller@curtin.edu.au)
Claire Hulcup (c.hulcup@curtin.edu.au)