GRASP
About
Thesis Fest is a two-day, in-person event hosted by Curtin University Library focused on supporting Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students with skills to engage with research and support wellbeing. The program is designed to help you re-engage with your research, and to assist you in working towards final submission with confidence and success. Recordings can be viewed below.
Thesis Fest 2025 will take place from 25 - 27 June 2024. Mark these dates in your calendar and watch this space for more information closer to the time! Watch the short video below to see what you can expect at Thesis Fest.
Thesis Fest recordings
Thesis Fest 2024
View Thesis Fest 2024 full program [PDF, 712kB]
View Thesis Fest 2024 speaker profiles [PDF, 987kB]
Professor Harlene Hayne
Vice Chancellor
Curtin University
Day one: Welcome and opening address: presentation iLecture [00:21:35]
Professor Marylène Gagné
Faculty of Business and Law
Curtin University
Professor Tom Gedeon
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Curtin University
Associate Professor Suze Leitao
Faculty of Health Sciences
Curtin University
Delve into the minds of thesis examiners as they discuss the process of examination and revision, what they look for when examining theses, and common pitfalls. From the art of storytelling to the structural nuances, learn key tips on how to narrate the journey of your research and get your thesis across the line.
Inside the Examiner’s mind: Expectations and insights: presentation iLecture [01:01:28]
Professor Nick Hopwood
University of Technology Sydney
Do you feel there is too much to do and not enough time? Are you not getting where you need to be? Explore international research highlighting what we can learn from PhD students who are making good progress, with their wellbeing, friendships and family time intact.
What do productive, healthy research students really do all day?: presentation iLecture [01:05:05]
What do productive, healthy research students really do all day?: presentation slides [PDF, 2.1MB]
Professor Gretchen Benedix
Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research
Curtin University
Professor Richard Norman
Dean, Graduate Studies
Curtin University
Discover guidelines for effective supervision and gain strategies to address any challenges that may arise. We will equip you with the tools you need to thrive in your supervisory team and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences.
This session has not been recorded due to privacy reasons.
Your supervisory team: Creating a productive partnership: presentation slides [PDF, 738kB]
Professor Gretchen Benedix
Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research
Curtin University
Day two: Welcome and opening address: presentation iLecture [00:17:48]
Dr Hugh Kearns
Flinders University and iThinkWell
Learn how to make your own PhD Planning Toolkit to create your big picture plan. Create tasks lists for each stage of your thesis, plan your writing, identify risks, deal with setbacks and keep on track as you implement your plan.
Free resources available here to help you plan and organise your research: https://www.ithinkwell.com.au/resources
Planning your PhD: presentation iLecture [01:00:20] Curtin login required
Professor Nicola Armstrong
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Curtin University
Professor Tuguy Esgin
Faculty of Business and Law
Curtin University
Professor Hadrian Djajadikerta
Faculty of Business and Law
Curtin University
Professors from Curtin University share their research journey with us and invite questions from the audience.
Ask the Professor anything: presentation iLecture [01:23:56]
Associate Professor Jo McVeigh
Faculty of Health Sciences
Curtin University
Transform your conference participation from passive attendance to proactive engagement. Learn strategies to maximise your learning and networking opportunities, and walk away with practical tips to make your next conference a rewarding and productive experience.
Navigating conferences: From planning to networking: presentation iLecture [00:58:31]
Navigating conferences: From planning to networking: presentation slides [PDF, 2.9MB]
Dr Petra Dumbell
Acting Manager Research Services
Curtin Library
Step into the circle and share your challenges in navigating academic life and wellbeing. Together, we will share insights, tips, and strategies to overcome obstacles and navigate the PhD journey with resilience and support. Discover that you’re not alone in your struggles, and leave with practical tips and encouragement from peers who understand.
This session has not been recorded due to privacy reasons.
HDR support circle: Sharing struggles, sharing solutions: presentation slides [PDF, 1.5MB]
Tracy Piper
Learning Success Advisor
Curtin Library
Day three: Formatting your Thesis in Microsoft Word: presentation iLecture [01:08:26]
We invited students attending Thesis Fest to submit a networking poster to our poster wall at the event. The aim of the posters is to help HDR students to connect with like-minded peers to establish or expand your network as well as to aid cross discipline collaboration in shared research areas. Check the Thesis Fest 2024 folder shared with you so you may continue to connect with each other to get the most out of this networking opportunity.
