The CRC Association’s annual conference, previously scheduled for May 2020, has been postponed until May 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions; however, some conference events, including the ECR Showcase, will take place online.
The CRC Association put out a news releases on 19 March 2020 detailing further actions around the conference and its components:
“Due to the current coronavirus restrictions on meetings, we have made the sad decision to postpone Collaborate Innovate 2020 to next year.
We don’t believe the full speaker program can be successfully transferred to an online presentation that would deliver the high-quality interaction that our delegates expect from Collaborate Innovate conferences.
Postponing the event until later in 2020 is difficult. We don’t know when the current crisis will ease, and we expect you will be wanting to concentrate on your own business rather attend double the number of conferences you planned for in the second half of 2020.
So, we have decided to defer… most of our speaking program to 2021, at a similar time of the year: late May, depending on venue availability.
However, our Early Career Researchers Showcase, sponsored by CQ University, is too important to defer and we don’t want to disappoint the scholars that have bravely submitted their 30-second videos. We will be extending the submission deadline for the videos to May, and will host the live Early Career Researchers Showcase event online in June. We’ll send out details on how to join, and how to vote for your favourite, well ahead of time. We still want you to see the brilliant presentations from the talented early career researchers that make such an important contribution.
We will also be continuing the Towards Diverse Boards: Pathways to Directorship program with the Governance Institute of Australia and Pro Veritas Group. The first two face-to-face units will be delivered online and our six amazing coaches will still deliver their thoughts on directorship.
Everyone who had registered for Collaborate Innovate 2020 will receive a copy of Collaborate Innovate magazine (formerly KnowHow) which will also be available in Qantas lounges, promoting the extraordinary achievements of the CRCs, CRC-Projects and their partners.
The CRC Association is offering all registrants a 100% refund on registration fees. Alternatively, registrants can opt to roll-over their registration to 2021 and those who choose to do this will receive a copy of Dr Ruby Campbell’s Scientists in Every Boardroom: Harnessing the Power of STEMM Leaders in an Irrational World. We will be in contact with registrants over the coming days to confirm their decisions.
The CRC Association … will be talking individually with sponsors over the coming days about their arrangements.
We would like to thank you all for your support, and hope the CRC Association is able to reciprocate in what is going to be a difficult year.”
Latest update
On 20 March, the Association updated its message, noting:
“Registrants will be contacted by our conference organisers and be able to select either a registration roll-over to 2021 or a full refund. The conference organisers may also be able to provide guidance in getting an accommodation refund.
“We will, however, be going ahead with an online version of the following components:
- ECRs: Submission deadline extended to Wed 20th May; finals to be held online on Wed 24th June
- Excellence in Innovation Awards (video component TBC)
- Towards Diverse Boards: Pathways to Directorship”
Early Career Researchers Showcase now online
Scheduled to take place online in June, this showcase is a chance for early-career researchers to pitch their project ideas in five-minute sessions for the opportunity to win $5,000.
Submit a 30-second video outlining your idea for the chance to become a finalist and win a trip to Canberra to present your work at the Showcase. Apply here.
All finalists are selected by the CRC Association. Total prize money available is $10,000
Further information
For more information, visit the conference website.