Students as Partners Project Grants

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• Successful 2026 Students As Partners Projects

  Of 31 applications submitted, 3 group projects and 3 individual projects have received funding to participate in the Students as Partners Project Grants program for 2026. In 2026, the program runs from the 10th June until the 7th of December, with a showcase of projects on the 26th of November. Details of the projects which received funding are below:

  Addressing Student Engagement in Classrooms and Gender-based Microagressions

  Project team: Francesca Harrison, Supported by Karen Whelan (Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning; Faculty of Engineering & IT) 

  Area of focus: Teaching Practice Student engagement is shaped not only by teaching quality and course design, but also by the social dynamics within the classroom. This projects aims to investigate student engagement in university classrooms, with a specific focus on how gender-based microaggressions influence participation, learning outcomes and overall student experience in a tertiary setting such as UTS.

  The project will develop practical, evidence-based recommendations to improve classroom practice. Examples include structured discussion formats, inclusive language use, awareness of unconscious bias, and approaches to curriculum and assessment design that better support diverse students.

  Beyond the Mark: What Best-Practice Assessment Feedback Could Look Like?

  Project team: Chloe Ferreira, Supported by Katie Schlenker (Associate Dean, Education; UTS Business School) 

  Area of focus: Teaching Practice

  Due to inconsistent depth and quality of feedback received on assessments across different subjects, students’ learning potential is inhibited, assessments feel transactional and frustration arises. This project will investigate what meaningful, proportionate, and timely assessment feedback looks like across a range of assessment types used at UTS; from in-class tasks to ongoing or multi-part assessment to final examinations.

  The project will produce a policy review and recommendations document, identifying where UTS assessment feedback policy or procedure needs to be strengthened and clarified. Recommendations in the report may cover best-practice asessment feedback, defining clear standards for feedback provision across each assessment type and scale.

  From Students to Professional

  Project Team: Janani Suresh and Priyanka Hermany Chhabaria, Supported by Beate Mueller (Senior Lecturer; Transdiscplinary School) 

  Area of focus: Inclusivity in Learner Engagement

  Since 30% of UTS students are international, many face a confidence and cultural skill gap which greatly affects their ability to perform in an Australian professional context. This project aims to support the professional confidence and cultural fluency gap for international and Non-English speaking background students across all UTS faculties.

  The project will produce a student designed program that combines co-designed skill-building workshops, live industry speaker sessions, real-world networking practice with professionals and a volunteer development model for these sessions to be maintained through co-curricular channels.

  From Tool to Teaching Partner: Enhancing Nursing Education Through Responsible AI Integration

  Project Team: Katie Liu and Laura Veasey, Supported by Dr Elizabeth Brogan (Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery & FFYE Coordinator; Faculty of Health) 

  Area of focus: Teaching Practice

  In health disciplines, students' overreliance of AI can affect their critical thinking development and clinical competence, therefore having direct implications for patient safety and quality of care. This project aims to guide educators in the effective and student-centred use of AI technologies, to intentionally and appropriately support student development.

  The project will produce an evidence-informed framework of recommendations for the integration of AI tools within undergraduate nursing education at UTS, and the creation of practical, actionable recommendations that support meaningful integration of AI into the nursing curriculum

  The Student Casefile

  Project Team: Madeleine Campbell, Clare Doherty, Supported by Paula Tarttelin Hernandez (Lecturer, Centre for Forensic Science; Faculty of Science) 

  Area of Focus: Academic support

  Many first year forensic science students experience confusion, isolation, and uncertainty due to fragmented cohorts, inconsistent subject expectations, and limited informal spaces to seek clarification or connection. This project aims to address these challenges by creating a centralised resource that provides clear guidance, peer support, mentorship, and career pathways, ultimately fostering belonging, confidence, and a more connected student experience.

  The project aims to produce a platform for centralised information for students to refer for core subjects, connection and career pathway information, with a focus on creating a model of peer-led knowledge exchange which facilitates connection and knowledge transfer between cohorts. This model could be applied to disciplines outside of forensic science.

  You Said, Now What? Closing the Student Feedback Loop

  Project team: Chloe Ferreira, Supported by Liam Dacosta (Evaluation Specialist, Student Experience; DVC Education and Students) and Amanda Lizier (Senior Lecturer, Teaching Learning and Curriculum Unit) 

  Area of focus: Policy and Process Review

  Due to a lack of acknowledgement and action to student feedback on subjects, students feel disengaged and less inclined to share their voice as they notice a reoccurence of raised issues. This project will investigate whether UTS has the right mechanisms in place to effectively collect, analyse, and critically respond to feedback collected in the Student Feedback Survey in a way that is visible and meaningful to students.

  The project will produce an evidence-based guide for best practice in closing the feedback loop, defining what an effective, student-centred feedback loop incorporates at the subject, course and university-level. The guide is to support staff on how they can acknowledge feedback, and communicate actions taken back to students.

• Successful 2025 Students as Partners Projects

  

  10 group projects and 2 individual projects were successfully completed in the 2026 program. The projects ran from the 11th of June to the 24th of November, with a SAP presentation showcase held on the 26th of November. You can learn more about our 2025 project showcase at this blogpost.

