Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing

Leaders 

• Director: Emma Cole

Advisory Board

• Paul Clarke (co-Artistic Director, Uninvited Guests and co-director, Centre for Creative Technologies, University of Bristol)
• Fiona Foley (Principal Research Fellow (DECRA), UQ)
• Timothy Kastelle (Director, Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership)
• Eve Klein (Director, CREATE Lab)
• Helen Marshall (Director, WhatIF Lab)
• Fiona McDonald (Head of Education and Young People, Queensland Theatre)
• Kate O'Brien (Professor, School of Chemical Engineering)
• Liam Viney (UQ Arts Lead, Head of the School of Music)

Affiliated Researchers

• Janet Wiles
• Genevieve Dingle
• Bernadette Cochrane
• Stephen Viller
• Eve Klein
• Venero Armanno
• Julie Ballantyne
• Skye Doherty
• Caroline Wilson-Barnao
• Leah Henrickson
• Richard Newsome
• Rebecca Olson
• Richard Murray
• Peta Rake
• Pauline Pounds
• Stephen Carleton
• Fiona Foley
• Benjamin Pope
• Mary Broughton
• Maggie Nolan
• Alex Bevan
• Heather Zwicker
• Anna Briers
• Robert Davidson
• Andrea Bubenik
• Tom Doig
• Isobelle Carmody
• Nat Collie
• Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox
• Emma Cole
• Denis Collins
• Artem Pulemotov
• Gerhard Hoffstaedter
• Lucy Fraser
• Vero Richards
• Jenna Ng
• Abbie Trott
• Melanie Saward
• Kathleen Jennings
• Mandana Mapar

Creative Flourishing, the RCCAHF Podcast

Creative Flourishing is the official podcast for UQ’s Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing.

Creative Flourishing dives into the latest creative arts research and practice and asks how engaging with this might aid in human flourishing and have a positive impact upon our wellbeing. Each episode profiles a different form of creative practice, journeying from curating exhibitions at the Venice Biennale through to creative writing responses to apocalyptic futures and everything in between. We release five-episode seasons, with Season Two launching later in 2026.

Creative Flourishing is funded through the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland. Matt Bapty is the podcast Research Assistant, and Anthony Frangi edits and masters our episodes.

Creative Flourishing is available via Podbean, and wherever you get your podcasts from.  

UQ 2026 Creative Writing Fellowship

The Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing is thrilled to host the 2026 UQ Creative Writing Fellowship.

This Fellowship is an exceptional opportunity for an early-career Australian author to develop and write a new creative work in your nominated field of expertise. You will draw on the special collections of UQ’s Fryer Library, utilising rich primary sources as inspiration for your novel, pay, collection of short stories, non-fiction essays, book of poems, or novella. The Fryer Memorial Library of Australian Literature contains rare books and manuscript papers from historically and culturally significant Australian writers along with other historical primary source material including ephemera, realia, maps, plans, artworks and recordings.

The Creative Writing Fellowship is offered to a writer who has transitioned from the emerging phase of their career to the early career stage. We are looking for an author with between one and two significant debut publications under their belts (e.g. between one and two a professionally produced plays, a creative writing publications with a recognised literary publisher). The opportunity is targeted to those making the leap towards an ongoing writing career. We recognise this step towards a sustainable professional career is often the most challenging and we are excited to be able to provide this opportunity for a research-based project to early-career writers.

This project is supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund

Fellowship information

Award

• $20,000 to be awarded to one recipient.
• Feedback and guidance on your project from your chosen mentor (more on this below).
• A feedback session with the editorial team from the University of Queensland Press (UQP). They will consider the final manuscript for possible publication.
• Immersion in a higher education setting where the fellow will receive support from Library staff, RCCAHF, and UQP, and will be able to utilise and connect with AustLit.

Mentor opportunity

• $5,000 to be awarded to a mentor for the fellow, with an EOI phase for the mentor to follow the appointment of the recipient. The mentor position is for a more senior writer looking to develop their leadership and mentoring of the next generation fo Australian authors.

Terms and Conditions

RCCAHF reserves the right to not award the fellowship if they receive no suitable applications.

As a winner of the fellowship you:

• will be based at the St Lucia campus of The University of Queensland for a negotiated period, of a maximum of ten months.
• will be available to take up the appointment during the Fellowship year.
• will receive 75% of the funds allocated once the offer of the Fellowship has been accepted in writing. The final 25% will be received once the project has been submitted.
• will participate in publicity opportunities detailing the project and outcomes, such as writing for the RCCAHF website or appearing on the RCCAHF Creative Flourishing podcast.  
• Will participate in a gala event at the Fryer Library at the conclusion of the Fellowship to promote the outcome of the fellowship.
• will be asked to deliver a talk for students, staff and researchers on your project as part of the UQ School of Communication and Arts Seminar Series and/or Friends of the Library events program.
• will submit a report (no more than 600 words) outlining the benefits of the Fellowship and providing feedback on the experience to the RCCAHF Director upon completion of your project.
• will provide RCCAHF and the Fryer Librarian with a digital copy of your completed project within a mutually agreed timeframe following the completion of your visit. This will be stored in the University’s online repository, UQ eSpace (with restricted access subject to publishing). 

Application Requirements

Applicant eligibility

To be eligible for the award:

• submit the application by Monday 19 January 2026 (5pm)
• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• you must have commercially published a full-length, single-authored print publication in any genre or had a full length play professionally produced. Self-published works or amateur stage productions do not constitute commercial publication or professional production for the terms of this award.
• demonstrate the relevance of your creative writing project to primary source materials held in the Fryer Library.

Who can't apply?

• Previously unpublished or unproduced authors.
• Previous UQ Creative Fellowship recipients.
• Established authors with more than two commercially published full-length, single-authored print publications in any genre or full length plays professionally produced.
• People who reside outside of Australia
• People who bring with them projects already in process that are a component of post graduate studies or that have been contracted with a publisher other than UQP.
• Current University of Queensland or UQP employees and students, and board members are ineligible to apply. This does not include those employed with UQ as casuals. 

Supporting documents

• An outline of the proposed creative writing project and its relevance to the collections that will be accessed at the Fryer Library, including a timeline for your project (no more than 1000 words).
• A sample of writing (no more than five pages) from your published/programmed work.
• A letter of support from a referee that demonstrates your commitment to creative writing.
• A copy of your curriculum vitae.

Selection of award

For the selection of the recipient, the Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing will establish a Selection Committee comprising:

• The Director of the RCCAHF, who will act as Chair of the Committee; and
• A member of the RCCAHF advisory board or affiliate of the Research Centre
• A Fryer Librarian or nominee; and
• A member of the publishing team from UQP.

Notification

All applicants will be notified via email of the outcome before 1 February 2026.

Enquiries

General Enquiries

Director, Research Centre in Creative Arts and Human Flourishing

Emma Cole; creativeflourishing@hass.uq.edu.au

Fryer Collection Inquiries

Fryer Librarian

Simon Farley; s.farley@uq.edu.au

Apply Now

To apply for the 2026 Creative Writing Fellowship, please email your application to creativeflourishing@hass.uq.edu.au by 5pm AEST on Monday 19 January 2026. Your application should include the supporting documents listed below. If your letter of support is to be sent separately please ensure that your referee knows to send it before the application window closes.

We look forward to reviewing your application. 

Supporting documents

• An outline of the proposed creative writing project and its relevance to the collections that will be accessed at the Fryer, including a timeline for your project (no more than 1000 words).
• A sample of writing (no more than five pages) from your published/programmed work.
• A letter of support from a referee that demonstrates your commitment to creative writing.
• A copy of your curriculum vitae