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Queen’s pension schemes provide staff with long-term financial security and stability.

Key benefits include:

• Financial security: a guaranteed monthly income upon retirement;
• Provision for loved ones: support for your family should circumstances change;
• Long-term value: assisting staff with confident planning and future financial wellbeing.

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Key eligibility criteria

To participate, employees must:

• hold a permanent contract, or a fixed?term contract long enough to cover the lease period;
• have completed six months’ service at Queen’s;
• agree to a monthly salary sacrifice deduction;
• be resident in the UK (ROI residents are not eligible).

Key Scheme conditions

• Only vehicles with CO? emissions of 75g/km or below are available.
• Employees may lease one vehicle at a time.
• The University reserves the right to decline applications.

Applications are welcome from colleagues who can commit to spending four days in a year** building a network, developing interdisciplinary skills and approaches and using these to solve challenges that affect us all.

More information

Â鶹Íø Crucible programme is available to members of ?Â鶹Íø Fellowship Academy? and other early career academics, to further develop the connections created in the Fellowship Academy. Joining the programme will enable you to build relationships with researchers from other disciplines, to develop you as a leader in interdisciplinary research.

The Crucible at Queen’s Programme has three main objectives:

• To form a cross-discipline network that is likely to foster interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers who normally don’t get the chance to meet.
• To consider all aspects of knowledge exchange and the social and economic implications of your work – how can your work really make a difference to the world? How can you become more outwardly facing?
• To make you more aware of the skills and attitudes of innovators – how you can be more innovative and creative in your own research?

Â鶹Íø Crucible team is seeking people who can commit to spending four days in a year building a network, developing interdisciplinary skills and approaches and using these to solve challenges that affect us all.

** The cohort meets twice, in person, over the course of four months, and helps participants develop a research profile to enable collaborations to form, helps them understand what it means to be interdisciplinary and see how ideas can progress along the innovation pipeline.

Who is it for?

It is open to participants from different disciplines to develop interdisciplinary skills and approaches, to enhance your external profile.

Who is eligible to apply?

This programme is open to early-career academics who are employed as a member of staff at Queen’s University Belfast.

We define an early-career academic as someone who is:

• within eight years of their PhD award, or equivalent professional training; or
• within six years of their first academic appointment (the first full or part-time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary function).

* Unfortunately, Postdoctoral Researchers are not eligible to apply for this specific programme. Â鶹Íø Crucible team is exploring alternative programmes specific to research staff.

The programme provides flexibility in terms of how places on the programmes are awarded regarding career breaks, maternity or paternity leave, carers leave and/or other reasons.

The draft strategy represents an important step forward in strengthening how equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are embedded across all areas of university life.

More information

• The consultation will close at 5.00pm on Thursday 19 March 2026.
• If you have any questions or experience difficulties in accessing the feedback form, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team by email: eqdiv@qub.ac.uk.
• Further information is available on the EDI webpages.

• Please email the Student Surveys Team with any queries.

Â鶹Íø Student Survey

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• Students can find out more here.

These institutional surveys are bespoke to Queen’s, covering key aspects of the student experience, and will provide some early indicators for the NSS results. Subject leads will receive results when the survey closes and School results will be circulated in early March.

Student feedback given in the QSS is used by Â鶹Íø to enhance the quality of courses and improve the wider student experience. The continued support of all staff is fundamental to the success of the surveys, so we welcome your help.

National Student Survey (NSS) 2026

This survey gives students the opportunity to provide feedback on their whole time at Â鶹Íø, from the teaching on their course to the library and other resources. The responses help to highlight the great things we do in Â鶹Íø and identify areas for continued improvement.

• Students will have received a personalised invite to the survey from Ipsos and will receive reminder emails, texts and phonecalls over the coming months.
• Students can complete the survey and get more information on the .

Â鶹Íø Open Research Day 2026 will include a presentation from Aoife Coffey (University College Cork), who will introduce the Navigating Open Research guide, alongside updates from the . The team will also host a watch party for the UK Open Research Week keynote between 2.00pm and 3.00pm, and there will be information available about Scottish Universities Press and their open publishing work.

Over the coming two weeks, a range of activities will continue to bring students, staff, and the wider community together through culture, dialogue, and shared experiences. Highlights include a series of Culture Talks, a table tennis event, and the collaborative 'Bridges to China' launch. From exploring Chinese arts and traditions to engaging in conversations on culture, society, and innovation, there is something for everyone.