Thesis Fest 2023
View Thesis Fest 2023 full program [PDF, 205kB]
View Thesis Fest 2023 speaker profiles [PDF, 290kB]
Professor Harlene Hayne
Vice Chancellor
Curtin University
Day one: Welcome and opening address: presentation iLecture [00:19:01]
Dr Katherine Firth
Academic Skills
University of Melbourne
Good writing can be challenging - it should be exciting but critical, generous but ethical, and elegant but accurate. Wellbeing is an integral part of this process to help support sustainable and efficient writing practices. This keynote draws from Katherine Firth’s new book, which integrates mindfulness, movement, writing tools and reflection into every stage of the writing cycle.
Writing Well and Being Well for Your PhD and Beyond: presentation iLecture [00:55:44]
Professor Julia Richardson
School of Management and Marketing
Faculty of Business & Law
Curtin University
Associate Professor Nick Timms
School of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Faculty of Science & Engineering
Curtin University
Professors from Curtin University share their research journey with us and invite questions from the audience.
Ask the Professor Anything: presentation iLecture [00:56:41]
Dr Kristen Seaman
Psychological and Counselling Services
Curtin University
Have you ever sat in front of your PhD during those tough times and wondered, “Why am I doing this?” You are not alone, and you will see for yourself by attending this workshop. During this workshop, Dr Seaman will share what was challenging for her during her PhD and how she found a way to keep moving forward. More importantly, she will invite you to reflect on your own challenges, connect with your peers over shared experiences, and find your reason for moving forward in your PhD.
The Bigger Picture: Finding Meaning in Your PhD: presentation handout [PDF, 2463kB]
Hugh Kearns
Flinders University and iThinkWell
Many graduate students cite getting and dealing with supervisor feedback as one of the most frustrating areas of their PhD. You can wait for ages, and when it arrives, it’s not what you want. Feedback is essential to help you progress and improve the quality of your outputs. So, what can you do to ensure you get the feedback you need? This presentation shares how to ask more specific questions and clarify the type of feedback you want.
Good Feedback: Asking for it, getting it, and responding to it: presentation iLecture [00:52:20] Curtin login required
Professor Loleen Berdahl
University of Saskatchewan
The beginning stage of research projects is defined by excitement and momentum, while the end stage is filled with accomplishment and satisfaction. But what about the long middle stage? The middle is incremental actions and small moves forward, rather than the big steps imagined at the beginning or the big achievements celebrated at the end. However, the middle is the part that really matters as it fulfils the promise of the beginning and creates the celebrations of the end. This session will discuss practical strategies to manage the middle stage and move your work forward to realise success.
Day two: How to manage the middle: Moving your work forward: presentation iLecture [00:47:08]
Curtin Library Staff
Research & Copyright Team
Curtin University
Join us for this interactive session to learn more about the specialised services Curtin Library provides to help you towards your research success. Our Library staff will share stories of student challenges and how we have helped them overcome them. We will showcase our research specialities, expert guidance, and tailored support, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Dr Andrew Cameron
Student Assist Officer
Curtin University
A healthy relationship with your supervisor can mean your time as a HDR student is productive and rewarding, but a negative experience can lead to delays, discouragement, and stress. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities of working with your supervisor and how to make the most from the relationship.
Getting the best from your supervisor relationship: presentation iLecture [01:01:37]
Getting the best from your supervisor relationship: presentation slides [PDF, 294kB]
Kylie Percival
University Librarian
Reflective session and close: presentation iLecture [00:04:21]
We invited students attending Thesis Fest to submit a networking poster to our poster wall at the event. The aim of the posters is to help HDR students to connect with like-minded peers to establish or expand your network as well as to aid cross discipline collaboration in shared research areas. Check back when we have made these posters available online so you may continue to connect with each other to get the most out of this networking opportunity.
Thesis Fest 2022
View Thesis Fest 2022 full program [PDF, 892kB]
View Thesis Fest 2022 speaker profiles [PDF, 336kB]
Dr Franca Jones
Director of Graduate Research
School of Molecular and Life Sciences
Faculty of Science & Engineering
Jonathan O’Donnell
The Research Whisperer
University of Melbourne
Good networks in academia generally lead to more research collaborations, more career opportunities, and better profile for your work. But what happens when none of the traditional ways of networking appeal to you? In fact, what if those modes actively put you off getting out there and doing any networking at all? What if COVID has shut down many face to face events where you would have met people? This talk contrasts ‘networking’ with ‘community building’. It provides sound advice on how you can build a supportive community around you. It’s ideal for those of you who hear the word ‘networking’ and cringe.
Jonathan O’Donnell runs the Research Whisperer blog and @ResearchWhisper Twitter stream, about doing research in academia.
