Membership
Join our global network and become an SEI Member
As a member, you’ll be the first to receive invitations to our events and opportunities for research collaboration, as well as access to member funding opportunities.
SEI members have the opportunity to engage with a network of close to 300 environmental scholars, practitioners, policy makers and students from across disciplines, to address key problems in favour of the public good.
In addition to receiving invitations to our member only events and activities, you’ll get regular updates on our work and other members research, opportunities to participate in our public engagement and research translation activities, mentoring and development opportunities, connections to industry, and access to SEI funding and support programs.
Funding and Pitching series
In 2023, the Sydney Environment Institute will be running a Funding and Pitching Series. This series aims to provide participants with an understanding of the funding landscape across all funding categories, provide some practical sessions on topics such as grant writing and pitching, and includes a dedicated series of workshops for DECRA applicants.
This series is only open to SEI members and University of Sydney staff and students. For any enquires, please contact SEI via sei.events@sydney.edu.au
Wednesday 10 May 2023, 12.00 - 1.00pm
Want to know the basics when it comes to research funding in Australia? Join Sydney Environment Institute Director David Schlosberg, and Deputy Director Thom van Dooren as they present on Australia’s funding landscape, particularly for environmental and climate research, the unique opportunities and barriers of multidisciplinary funding applications, and some of the common funding schemes SEI has experience with.
Registration via Eventbrite here
Tuesday 23 May 2023, 1.00 - 4.00pm
This op-ed training has been designed to support some of SEI’s researchers raise the profile of the Institute and our members, influence national debate and policy, and showcase the amazing research SEI is producing. This session will be facilitated by Anthony Bubalo, an expert in research translation with over 30 years experience writing for outlets such as The Australian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, the Financial Times, Ha’aretz and Asahi Shimbun newspapers as well as The American Interest and ForeignPolicy.com.
The in-person workshop will cover;
- What is an op-ed, and why should you write one?
- What is the basic template for an op-ed?
- Practical work on writing a great hook, structuring a piece and key tips for the op-ed writing style.
- How and where you should pitch your op-ed.
Registration via invite - closed.
Wednesday 31 May 2023, 12.30-2.30pm
This seminar will provide an introduction to the Australian Research Council (ARC) with a particular emphasis on the assessment process. The seminar is aimed primarily at early- and mid-career researchers who are considering their first ARC application. We will briefly cover the kinds of funding that are available and some helpful tips for planning and drafting applications.
We will mainly focus on demystifying the assessment process so that researchers can plan their applications strategically. We will consider topics such as:
- What are the stages of assessment and who is involved in them?
- How should you pitch an application?
- What are the assessment criteria and how are they interpreted?
- What makes a competitive application?
The workshop will be convened by Associate Professor Thom van Dooren (SEI Deputy Director, Member Engagement) who is currently a member of the ARC College of Experts.
Registration via Eventbrite here
6x 2hr workshops will be held in March, April, July, August, and September.
SEI will be running a series of workshops to guide prospective applicants through the process of applying for an Australian Research Council DECRA. The workshops will run from March to October and will be led by Associate Professor Thom van Dooren (SEI Deputy Director, Member Engagement).
The series will begin with a general overview of the ARC process and the DECRA application, as well as guidance on how to conceptualise a clear and compelling project. Over the next several months, we will work through each of the sections of the DECRA application. Participants will be offered general guidance and advice on how to write each section, followed by feedback on drafts.
Registration via EOIs - closed.
6x 1.5hr workshops will be held in April, May, June, August, September, and October.
Developed specifically for mid- and early career researchers (MECRs) at the Sydney Environment Institute, this series of workshops will be help researchers plan and develop a research strategy for their career stage. The workshops will focus on a range of key topics: publications, grants, collaborations, leadership, and engagement/impact. We will particularly consider the challenges and opportunities in building a successful research career in interdisciplinary environmental scholarship.
The workshop will be run by A/Prof. Thom van Dooren and will also draw on the expertise of a range of other senior scholars from the SEI community. Participants will be asked to share their own research plans and to think creatively, supportively, and ambitiously with one another, and the coordinators, about their research strategy.
Registration via EOIs - closed.
Thursday 14 September, 10 am - 12 pm
This workshop provided an opportunity to share ideas for potential ARC Discovery Projects (DP) with the SEI community. The session was intended as a forum for learning more about the research going on at SEI, developing collaborations around shared interests, and gaining meaningful feedback on ideas in formation.
Registration via EOIs - closed.
SEI Seminar Series
The SEI Seminar series offers an informal space for SEI University of Sydney members to present research, test ideas and receive feedback from a diverse group of SEI’s multi-disciplinary environmental researchers. This is a space where researchers can learn about new concepts and be inspired by colleagues.
In previous sessions we have heard journal article ideas and suggested different avenues of where to take arguments or where to publish. We have been introduced to new research from projects elsewhere in the University and responded with multidisciplinary feedback.
This series was created to keep us connected while in isolation in lockdown and has proven so popular that it currently continues every three weeks. Deputy Director Prof. Danielle Celermajer Chairs this series.
If you would like to attend, please get in touch with SEI via sei.events@sydney.edu.au