  The following details the project title, focus area, group members and summary of each selected project. 

  Access and Agency: A Framework for Inclusive Class Attendance Policies

  Focus area: Assessment practice & Inclusivity in learner engagement Staff partner: Timothy Boye Student partners: Evangelina Darmaputra & Laura Veasey This project examined how attendance and participation requirements affect UTS students with disabilities or flutuating health conditions. The team developed recommendations and a practical framework to promote equitable and flexible participation options and access. Read more about their findings and recommendations on this blog post. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Timothy Boye.

  AI Agents: Industry Powered Simulations

  Focus area: Teaching practice Staff partner: Dr Amir Armanious Student partners: Kayla Duncan & Eloise Spencer The project aimed to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) agents can enhance experiential learning, bridge the gap between academic theory and practice, and prepare students for the AI-driven workplace within the Business faculty. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Dr Amir Armanious.

  Communication in the Workplace Canvas Modular Expansion

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partner: Simon Au Student partners: Joshua Liam Buxton, Kelly Thai & Phan Nguyen This project aimed to improve students’ professional communication skills and boost their confidence as they transition into the workplace by enhancing and digitising the HELPS Communicating in the Workplace resource into a flexible, engaging, and practical training module tailored to real-world professional contexts. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Simon Au. (Simon.Au@uts.edu.au)

  Enhancing Online Learning through Modular Active Content for STEM Students

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partners: Xianzhi Wang Student partners: Jihoon Choi & Kimgech (Yong) Pov This project aims to enhance student engagement and retention in STEM lectures by transforming traditional content into interactive, modular learning experiences to make learning more dynamic, accessible, and effective for students. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Xianzhi Wang.

  How to Present & Represent

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partner: Dr Sarah Kinkel Miller Student partner: Ghaiath Almustafa This project aims to equip students, particularly graduate and HDR students, with accessible and engaging tools to effectively present and clearly communicate complex research to diverse audiences.  For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Sarah Kinkel Miller.

  Learning On-Country

  Focus area: Teaching practice Staff partner: Professor Benny Wilson Student partner: Kate Kelly & Nour El-Zmeter This project sought to explore the impact and potential benefits of an immersive learning in Country experience on preservice teachers and shed light on the ways it could be implemented within the Secondary Education courses at UTS. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Professor Benny WIlson.

  Normalising and Opening a Dialogue about Disability Support

  Focus area: Policy and process review & Inclusivity in learner engagement Staff partner: Esita Sogotubu Student partners: Jennifer Latif & Juliette Latif The focus for the project was to understand the extent to which UTS supports students with disabilities (SWDs) across three domains; study, employment and work integrated learning (WIL). Through identifying these gaps, they aimed to formulate recommendations on how everyone at UTS can work collaboratively to improve SWDs' experiences. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Esita Sogotubu.

  Online Clinical Placement Exchange Platform for Bachelor of Nursing Students

  Focus area: Policy and process review Staff partner: Dr Elizabeth Brogan Student partners: Jessica Pan, Massimo Fathulla & Natalie Nguyen This project aimed to support the clinical placement experience for Bachelor of Nursing students by streamlining the process of navigating and swapping placements to improve placement flexibility, reduce administrative burden, and empower students in managing their clinical experiences. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Dr Elizabeth Brogan.

  Pathways and Progress

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partner: Lee Wallace Student partner: Peter McKenzie This project aims to build confidence among UTS sport science students by increasing awareness, guidance, and access to career pathways and external qualifications to help students navigate their academic and professional journeys more effectively. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Lee Wallace.

  RUSE: Student Centre AI chatbot

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partners: Angelica Syed & Lilieta Fauonuku Student partners: Ayush Prajapati, Jongmin Kim & Muneef Azwad This project aimed to enhance the student experience at the Student Centre by reducing barriers to information, improving service accessibility, and supporting academic success through seamless administrative processes. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Angelica Syed & Lilieta Fauonuku.

  Supporting Student Parents at UTS

  Focus area: Academic support & Inclusivity in learner engagement Staff partner: Elaine Laforteza Student partners: Paskalina Faidiban & Napoleon Charles Kambu This project aims to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for UTS student parents by creating recommendations based on student experiences, challenges and support needs. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Elaine Laforteza.

  Measuring Student Use and Perceptions of FEIT Labs and Workshops

  Focus area: Academic support Staff partner: Marc Carmichael Student partners: Jeremy Chu & Mike Engelsman This project aimed to evaluate the accessibility, awareness and utilisation of FEIT LAB and Workshop spaces at UTS. The project looked into the barriers to LWS accessibility and usage (booking systems, awareness of lab availability, opening hours), student satisfaction with LWS and existing resources, and opportunities to improve lab scheduling, resource allocation, and communication systems. Read more about their findings and recommendations on this blogpost. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Marc Carmichael.  Thanks to Adithya Kumar for his preliminary research, collecting data, and assisting in the design and development of the project. Thanks to Sam Ferguson for his excellent mentorship and assistance provided throughout the entirety of the project.