Building effective research networks and communities: presentation iLecture [01:02:50]
Building effective research networks and communities: presentation slides [PDF, 335kB]
Academic Networking Notes [PDF, 893kB]
Academic Networking Plan Template: activity Sheet [PDF, 187kB]
Dr Andrew Cameron
Student Assist Officer
Curtin University
A healthy relationship with your supervisor can mean your time as a HDR student is productive and rewarding, but a negative experience can lead to delays, discouragement, and stress. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities of working with your supervisor and how to make the most from the relationship.
Getting the best from your supervisor relationship: presentation iLecture [01:01:50]
Getting the best from your supervisor relationship: presentation slides [PDF, 294kB]
Professor Amanda Salis
Senior Research Fellow
National Health and Medical Research Council
You’re sitting in front of your computer, you know something’s wrong with your writing, but you don’t know how to fix it. Sound familiar? Come to this 60-minute training with Prof. Amanda Salis and learn how to recognize writing that doesn’t flow, explain how to fix it, and write in a way that flows from the outset, using five writing techniques that promote flow. Bring something that you have written and that you would like to improve.
Make your writing flow like water: presentation iLecture [01:01:50]
Make your writing flow like water: presentation slides [PDF, 15.39MB]
Professor Christopher Reid
Dean, Graduate Studies
Curtin University
The pastoral role of the Thesis Chair: presentation iLecture [00:30:16]
Join us as two Professors from Curtin University open the floor up for questions from HDR students.
Professor Daniel Gucciardi
School of Allied Health
Faculty of Health Sciences
Associate Professor Susanna Castleden
Acting Dean of Research
School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Enquiry
Faculty of Humanities
Ask the Professor anything: presentation iLecture [00:54:15]
Hannah Allan
Director Research Services and Systems
Curtin University
Associate Professor Narelle Lemon
The Wellbeing Whisperer
Swinburne University of Technology
Self-care is about proactive action to support your wellbeing. Self-care is often described as a process, an ability, and often as engagement with behaviours that have one engaging with different wellbeing science that promotes subjective wellbeing. Self-care also requires personal and professional negotiations. We place constant pressure on ourselves to navigate the expectations that is placed on us during undertaking a PhD. Finding a sense of belonging and valuing the pace of care and caring is forever being negotiated. In this presentation I’ll focus on how self-care is not a selfish act, and that it should not be a hidden part of who we are as PhD students, scholars, and academics. I’ll share my 5 dimensions of self-care framework and unlock the potential in all of us to grow, maintain and protect our wellbeing with some tools that can assist us all to flourish.
Wellbeing and self-care during your PhD: presentation iLecture [00:59:18]
Professor Julia Richardson
Head of School
School of Management & Marketing
Curtin University
Drawing on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Adventure metaphor and her own experience as a HDR student, supervisor and examiner Julia will discuss answering the ‘call’, confronting your own resistance, connecting with guardians and magical friends, making a commitment, engaging with deep change, changing identities and new beginnings. Metaphors are a powerful tool to explore the psychological challenges of undertaking and completing the HDR journey. The Hero’s Adventure metaphor is a powerful framework, inviting you to reflect on your own thought processes and capacity to learn and adjust to a different way of thinking/being.
The Hero’s Journey: presentation iLecture [01:00:52]
Professor Amanda Salis
Senior Research Fellow
National Health and Medical Research Council
When you only have a short amount of time in which to talk about your research, whether for an elevator pitch, a three-minute thesis competition, or a conference presentation, this 60-minute training will help you make every word count. Topics covered include but are not limited to: how to show the importance of your research in such a short timeframe; how to make your presentation stand out from others; how to make your research understandable to non-specialists. The expected outcome is that you will feel confident about planning and delivering your research in short presentations.
Deliver your research in 3 minutes: presentation iLecture [01:03:06]
Deliver your research in 3 minutes: presentation slides [PDF, 16.2MB]
Listen to a panel of recently completed PhD students as they discuss motivation, staying on-track and how to stay well during the course of your research.
Dr Chantal Game
Faculty of Business & Law
Dr Robert Wells
Faculty of Health Sciences
Dr Damon Lalich
Faculty of Humanities
Dr Faaiz Al-Shajalee
Faculty of Science & Engineering
Chair: Dr Petra Dumbell
Academic Skills Advisor
Curtin Library
Stories from the valley of despair: presentation iLecture [00:58:04]
Book recommendation - Rest: why you get more done when you work less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Associate Professor Min Teah
Dean of Research
Faculty of Business & Law
We invited students attending Thesis Fest to submit a networking poster to our poster wall at the event. The aim of the posters is to help HDR students to connect with like-minded peers to establish or expand your network as well as to aid cross discipline collaboration in shared research areas. We have made these posters available online after the event so you may continue to connect with each other to get the most out of this networking opportunity.
