This series is open to staff from MACH partner organisations. Please register with your institutional email address for access. If you have any queries regarding your eligibility to attend please contact [email protected].



Seminar 1: Defining significant research needs and knowledge gaps and their relationship to impact

WHERE: Online
WHEN: Wednesday 20 July 2022 12:30-1:30pm

  • the relationship between identifying how significantly their research addresses an important problem in their discipline and how significant their expected new knowledge and/or technologies will be to other researchers
  • the importance in identifying and engaging with consumers/end-users of their research, regardless of discipline 
  • the importance of building a pathway to impact into their research planning
  • how to capture, verify and write about impact from research. 

The content developed in this workshop will be useful for researchers applying for all categories of funding opportunities, ranging from blue sky discovery research to those interested in developing research partnerships with industry.



Seminar 2: How to write about career disruptions and relative to opportunity

WHERE: Online
WHEN: Wednesday 17 August 2022 12:30-1:30pm

  • the differences between career disruptions and relative to opportunity across different funding bodies 
  • the types of career disruptions considered significant by funding bodies 
  • language most commonly used to discuss significant career disruptions and relative to opportunity 
  • positively positioning diverse careers such as allied health practitioners, non-traditional or divergent academic pathways, and those for whom community engagement is prioritised over traditional outputs. 

Seminar 3: Telling your story – writing persuasively about your career

WHERE: Online
WHEN: Wednesday 14 September 2022 12:30-1:30pm

  • the impact their research has or might have 
  • the urgent needs or significant problems their research addresses and where the drivers come from 
  • the significance of their academic outputs 
  • important industry collaborations and relationships 
  • how they have learned and are learning from the best in their field 
  • their leadership and mentoring 

The content developed in this workshop will be useful for the ARC ROPE, NHMRC and MRFF Track Record, CVs, awards nominations, social media profiles, and other online platforms.



Your facilitators: 

Managing Director Dr Lyn Airey. Lyn spent 13 years as a medical research scientist in Australia and the UK before branching out into project, contract, grant, and tender management. She is a skilled and knowledgeable facilitator, running workshops on all aspects of writing within a competitive funding environment. Through strategic grant and tender review, Lyn has helped thousands of researchers polish their grant applications with many wins under her belt.


Managing Director Kirsten Bartlett. Kirsten has worked in strategic development roles in the research, non-profit, professional and financial services sectors over the past 25 years. She is an astute business leader, best known for her ability to understand complex topics quickly and her strategic approach to planning major initiatives and projects. She has outstanding writing and presenting skills, as well as strong experience in business. 


Senior Grant Advisor Dr Sharon Brennan-Olsen. Having lived and breathed academia as a respected health and medical researcher for over a decade, Sharon has not only successfully been awarded funding from the NHRMC and MRFF for her own research, but she has also provided countless hours of support to others applying for a variety of grants and tenders. This support has included one-on-one and group training sessions, feedback on oral pitches and written documents, editing impact statements, guidance regarding Deeds, and all sections of requests for tenders and quotes. Sharon is known for her quiet equanimity and astute advice. And her love of caravanning.