ACSES HDR Stipends Scheme Webinar

Dear colleagues,

We invite you to join us this month for an ACSES Research Webinar featuring project presentations from three recipients from the 2025–26 Round of the ACSES HDR Stipends Scheme:

• "Low socio-economic background students and their sources of income at university" presented by Monsterrat Alvarez Klee

• "University Plans Among Australian High School Students with Disability" presented by Pedro Riquelme Gonzalez

• "Appreciating pathways to success: Strengthening student wellbeing and university access through intentional school design" presented by Christopher Slee.

This Research Webinar is part of ACSES's commitment to developing research capacity in Australian higher education equity, especially through its support of the next generation of equity researchers.

The ACSES Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Stipends Scheme provides supplementary funding to higher degree by research students enrolled in an Australian university (Table A and Table B providers) to undertake a research project relating to Australian higher education student equity that leads to the publication of a journal article. The scheme is intended to encourage the translation of research to practice, evaluation, and policy in student equity.

Webinar details:

Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Time: 10:00am–11:30am AWST | 1:00pm–2:30pm AEDT
Location: Online via Zoom

Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Round of the ACSES HDR Stipends Scheme. Keep reading below for more details.

Regards,
Professor Ian Li SFHEA
Research and Policy Program Director
Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success

New ACSES Small Grants Research Program Report published

A new report published through the ACSES Small Grants Program calls for the prioritisation of improving online pedagogies and fostering interactive and socially engaging virtual environments.

Evidence-based pedagogies to support online engagement of low SES, and regional, rural, and remote students, authored by Frances Fan, David Hicks, and Sarah Fischer from the University of Tasmania, examines how the right pedagogical support can help low socio-economic status and/or regional, rural, and remote students thrive in their online learning.

The publication outlines how a lack of pedagogical support for students studying online disproportionately impacts students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including lower course completion rates and a reduced sense of place and belonging.

You can now read the full report on the ACSES website, here.

Nominations for the ACSES Awards 2026 now open

Nominations are now open for the ACSES Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Impact on Higher Education Policy and Practice 2026.

These Awards will recognise teams or individuals who have made significant contributions in shaping policy and/or transforming practices in ways that drive positive outcomes in student equity in Australian higher education.

This year's Awards will honour up to five (5) recipients who will be recognised for demonstrating excellence in one of the following criteria:

• innovation and originality
• impact and effectiveness
• collaboration and stakeholder engagement
• advocacy and leadership
• evidence and research-based approach.

These Awards celebrate those teams or individuals whose work has not only influenced decision-makers, but has also led to tangible improvements in higher education outcomes for students from equity backgrounds. This work may span any stage of the student lifecycle, from pre-access and participation to university completion and post-graduation pathways.

Award recipients (or a nominated team member for team awards) will be supported by ACSES for their attendance at the 2026 Australian Student Equity Symposium in Brisbane (more details to be announced soon), where they will be formally recognised for their contributions and presented with their awards.

Please note that applications close before 4pm (AWST) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.

You can find more information and an application pack to download on the ACSES website.

ACSES 2026–27 Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Stipend Scheme

ACSES is now inviting applications from Master and Doctor of Philosophy students with an interest in student equity in higher education to participate in its 2026–27 Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Stipend Scheme. 

The stipend is intended to encourage both the creation of new research, as well as its translation to practice, evaluation, and policy in Australian higher education.

Funding of $10,000 per successful application is available for up to four (4) projects. Each application should scope out a research project to be undertaken by the student that will lead to a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal in the field of higher education.   

The stipend can be used at the successful candidates’ discretion, including to fund research costs, journal publication fees, or a living allowance. Funded HDR candidates will have the opportunity to present the outcomes of their research projects at an ACSES event.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be students enrolled in either a Master by Research degree or equivalent (AQF Level 9) or a Doctor of Philosophy degree or equivalent (AQF Level 10) at any one of Australia’s Table A and Table B provider universities.

Students from all disciplines are eligible to apply, but the research project must be on a topic relating to Australian higher education equity.  

Applications are due before 4pm (AWST) on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.

For more information, including details on how to apply, visit here.

Introducing the third stream of the ACSES Evaluation Learning Program: Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Student Equity

The Trials and Evaluation Program at ACSES is excited to share that the third program stream of our Evaluation Learning Program, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Student Equity, is now launched and available for enrolments. Building on our collective commitment to evidence, insight, and impact, this stream will support practitioners and managers to embed continuous improvement cycles into their equity programs.

The Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in Student Equity stream includes four online modules designed for busy equity professionals, CQI offers a friendly, accessible way to build confidence in using data for ongoing program improvement. Those completing the modules will earn a shareable digital badge to showcase their new skills.

An emphasis has been placed on practical tools and approaches and case studies from the sector. ACSES thanks colleagues from University of Technology Sydney, Deakin University, the University of New South Wales, and Swinburne University of Technology for sharing CQI examples and templates from their institutions.  

You can enrol in this stream and other of the ACSES Evaluation Learning Program here.

Promising Practices Briefs

ACSES has released its first Promising Practices Briefs for Management and Practitioners. These briefs aim to highlight what worked and what didn't work in ACSES supported trials, providing valuable and concise information for senior leaders and practitioners.

Watch out for more Promising Practices Briefs in the coming months, as trial evidence is starting to roll in!

Management

The first Promising Practices Brief for Management, focused on a question many universities are asking: What actually works to support students at risk of failure, and how can resources be used more effectively?

This flagship brief summarises the key findings from a recent randomised controlled trial at Curtin University, examining the impact of academically at-risk student management practices on first-year engagement and success. Some key insights shared in the brief include: 

• Early detection using LMS activity can accurately identify students at risk
• Targeted, proactive support before census benefits students at moderate risk
• This approach is highly cost-effective (around $10 per student), with scope to scale
• Untargeted and purely informational support has limited impact, particularly for students at high risk

The brief is designed for senior leaders, pulling together clear findings, implications for decision-making, and cost considerations to support evidence-informed strategy. 

See our first Promising Practices Brief for Management here. 

Practitioners

The first Promising Practices Brief for Equity Practitioners, translates trial evidence into practical, ready-to-use guidance for teams supporting students at risk of failure.

This brief draws on a Curtin University trial of an Academically At-Risk Student Management (AARSM) approach, where students were identified early using LMS engagement data and proactively contacted by equity teams.

What you’ll find in this brief:

• How and when to use LMS data to flag students who may need support
• Which students benefit most from early outreach, and when to contact them
• What works for students at moderate risk, and why high-risk students need different approaches
• Practical tips, implementation steps, and adaptable email and SMS templates

The focus is on what to do, when to do it, and how to implement it with minimal time and resources.  

See our first Promising Practices Brief for Equity Practitioners here. 

ACSES in the News

• "Pathway programs for university: Improving Indigenous success", Croakey Health Media 

• "Beyond the chatbot: A framework for navigating the era of agentic AI in higher education", Needed Now in Learning and Teaching