Alison Butt named Chair-Elect of U21 Research Collaboration Group

The appointment of Dr Alison Butt, Director of the Research Strategy Office at UNSW Sydney, brings the University closer to the global research conversation.

Dr Butt has been the UNSW contact on the Universitas 21 (U21) Research Collaboration Group since 2019 and has now been named Chair-Elect.

Universias 21 (U21) is a network of 28 research-led institutions across the globe which provides opportunities for collaboration and learning. It brings university leaders together to improve researcher engagement, student experience and educational innovation by sharing excellence, collaborating across borders and nurturing international knowledge exchange.

“I am excited to be taking on the role of Chair-Elect of the Research Collaboration Group [RCG],” said Dr Butt. “This is an important juncture for the RCG as we start to re-connect with colleagues and reinvigorate our remit to promote research collaboration across the U21 network.”

U21 is a network of 28 research-led institutions across the globe which provides opportunities for collaboration and learning. It brings university leaders together to improve researcher engagement, student experience and educational innovation by sharing excellence, collaborating across borders and nurturing international knowledge exchange.

Dr Butt has had more than 20 over twenty years’ experience in cancer research as an active researcher in several academic settings and in a strategic leadership role as the Senior Scientific Officer at Cancer Australia, the Australian federal government’s cancer control agency.

She is particularly passionate about promoting and supporting women in research. Dr Butt She has implemented ‘relative to opportunity’ criteria across all National Breast Cancer Foundation funding schemes, and during her tenure as Australian Society for Medical Research President, she worked with the Minister for Medical Research and the National Health and Medical Research Council to improve the assessment of career disruptions.

Alison has been the UNSW contact on the U21 Research Collaboration Group since 2019.

Professor Jenny Dixon, U21 Provost, said, “The strength of our network very much relies on the quality of contributions from those across our membership who are prepared to step up and lead. These network leadership roles are integral to all the collaborative achievements we make together, driving forward our agendas and highlighting the immense value of sharing knowledge across borders.”