It didn’t take long to be “well into 2022”. It’s been great to see everyone back at work and catch up after what I hope was a good break and recharge over the end of year (acknowledging that that break was fairly short for some who have upcoming deadlines – make sure to have a break after the deadline!)

The start of the year brings amongst many things new faces – and we’re welcoming a number of new PhDs and researchers into the group – details on that later in this newsletter. Many of us are also celebrating achievements – whether it be new senior memberships (congratulations Christina), board roles (congrats Felipe) and research achievements including new projects and papers. 

We are also launching our new Boston Dynamics Spot Mini robot – QCR researchers and the REF team have done a great job commissioning and starting to incorporate this exciting robot platform into our research projects. 

What does the year ahead have in store – we don’t know for sure, but we can be positive. The centre is in good health, and while budgets could always be bigger, we should be able to continue to support the core business of the centre. 

Many of us are looking hopefully towards the prospect of overseas work travel – for example for a conference. Right now, international travel is paused, but we will endeavour to support as much critical centre-related travel and publication fees as we can. To make every dollar go further, we’ll be asking people to find co-funding from project grants, HDR funds or the school. We’ll also be prioritizing those who have most missed out on travel – for example, finishing PhD students who have never had the chance to travel despite international conference publications. 

One of the key themes for a successful 2022 will be communication and efficiency. In a very challenging recruiting environment, the centre is collectively looking for a large number of PhD and postdoc positions. The funding is already there through projects and grants – it's just finding the right people. So please help spread the word, and if you or friends and colleagues are looking, come chat! 

Finally, it’s important to mention again – the last 2 years have been particularly tough on everyone – and so as you really get stuck into 2022, you may feel less refreshed than you normally would be at the start of a new year. Make sure you keep track of how you’re feeling, and please keep an eye out on those around you. 

Michael