Last week we held the 2026 Plant Success Research Retreat and Capacity Building Workshops in Kingscliff. This was the fifth in-person Retreat (we did hold one online in 2021 during COVID-19, but I am sure we would all rather forget that period). The Retreats provide a rare opportunity to step away from our day-to-day demands and immerse ourselves in all things Plant Success. This year over 125 researchers, students, professional staff, committee members and guest speakers gathered to share discoveries, build new collaborations and strengthen our culture.
The program showcased the quality of research across our Centre. Over three days, attendees heard presentations spanning plant adaptation, evolutionary biology, genomics, artificial intelligence, breeding and modelling. It was great to see such a large amount of collaboration happening across the Centre. What was particularly encouraging was the strong contribution from our early and mid-career researchers. Through presentations and poster sessions, EMCRs demonstrated not only the depth of research talent within our Centre, but also the communication skills that will serve them throughout their careers long after the Centre has concluded.
Equally important were the sessions focused on the way we work together. Discussions on building inclusive research cultures and integrity in science reinforced our commitment to creating an environment where all members feel respected, supported and empowered to contribute their best. These conversations are essential to maintaining the integrity, inclusivity and international excellence that define Plant Success.
Congratulations again to the winners of our Retreat awards – Best Student Presentation was awarded to Thomas Crow. Best Postdoctoral Researcher Presentation was awarded to Maddie James. Best 3MT Student Presentation was awarded to Gus Grant. Best 3MT Postdoctoral Researcher Presentation was awarded to Bea Harrison Day. Best Student Poster was awarded to Shunichiro Tomura. Best Postdoctoral Researcher Poster was awarded to Daniel Otwani. During the Retreat, we were also able to acknowledge the Centre for Plant Success Core Values awards winners for the year – Pushpa Raju, Julia Bally and Arlie Macdonald for Inclusivity; Vinod Jacob and Maddie James for Integrity; and Karen Velandia for International Excellence.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making the retreat a success – our professional staff, the CORMS team put in a lot of work year after year to ensure feedback from past retreats is put into action, and the Researcher Development Working Group who provided valuable insights and helped to coordinate the capacity building workshops and ECR Trivia night. Lastly, thank you to all who delivered posters and presentations, it was wonderful to hear more about your work.
David Tomlins
Chief Operating Officer
