Gender Equity at JCU - Actions

WATTLE (Women ATTaining LEadership) is a carefully designed residential program aimed at empowering women to attain senior university leadership roles. It is owned entirely by participating universities, with all profits reinvested in the program.

JCU participates in the Wattle Professional and Academic Program.   More information is available here: https://wattleprogram.org/

The 2025 Professional Program runs from Monday 16 Jun to Friday 20 June, and the Academic Program runs from Monday 24 November to Friday 28 November.

More information from : directorhrm@jcu.edu.au.

The Scheme is designed to practically support and encourage JCU women researchers to maintain their research momentum and career trajectory during extended parental leave. Women are under-represented in professorial positions and this scheme is one mechanism to assist to redress the disadvantage associated with a loss of research opportunities or research momentum from extended parental leave.

This scheme contributes to the JCU strategic priorities of Impactful Research and Empowering Our People by providing research continuity to increase the competitiveness and impact of JCU researchers and reflects JCU’s values of Excellence and Integrity by proactively identifying and acting on barriers to inclusiveness and diversity.

FUNDING

The Scheme provides up to $20,000 per application for research assistance to maintain research progress during parental leave. The funding entitlement will be calculated on a pro-rata rate of $500 per week (excluding GST) of approved maternity leave for a fulltime researcher, up to a maximum of $20,000.

The activity and expenditure must occur during the period of approved parental leave or within the first 3 months transitioning back to work.

Application forms are available on the JCU Intranet - Research and Innovation Services

The Scheme is designed to practically support JCU researchers to progress their research career by reducing the barriers to presentation at research conferences. The Scheme contributes to support for JCU researchers with care responsibilities to attend and present at a research conference.

This scheme contributes to the JCU strategic priorities of Impactful Research and Empowering Our People by providing opportunities for JCU researchers to collaborate externally and promote JCU research and reflects JCU’s values of Excellence and Integrity by proactively identifying and acting on barriers to inclusiveness and diversity.

FUNDING

The Scheme provides funding of up to $2000 to contribute to care expenses in excess of their usual carer arrangements or reasonable travel expenses for a spouse/support person to undertake carer responsibilities.

Application forms are available on the JCU Intranet - Research and Innovation Services

Check the Promotions page for details (JCU Login required).  Detailed information on ROPE is available on this page.

Find out about a range of flexible working arrangements you can access at JCU (login required).

In 2025, the Vice Chancellor will commence a new program — the Vice Chancellor’s Gender Equity Project Fund. This $30,000 pa fund will provide financial support for targeted projects led by professional and academic staff at JCU to facilitate gender equity initiatives. The fund will seek to support projects that can inform the objectives in JCU’s Integrated Dynamic Planning, by:

• helping bridge real or perceived gaps between JCU policy and staff experience.
• advancing professional and academic practice through the implementation of recommendations for practical improvements to current University programs, initiatives and/or practices; and
• fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange between stakeholders within JCU to collectively promote gender equity.

This funding is for projects that would not normally be funded by Colleges, Institutes or Divisions.

The GEAR team will provide advice on the priorities for the Gender Equity Project Fund and may be successful applicants.

More information on the fund to come.