• Successful 2024 Students as Partners Projects

  

  11 projects successfully completed the 2024 Students as Partners (SaP) program. A showcase was held to celebrate and present the diverse 9 groups projects and 2 individual projects. The below details are a summary of each successful SaP project of 2024.

  Enhancing the Student Experience for Bachelor of Nursing students by Addressing the 'Pain' Points

  This project aimed to address challenges first-year Bachelor Nursing students face such as fast-paced learning, gaps in scientific knowledge and inadequate study strategies which hinder academic success and clinical confidence. These issues were addressed by implementing weekly workshops and podcasts focused on study techniques, content mastery and clinical preparedness. These strategies resulted in better content retention, increased confidence, boosted preparedness and reduced feelings of anxiety within students. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Jack Cornish.

  Fostering Openness: Open Science, Education and Publishing

  This project aims to assess the perceptions and attitudes of UTS HDR students and recent graduates towards open science and open-access publishing. Based on the findings, recommendations have been provided to increase awareness and engagement with open-access tools and practices among students, better preparing them for the evolving landscape of academic publishing. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Helen Chan.

  GenAI Literacy Across Disciplines

  AI Across Disciplines project aimed to improve Generative AI (GenAI) among UTS students from non-technical disciplines. Through research, a short, non-reward course was built on Canvas UTS. The course aims to engage students by providing foundational AI knowledge in an accessible manner and equip students with the skills to navigate and apply AI technologies responsibly in their academic and professional careers. Read more about their GenAI Literacy course on this blog post. The course is now available for self-enrolment on Canvas. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Dr Antonette Shibani.

  HIPPOS (Hand’s-On Innovative Professional Prep Orientated Students)

  The HIPPOS project aimed to raise students' awareness on building professional portfolios by utilising their university projects to showcase their skillsets, helping them become more adaptive, employable, and prepared for their future career. A Canvas site on portfolio building and reflective learning was developed and tested with a group of Games Development students. A showcase was held for student participants to display their portfolios to faculty staff, academics and peers. Five student participants expressed that if it wasn't for this project they would not have had a portfolio. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Jason Do.

  Inclusive Instructions in Creative Production

  This project sought to identify gaps in students knowledge and comfortabilities surrounding audio technology, jargon, and radio journalism. A set of 11 informative and accessible zines were developed and distributed to students to empower and enhance their engagement to university content. Areas addressed include choosing microphones, organising and structuring Digital Audio Workstation sessions, patching, using the radio panel, producing interviews and using different online programs necessary for radio. You can view the zines on our UTS Library Digital Collections page here. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Dr Liz Giuffre.

  Keeping BCII Warm

  'Keeping BCII Warm' explores insights and recommendations into the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) student experience on the challenges faced during interstitial breaks between BCII subjects. Recommendations explored include strategies for retaining knowledge, strengthening skills and taking opportunities to connect amongst peers. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Beate Mueller.

  Human Centred Approach to Loss and Bereavement into Special Consideration

  This project seeks to examine the current application of loss and bereavement policies, with a focus on special consideration procedures at UTS. The findings aim to guide the development of a comprehensive systematic, and trauma-informed framework that can support students in navigating the administrative processes associated with special consideration in the context of bereavement. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Jo Tilly.

  Tapasā : Pasifika Student Empowerment Initiative

  The Tapasā: Pasifika Student Empowerment Initiative was launched to support Pasifika students at UTS by addressing their unique challenges, including isolation and limited access to culturally relevant academic resources. This initiative aimed to foster belonging, confidence, and academic success while celebrating Pasifika cultural identity. A project launch showcase was hosted in collaboration with the Tapasā: Pasifika Student Empowerment Initiative. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Christine Afoa.

  Timetable Tune: Improving the Timetabling System

  The Timetable Tune project sought to gain insights into the needs of students during their timetabling and enrolment experiences, using a human-centred design approach. The outputs included key recommendations for optimising the student journey, and key digital systems including 'MyTimetable'  interface, with the aim to reduce student stress, confusion, and cognitive load, and enhance the overall navigation experience. The result will lead to more satisfied students who feel empowered, and confident for their studies ahead.  For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Mischa Damon.

  Understanding and Supporting ADHD in the Classroom

  This project aims to investigate challenges faced by ADHD university students and identify practical and proactive strategies. These proposed recommendations seek to create a more inclusive and supportive academic environment that enables ADHD students to fully engage with their education and succeed academically. For more information, please contact the Staff Partner, Nathan Langford.

  UTS First-Year Narratives

  The First Year Narratives project is a collection of digital stories that amplify the voices of students typically marginalised and underrepresented in universities. Through recorded in-person interviews, these narratives reveal knowledge gaps amongst community and support systems offered at UTS and enhances the understanding of unique cultural needs of UTS's diverse student body. A project launch showcase was hosted in collaboration with the Tapasā: Pasifika Student Empowerment Initiative SaP group. For more information, please contact the Staff Partners, Amanda Moors-Mailei  and Regan Gauci.