SPARQ-ed™ (Students Performing Advanced Research Queensland) is a unique educational facility established as a collaboration between The University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine and Queensland's Department of Education and Training (DET). SPARQ-ed aims to promote excellence and innovation in biological and biomedical education by delivering world class specialist programs to Queensland school students and their teachers. These programs are based on a model that brings together personnel and expertise from the education and scientific research communities.
The SPARQ-ed facility was established in 2009 within the Diamantina Institute on the grounds of Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. It features a dedicated teaching laboratory and is coordinated by Dr Peter Darben, a registered teacher employed by DET.
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SPARQ-ed was established following a proposal by 2006 Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer to Queensland’s Minister for Education and Training. In this proposal, Professor Frazer said:
"Biomedical research in Queensland is world class and yet students are reluctant to consider research as a career option. This unique education facility, by giving students a hands on introduction to biomedical research mentored jointly by their science teachers and world leading research staff, would provide Queensland with a more scientifically literate community." |
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The flagship service offered by SPARQ-ed is the research immersion program, where senior secondary school students and their teachers undertake a week-long scientific project designed alongside one of the Diamantina Institute's research groups. These programs are based on questions which arise from the work of the research group, and it is expected that the student projects may yield results which can feed back into that research group's work. The programs are designed by the SPARQ-ed coordinator to complement or enhance work undertaken by senior students in their biology studies. In addition to the experimental work, participants in the research immersion programs are exposed to the full research experience, attending scientific seminars and learning how to use academic library resources. The week culminates in a research symposium, where participants share their experimental findings with their peers as well as staff and students of the Diamantina Institute.
To date, five research immersion programs have been conducted with 27 student and 13 teacher participants. Participants are selected through an application process, with the programs being open to statewide applications. SPARQ-ed offers up to 15 research immersion programs per year, for up to 20 participants at a time. Applications must be made through the school principal, using the forms provided here. Other queries about applications should be made to SPARQed"at"uq.edu.au.
In addition to offering the research immersion programs, SPARQ-ed will serve as a hub for connecting school communities with the scientific research community. The SPARQ-ed web portal will provide a selection of quality educational materials for schools to use in their teaching of matters pertaining to biomedical research. In addition, plans are currently underway to develop shorter outreach and "in-reach" programs tailored to engage students in primary and middle schools.
SPARQ-ed represents a unique opportunity to engage school communities with the dynamic world of biomedical research. By connecting students and teachers with the world leading researchers at the Diamantina Institute, SPARQ-ed will light the spark in the next generation of scientists.
For more information on SPARQ-ed, read the FAQ or contact Peter Darben (p.darben"at"uq.edu.au).