View the networking posters here via BlackBoard
If you are experiencing any problems accessing this file via Blackboard please view the Blackboard access instructions here [DOCX, 79kB].
Thesis Fest 2021
Selected recordings from Thesis Fest 2021 can be viewed below.
Professor Inger Mewburn
Director of Researcher Development
Australian National University
Academic writing in Covid times: presentation iLecture [01:02:17]
Dr Paul Kebble, Ms Chantelle Leach, Dr Benjamin Sacks, Dr Petra Dumbell
Curtin University
How to finish your PhD … based on wisdom from 80s rock ballads [PDF, 1.15MB]
Professor Julia Richardson
Head of School of Management & Marketing
Curtin University
Jack Graham Geraghty
Team Leader
Student Wellbeing Advisory Service
Curtin University
Wellbeing, self-care and success: presentation slides [PDF, 3.38MB]
Dr Ben Milbourn
Senior Lecturer
School of Allied Health
Curtin University
Talk to Me: Improving mental health - presentation iLecture [00:30:55]
Professor Sharon Parker
Future of Work Institute
Curtin University
Ask the Professor Anything: presentation iLecture [00:53:47]
Testimonials
2024
“I learnt that I am not alone and I have to keep moving forward in my PhD journey.”
“I loved the variety of information shared by the speakers. It touches base to what we really need during the PhD journey.
“I learned to acknowledge that setbacks are a part of the PhD journey.”
“I am leaving today actually feeling a very high level of support
”
“I learnt to use strategies not to self-sabotage, and to write every day.”
“I gained motivation from all the speakers to keep going on.”
“I really liked all the tips and tricks from panel members including PhD graduates.”
“I learnt to be a little kinder to myself and that my experiences and challenges are normal.”
” Listening to other student’s experiences has helped me a lot to deal with my PhD life.
I will now take control of my PhD!!”
“Thank you for another great Thesis Fest. I am grateful for all the advice and information.”
“I have attended Thesis Fest every year of my PhD and looked forward to it each time. Thank you for the support over the years and providing these resources and workshops to HDR students.”
“Please keep doing what you are doing - the library does an amazing job of supporting HDR students. Thank you”
“It is fantastic that thesis fest has done such a good job with including online participation.”
2023
“Every HDR student should attend this event as it is very important to resolve most of the issues students may face during the PhD journey.”
“Thesis Fest was great because the issues that were discussed put into words and justified the struggles that I am feeling. It was great to know that there are others going through the same situation.”
“The overall positive atmosphere was really refreshing. I genuinely feel more motivated to push on with my project after today.”
“[Thesis Fest gave me] the opportunity to step back from actually doing the research and writing, and think about the ‘how’ from a lifestyle perspective rather than discipline specific methods”.
“The event is very informative and I learnt a lot of tips and tricks on how to manage everything during my PhD journey. I met various people and shared with them my challenges and concerns and discussed/shared experiences with them”.
“All staff are wonderful and the organisation of the day was phenomenal. I learnt so much that I will hopefully keep my motivation up!”
2022
“This event has given me more inspirations and encouragement to be more focused in completing my PhD”
“The academic networking has given me insight that the PhD is not that lonely journey I thought it was”
“There were some awesome tips surrounding how to balance life components with a PhD which are key to a successful and healthy long-term research program”.
“I have learnt that feeling a bit lost is OK. It is time to reassess and re-plan. I am encouraged by what I have experienced in these two days”.
“I honestly loved all the presentations and found them useful. I think you conveyed an excellent range of topics from pastoral/wellbeing issues through to practical and administrative issues”.
“Dynamic and approachable presenters across the board. It was clear how much energy and passion you all put into making this a great event. It was also great to meet all the HDR related staff. Thank you!”
2021
“Just want to say I’m so pleased to be here, I [was] astonished with the details: the students’ posters, meeting the professionals and your smiley faces! I can say this is one of the best events I have ever attended in Curtin”.
“I completely changed my thoughts about myself and others. I was thinking that I’m struggling because I’m an international student, but now I realise that everyone has his own challenges. This thing makes me feel so much better”.
“Skills workshops are important, but these topics were so relevant and on point with things many PhD students struggle with. So thank you, I needed this – and so many students here today needed this”.
“I feel more like a PhD student now – rather than an observer of my process/of the PhD”.
“Looking through all my notes will help me reignite the enthusiasm I had lost to write. The way I look at my thesis from tomorrow will be different”.
“I understand that the challenges I’m facing aren’t mine alone, and have met some new people to experience, combat and conquer them alongside”.
“The fact that you’ve all worked so hard to bring an event like this to PhD students is an amazing feat. We need more events like this. But more importantly, people like the organizers who understand, empathise, sympathise and actually care about us”.