Multiple Change Proposals are currently open for consultation. You can read the proposals, watch townhall recordings, and submit your feedback via the Renew ANU website.

A reminder that consultation for the Research & Innovation Portfolio closes tomorrow, Wednesday 23 July at 12pm.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic has provided an update regarding the Change Proposal for the Academic Portfolio under Renew ANU. The update includes information around timing and shares a high-level overview of the areas currently under review. 

The 48th Federal Parliament commences this week, with all the ritual and ceremony, alongside hope, politics and opportunity. I attended the Ecumenical Service to mark the beginning of the new Parliamentary Sitting whilst our Chancellor has been visiting old and new colleagues in Parliament House. In recent weeks I’ve been meeting with many of our local representatives including Andrew Leigh, Katy Gallagher, Alicia Payne, David Smith and David Pocock; as well as our Minister for Education Jason Clare, Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill and the Shadow Minister for Education, Jon Duniam. 

Read more: VC's update – 48th Parliament opens

I am thrilled with the number of EOIs from academics, professional staff, and students, ready to join our Working Groups responding to the Nixon Review recommendations. Every College and Portfolio area is represented in the Groups.

Read more: Provost update – Nixon Working Groups

The Australian National University (ANU) was established in 1946 and is the first and only University in Australia to be established under federal legislation. That privileged position comes with both unique responsibilities, including our compliance with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). Every Commonwealth entity, including ANU, is required under the PGPA Act to have a Corporate Plan. This, somewhat in our case unfortunately named, document is the primary planning document through which we detail the University's purpose, activities and how we will measure our success (KPIs). Covering a rolling three year period, but subject to annual refresh, the document provides the Government and the broader public transparency on how the University intends to deliver on its purpose.

The PGPA Act applies to all Commonwealth entities and helps establishment governance and accountability around how public resources are used and managed to achieve the desired outcomes. In the case of ANU, those desired outcomes are enshrined in the functions of the University within The Australian National University Act 1991, our founding legislation. The first of these functions perhaps encapsulating all those that follow, advancing and transmitting knowledge, by undertaking research and teaching of the highest quality, and representing an enduring purpose for our University resonating from its original foundation to today.

ANU also a strategic plan which comes to the end of its current horizon in 2025. With the strategic plan coming to its natural conclusion, the Corporate Plan provides a clear mandate on the University's purpose, activities, the capabilities required to underpin our success and the measures by which Government will hold us accountable for that success.

As the plan is reviewed and refreshed annually any suggestions for improvements or feedback can be sent directly to planning@anu.edu.au.

The Staff Respect Consultant is here to support you through challenging workplace situations with compassion, confidentiality and individualised support. Whether you're unsure about your reporting options, need help accessing counselling, or want to better understand ANU processes, Claudia can assist. Claudia works closely with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Inclusive & Respectful Communities teams to provide tailored support and resources. 
 
More information is available on the Staff Respect Consultant webpage. 

For staff on the annual 2025 Focus document, the mid-year checkpoint step due date is 31 July 2025. This step is an opportunity for both staff members and supervisors to check in and record an update on the progress of their work since setting goals earlier in the year. Please use this week and the next as an opportunity to ensure that your Focus document, and those of your staff, are up to date.

To support ANU supervisors, a series of separate 90-minute online skill builder sessions are being held. Dates and times for available sessions are on the Focus SharePoint site. No registration required – just pick a convenient time and join on Zoom.

Information, guidance, and training resources are available on the ANU Focus website and ANU Focus SharePoint. 

A team led by ANU Professor Mark Polizzotto and Associate Professor Nhung Nghiem is bringing hope to sub-Saharan Africa, where Kaposi sarcoma remains one of the deadliest cancers. 

Thanks to $5 million in funding, a new trial will test a low-cost immune therapy that’s easier to deliver than chemotherapy. The treatment, pomalidomide, has shown promise - especially for people living with HIV. Local communities are helping shape the trial, ensuring it fits real-world needs. 

The goal? Affordable, effective cancer care for those who’ve gone without it for too long. 

Read more: A promising new cancer treatment for people living with Kaposi sarcoma in Africa 

For some, the experience of the medical system is a saga. But rather than a tale of adventure and action, it is the infuriatingly cyclical ‘diagnostic odyssey’. 

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases are often chronic, recurring and difficult to treat.  This means that for many people, getting a clear diagnosis is difficult. They are left bouncing between different specialists, treating symptoms instead of the root causes of their condition – using intense medications like steroids to manage side-effects.  

That’s where Associate Professor Simon Jiang enters the story. 

Read more: Meet Simon: uncovering the genetic roots of autoimmune disease for new treatments

Research looking at the governance of Indigenous cultural knowledge, turning waste into climate-friendly fertilisers, investigating our planet’s core and finding new ways to save species from the brink of extinction are among projects led by researchers at ANU to receive about $18 million in grants from the Australian Government. 

Read more: $18 million in federal funding to turbocharge ANU research

The Hon Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, will deliver a compelling address on the existential threat that rising sea levels pose to Tuvalu and the broader Pacific region.

The Prime Minister will share insights into the resilience of Tuvaluans, highlighting the innovative approaches being adopted in response to climate change, and emphasising the urgent need for global action.

A Q&A session will follow, moderated by Salā Dr George Carter, Director of the ANU Pacific Institute.