• AI Meets Chinese New Year: Tradition and Innovation in Harmony (Xing He). Wednesday 18 February, 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
• Irish Music and Sport in China – My Professional and Social Life Stories (Hon. Prof Seán Cunningham). Thursday 19 February, 1.00pm to 2.30pm.
• Painting with the Shuttle: Chinese Kesi Technique in Silk Tapestry (Hui Ma). Monday 23 February, 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
• Starting from Small Grant: Reflections on the Challenges and Opportunities of Interdisciplinary Research (Hangfei Guo). Wednesday 25 February, 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
• Think culturally, act locally… Future Care Planning in Northern Ireland (Lijun Xue). Thursday 26 February, 1.00pm to 2.00pm.
• Fun Time with Table Tennis at Queen’s. Saturday 28 February, 12.00pm to 3.00pm, Main Hall, QUB PEC.
• Bridges to China Launch. Sunday 1 March, 1.00pm to 4.00pm, Ulster Museum.

This CNY Celebration Programme is a collaborative effort by Queen’s staff teams and students, organised by The Language Centre, QUB iRISE Staff Network, One Elmwood Student Engagement Team, , as well as Â鶹Íø student societies, supported by the Diversity and Inclusion Unit, People and Culture.

This event will feature performances, object-based storytelling, panel discussions, a short film screening and demonstration of a new digital resource. All are welcome to attend.

'Bridges to China' is a major new collaborative project showcasing the voices, heritage and lived experiences of the Chinese community in Northern Ireland. This event takes place near the end of the two-week Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) period.

'Bridges to China' is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/X003426/1).

Image credit: Watercolour painting of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, selected for study by 'Bridges to China' participants. © National Museums NI (BELUM.C5991).

Please note: A limited number of bags will be available, provided on a first-come, first-served basis and on production of a valid student/staff card.

Â鶹Íø staff can avail of through our Employee Assistance Programme.

Microsoft Office is a suite of applications, which includes programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio, Project, Graph and related components. Blocking applies to the entire Office suite, not just a single application.

What you should do now

• Ensure any important data or archived emails are backed up where required before uninstalling Office.
• Uninstall any End-of-Life Office versions (2013, 2016 or 2019) from your device.
• Install Microsoft Office 365, which is the supported Office application at Â鶹Íø.

How to upgrade

The Training Unit at Queen’s has prepared a clear, step-by-step guide on how to upgrade to Office 365. 

• .

Need help?

• Self-service: If you manage your own device or have administrative rights on a University-owned device, please follow the .
• Local IT Support: If you are supported by a local IT Officer, contact them for assistance.
• General enquiries: If you are unsure which support route to take, the can provide advice and support.

Acting now will help avoid disruption when blocking is introduced and will ensure your device remains secure and compliant.

Cycling to work enables you to save on fuel costs while travelling sustainably.

Our offers convenient bike sales, servicing and repairs to staff, students and the general public.

Explore four modules (Basics, Teaching & Learning, Assessment & Feedback, and Research), with practical AI Skills Build activities and discussion. Complete what’s most relevant to you, or finish all four to earn a Digital Certificate of Completion, signed by Professor Judy Williams (PVC Education and Students).

Please contact the team at AI-Hub@qub.ac.uk with any queries.

Draft policies

Response forms

To contribute an article to Â鶹Íø Policy Engagement, please email Kevin at qpol@qub.ac.uk.

More information

The Conversation is a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics working with professional journalists. It is an open access, independent media charity funded by more than 80 UK and European universities. .

About this session

During this training session the editor will discuss The Conversation’s unique, collaborative editorial process, give tips on style, tone and structure (with examples), look at how to pitch (with examples) and look at different approaches and article types. You will also have the opportunity to discuss your research with the editor and pitch potential story ideas.

• * There are a limited number of places for this session. If you sign up and then are no longer able to attend, please cancel your registration so that your place can be re-allocated to a colleague on the waiting list.
• For more information on the session, please contact comms.office@qub.ac.uk. 

If you are interested in writing a staff blog piece, please contact internalcommunications@qub.ac.uk.

This talk will be followed by a moderated fireside conversation with Dr Peter McLoughlin, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, and an audience Q&A.

Please note that photographs will be taken during the event. 

Dr Brian Kwoba is Associate Professor of history and Director of the African and African American Studies (AAAS) programme, University of Memphis, USA. This event is the UK book launch for 'Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism' (UNC Press, 2025).

Staff tickets are priced at £8.50. Staff and students aged 26 and under can join LUMI to get tickets for £6.00 every day, all year round.

Oliver Jeffers is well known for his award-winning picture books. Beyond his literary success, he is an internationally recognised painter and sculptor. Jeffers’ work, with its distinctive simplicity, beauty, and humour, invites people to engage with big ideas, offering fresh context, hope, and a renewed sense of purpose in these rapidly shifting times.

