"Research Platform Fellow"

Job Description:

• Data Science Collaborative Research Platform
• Full-time, fixed-term position for 18 months
• Base salary will be in the range $114,824 - $136,048 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level B)
• Based at our Herston location

About This Opportunity

This is an exceptional opportunity for a Research Platform Fellow to shape the development of national infrastructure for AI Federated Learning through robust data governance.

In this role, you will lead efforts to design evidence-based risk assessments, establish compliance standards, and create governance frameworks that enable secure, ethical, and scalable federated learning across Australia. As a Research Platform Fellow, you will develop enabling research capabilities that elevate recognition of your expertise and contribution within your discipline. At this level, you are expected to efficiently manage service delivery and engagement activities associated with your facility, ensuring excellence and impact in advancing research infrastructure.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead and coordinate stakeholder consultations with health departments, ethics committees, legal teams, and data custodians.
• Organise and facilitate workshops to promote adoption of data governance standards across jurisdictions.
• Draft and refine governance templates, clauses, SOPs and guideline for ethics submissions, data sharing agreements, and institutional policies to facilitate the adoption of Federated Learning.
• Provide expertise and knowledge to end-users in data governance.
• Maintain accurate records, results and outcomes of project activities.
• Contribute to and/or draft elements of research proposals, grant applications, ethics applications and/or other documentation.
• Ensure alignment with national and international data privacy, ethics, and AI safety standards.
• Ensure compliance with approved research ethics protocols and apply safe design principles.
• Contribute to research quality assurance, control and continuous improvement activities with up-to-date SOPs.
• Contribute, where relevant, to ensuring the Facility operates efficiently and effectively.
• Assist in the design of complex research activities, under supervision of senior staff.
• Undertake comprehensive literature reviews in support of project outcomes.
• Provide training workshops for the development of skills and knowledge.
• Mentor and/or support the development of research technicians/engineers, scientists, community, future students and alumni.
• Actively participates and contributes to Facility committees or relevant bodies in the profession, industry and community, such as: industry/professional associations or boards, roundtables, cross- institutional mentoring.

This is a research focused, platform academic position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About the Data Science Collaborative Research Platform

The Data Science Collaborative Research Platform provides essential expertise in bioinformatics, statistics, analytics, digital health, and applied AI. We empower Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students, early- and mid-career researchers, and senior academics to fully harness the potential of their data. We support the entire data lifecycle, from initial data collection and management to advanced analytics and AI.

By offering timely assistance, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring robust data governance, and integrating cutting-edge AI techniques, we bring together diverse capabilities to strengthen cooperation and deliver more impactful research outcomes. We also accelerate innovation and real-world impact by helping translate research outputs into production-ready technologies.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, and their experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About You

• Completion of a PhD in the discipline area.
• Demonstrated experience in research governance, data ethics, or health data policy.
• Strong understanding of data privacy regulations (e.g. Australian Privacy Principles, GDPR).
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Experience working with HRECs, health departments, or research data custodians.
• Experience drafting policy documents, templates, or legal clauses.
• Experience with qualitative methods such as interviews and co-design.
• Familiarity with federated learning, AI/ML governance, or digital health infrastructure.
• Knowledge of the Five Safes framework or similar data access models.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multi-institutional project environment.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks... You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals... To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion...

Applications close Sunday 18 January 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-59138).