Register here: Special address by the Hon Feleti Penitala Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu

Thursday 24 July, 10am-12pm  

The Salon brings people together for conversation, structured activities and reflection on the practice of collaboration. It’s designed to be an energising, nourishing, and fun event. 

Come prepared to share your experiences of collaboration — whether you’re an experienced collaborator or collaboratively curious, all are welcome! 

Register here: Collaborative Practices Salon #8 

Friday 25 July, 10am-12pm 

Staff and students are invited to visit the bike security awareness stall at Kambri. This event is a joint initiative between ANU UniSafe, Residential Experience, ACT Policing, and Pedal Power ACT. Bike enthusiasts can ask questions and get practical advice to help reduce the risk of bike theft and improve the chances of recovering your bike if it goes missing. You can register your bike with BikeLinc, a secure database supported by police that helps link bikes with their rightful owners, and have your bike engraved with your contact details. 

Tuesday 29 July, 4.30-6pm 

Thinking about postgraduate study? Come along to a casual drop-in session designed for local professionals looking to take the next step in their careers. 

Enjoy light refreshments while connecting with University staff to explore your study options, gain insights into specific programs, and receive guidance on admissions, career outcomes, and the application process. 
 
Register here – Level Up: Explore Postgraduate Study at ANU 

Wednesday 30 July, 6-7.30pm  

Join author Jess Kitching in conversation with Emma Grey as she launches her latest novel, The Life Experiment — a poignant, life-affirming love story about two strangers brought together by a mysterious study that predicts when they will die. 

Set against the backdrop of life’s big questions, The Life Experiment is a moving exploration of purpose, connection, and what truly matters. 

Register here: Book Launch & In Conversation with Jess Kitching

When we think about excellence we often picture grand achievements but just as powerful are the quieter moments that shape our University every day. Our 2024 Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor’s Award recipients came from across our community, and what they had in common was that they made a difference. 

“Workplace health and safety is often about the things people don’t see — the systems we maintain, the care we take, and the constant vigilance behind the scenes. Being recognised with this award was humbling, but it reminded me that the everyday efforts we put in (often quietly and without expectation) to create a safe, supportive environment are seen and valued. 

While WHS is a shared responsibility, it’s encouraging to know that those efforts truly make a difference. Recognition doesn’t just celebrate outcomes — it reminds us that our contributions, especially during challenging times, are noticed and appreciated.” 
— Claire Cooper, 2024 recipient of the Andrew Hopkins Award 

More information about the Chancellor’s and Vice-Chancellor's awards can be found here.  

If a student’s application to defer an exam is approved via an Extenuating Circumstances Application, the outcome, sent to both the student and course convenor will identify when the exam is scheduled:

Deferred exams will not be held during Week 1 of Semester 1 2026. If a PX (offered supplementary assessment) grade is received, the supplementary exam will be scheduled during O-Week (16-20 February 2026). 

Keen to do something good for the planet, without making it a big thing? ANU Green has you covered. 

This semester, we are keeping it fun, flexible and a little bit quirky. Whether you are up for a quick solo challenge or keen to bring together your colleagues for some low-stakes team bonding, we have you sorted: 

One Small Step x ANU – a bespoke ANU app with bite-sized sustainability actions you can try on your own or with your team. Go check it out now. 

ANU Green Awards – launching next week with prizes for those who give One Small Step x ANU a go during the semester. Watch this space next week in On Campus, on ANU Green Network or Instagram. Get in quick and register now for the info session on Friday 8 August. 

Next week, Marie Reay – do not miss the Be Bin Smart art-meets-trash installation – Bin Appetit. It’s quirky. It’s enlightening. It might just make you love your bins. 

ANU+ is a structured, non-academic program that recognises students’ personal development and contribution through volunteering. It encourages reflective learning and formally acknowledges students' impact beyond the classroom. Last semester, 14 students completed the program, contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours across 36 organisations. 

This student impact reflects the broader value of volunteering highlighted in the 2024 State of Volunteering in the ACT Report:

As a core initiative of Student Life, ANU+ helps students enrich their university experience through community engagement. Recent program updates endorsed by Professor Joan Leach, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), aim to ensure the program’s sustainability. A key change is a clearer distinction between volunteering and internships.

Volunteer positions approved before June 2025 will remain valid through to November 2025. From January 2026, all roles will be assessed under updated eligibility criteria in the revised ANU+ procedures.

Please review the updated ANU+ Procedures on our website and contact Student Life with any questions or concerns you may have.

The National Industry PhD Program is a competitive funding program that supports PhD candidates undertake industry-focused research projects. 

Academic staff are essential to this program; all research projects must be submitted by an ANU academic who will also serve as the PhD candidate’s supervisor.

Participating in this program will equip the candidate with the knowledge and skills to better translate university research into commercialisation outcomes and candidates will build their capacity to work at the interface of research and industry. 

More information is available on the HDR Industry Engagement Sharepoint.  

ANU Security - (02) 6125 2249 

For life threatening emergencies first call 000 (or 0000 if dialing from an internal phone), then call ANU Security.  

Media hotline 24/7 - (02) 6125 7979 

Contact the 24/7 media hotline for media queries regarding the University and its operations, or to track down experts that aren’t listed in our Experts Guide.  

Help is available if you need it. Whether it's a work-related issue or a personal one, the University encourages you to seek support through the Employee Assistance Program.

If you need to support a student in distress, please refer to this guide developed by the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.