SA and WA Chapter Joint Event

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Join us for a Cross-Chapter reflection on learning and connection!

Hosted by the SA and WA Chapters of ARMS, this online professional development session showcases the experiences of our 2025 Melbourne Conference Award recipients at the ARMS 2025 Conference. Hear first-hand from awardees as they share:

• Highlights from their top presentations
• Memorable networking moments
• Practical takeaways they’ve brought back to their workplaces

Whether you're curious about the value of the ARMS Conference, or looking for inspiration to enhance your own practice, this session offers insights and cross-state connection for research managers and administrators across South Australia and Western Australia.

Date: Tuesday, 18 November 2025

Time:

• ACDT (Adelaide) - 2:00PM - 3:00PM
• AWST (Perth) - 11:30AM - 12:30PM

Location: Online Zoom meeting - Zoom link to be supplied in confirmation email.

RSVP: Tuesday, 18 November 2025

Panelists:

Ms Agnes Low, The Kids Research Institute

Agnes has a wealth of cultural awareness and experiences having lived in different countries over the past 16 years and having worked in multinational companies. She spent 6 years working in various roles for HSBC Bank in Malaysia and its subsidiary, including Credit Approvals and Relationship Management, Personal Assistant and Commercial Banking Marketing. Agnes had the privilege of staying at home with her children for 13 years before she made a career comeback. Her husband is an astronomer/Mid-Career Researcher which has exposed her to the world of academics and research. She also spent 3.5 years doing remote work with a Computer Science professorship in a prominent university in Germany before joining The Kids Research Institute Australia, initially as an Executive Officer but was promoted after 18 months into a Project Officer role. Agnes is curious, has great attention to detail with a knack for problem-solving.

Dr Marina Župan

Marina is a Senior Research Development Officer in the Research Development (Health) team at Flinders University, and current Co-Convenor of the ARMS SA Chapter committee. Marina’s career in research management started in late 2022 when she joined Flinders University after completing her PhD at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Initially supporting clinician researchers within Flinders’ Health & Medical Research Institute, she later stepped into a Research Development Officer role in 2023. Marina now works closely with researchers and the broader Flinders professional community to target and develop competitive funding applications for NHMRC & MRFF, and contributes to researcher development initiatives, where she leads the NHMRC Investigator Grant Bootcamp Program at Flinders.

Ms Kirsty de Ruyter

Kirsty is current Manager of the Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing (FIMHWell) at Flinders University, bringing to her current role over 20 years’ experience across marketing, communications, and stakeholder engagement. Her career has spanned researcher and professional development - including positions at Flinders University, ARMS, and UniSA - as well as the private sector. Kirsty brings a dynamic, service-oriented approach to research management, and is passionate about supporting researchers and partners to achieve meaningful outcomes. Her current work focuses on supporting and implementing FIMHWell’s strategic direction, identifying and securing funding opportunities, and amplifying the research impact of the Institute’s members.

Ms Danielle O'Brien

Danielle is a Research Administration Coordinator in the central RA office at Edith Cowan University, supporting researchers with grant applications through to submission. With over 20 years of experience in higher education across Australia, Canada, and the United States, she has been specializing in Research Administration since 2011, predominately in the PreAward space. Most recently, Danielle spent 9 years at Yale University in the US, leading the central PreAward Team, before returning to Australia in 2024. Having experienced the similarities in research administration globally, she is now discovering the intricacies of Australian funding bodies. Luckily, Danielle thrives on the dynamic nature of research administration and the excitement of last-minute proposals! Outside of work, she enjoys reading, shopping, camping with her family, and tackling the daily Wordle.

Facilitator/Host

Ms Sanita Kratina

Sanita Kratina is the Research Contract Adviser at Edith Cowan University and Co-Convenor for the WA ARMS Chapter Committee. With more than 20 years of experience in research project management, leadership, and team supervision within fast-paced and evolving settings, Sanita is highly skilled in reviewing and negotiating research contracts. Her expertise encompasses overseeing complex research project, establishing comprehensive policies and procedures, and working collaboratively with cross-disciplinary teams to achieve high level results. She is widely respected for her talent in motivating and empowering staff, implementing streamlined management systems, and advancing organisational objectives through guidance, coaching, and nurturing a positive workplace culture. Her management strengths are complemented by a research background and her co-authorship in an upcoming publication in a respected Australian journal.

If you have any questions, or need to cancel/change your registration, please contact the ARMS Executive Office ARMSMembership@researchmanagement.org.au or +61 8 8201 5592.

This event is free for ARMS members. Please log into your member portal to receive the 100% ARMS member discount.

*Please note that upon registration your name and organisation will be provided to the chapter convenor(s) or event organiser, to record attendance and manage the event.

**Please note that this event may be photographed and posted to ARMS platforms, if you don’t want to be included in these photographs, please advise the event organiser at the event.