This exhibition will run until Sunday 29 March. The Gallery is open daily from 11.00am to 4.00pm.

Under the guidance of goldsmith Diane Lyness, each participant will be taught traditional jewellery-making techniques such as piercing, soldering, shaping, texturing, and polishing, to create a beautiful knotted silver ring to take home.

Spectrum.Life Wellbeing Series

Spectrum.Life, Â鶹Íø new EAP provider, has a range of wellbeing webinars and eLearning modules on their wellbeing hub. using the Organisation Code QUBSTAFF

• - eLearning Programme.
• . Wednesday 25 February, 1.15pm to 2.00pm.
• In Case You Missed It:

* Information Sessions

Staff and managers can join one of the upcoming Information Sessions, hosted by Spectrum.Life, on the second Thursday of every month at 9.30am.

Joining details:

• Meeting ID: 898 1140 8395
• Passcode: 608882
  
  

About Spectrum.Life

Spectrum.Life offers a wide range of health and wellbeing resources for all staff, including:

• fast access to short-term confidential, independent counselling and support services, including up to eight sessions per staff member, with the first session usually within five working days;
• 24/7 mental health and wellbeing support, including instant access to qualified clinicians;
• a comprehensive health and wellbeing hub, including a Digital Gym, e-learning pathways, meditation and personalised digital wellbeing pathways to support your mental health, sleep, stress and resilience;
• and confidential support for work, personal and emotional challenges.

Further information and support

• For further information on Spectrum.Life and how to access the service, please visit the and website page or email: staffwellbeing@qub.ac.uk.

Thank you to all trainers who have contributed to the delivery of Peer Mentor training this year. In 2025-26, the Peer Mentor training team successfully trained 370 student peer mentors across 15 Schools.

More information

• NTFS and CATE Community of Practice Event
  For staff interested in applying for a National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) or a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE), this event is designed to support colleagues who are considering an application and want to better understand what makes a strong, competitive submission.

  This introductory session will feature insights from recent award recipients, including Kevin Morgan, 2025 NTFS winner, and Emma McKenna, Science Shop CATE award winner, who will share their experiences of the application process, discuss the types of evidence required, and reflect on what strengthened their submissions.

  The session will also include an interactive learning activity, giving participants the opportunity to explore ideas, ask questions, and begin shaping their own potential applications within a supportive peer community.

• SEDA Research and Evaluation Small Grants 2026
  SEDA is currently inviting applications for Research and Evaluation Small Grants. This year there are five grants available, each of up to £2,000. These small grants are to support research and evaluation in staff and educational development with the goal of continued improvement in the quality and understanding of educational development practices.
  
  * SEDA individual members or those working in an institution holding institutional SEDA membership are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is 12.00pm (noon) on Monday 23 February.

The session covers how to apply your settings, key reminders and common pitfalls.

Automated Lecture Recording

All lectures scheduled in centrally timetabled teaching spaces are set to be recorded automatically using Panopto. If you do not wish a lecture to be recorded, you must actively opt out using the on Queen’s Online (under 'Service Applications').

Key Reminders

• Inform students: Let students know in advance via Canvas about which lectures will be recorded and which won’t.
• Automatic start/stop: Recordings begin five minutes after the scheduled start time and stop five minutes before the end. You do not need to open Panopto manually.
• Privacy sweep: Everything displayed on the teaching PC screens is captured. Close emails and other sensitive material before recording begins.
• Recording indicator: A red light on the teaching bench confirms when recording is in progress.
• Pause or stop: Press F9 to pause or resume. Press F10 to stop the recording entirely.
• Editing window: Recordings are hidden from students for 48 hours, giving you time to review or edit if needed. You can adjust this timeframe.
• Canvas access: on the relevant Canvas page so students can easily find them.

For queries contact panopto-support@qub.ac.uk.

Please feel free to contact the University Safety Service at safety@qub.ac.uk or 028 9097 4613 should you have any queries or training requirements.

• If you are interested or have any questions, please contact DEFI-GDM@qub.ac.uk or phone 07823 368446. Participants will receive a £200 voucher reimbursement.

What’s involved?

• Two study visits (one x 3.5 hour and one x 2.5 hour) at the Centre for Public Health, Belfast
• Consuming study breakfast (scrambled eggs and toast)
• Weight and height measurement
• Appetite questionnaire
• Blood glucose measurements
• Two blood samples at each visit
• Completing two food diaries
• Voucher reimbursement

* You may be suitable to take part if you are:

• aged 18-50 years old;
• between 24-37 weeks pregnant and have GDM;
• not using antiemetic (anti-sickness) medication;
• not experiencing Hyperemesis Gravidarium (severe nausea and vomiting)
• have no history of Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus